This study presents a methodology to fabricate Ti6Al4V cylindrical compacts with a highly porous core and dense shell with the purpose to mimic the bone microstructure. Compacts with different core diameters were obtained by conventionally press and sintering. Large pores were created with the aid of pore formers. Sintering kinetics was determined by dilatometry, whereas characterization was performed by X-ray computed tomography. Also, permeability was evaluated on the 3D microstructure and the mechanical strength was evaluated by compression tests. Results indicated that sintering is constraint by the different densification rates of the porous and dense layers. Nonetheless, defectless compacts were obtained due to neck bonding between Ti6Al4V particles. Large pores were located in the designed core with similar pore size distribution. Permeability increased following a power law as a function of the pore volume fraction. Stiffness of bilayer components was driven by the porous core, meanwhile, the strength resulted from the combination of both layers. Bilayer materials obtained showed a permeability and mechanical properties, as well as admissible strain (σy /E) similar to those of human bones.

In this paper, a new design of a helium-assisted hybrid drone is proposed for flight time enhancement. As is widely known, most of the drones with a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) feature have a short operation time, limiting their capability to carry out sustainable operations for the given missions. Thus, with the clear goal of enhancing the flight time, this study aims to develop a hybrid drone system, where a helium balloon is used to provide a lifting force for this purpose. The proposed design for the hybrid drone has several benefits including easiness to manufacture and relatively small size when compared to other types of hybrid drones. Various analyses are conducted for the design of the hybrid drone system including the balloon shape and size, buoyant force, flight time, and connector design. Since stability and performance are one of the most important issues for the new design, the pole location analysis is conducted based on the control theory. This rigorous analysis provides that the proposed hybrid drone design is stable as well as robust against swinging motions. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed design and flight time enhancement, simulations were conducted and experimental results are also provided using the manufactured hybrid drone system. Through the real experiments, it is proved that the hybrid drone can increase the flight time more than 2.5 times while guaranteeing stable motions.

This article is about a framework for determining the degree of realism of any given 1 passenger ride motion discomfort measurement formula. After providing some context and reviewing 2 evidence of deficiency in currently popular ride motion discomfort measurement formulas, the article 3 outlines the research program that needs to be carried out in order to establish such a framework. 4 The research begins with gathering recordings of uncomfortable ride motion episodes encountered in 5 a chosen type of passenger transport service. It then has test subjects compare the episodes via a ride 6 motion simulator and adjust their amplitudes pair wise until they cause equal discomfort. It explains 7 how to take the pair wise amplitude adjustments and determine amplitude adjustments that bring all 8 of the motion episode recordings to a common level of discomfort so that they form a normalized set. 9 Then, the lower the scatter of the scores assigned by any given discomfort measurement formula to 10 the members of that set, the more realistic that formula will be for the chosen service.

With climate change projected to increase the frequency and severity of episodic insect outbreak events, assessing potential consequences for soil microbial communities and nutrient dynamics is of importance for understanding forest resilience. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is an important defoliator of deciduous tree species in temperate and mixed forests of eastern North America with an invasion cycle every 10-12 years and outbreak events that can last 3-6 years. Following a defoliation episode on trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) from 2015 to 2017 in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, QC, Canada, we sought to test if defoliation resulted in changes to soil bacterial and fungal communities. We hypothesized an increase in soil microbial biomass due to increased caterpillar frass inputs and potential changes in community structure following the event. Soils were sampled in July 2018, May 2019 and July 2019 from sites that had been subject to defoliation during the outbreak and from sites where no defoliation had been recorded. We assessed soil microbial biomass and fungal to total microbial activity ratio on all sampling dates, and Community Level Physiological Profiles (CLPPs) for 2018 only using a substrate induced respiration method. Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed a significant 50% decrease in microbial biomass (g biomass-C g-1 soil hour-1) in defoliated stands suggesting tree carbon normally allocated towards root exudates was reallocated towards foliage regeneration. We noted a differentiated carbon-based substrate usage following defoliation, but no change in the fungal to total microbial activity ratio. The observed changes in the two years following the defoliation event suggest that defoliation episodes aboveground could trigger changes in soil chemistry belowground with effects on soil microbial communities that may, in turn, feedback to influence forest plant dynamics.

Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals. In general, the reaction mechanisms of antioxidants are well known. The main reaction mechanisms of antioxidants are electron transfer (ET), proton transfer (PT), H atom transfer (HAT) and radical adduction (RAF). The study of these mechanisms is helpful to understand how antioxidants control high free radical levels on the cell. There are many studies focused on determine the main mechanism of an antioxidant to neutralize a wide spectrum of radicals, mainly reactive oxygen species (ROS) type radicals. Most of these antioxidants are polyphenols type compounds. Some esters, amides and metal-antioxidants have shown antioxidant activity. There are few experimental and theoretical studies about the antioxidant reaction mechanism of the aforementioned compounds. In this work, we shown the reaction mechanism proposed of an amide and its metal-antioxidant counterpart. We show how the presence of the metal increase the electron transfer on polar media and the H transfer in non-polar media. Even though, esters and amides are non-polar compound, the scavenger activity is good for the metal-antioxidant compound in no-polar media

Radiation Fireballs are singular phenomena which involve severe thermal radiation and consequently, they need to be duly assessed and prevented. Although the radiative heat transfer produced by a sphere is relatively well known, the shadowing measures implemented to control the fireball’s devastating effects have frequently posed a difficult analytical instance, mainly due to its specific configuration. In this article, since the usual solving equations for the said cases are impractical, the authors propose a novel graphic-algorithm method that sorts the problem efficiently for different kinds of obstructions and relative positions of the fireball and the defenses. Adequate application of this method may improve the safety of a significant number of facilities exposed to such risks.

This paper presents a novel approach for indoor acoustic source localization using microphone arrays and based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The proposed solution is, to the best of our knowledge, the first published work in which the CNN is designed to directly estimate the three dimensional position of an acoustic source, using the raw audio signal as the input information avoiding the use of hand crafted audio features. Given the limited amount of available localization data, we propose in this paper a training strategy based on two steps. We first train our network using semi-synthetic data, generated from close talk speech recordings, and where we simulate the time delays and distortion suffered in the signal that propagates from the source to the array of microphones. We then fine tune this network using a small amount of real data. Our experimental results show that this strategy is able to produce networks that significantly improve existing localization methods based on SRP-PHAT strategies. In addition, our experiments show that our CNN method exhibits better resistance against varying gender of the speaker and different window sizes compared with the other methods.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela were two of the world's most iconic civil (political) (human) rights advocates and leaders of all time. Both advocated for, and to varying degrees, applied elements of peaceful protests to the achievement of their goals. Both spent time in jail, often concurrently, but eventually forced their respective countries to extend the same rights that white populations had denied Africans and African Americans. For the US, civil rights, voting rights, right to education, housing and housing loans suggested that equality had been achieved, capped in South Africa by the election of Nelson Mandela as the first majority-rule president, and in the US, by Barack Obama’s election to the presidency. Yet the historical over-policing, police mistreatment and more generally, the judicial system’s inordinate ‘targeting’ of African Americans, with egregious cases running from Emmett Till to Rodney King to Walter Scott to Breonna Taylor to George Floyd to Rayshard Brooks and thousands of others shows the danger of such magical thinking. The now-persistent global wave pursuing human rights, civil rights and the right to be treated equally, primarily driven by the loosely-organized Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, has become the leading voice in pursuit of equality. Riots such as those in LA, protests in Ferguson and everywhere in summer 2020 has ushered new civil rights campaign. In the US and elsewhere, it has morphed to include historical issues such as monuments to colonialism, the US civil war, slavery and slave owners and traders, institutions, companies and people whose wealth and existence has links to slavery. Instructively, the protests persisted even as COVID-19, the hundred-year plague, continues to ravage the world. Lost in the moment is the absence of central leadership and leaders such as MLK or Mandela. Their charisma and effectiveness has been lacking for 50 years. This paper evaluates whether this has led to inconsistent civil and human rights pursuit for equality, or whether perchance, Mandela and MLK were extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime transformative leaders uniquely selected by history for their time.

Understanding the molecular underpinnings of the evolution of complex (multi-part) systems is a fundamental topic in biology. One unanswered question is the extent to which similar or different genes and regulatory interactions underlie similar complex systems across species. Animal eyes and phototransduction (light detection) are outstanding systems to investigate this question because some of the genetics underlying these traits are well-characterized in model organisms. However, comparative studies using non-model organisms are also necessary to understand the diversity and evolution of these traits. Here, we compare the characteristics of photoreceptor cells, opsins, and phototransduction cascades in diverse taxa, with particular focus on cnidarians. In contrast to the common theme of deep homology, whereby similar traits develop mainly using homologous genes, comparisons of visual systems - especially in non-model organisms - are beginning to highlight a “deep diversity” of underlying components, illustrating how variation can underlie similar complex systems across taxa. Although using candidate genes from model organisms across diversity was a good starting point to understand the evolution of complex systems, unbiased genome-wide comparisons and subsequent functional validation will be necessary to uncover unique genes that comprise complex systems of non-model groups to better understand biodiversity and its evolution.

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of 2006 report was the first document released by an abandoned the classical paradigm that ionizing suppressive, considering the idea that at low doses enhances the appearance of antiinflammatory biomarkers [UNSCEAR 2006]. It considers energetic an immune modulation agent due to the multitude the innate immune system, depending on various age, health status, co-morbidities, genetic background, co-stressors [Lumniczky et al.]. Natural background radiation is the most hazardous public health, followed by medical imaging as a close Naturally occurring radionuclides attach to particulate ionizing radiation after inhalation and deposition in the in this article that exposure to particle radioactivity of inflammation. With that purpose, we have done an on common anti-inflammatory biomarkers between cases on COVID-19 elderly patients, and those found low-intensity natural ionizing radiation in locations with hypothesize that radioactivity increases biomarkers of strategy involved the use of databases from PubMed, (e.g., dose response, hormesis, J-shaped, NLRP3 LNT model, etc.). Extrapolating these effects to artificial ionizing radiation drawn conclusions on the over use of X-ray computed images in elderly ICU admitted patients with pulmonary oxygen species (ROS) generation by this action seems inflammation of leucine-rich protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, waking up an over cytokine production.

This note applies the Logistic model approximation to determine the suitable start and end dates for the observed epidemic curves in the total number of cases for different countries. The Logistic model is presented and explicit relations for the beginning and end dates are obtained together with the total epidemic duration. Using data from Brazil, Germany, Italy, and South Korea, the extreme dates are calculated. Since the epidemic onset time is found, a fair comparison of the epidemic curve for these countries is obtained. The result does not depend on the poor statistics available in the early phase of the epidemic when the initial number of infectives is unknown. In fact, the total duration depends only on the characteristic time parameter of the LM model.

This work presents significant results obtained by the application of global optimization techniques to the design of finite, normal form games with mixed strategies. To that end, the Fuzzy ASA global optimization method is applied to several design examples of strategic games, demonstrating its effectiveness in obtaining payoff functions whose corresponding games present a previously established Nash equilibrium. In other words, the game designer becomes able to choose a convenient Nash equilibrium for a generic finite state strategic game and the proposed method computes payoff functions that will realize the desired equilibrium, making it possible for the players to reach the favorable conditions represented by the chosen equilibrium. Considering that game theory is a very significant approach for modeling interactions between competing agents, and Nash equilibrium represents a powerful solution concept, portraying situations in which joint strategies are optimal in the sense that players cannot benefit from individually modifying their current strategies provided that other players do not change their strategies as well, it is natural to infer that the proposed method may be very useful for strategists in general. In summary, it is a genuine instance of artificial inference of payoff functions after a process of global machine learning, applied to their numerical components.

The growing concerns about floods have highlighted the need for accurate and detailed precipitation data as extreme precipitation occurrences can lead to catastrophic floods, resulting in significant economic losses and casualties. Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM-IMERG) is a commonly used high-resolution gridded precipitation dataset and is recognized as trustworthy alternative sources of precipitation data. The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the performance of GPM IMERG Early (IMERG-E), Late (IMERG-L), and Run Final (IMERG-F) in precipitation estimation and their capability in detecting extreme rainfall indices over southwestern Iran during 2001-2020. The Asfezari gridded precipitation data which are developed using a dense of ground-based observation were utilized as the reference dataset. The findings indicate that the IMERG-F performs reasonably well in capturing many extreme precipitation events (defined by various indices). All the three products showed a better performance in capturing fixed and non-threshold precipitation indices across the study region. The findings also revealed that both IMERG-E and IMERG-L have problems in rainfall estimation over elevated areas showing values of overestimations. Examining the effect of land cover type on the accuracy of the precipitation products suggest that both IMERG-E and IMERG-L show large and highly unrealistic overestimations over inland water bodies and permanent wetlands. The results of the current study highlight the potential of IMERG-F as a valuable source of data for precipitation monitoring in the region.

Soccer is the leading cause of all sports-related ocular injuries in Europe and Israel and leads to blindness at a disproportionately high rate, especially among children (Thompson et al., 2019). With soccer being the most popular sport in the world, it is surprising the only solution to ocular injuries are sports glasses which can cause direct damage to the eye and impair peripheral vision by 15%, calling for an alternative (Smith & Jones, 2020). This work, based on an imported facial model, focuses on both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of building a personalized, low-cost (through optimizing material needed), superior apparatus to conventional sports glasses. The quantitative side examines a modified and model-validated (through a SRS of thirty unique extrapolated points) multivariate linear regression equation, based on horizontal and vertical rotation angles (n=60) trained with residual and computer simulation data, that can accurately extrapolate and quantify ocular impact from all horizontal and vertical rotation angles and a modified Hertzian Contact Stress Equation to determine the thickness of the apparatus using the elasticity modulus, impact force, and geometrical facial and soccer-ball features. The qualitative side examines where firstly, ocular impact is most prevalent, and secondly, where most impact is seen from rotating the ball horizontally and vertically through analysis of Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient at the supraorbital, medial canthus, infraorbital, and lateral canthus regions from both regression equations as well as a cost-benefit analysis for comparison with conventional sports glasses. The findings discovered in this work lay the groundwork for future research to build a customized low-cost ocular injury prevention device which can simultaneously ensure complete ocular safety while enhancing athletic performance for over 250,000,000 players (Johnson & Garcia, 2022).

Soil salinity is a limiting factor in crop productivity. Inoculating crops with microorganisms adapted to salt stress is an alternative to increasing plant salinity tolerance. Few studies have simultaneously propagated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate fungi (DSF) using different sources of native inoculum from halophyte plants, and evaluated their effectiveness. This study selected, in alfalfa plants as trap culture, the infectivity of 38 microbial consortia native from rhizospheric soil (19) or roots (19) coming from six halophyte plants, as well as their effectiveness in mitigating salinity stress. Inoculation with soil resulted in 26%-56% colonization by AMF and 12%-32% by DSF. Root inoculation produced 10%-56% and 8%-24% of colonization, respectively. There was no difference in the number of spores of AMF produced with both inoculum types. The effective consortia were selected based on low Na but high P and K shoot concentrations which is relevant for plant nutrition but more for salt stress mitigation. The microbial consortia selection is presented in a more novel and applicable context, which would allow for the production of native microbial inoculants adapted to salinity to diminish the harmful effects of salinity stress in glycophyte plants in the context of sustainable agriculture.

COPD is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by progressive airflow obstruction. Tobacco smoking is the main cause of COPD (COPD-TS), but chronic exposure to biomass smoke (COPD-BS), mainly wood smoke, is the second risk factor; both are considered to cause different phenotypes of COPD. COPD-BS is more eosinophilic than COPD-TS. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the serum level of interleukins involved in eosinophil maturation, recruitment, and survival, and their association with small airway obstruction, measuring cytokines by multiplex test (Bio-Plex) and evaluating the central airway resistance with impulse oscillometry (IOS), comparatively in patients with COPD due to biomass and smoking. The results showed that IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-9, IL-13, IL-17, and eotaxin were increased in COPD-BS related to COPD-TS. Resistance parameters showed that R5, X5, AX (area reactance), and R5-R20 were significantly higher in COPD-BS than in the COPD-TS group (p < 0.05). R20 was not different between the groups. These data suggest that the cytokines involved in the effect of eosinophils on airway inflammation in COPD-BS were increased compared with COPD-TS, which appears to be related to a predominance of peripheral airway obstruction in patients with COPD-BS more than in COPD-TS

Dysregulation of the arsenal of cells, growth factors, cytokines, proteases, and proteins involved in wound healing (WH), could delay the healing process. Plants and plant-derived molecules (PDMs) have been used as medicines for skin wounds. This study aimed to select and evaluate the pro-healing capacity of PMDs. Thirty-three PDMs and 10 therapeutic targets (TTs) were chosen for molecular docking and PDMs: aristolochic acid (AA), α-copaene, selinenes, β-caryophyllene (BC), and BCoxide, and TTs: metalloproteinase (MMP) 3, MMP13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF α) for molecular dynamics. The bests inhibitor was AA, but because of its toxicity, BC and BCoxide were chosen for evaluation in HaCat cells and BALB/c mice excisional model. Both compounds were not toxic, and higher percentages of lesion area closure (LAC) were induced by BC treatment (p<0.05). All mice healed; however, an initial delay of LAC was induced by 0.05, 0.1% BCoxide, 0.1% BC, and allantoin. At the end of treatment, lower numbers of mast cells, level of cellular infiltrates (except 1% BCoxide and 0.05, 0.5%BC), epidermal thickness tendency (except 0.1, 0.5% BCoxide), and higher values of SC-thickness, and collagen fibers only by 0.5% BC treatment compared with untreated control (p<0.05) were observed. Our results show that BC is a promising multitarget candidate for wound healing treatment and optimization campaigns.

In a continuation and extension of an earlier publication, the calculation of the refractivity and polarizability of organic molecules at standard conditions is presented, applying a commonly applicable computer algorithm based on an atom-group additivity method, where the molecules are broken down into their constituting atoms, these again being further characterized by their immediate neighbor atoms. The calculation of their group contributions, carried out by means of a fast Gauss–Seidel fitting calculus, used the experimental data of 5988 molecules from literature. An immediate subsequent ten-fold cross-validation test confirmed the extraordinary accuracy of the prediction of the molar refractivity, indicated by a correlation coefficient R^2 and a cross-validated analog Q^2 of 0.9997, a standard deviation σ of 0.38, a cross-validated analog S of 0.41, and a mean absolute deviation of 0.76%. The high reliability of the predictions has been exemplified with three classes of molecules: ionic liquids, silicon- and boron-containing compounds. The corresponding molecular polarizabilities have been calculated indirectly from the refractivity using the inverse Lorentz-Lorenz relation. In addition, it could be shown that there is a close relationship between the "true" volume and the refractivity of a molecule, revealing an excellent correlation coefficient R^2 of 0.9645 and a mean absolute deviation of 7.53%.

Background: The Davidson Airway Function &amp; Nasal Evaluation (DAFNE) Scoring System was developed as an intuitive and research-based scoring system that could be validated through beta testing and easily introduced to healthcare providers of several subspecialties who treat nasal obstruction and breathing disorders (MDs, PAs, PTs, APRNs, DDSs, and DCs). This scoring system was shown to increase the knowledge of airway function, nasal measurement parameters, and identification of proper treatment options for sleep and breathing disorders. The basis for the DAFNE score was developed from a systematic review of nasal measurement data. Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE Cochrane Library, and Scopus of publications between 1988-2022 were used to identify studies validating nasal function measurement parameters to create the algorithm for the DAFNE Score™. The systematic review was accomplished using the 2020 ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews’ (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. Primary outcomes measurements demonstrated reliability, repeatability and validity of the DAFNE measurement technologies, data and output. Conclusions: The data analysis and systematic review uncovered a need and framework to develop and validate a web-based software algorithm for global access to improve the understanding of data interpretation of nasal measurements from three nasal measurement technologies. DAFNE Scoring should be used as an adjunct tool in routine clinical practice and research to further understand the technology data output and how to collaborate with other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes.

The calculation of the standard enthalpies of vaporization, sublimation and solvation of organic molecules is presented using a common computer algorithm on the basis of a group-additivity method. The same algorithm is also shown to enable the calculation of their entropy of fusion as well as the total phase-change entropy of liquid crystals. The present method is based on the complete break-down of the molecules into their constituting atoms and their immediate neighbourhood; the respective calculations of the contribution of the atomic groups by means of the Gauss-Seidel fitting method is based on experimental data collected from literature. The feasibility of the calculations for each of the mentioned descriptors was verified by means of a 10-fold cross-validation procedure proving the good to high quality of the predicted values for the three mentioned enthalpies and for the entropy of fusion, whereas the predictive quality for the total phase-change entropy of liquid crystals was poor. The goodness of fit (Q²) and the standard deviation (σ) of the cross-validation calculations for the five descriptors was as follows: 0.9641 and 4.56 kJ/mol (N=3386 test molecules) for the enthalpy of vaporization, 0.8657 and 11.39 kJ/mol (N=1791) for the enthalpy of sublimation, 0.9546 and 4.34 kJ/mol (N=373) for the enthalpy of solvation, 0.8727 and 17.93 J/mol/K (N=2637) for the entropy of fusion and 0.5804 and 32.79 J/mol/K (N=2643) for the total phase-change entropy of liquid crystals. The large discrepancy between the results of the two closely related entropies is discussed in detail. Molecules, for which both the standard enthalpies of vaporization and sublimation were calculable, enabled the estimation of their standard enthalpy of fusion by simple subtraction of the former from the latter enthalpy. For 990 of them the experimental enthalpy-of-fusion values are also known, allowing their comparison with predictions, yielding a correlation coefficient R² of 0.6066.

The calculation of the vapour pressure of organic molecules at 298.15K is presented using a commonly applicable computer algorithm based on the group-additivity method. The basic principle of this method rests on the complete breakdown of the molecules into their constituting atoms, further characterized by their immediate neighbour atoms. The group contributions are calculated by means of a fast Gauss-Seidel fitting algorithm using the experimental data of 2036 molecules from literature. A ten-fold cross-validation procedure has been carried out to test the applicability of this method, which confirmed excellent quality for the prediction of the vapour pressure, expressed in log(pa), with a cross-validated correlation coefficient Q2 of 0.9938 and a standard deviation  of 0.26. Based on these data, the molecules' standard Gibbs free energy G°vap has been calculated. Furthermore, using their enthalpies of vaporization, predicted by an analogous group-additivity approach published earlier, the standard entropy of vaporization S°vap has been determined and compared with experimental data of 1129 molecules, exhibiting excellent conformance with a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.9598, a standard error  of 8.14 J/mol/K and a medium absolute deviation of 4.68%.

Abstract: Background: The diagnosis of nasal airway disorders relies on questionnaires, subjective data, and objective data. Interpretation of objective data obtained from measurement technology is not well understood by providers and researchers who use the equipment to test nasal airway function, justifying the need to cre-ate a new clinical tool. The Davidson Airway Function & Nasal Evaluation (DAFNE) Scoring System is a web-based scoring system that allows healthcare providers (MDs, PAs, PTs, APRNs, DMDs, DDSs, SLPs, and DCs) and researchers who treat nasal obstruction and breathing disorders to make more accurate diagnostic decisions, select the appropriate treatment for individualized patient care, monitor treatment progression and outcomes, and show how to approach a collaborative care model with other healthcare professionals. The current technologies, such as 4-phase rhinomanometry, use a simple approach that relies on a measurement tracing intersecting a color-coded y-axis on a four-quadrant graph with diagnostic numeric data output de-scribing nasal airflow and resistance. This is a good source of biofeedback demonstrating abnormal nasal breathing patterns but lacks interpretation guidelines to describe the severity of disease. The more sophisti-cated proprietary DAFNE approach uses multiple parameters which include airflow restriction, speed, vol-ume, and patient characteristics to identify patients’ disease progression much more accurately. Additionally, it explains how to segregate patients into appropriate treatment options which minimizes risks and compli-cations associated with sleep and breathing disorders while improving patient outcomes. Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE Cochrane Library, and Scopus of publications between 1988-2022 were necessary to identify studies which determined the ranges of nasal function measurement parameters among three airway measurement technologies used in writing the DAFNE Score algorithm. The performance of DAFNE was evaluated compared to the research data and patient demographics used in previous studies. Results: By using primary outcome measurements from the literature, we were able to create a reliable, re-peatable, and validated tool to facilitate patient identification, treatment stratification, and collaboration for sleep and nasal breathing dysfunction. Subsequently, we found DAFNE could be used to identify the appro-priateness of a sleep study. Conclusions: DAFNE Scoring System has demonstrated the ability to detect high risk patients in the pediatric and adult populations susceptible of sleep apnea and breathing dysfunction needing a sleep study and treatment to improve nasal airway function and sleep. DAFNE Scoring System should be used as an adjunct tool in routine clinical practice and research to further understand the technol-ogy data output, identify patients at risk, stratify treatment options, progress, and stabilization after treatment, and how to collaborate with other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes.

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.

HIF-1α is a master regulator of oxygen homeostasis involved in different stages of cancer development. Thus, HIF-1α inhibition represents an interesting target for anti-cancer therapy. It was recently shown that HIF-1α interaction with NQO1 inhibits its proteasomal degradation, thus suggesting that targeting the stability of NQO1 could led to destabilization of HIF-1α as a therapeutic approach. Since the molecular interactions of NQO1 with HIF-1α are beginning to be unraveled, we review here our current knowledge on the intracellular functions and stability of NQO1, its pharmacological modulation by small ligands, and the molecular determinants of its roles as a chaperone of many different proteins including cancer-associated factors such as p53 and p73α. This knowledge is then discussed in the context of potentially targeting the intracellular stability of HIF-1α by acting on its chaperone, NQO1. This could result in novel anti-cancer therapies.

The Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged in 2019 in China and has resulted in millions of human morbidities and mortalities across the globe. It has been shown that this novel virus originated in animals, mutated, and made the cross-species jump to humans. At the time of this communication, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may be on way to an endemic form, however the threat of the virus is more for susceptible (older people and immunocompromised) people. The human body has more bacterial cells than its own, thus making us more bacterial than humans. As a consequence, the bacteriomes in the human body heavily influence human health and disease. The bacteriomes in the body and the immune system seem to be in constant association during bacterial and viral infections. In this review, we identify various bacterial spp. in major bacteriomes (oral, nasal, lung, and gut) of the body in healthy humans and compare them with dysbiotic bacteriomes of COVID-19 patients. We try to identify key bacterial spp. that have a positive effect on the functionality of the immune system and human health. These select bacterial spp. could be used as potential probiotics to counter or prevent COVID-19 infections. In addition, we try to identify key metabolites produced by probiotic bacterial spp. that could have potential anti-viral effects against SARS-CoV-2. These metabolites could be subject to future therapeutic trials to determine their anti-viral efficacy.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is one of the most common parasites that infect humans. The parasite exists in approximately 40 million people in the United States. Latent infections are frequently associated with tissue cysts of T. gondii in the skeletal muscle and brain tissue that can lead to mental disorders, congenital disorders, and vision dysfunction. Furthermore, self-directed violence, impulsivity, and aggression are associated with T. gondii infection. Dopamine is associated with human behavior including pleasure, aggression, memory, and substance use disorder; however, the result of the studies on the association of T. gondii infection and drugs of abuse are not well understood. The frequency of substance use may be associated with substance-induced modification of dopamine-receptor densities and basal dopaminergic activity. Likewise, T. gondii can directly or indirectly influence dopaminergic activity in infected cells. Based on this hypothesis, the current paper aimed to systematically review all published literature on the association between drugs of abuse and T. gondii infection. Systematic review of controlled studies on T. gondii infection and substance use effects in adults were searched on the electronic databases. Studies have shown that individuals infected with T. gondii display increased risky behavior, such as excessive alcohol consumption. Furthermore, it was observed that T. gondii seropositive subjects had a reduced likelihood of self-reported substance use compared to T. gondii seronegative subjects. This study confirms that SUD is a potential risk factor for behavioral and psychiatric complications associated with T. gondii infection. Ultimately T. gondii infection in the context of drug dependence and the development of SUD remain to be elucidated. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct further research characterizing the mechanisms associated with dopamine metabolism of drug dependence and withdrawal in the context of a T. gondii infection, evaluating the role of inflammation, and identifying potential drug-and-sex specific underpinnings of these associations.

Bioenergetics, genetic coding, and catalysis are all difficult to imagine emerging without pre-existing historical context. That context is often posed as a “Chicken and Egg” problem; its resolution is concisely described by de Grasse Tyson: “the egg was laid by a bird that was not a chicken”. The concision and generality of that answer furnish no details—only an appropriate framework from which to examine detailed paradigms that might illuminate paradoxes underlying these three life-defining biomolecular processes. We examine experimental aspects here of five examples that all conform to the same paradigm. The paradox in each example is resolved by coupling if, and only if, conditions for two related transitions between levels. One drives, and each restricts fluxes through, or “gates” the other. That reciprocally-coupled gating, in which two gated processes constrain one another, maps onto the formal structure of “strange loops”. That mapping may help unite the axiomatic foundations of genetics, bioenergetics, and catalysis. As a physical analog for Gödel’s logic, biomolecular strange-loops provide a natural metaphor around which to organize these data, linking biology to the physics of information, free energy, and the second law of thermodynamics.

The work proposes a new approach for evolutionary global optimization which, in simple terms, may be described as a fusion of quantum and simulated annealing. This becomes possible by using basic concepts from Homotopy Theory, conjugated to the already existing Fuzzy Adaptive Simulated Annealing paradigm and other components. In this fashion, it occurs a temporal and nonlinear superposition of the two types of annealing, provoking interesting effects in runtime, including the so-called quantum tunneling, when there is a sudden transition between attraction basins of different minima without "climbing" potential barriers. In addition, the proposal includes a generalization of the "deformation" of Hamiltonians used in quantum annealing by suggesting the use of general homotopies between the surface corresponding to the cost function under processing and another specific landscape, being this possible because of the ability of Fuzzy ASA of handling time-varying objective functions. The proposed paradigm shows that it is possible and beneficial to superpose the two types of annealing, displaying amazing numerical results and suggesting a kind of interlacing or synergic behavior - perhaps we could call it an "annealing entanglement". Finally, given the fast advances in commercial quantum annealing processors, it seems sensible to expect that an implementation of the proposed approach using such devices may occur very soon. In order to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm, some significant and detailed examples are included in the text, so as to illustrate and clarify the presented ideas.

In this paper the problem of sampling from uniform probability distributions is approached by means of space-filling curves (SFCs), a topological concept that has found a number of important applications in recent years. Departing from the theoretical fact that they are surjective but not necessarilly injective, the investigation focused upon the structure of the distributions obtained when their domain is swept in a uniform and discrete manner, and the corresponding values used to build histograms, that are approximations of their true PDFs. This work concentrates on the real interval [0,1], and the Sierpinski space-filling curve was chosen because of its favorable computational properties. In order to validate the results, the Kullback-Leibler distance is used when comparing the obtained distributions in several levels of granularity with other already established sampling methods. In truth, the generation of uniform random numbers is a deterministic simulation of randomness using numerical operations. In this fashion, sequences resulting from this sort of process are not truly random.

Assessment of the environmental impact of organic chemicals has become an important subject in chemical science. Efficient quantitative descriptors of their impact are their partition coefficients logPow, logKoa and logKaw. We present a group-additivity method that has proven its versatility for the reliable prediction of many other molecular descriptors for the calculation of the first two partition coefficients and indirectly of the third with high dependability. Based on the experimental logPow data of 3332 molecules and the experimental logKoa data of 1900 molecules at 298.15K the respective partition coefficients have been calculated with cross-validated standard deviations of only 0.42 and 0.48 log units and a goodness of fit Q^2 of 0.9599 and 0.9717, respectively, in a range of ca. 17 log units for both descriptors. The third partition coefficient logKaw has been derived from the calculated values of the former two descriptors and compared with the experimentally determined logKaw values of 1937 molecules, yielding a standard deviation of 0.67 log units and a correlation coefficient R^2 of 0.9467. This approach enabled the quick calculation of 29462 logPow, 27069 logKoa and 26220 logKaw values for the more than 37100 molecules of ChemBrain's database available to the public.

The concept of ecosystem services (ESs) provides a valuable approach to communicate societies' dependence on natural ecosystems, assisting in the evaluation of measures to protect vegetation in watersheds that promote water-related ESs. Vegetation cover and land use are important factors related to the capacity of ecosystems to provide soil loss regulation and sediment retention services, which are highly relevant for sediment management in watersheds draining into reservoirs with multiple water uses. This study aims to assess the relationship between potential changes in land use and land cover and the sediment retention service provided by riparian vegetation in a watershed draining into a hydroelectric reservoir in the Brazilian Cerrado. Sediment load was selected as a physical variable that affects different water uses in reservoirs, with these uses being dependent on the quality or quantity of stored water. Scenarios were analyzed to represent landscape reconfigurations from a baseline condition in order to account for the recovery of riparian vegetation by the agricultural sector, as foreseen in the Brazilian Forest Code. To map and quantify variations in annual sediment retention, the InVEST model was used, which allows estimating an integrated response of the drainage basin to large-scale land use changes over time and space. The results show that for the drainage basin of the Corumbá IV Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), the recovery of riparian areas occupied by annual crops has the potential to generate greater benefits to water use in the reservoir. In the studied catchment area, 14% of the total vegetation deficit in riparian areas is occupied by crops, while 86% is occupied by pastures. This highlights the buffering role of riparian vegetation as an effective practice for managing sediment flows originating from sheet erosion in agricultural landscapes. The methodology employed in this study allows for the quantification and mapping of the effects of soil and water conservation measures in river basins. This enables the prioritization of sectoral efforts for the restoration of native vegetation, considering the highest returns in benefits perceived by water users affected by sediment input in reservoirs. The study's results reinforce the importance of conserving vegetation in riparian areas and their surroundings for sediment retention, highlighting the role of these areas as assets in providing water-related ecosystem services.

Satellite communication (Satcom) is an artificial geostationary satellite that facilitates a wide range of telecommunications. Considering its quality of service (QoS) and security is crucial in government/military applications. The most challenging situation for efficient Satcom is radio frequency interference (RFI) environment. Thus, it is necessary to ensure that transmissions are incorruptible or at least sense the quality of its spectrum. This paper presents a new method to recognize received signal characteristics using a hierarchical classification in a multi-layer perceptron neural network. We consider signal modulation and the type of RFI as the characteristics of a real-time video stream transmitted in the direct broadcast satellite. Four different modulation types are investigated in this study. Moreover, the combination of the communication signal with various kinds of interference and their effects on the classification method widely have been analyzed. Besides, two robust feature selection techniques have been developed to reduce the data-set dimensional, which leads to optimizing the classification process. The results show that the Genetic Algorithm (GA) slightly outperforms Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for feature selection. Furthermore, the robustness of the proposed techniques is assessed to detect unknown signals at different signal to noise ratios.

This article discusses an international scientific expedition to Greenland that researched geography, geodesy, botany, and glaciology of the area. The results here focus on the geodetic and glaciological results obtained with the eBee drone in the eastern part of Greenland at the front of the Knud Rasmussen glacier. From two overflights nearby the glacier front, it was possible to obtain the speed of the glacier flow and the distribution of velocities in the glacier stream. The results correlate with other measurement methods and this technology has been shown as feasible. Of course, there are more accurate and long-term options or devices for monitoring the flow of glaciers. In this case of short-term visits to the site, the possibility of using a drone is interesting and the results show not only the flow speed of the glacier, but also the shape and structure from a height of up to 200m. The second part of the paper focuses on the analysis of modern satellite images of the Knud Rasmussen glacier from Google Earth (Landsat series 1984-2016) and a comparison with historical aerial images from 1932-1933. Experimentally, historical images were processed photogrammetrically into a 3D model.

Human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channel is well-known contributor to drug-induced cardiotoxicity and therefore an extremely important target when performing safety assessments of drug candidates. Ligand-based approaches in connection with quantitative structure active relationships (QSAR) analyses have been developed to predict hERG toxicity. Availability of the recent published cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure for the hERG channel opened the prospect for using structure-based simulation and docking approaches for hERG drug liability predictions. In recent time, the idea of combining structure- and ligand-based approaches for modeling hERG drug liability has gained momentum offering improvements in predictability when compared to ligand-based QSAR practices alone. The present article demonstrates uniting the structure-based SILCS (site-identification by ligand competitive saturation) approach in conjunction with physicochemical properties to develop predictive models for hERG blockade. This combination leads to improved model predictability based on Pearson’s R and percent correct (represents rank-ordering of ligands) metric for different validation sets of hERG blockers involving diverse chemical scaffold and wide range of pIC50 values. The inclusion of the SILCS structure-based approach allows determination of the hERG region to which compounds bind and the contribution of different chemical moieties in the compounds to blockade, thereby facilitating the rational ligand design to minimize hERG liability.

Abstract: Seismic performance and loss assessments can have widely varying degrees of uncertainty. An essential issue is whether a particular assessed seismic loss or performance result has sufficient reliability to serve as the basis for risk management decisions and actions, including whether or not a code prescribed performance level is met, or if an assessed loss level is acceptable. A method is developed measuring the reliability of performance and loss assessments for individual buildings and for portfolios. Consideration is given to how well the building investigation and corresponding evaluation process have been performed, the qualifications of the person(s) doing the assessment, the thoroughness of the evaluation, and the technical validity of the assessment procedure or model. The approach characterizes the uncertainty of each component of the assessment procedure for each building in qualitative terms. The resulting reliability measure is likely to be most useful for the cases where an entity is determining whether/or not a building has acceptable life safety performance, or if a portfolio has an acceptably low risk of seismic damage loss over a given period of time. In both cases, the reliability must either be sufficient to warrant action, or serve to indicate need for improved assessment.

We estimate the effect of household social expenditure on vulnerability to poverty using the four latest cross-sectional waves of Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) from 1999 to 2017. Using a 3-Stage Least Square and Quantile Regression, our results show a widening consumption ex-post welfare gap between the poorest households and the non-poor households in a per-cedi social expenditure. Also, we estimate the probability of an ex-ante poverty using vulnerability to expected poverty. The results, however, indicate that regardless of poverty status, household vulnerability to poverty increased consistently between 1999 and 2017, and the very poor households showing the severest vulnerability. Hence, it is concluded that social expenditure increases the chances of a poor household falling into chronic poverty a non-poor household into transient poverty in the future.

Peroxiredoxins play central roles in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species and have been modelled across multiple organisms using a variety of kinetic methods. However, the peroxiredoxin dimer-to-decamer transition has been underappreciated in these studies despite the 100-fold difference in activity between these forms. This is due to the lack of available kinetics and theoretical framework for modelling this process. Using published isothermal titration calorimetry data, we obtained association and dissociation rate constants of 93.0 µM-4·s-1 and 102 s-1, respectively, for the dimer-decamer transition of human PRDX1. We developed an approach that greatly reduces the number of reactions and species needed to model the peroxiredoxin decamer oxidation cycle. Using these data, we simulated horse radish peroxidase competition and NADPH-oxidation linked assays and found that the dimer-decamer transition had an inhibition-like effect on peroxidase activity. Further, we incorporated this dimer-decamer topology and kinetics into a published and validated in vivo model of PRDX2 in the erythrocyte and found that it almost perfectly reconciled experimental and simulated responses of PRDX2 oxidation to hydrogen peroxide insult. By accounting for the dimer-decamer transition of peroxiredoxins, we were able to resolve several discrepancies between experimental data and available kinetic models.

The COVID-19 was described as a respiratory illness, however further studies recognize it as a complex heterogeneous multisystemic disorder. Global efforts have been proposed to combat COVID-19, emerging diverse therapeutic options, in which discovering new drug therapies, development of vaccines and drug repurposing have been considered the most promising approaches to fight the virus. This study aimed to repurpose known drugs for use against the COVID-19, finding better therapeutic options. Seventeen biological databases were used in this study. The genetic algorithm (GA) was performed for a set of drug target classes and COVID-19 proteins as input, whose drug candidates are obtained according to the target similarities found in the target-target similarity predictive network, resulting in a drug-target interaction network. Thus, recommended drugs correspond to the union of the drug subsets found during each GA execution. Twenty-eight drugs were indicated to be the best therapeutic targets for the virus, in special, the Cyclosporine drug was administered as adjuvant to steroid treatment for COVID-19 patients which showed positive outcomes, reducing mortality in moderate and severe cases. The drugs found have used to treat other diseases, evidencing that the COVID-19 is a multisystemic disorder and suggests that the viruses’ mechanism of action presents some comorbidity with other human diseases. Evidence shows that the drugs found in this research might act together to fight the virus in a broader fashion, however further studies including in vitro and in vivo experiments are needed to find the best combination of these drugs.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived benefits of community gardening. A garden colony is a collection of adjacent plots of land primarily for the purpose of gardening. The methodology of this research consists of observations, interviews, questionnaires, and focus group. As a result of this research we found that gardening is a natural and safe way to meet the lifelong demands for a healthy life. We found specific mental and physical benefits as a result of this community gardening. We encourage communities to allow people to buy plots of land away from their homes to promote this healthy activity. The garden colony provides a place for individual renewal and restoration; this urban oasis offers a way to maintain and promote lifelong healthy living, and they are an important contribution to one’s life by adding a sense of meaning and purpose.

The novel coronavirus has presented specimen-access challenges to geoscientific researchers, including paleobiologists interested in fossil ammonoids. Ammonoid sutures are geometric patterns formed by the intersection of the septa and the shell wall, and have long been a diagnostic tool for ammonite researchers for such applications as species identification, taxonomic relationships, ontogenetic change, functional and evolutionary morphology, and other aspects of ammonoid paleobiology. Without access to specimens in museum and institutional collections, researchers must rely on previously published illustrations and photographs of ammonoid sutures. However, many of these illustrations were published decades ago without an index of scale. Suture tracings lacking a scale bar are not usable by researchers interested in applying the quantitativeness of fractal geometry to the interpretation of septal complexity. Additonally, distortion of the marginal elements of suture geometry occurs due to shell curvature near the venter and umbilicus. The revised approach described here eliminates the problem of missing scale information in fractal analysis of ammonite sutures, making use of just the lateral lobe and adjacent saddle. Our revised method’s non-requirement of a full hemisuture also facilitates comparisons among sutures within an ontogenetic sequence, or sutures from multiple ammonite taxa.

Purpose: This integrated review aims to identify and analyze the multifactorial contributors to the longevity of direct restorations, focusing on tooth-, patient-, and dentist-related factors. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed using an electronic database, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus, between 1980 and 2024. Titles and abstracts of papers that evaluated aspects categorized into tooth-related, patient-related, and dentist-related factors influencing restoration failure were selected and screened. Full-text assessments were conducted, and the extracted data were compiled, summarized, and synthesized. The reference lists of the collected papers were also screened, and relevant citations were included in this review. Data were gathered from clinical and laboratorial studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of restoration longevity. Results: Among the tooth-related factors, multiple-surface restorations, deep margins, tooth location, and tooth vitality significantly impact restoration survival. Patient-related factors such as medical conditions, risk predictors of caries, age, sex, parafunctional habits, smoking, periodontal health, number of restorations, and socioeconomic status all play crucial roles. Regarding dentist-related factors, the decision-making process, age, experience, and dentist manual dexterity are vital aspects. Furthermore, the technique used, including isolation methods for moisture control, as well as the type of dental practice (large group vs. small practice), notably influenced the restoration survival. Conclusions: The longevity of dental restorations is influenced by a complex interplay of tooth-related, patient-related, and dentist-related factors. Strategies to improve restoration outcomes should consider all these multifactorial contributors. Continuing professional education, diligent patient guidance on the factors that influence restoration survival, careful material selection and restorative technique, and tailored individual treatment are crucial factors to reduce failure rates and improve the lifespan of restorations.

CagY is the largest and most complex protein from Helicobacter pylori's type IV secretion system (T4SS) and may participate in the modulation of gastric tissue inflammation. A three-dimensional structure has been reported for only two segments of the protein. To build a more complete model, particularly the region that spans between the outer membrane (OM) and the inner membrane (IM), we employed different approaches, including homology modeling, ab initio, and deep learning techniques. For the long-middle repeat region (MRR), modeling was performed using deep learning techniques and Molecular Dynamics. The modeled segments were assembled into a chain of 1595 aa, and a 14-chain CagY multimer structure was composed by structural alignment. The final multimer structure correlated with previously published struc-tures and allows to show how the multimer may form the T4SS channel through which CagA and other molecules are translocated to gastric epithelial cells. The model further confirmed that MRR, the most polymorphic and complex region of CagY, presents numerous cysteine residues forming disulfide bonds that stabilize the protein and suggest this domain probably functions as a contractile region that may play an essential role in the modulatory activity of CagY on tissue inflammation.

The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness and safety of AE-AE surgery combining otoendoscopy and surgical microscopy in the treatment of acquired pars flaccida cholesteatoma in stages Ib and II of the Japan Otological Society classification occupying the tympanic cavity and attic. A historical cohort study on 65 patients. Of the total, 44 patients were treated by AE-AE surgery using an otoendoscope and 21 with canal wall-up tympanomastoidectomy (CWUT). Patients in whom the AE-AE technique was performed had a lower recurrence rate (9%) compared to those treated with CWUT (38%); p=0.013. In addition, the median time to recurrence was lower in the AE-AE group (4 years [P25-75= 1.25-2-75]) than in CWUT group (2 years [P25-75= 3.25-4.75]); p=0.048. Thresholds were higher in the CWUT group compared to the AE-AE group in pre-surgery (53±16 vs 44±15; p=0.039) and post-surgery (52±18 vs 42±16 dB dB; p=0.042), but not in pre-post-surgery comparisons neither in the AE-AE technique (p= 0.89) nor in the CWUT technique (p= 0.96). We concluded that AE with otoendoscopic support is an effective and safe technique for acquired cholesteatomas occupying box and attic in stages IB and II.

COVID-19 has proven to be detrimental across the globe, most notably affecting the United States at an alarming rate compared to comparable countries. The pandemic has had multifactorial implications on the way communities in the United States prevent, prepare for, and address the virus; however, the impact of the pandemic on rural health is less well understood. Historically, rural communities have faced a unique set of challenges regarding accessing and receiving adequate healthcare, addressing chronic illness, and eliminating health disparities closely associated with the population’s socioeconomic status; the pandemic has exacerbated these challenges. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural populations both at the individual and community level. Results indicated that rural health disparities increased both at the individual and system-wide levels as a direct result of the pandemic. Budget cuts significantly affected the infrastructure of rural hospitals resulting in them being unequipped to handle such high volumes of COVID-19 cases. The lack of infectious disease specialists, access to larger medical centers with substantial numbers of ICU beds and ventilators, and an overall lack of preparedness overwhelmed rural communities. Although comorbidities such as diabetes and heart disease were associated with poorer health outcomes for a multitude of reasons, the lack of clinic and physician availability for routine care during the pandemic further exacerbated the clinical link from COVID-19 positivity to comorbidities. Furthermore, mental health deteriorated as substance use increased to a greater extent in rural communities compared to urban, during the pandemic. This study shows that health comorbidities, mental health, substance use, health literacy, access to healthcare, among others can serve as key indicators for improving healthcare in rural communities. Future studies should seek to identify key issues that disproportionately affected rural communities in comparison to their urban counterparts considering the pandemic, as well as identify gaps in the availability of rural health resources that can improve the lives of millions of Americans now and during the next pandemic.

The proteomic profile of extracellular vesicles (EVs) has been of increasing interest, particularly in understanding cancer growth, drug resistance, and metastatic behavior. Emerging data suggests that cancer-derived EVs may carry an array of oncogenic cargo, including certain integrin proteins that may, in turn, promote cell detachment, migration, and selection of future metastatic sites. We previously reported a large comparison of secreted vesicle protein cargo across sixty diverse human cancer cell lines. Here, we analyze the distinct integrin profiles of these cancer EVs. We further demonstrate the enrichment of integrin receptors in breast cancer EVs compared to vesicles secreted from benign breast epithelial cells. Total EV integrin levels, including the quantity of integrins α2, αv, β4, and β5 correlate with breast tumor stage. In particular, integrin α2 also largely reflects progenitor cell expression, highlighting the utility of this integrin protein as a potential circulating biomarker of primary tumors. This study provides preliminary evidence of the value of vesicle-associated integrin proteins in cancer diagnosis and prediction of tumor stage. Differential expression of integrins across cancer cells, and selective packaging of integrins into EVs may contribute to further understanding the development and progression of tumor growth and metastasis across a variety of cancer types.

Surveillance is the systematic data collection, analysis, and interpretation essential to planning and implementing control activities. The lack of success in control and surveillance elsewhere for the Ae. aegypti mosquito demands developing new accessible and effective strategies. This work aimed to develop and evaluate an adhesive and lure trap for household indoor and outdoor surveillance of Ae. aegypti. Based on a bibliographic review, four compounds with significant attraction percentages for Ae. aegypti were considered. Our more effective blend was determined by preliminary bioassays using the high-throughput screening system (HITSS) and 90 × 90 cm mosquito cages. We designed a low-cost, pyramid-shaped, sticky cardboard trap to incorporate the selected blend. Semi-field 2 x 2 m cages and field tests were conducted to evaluate its effectiveness through mosquito capture percentages. In laboratory tests, blend number 2 presented an attraction percentage of 47.5 ± 4.8%; while in semi-field cages, a 4-inch, 110-v powered fan was used to disperse the attractants, then a similar capture percentage of 43.2 ± 4.0 % was recorded. Field evaluation of the at-house indoor environment and comparing it with the golden standard BG-Sentinel trap recorded interesting results, i.e., an average of our prototype 6.0 ± 1.5 trapped mosquitoes versus 10.0 ± 2.6. In most Latin American countries, there is a lack of formal and accessible strategies for monitoring adult populations of Ae. aegypti, therefore, must develop tools that reinforce entomological surveillance methods.

In recent years, several alternatives for improving the thermal comfort conditions inside buildings have been proposed. Among these alternatives, Thermally Activated Building Systems (TABS) have become of interest due to the benefits this technology brings to the building sector. The TABS are embedded in different building components and exchange heat with building envelope to improve the indoor air temperature. This review presents relevant results presented in the literature on the thermal behavior of TABS, the different types of TABS configurations, and the main parameters of TABS studied such as pipe separation, fluid inlet temperature, fluid velocity, and volumetric flow rate. The potential of TABS to improve thermal comfort conditions and provide energy savings is also discussed. Further, this study presents the different modes of application.

The nucleation and dynamics of Josephson and Abrikosov vortices determine the critical currents of layered high-T_c superconducting (HTS) thin films, grain boundaries, and coated conductors, so understanding their mechanisms is of crucial importance. Here we treat pair creation of Josephson and Abrikosov vortices in layered superconductors as a secondary Josephson effect, in which each full vortex is viewed as a composite fluid of micro-vortices, such as pancake vortices, which tunnel coherently via a tunneling matrix element. We introduce a two-terminal magnetic (Weber) blockade effect that blocks tunneling below a threshold current, and simulate time-correlated vortex tunneling above threshold. The model shows nearly precise agreement with voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of HTS cuprate grain boundary junctions, which becomes more concave rounded as temperature decreases, and also explains the piecewise linear V-I behavior observed in iron-pnictide bicrystal junctions and other HTS devices. When applied to either Abrikosov or Josephson pair creation, the model explains a plateau seen in plots of critical current vs. thickness of HTS coated conductors. The observed correlation between theory and experiment strongly supports the proposed quantum picture of vortex nucleation and dynamics in layered superconductors.

The growing need for water has pressured society and governments to focus more on preservation, planning and management of this natural resource, in which is fundamental to ecosystems and especially to humans. In this sense, the goal of this study was to analyze the national policy of water resources in Brazil and Italy, figuring out aspects that could promote its improvement, aiming at the preservation of water sources, guaranteeing satisfactory quantity and quality. They were carried out in 2019 by the environmental agencies of both countries, listing the main disciplinary regulations. The results show that although they are countries with different realities, they resemble similarities in managerial aspects of water resources, with legislation addressing qualitative and quantitative aspects of water, with guiding principles, instruments and actions aimed at the defence of this natural resource.

In this work, the deoxygenation of organic liquid products (OLP) obtained by thermal catalytic cracking of palm oil at 450 °C, 1.0 atmosphere, with 10% (wt.) Na₂CO₃ as catalyst, in multistage countercurrent absorber columns using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) as solvent, with Aspen-HYSYS process simulator was systematically investigated. In a previous study, the thermodynamic data basis and EOS modeling necessary to simulate the deoxygenation of OLP has been presented [Molecules 2021, 26, 4382. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26144382]. This work address a new flowsheet, consisting of 0₃ absorber columns, 10 expansions valves, 10 flash drums, 08 heat exchanges, 01 pressure pump, and 0₂ make-up of CO₂, aiming to improve the deacidification of OLP. The simulation was performed at 333 K, 140 bar, and (S/F) = 17; 350 K, 140 bar, and (S/F) = 38; 333 K, 140 bar, and (S/F) = 25. The simulation shows that 81.49% of OLP could be recovered and the concentrations of hydrocarbons in the extracts of absorber-01 and absorber-02 were 96.95 and 92.78% (wt.) in solvent-free basis, while the bottom stream of absorber-03 was enriched in oxygenates compounds with concentrations up to 32.66% (wt.) in solvent-free basis, showing that organic liquid products (OLP) was deacidified and SC-CO₂ was able to deacidify OLP and to obtain fractions with lower olefins content. The best deacidifying conditions was obtained at 333 K, 140 bar, and (S/F) = 17.

We propose a toy model of a spherical universe made up of an exotic dark gas with temperature $T$ in thermal equilibrium with a black-body. Each particle of this exotic gas mimics a kind of particle of dark energy. So, each dark particle occupies a very small area of space so-called Planck area $L_p^{2}$, which represents the minimum area of the whole space-time given by the spherical surface with area $4\pi R_H^2$, where $R_H$ is the Hubble radius. We realize that such spherical surface is the surface of the black-body for representing the dark universe as if it were the surface of an expanding balloon. Thus, we are able to derive the law of universal gravitation, thus leading us to understand the cosmological anti-gravity. We estimate the tiny order of magnitude of the cosmological constant and the acceleration of expansion of the dark sphere. In this toy model, as the dark universe can be thought of as a large black body, when we obtain its power and frequency of emission of radiation, we find very low values. We conclude that such radiation and frequency of the black body made up of dark energy is a background gravitational wave with very low frequency in the order of $\sim 10^{-17}$Hz due to the slight stretching of the fabric of space-time.

Bacterial endophytes (120) were isolated from six halophytes (Distichlis spicata, Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis obtusiflora, Suaeda torreyana, Kochia scoparia, and Baccharis salicifolia). These halophiles were molecularly identified and characterized with or without NaCl conditions. Characterization was based on tests such as indole acetic acid (IAA), exopolysaccharides (EPS), and siderophores (SID) production; solubilization of phosphate (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn); mineralization of phytate; enzymatic activity (acid and alkaline phosphatase, phytases, xylanases, and chitinases) and mineralization/solubilization mechanisms involved (organic acids and sugars). Eleven halophiles (tolerated NaCl 2.5 M) were identified as Oceanobacillus sp. (1), Bacillus sp. (2), Nesterenkonia sp. (3), Bacillus velezensis (4), Halobacillus sp. (5), Oceanobacillus sp. (6), B. velezensis (7) Halomonas sp. (8), B. pumilus (9), Pseudomonas sp. (10) and Oceanobacillus sp. (11). Biochemical responses of nutrient solubilization and enzymatic activity varied between bacteria and the presence of NaCl. Organic acids were involved in P-mineralization and nutrient solubilization. Tartaric acid was common in the solubilization of P, Zn, and K. Maleic and vanillic acid were only detected in Zn and K solubilization, respectively. Moreover, sugars appeared to be involved in the solubilization of nutrients; fructose was detected in solubilization tests. Therefore, these bacteria should be tested as a consortium to mitigate saline stress in glycophytes under a global climate change scheme that threatens to exacerbate soil salinity.

Atomic state preparation can benefit from a compact and uniform magnetic field source. Simulations and experimental measurements have been used to design, build, and test such a source as shown by optical pumping of atomic Helium. This source is a 9.5 mm (3/8") OD x 6.7 mm (1/4") ID x 9.5 mm (3/8") long, NdFeB-N42 assembly of 1.6 mm (1/16") thick customized annular magnets. It has octopole decay with a residual dipole far field from imperfect dipole cancelations. It has greater than 50% clear aperture with uniform and collimated magnetic field consistent with the prediction of several models. Octopole roll-off localizes the field minimizing the need for shielding in applications. The device is applied to a high precision 3,4He laser spectroscopy experiment using σ+ or σ- optical pumping currently resulting in a measured 99.3% preparation efficiency and in accordance with a rate-equation model.

The term Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) refers generically to a class of positional and geometric conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Among the isomers of linoleic acid cis9, trans11-CLA (c9, t11-CLA) and trans10, cis12-CLA (t10, c12-CLA) are found to be bio-logically active isomers, and they occur naturally in milk, dairy products and meat from ruminants. In addition, some vegetables and some sea-foods have also been reported to contain CLA. Although the CLA levels in these natural sources are insufficient to confer the essential health benefits, anti-carcinogenic or anti-cancer effects are of current interest. In the rumen, CLA is an intermediate of isomerization and the biohydrogenation process of linoleic acid to stearic acid conducted by ruminal microorganisms. In addition to rumen bacteria, some other bacteria, such as Propionibacterium, Bifidobacterium and some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are also capable of producing CLA. In this regard, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) has demon-strated the ability to produce CLA isomers from linoleic acid by multiple enzymatic activi-ties, including hydration, dehydration, and isomerization. L. plantarum is one of the most versatile species of LAB and the bacterium is widely used in the food industry as a micro-bial food culture. The studies reviewed in this article reveal how, in the production of some fermented foods, the use of appropriate strains of L. plantarum, as a starter or additional culture, can be considered a critical factor in the design of new CLA-enriched functional foods.

Epilepsy, a disorder of unprovoked recurring seizures, continues to be seen as a growing medical concern worldwide. It represents the most common, non-communicable brain disorder, affecting persons of all ages. Every year over five million persons are formally diagnosed with epilepsy when seeking medical care. Often diagnosed as a young child, most persons can live a seizure-free life once there is an early diagnosis, proper patient education, and keen clinical management. However, the reoccurrence of status epilepticus, a neurological emergency, can be linked to untreated underlying causes and lead to serious morbidity and even early mortality if not properly managed. The prognosis is heavily reliant on the discovery of the underlying cause. Epilepsy, in recent times, provides a terminology for ease of identification of the associated clinical symptomology. Epilepsy, an umbrella term, can manifest differently as either idiopathic, symptomatic, or cryptogenic. However, distinguishing epilepsy from other seizure mimics is critical to preventing complications. Epilepsy research, like many other neurological symptoms, is limited in low-resource areas. Therefore, through greater awareness of epilepsy and public education campaigns, better health outcomes can be achieved. There is huge utility in clear communication of medical information among healthcare providers as well as in optimizing treatment plans.

Background: Runners have high incidence of repetitive load injuries, and habitual runners often use smartwatches with embedded IMU sensors to track their performance and training. If accelerometer information from such IMUs can provide information about individual tissue loads, then running watches may be used to prevent injuries. Methods: We investigate a combined physics-based simulation and data-based method. 285 running trials from 76 real runners are subjected to physics-based simulation to recover forces in the Achilles tendon and patella ligament, and the collected data are used to train and test a data-based model using elastic net and gradient boosting methods. Results: Correlations up to 0.95 and 0.71 for the patella ligament and Achilles tendon forces, respectively, are obtained, but no single best predictive algorithm can be identified. Conclusions: Prediction of tissues loads based on body-mounted IMUs appears promising but requires further investigation before deployment as a general option for users of running watches to reduce running-related injuries.

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) detection and characterization play a critical role to in ensuring the security of all wireless communication networks. Advances in Machine Learning (ML) have led to the deployment of many robust techniques dealing with various types of RFI. To sidestep an unavoidable complicated feature extraction step in ML, this paper proposes an efficient end-to-end method using the latest advances in deep learning to extract the appropriate features of the RFI signal. Moreover, this study utilizes the benefits of transfer learning to determine both the type of received RFI signals and their modulation types. To this end, the scalogram of the received signals is used as the input of the pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNN), followed by a fully-connected classifier. This study considers a digital video stream as the signal of interest (SoI), transmitted in a real-time satellite-to-ground communication using DVB-S2 standards. To create the RFI dataset, the SoI is combined with three well-known jammers namely, continuous-wave interference (CWI), multi- continuous-wave interference (MCWI), and chirp interference (CI). This study investigated four well-known pre-trained CNN architectures, namely, AlexNet, VGG-16, GoogleNet, and ResNet-18, for the feature extraction to recognize the visual RFI patterns directly from pixel images with minimal preprocessing. Moreover, the robustness of the proposed classifiers is evaluated by the data generated at different signal to noise ratios (SNR).

A study to produce cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) from Kraft cellulose pulp, an optimal enzyme mixture, was defined using a centroid simplex mixture design. The enzyme blend contains 69% endoglucanase and 31% exoglucanase. The central composite rotational design (CCRD) optimized the CNF production process by achieving a higher crystallinity index. It thus corresponded to a solid loading of 15 g/L and an enzyme loading of 0.974. Using the Segal formula, the crystallinity index (CrI) of CNF was determined by X-ray diffraction to be 80.87%. The average diameter of nanocellulose fibers measured by scanning electron microscopy between 550 - 600 nm for the CNF prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis and between 250 - 300 nm for the CNF produced by enzymatic hydrolysis with the optimal enzyme mixture followed by ultrasonic dispersion. Finally, synergistic interactions between the enzymes involved in nanocellulose production were demonstrated, with Colby factor values greater than one.

Androgen receptor signaling is crucial for prostate cancer growth and is positively regulated in part by intratumoral CYP3A5. As African American (AA) men often carry the wild type CYP3A5 and express high level of CYP3A5 protein, we blocked the wild type CYP3A5 in AA origin prostate cancer cells and tested its effect on androgen receptor signaling. q-PCR based profiler assay identified several AR regulated genes known to regulate AR nuclear translocation, cell cycle progression and cell growth. CYP3A5 processes several commonly prescribed drugs and many of these are CYP3A5 inducers or inhibitors. In this study, we test the effect of these commonly prescribed CYP3A5 inducers/inhibitors on AR signaling. The results show that the CYP3A5 inducers promoted AR nuclear translocation, downstream signaling and cell growth whereas CYP3A5 inhibitors abrogated them. The observed changes in AR activity is specific to alterations in CYP3A5 activity. Both the inducers tested demonstrated increased cell growth of prostate cancer cells, whereas the inhibitors showed reduced cell growth. Further, characterization and utilization of the observation that CYP3A5 inducers and inhibitors alter AR signaling may provide guidance to physicians prescribing CYP3A5 modulating drugs to treat comorbidities in elderly patients undergoing ADT, particularly AA.

I. Introduction: Adherence to ART reduces morbidity and mortality among PLHIV by suppression of viral replication, restoration and preservation of immune function. However, poor adherence may lead to treatment failure and death. PLHIV have high probability of treatment interruptions due to lockdowns related to COVID-19 protocol. Mortality rate is higher among COVID-19 patients with HIV than those with COVID-19 only. This led to determination of the barriers to antiretroviral medication adherence in PLHIV at the time of COVID-19 pandemic and seek significant association between identified HIV treatment barriers and socio-demographic characteristics. II. Methods: A cross-sectional study using online survey questionnaire was distributed via social media. Sample size was computed using Open Epi software. Data was analyzed using Stata software. Categorical variables and quantitative data were summarized using frequencies and percentages, and mean and standard deviation respectively. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, whichever is more appropriate, was used to determine association between socio-demographic characteristics and HIV treatment barriers. III. Results: There is a total of 116 respondents, 115 were males, homosexual (59.5%), with mean age of 30.25 years old (SD = 6.22) and majority (53.4%) were from NCR. The most common HIV treatment barriers reported by PLHIV in accessing treatment and care were unavailability of transportation and cost of courier services for ARV delivery (62.1%), location of treatment hubs (52.6%) and financial assistance (37.9%). IV. Conclusion: There is significant association between location of treatment hubs and respondents who finished college/graduate studies; checkpoints and crossing borders and: 1. respondents from Northern Luzon, 2. unemployment; financial assistance and: 1. Respondents 18 to 25 years old, 2. unemployment, 3. respondents who finished elementary/high school; psychosocial support and: 1. Respondents from NCR, 2. Respondents 26 to 30 years old;

Manual visual inspections typically conducted after an earthquake are high-risk, subjective, and time-consuming. Delays from inspections often exacerbate the social and economic impact of the disaster on affected communities. Rapid and autonomous inspection using images acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles offer the potential to reduce such delays. Indeed, a vast amount of re-search has been conducted toward developing automated vision-based methods to assess the health of infrastructure at the component and structure level. Most proposed methods typically rely on images of the damaged structure, but seldom consider how the images were acquired. To achieve autonomous inspections, methods must be evaluated in a comprehensive end-to-end manner, incorporating both data acquisition and data processing. In this paper, we leverage recent advances in computer generated imagery (CGI) to construct a 3D synthetic environment for simulation of post-earthquake inspections that allows for comprehensive evaluation and valida-tion of autonomous inspection strategies. A critical issue is how to simulate and subsequently render the damage in the structure after an earthquake. To this end, a high-fidelity nonlinear finite element model is incorporated in the synthetic environment to provide a representation of earthquake-induced damage; this finite element model, combined with photo-realistic rendering of the damage, is termed herein a physics-based graphics models (PBGM). The 3D synthetic en-vironment with PBGMs provide a comprehensive end-to-end approach for development and validation of autonomous post-earthquake strategies using UAVs, including: (i) simulation of path planning of virtual UAVs and image capture under different environmental conditions; (ii) au-tomatic labeling of captured images, potentially providing an infinite amount of data for training deep neural networks; (iii) availability of the ground truth damage state from the results of the finite-element simulation; and (iv) direct comparison of different approaches to autonomous as-sessments. Moreover, the synthetic data generated has the potential to be used to augment field datasets. To demonstrate the efficacy of PBGMs, models of reinforced concrete moment-frame buildings with masonry infill walls are examined. The 3D synthetic environment employing PBGMs is shown to provide an effective testbed for development and validation of autonomous vision-based post-earthquake inspections that can serve as an important building block for ad-vancing autonomous data to decision frameworks.

With COVID-19 vaccines slowly being rolled out in many countries, it is important to understand the public’s acceptance of being vaccinated. This study aims to study the willingness and motivations among residents of the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas, Philippines to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Based on an online survey of 137 respondents, who willingly participated in the study, 71% will take a COVID-19 vaccine if it becomes available, with similar rates among respondents from Caloocan (82%), Malabon (83 %), and Navotas (81%). If a vaccine is proven safe and effective, more respondents (82%) will take a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, safety against COVID-19 as well as the safety and effectiveness of vaccines are the primary factors why respondents are willing or unwilling to get a vaccine. The results highlight the need for effective messaging that promotes COVID-19 vaccination, with emphasis on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, and its benefits to the public, especially that the vaccines that will be delivered in the country in the next few months are not the most preferred brands by the respondents.

Ants have a very sophisticated olfactory system; their communication is based on the interpretation of chemical trails known as semiochemicals. The escamolera ant (Liometopum apiculatum), has behaviors and physiological responses is induced by semiochemicals, without however, these have not been studied. Using an electronic nose analysis (e-nose) and chromatographic techniques, semiochemicals of L. apiculatum in nests, foraging trails and dissected the gasters were evaluated. Data were analyzed with multivariate statistics and a logistic regression model based on predictors (ant counts) and the semiochemicals identified in pre-season (PRE), season (TEM) and post-season (POS) of larval collecting. From the general pattern of volatiles with a natural separation in POS and a partial distribution between PRE and TEM 32 semiochemicals were identified inside the nests, those who can induce the behavioral responses of trail-following, alarm, aggression, and nestmate recognition. Trail counts indicated that ant traffic was higher in POS and that the presence of certain semiochemicals (response variable) have good fit in the model regression. These findings are intended to provide useful information and support decision-making for the conservation and sustainable use of L. apiculatum in central Mexico.

Sado island in Niigata prefecture is among the first GIAHS designated sites in Japan and among developed countries worldwide. Recent studies have pointed out the need to incorporate culture and farmer opinions to further strengthen GIAHS inclusivity in rural farming. In connection to this, the study explored whether farmer visibility, which is highlighted by GIAHS designation, actually translates to farmers’ actual perception of GIAHS involvement. A survey was conducted among Sado island farmers to determine their knowledge and perception of their GIAHS involvement, in connection to their perspectives on youth involvement, Sado island branding, and tourism management. Results showed that 56.3% of Sado island farmers feel uninvolved or unsure towards GIAHS, which is in stark contrast with the prevalent farming method in the area which is special farming (complies with GIAHS regulations). Further analyses revealed that farmers who feel that GIAHS does not promote youth involvement, Sado island branding, and tourism management have higher predisposition to perceive themselves as uninvolved towards GIAHS. This study highlights the need for careful reevaluation and integration of farmer insights and needs to the current GIAHS implementation in Sado island and in other GIAHS as well.

Background: Stress among prison inmates is a neglected psychological health issues, but this phenomenon seems worse in Ghana’s prisons. This study examined the stress levels, predictors and management strategies utilized among inmates at Ankaful Prison Complex. Method: This survey sampled 1,160 inmates using the census approach at the Ankaful Prison Complex with a self-developed questionnaire for the data collection. Frequency counts, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were applied to the data. Results: The findings indicate that more than half of the inmates were moderately or highly stressed. Specifically, inmates at the Maximum-Security Prison were the most stressed, followed by Annex Prison, Communicable Disease Prison, and the least, Main Camp Prison inmates. Inmate engagement in exercises, sporting activities, visit and chat with colleagues, and family connectedness outside the prison were stress management strategies. Inmates’ self-reported stress levels were influenced by the prison of custody and state of depression. Conclusion: The moderate to high stress levels identified among inmates of Ankaful Prison Complex are influenced by person-environment factors. Management of Ankaful Prisons Complex is encouraged to initiate health screening services for inmates on common mental health challenges like stress and promote functional stress reduction interventions to improve prisoners’ mental health and overall wellbeing

The use of botanical extracts of the plant Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) represents a valuable alternative to control insect pests and avoid the detrimental effects on the environment and health that arise due to synthetic chemical insecticides. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the published evidence on the bioactivity of J. curcas against insect pests. Electronic databases were searched to identify studies that assessed J. curcas extracts against insect pests in various types of crops. We included 39 articles that reported the insecticidal and insectistatic activity of several botanical extracts from J. curcas against insects of eight different taxonomic orders. The evidence demonstrates that aqueous and methanolic extracts from seeds and leaves, seed oil, and petroleum ether seed extracts were effective against insect pests of stored grains, aphids of cabbage, sorghum, fruit flies, and desert locusts. The extracts caused high mortality, controlled the populations, reduced oviposition, diminished hatchability, and increased the antifeedant effect. However, the type of solvent used to obtain the botanical extract and the method of application (contact or food) are fundamental to increase its bioactivity. Therefore, botanical extracts from seeds and leaves of J. curcas should be considered as an alternative against insect pests and may be incorporated into integrative and sustainable management for insect control.

Round bodies in spirochete cultures have been a controversial subject since their description seven decades ago. We report the existence of round bodies (spherical cells) in cultures of Mucispirillum schaedleri, a spiral bacterium phylogenetically distant from spirochetes. Furthermore, when grown in biofilms, M. schaedleri demonstrates a unique morphology known as cording, which has been previously described only in mycobacteria. Thus, M. schaedleri has two distinct features, each previously thought to be unique to two different phylogenetically distant groups of bacteria.

Deformation behavior of MXene based polymer composites with bioinspired brick and mortar structures is analyzed. MXene/Polymer nanocomposites are modeled at microscale using bioinspired configurations of nacre-mimetic brick-and-mortar assembly structure. MXenes (brick) with polymer matrix (mortar) are modeled using classical analytical methods and numerical methods based on Finite Elements (FE). The analytical methods provide less accurate estimation of elastic properties compared to numerical one. MXene nanocomposite models analyzed with FE method provide estimates of elastic constants in the same order of magnitude as literature reported experimental results with good consistency. Bioinspired design of MXene nanocomposites results in the effective Young’s modulus of the nanocomposite increase by 25.1 % and the strength (maximum stress capacity within elastic limits) increase by 42.3 %. The brick and mortar structure of the nanocomposites leads to interlocking mechanism between MXene fillers in polymer matrix, resulting in effective load transfer, good strength, and damage resistance. This is demonstrated in this paper by numerical analysis of MXene nanocomposites subjected to quasi-static loads.

This study presents an in–depth analysis and strategic planning techniques for approaching a situation or achieving progress related to information technology services of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, particularly the San Isidro Campus. As an educational organization and one in the region excellence providers in education, the University has so much vital information to manage and services to offer to provide the student's needs through the Management Information System department, application of IT services as a competing instrument to combat tedious tasks such as online admission, grade release, enrollment information, and online learning, university announcement, and possible students’ internship. The objective of this study is to determine the influence of information technology in day–to–day activities of the organization and strategy applied to streamline processes more conveniently. The researchers develop a conceptual model that would analyze the IT services' impact by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and cleverly act on it using the TOWS Matrix in generating strategic decisions. The overall results were beneficial to the University and MIS as a basis for formulating competitive strategies and integrating it in an extended development plan.

The kynurenine pathway (KP) and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) are known to be deregulated in depression and obesity; however, it has been recognized that acute physical exercise has an important modulating role inducing changes in the mobilization of their respective metabolites -endocannabinoids (eCB) and kynurenines (KYN)- which overlap at some points, acting as im-portant antidepressant, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant biomarkers. There-fore, the aim of this review is to analyze and discuss some studies performed recently to investigate the potential interactions between both systems, particularly, those related with exercise-derived endocannabinoidome and kynurenine mechanisms and to elucidate how, the prescription of physical exercise could represent a new approach for the clinical manage of these two conditions.

Autonomous driving systems are increasingly becoming a necessary trend towards building smart cities of the future. Numerous proposals have been presented in recent years to tackle particular aspects of the working pipeline towards creating a functional end-to-end system, such as object detection, tracking, path planning, sentiment or intent detection. Nevertheless, few efforts have been made to systematically compile all of these systems into a single proposal that effectively considers the real challenges these systems will have on the road, such as real-time computation, hardware capabilities, etc. This paper has reviewed various techniques towards proposing our own end-to-end autonomous vehicle system, considering the latest state on the art on computer vision, DSs, path planning, and parallelization.

Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, Japan is one of the first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) among developed countries and has since been involved in environmental conservation agriculture (ECA). While ECA is still in its early stage in Japan, it has proven to be effective in mitigating climate change in the agricultural sector; hence, this study analyzed the factors which could contribute to the ECA continuation among Sado Island farmers. The data revealed the prevalence of farmers’ cognitive dissonance between ECA and its mitigating effects on climate change. Exploratory factor analysis and ordinal regression confirmed the importance of perceived GIAHS involvement in the continuation of ECA. In addition, other identified factors affecting ECA continuation fall either on a macro-level (i.e., farmers’ awareness of their role in improving their environment) or micro-level (i.e., farmers’ differing farm optimizations). These perspectives highlighted the altruistic nature of the Sado Island ECA farmers by valuing the improvement of their local and global environment as their main reason to continue ECA, whereas their various farm management optimizations support this observed farmer altruism by providing avenues to increase yield with only a moderate paddy land area. This study thereby highlights the need to continuously develop sustainable strategies to maintain and improve a positive farmer mindset towards ECA.

Keywords: Lightning; Land Cover and Land Use; Topographic Effects, Itacaiúnas River Hydrographic Basin

Background: Sex differences in blood pressure (BP) exist during all reproductive life between women and men whereas a sharper increase in BP occurs after menopause which is associated with increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. This study examined cardiovascular and biochemical parameters in perimenopausal women (PW) aiming to investigate the influence of sex on a) office BP and for 24 hours; b) cardiac autonomic modulation; c) redox state by measuring MDA, SOD, and catalase; d) NO_x^- concentration. In addition, aerobic exercise training (AET) was applied for detecting changes in cardiovascular responsiveness during the menopausal transition. Methods: Thirty-one participants were enrolled, healthy PW and age-matched men. Cardiovascular and biochemical biomarkers were evaluated at baseline and after AET (8 weeks of exercise on a treadmill, three sessions/week, duration of 30-40 minutes). Results: At rest, PW presented: a) a lower diastolic BP during daytime; b) a lower absolute and normalized LF component as well as a higher HF normalized component; d) no sex differences for redox biomarkers and NO_x^- concentration. After AET, only PW was responsive in lowering systolic BP that was accompanied by an increase in NO_x^- concentration and SOD activity. Regarding HRV, both groups were responsive to the AET. Conclusions: During the menopausal transition, systolic BP was similar to men whereas cardiac autonomic modulation remained unaltered showing the influence of sex steroids on BP. In Addition, AET was fundamental during the menopause transition by preventing an elevation in BP, minimizing the effects of aging associated with estrogen deficiency on women's cardiovascular health.

Vertical graphene nanowalls (VGNWs) have emerged as a highly promising material in recent years due to their exceptional properties, such as a high specific surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, scalability, and compatibility with transition metal compounds. These attributes make VGNWs a compelling candidate for various applications, including energy storage, catalysis, and sensing, fostering great interest in their use in next future commercial graphene-based sensors like optoelectronic and plasmonic devices, energy storage electrodes, and catalytic systems. Among the diverse graphene synthesis methods, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) has proven to be a robust technique for producing large-scale graphene films and creating VGNWs on diverse substrates. However, despite substantial progress in optimizing growth conditions to achieve micrometer-sized graphene nanowalls, the outcomes are often obtained through empirical approaches, and a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physicochemical mechanisms governing nanostructure formation remains elusive. In particular, a deeper exploration of atomic-level phenomena, such as nucleation, carbon precursor adsorption, and surface diffusion of adatoms, is imperative to exert precise control over the growth process. Concerning the synthesis of VGNWs, hydrogen plays a dual role in the graphene growth process, acting as both a co-catalyst and an etchant for the nanowalls. Nevertheless, a thorough comprehension of the intricate growth process is still required. To address these knowledge gaps, this review paper aims to investigate the nucleation and growth of VGNWs using PECVD, with a specific focus on exploring the temperature effect on the graphene growth ratio and nucleation density across a wide range of temperatures. By providing valuable insights into the PECVD process, our objective is to enable the optimization of growth conditions for tailoring VGNWs' properties, thereby facilitating their application in energy storage, catalysis, and sensing fields.

Existence of hybrid electric vehicles nowadays is one of the emerging technologies worldwide. Different countries are using this technology on their transportation, and nowadays, a lot of other countries are gradually adapting on using this kind of innovation in their transport system. Philippines is among these countries which aims to have a sustainable mobility by embracing the use of hybrid - electric vehicles but still lots of consumers are lacking awareness on this technology. Lack of information on the social, environmental, and economic potential benefits are among the main issues of Philippines consumers that really affect its uptake. The goal of this study was to evaluate the consumer’s perception and purchase intention on the transition of hybrid - electric vehicles for sustainable mobility and transportation here in the Philippines. It aimed to assess consumer awareness with hybrid - electric vehicles and its potential benefits to human beings in terms of social, environmental, and economic aspects. The study also gauged the impact of this perception on consumer’s purchase intention on hybrid - electric vehicles. These objectives were attained using the Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis. Using these methods, the results revealed that majority of the consumers believed on the positive benefits of transitioning to hybrid - electric vehicles in terms of social, environmental, and economic aspects. This study also showed that these benefits have high impact on the consumer’s intention of buying or having a hybrid – electric vehicle. Electric vehicle is one of the most effective measure of decarbonizing the transport system. Furthermore, government and automotive businesses must strengthen their drive in spreading awareness of hybrid – electric vehicle’s benefits to consumers to further support country’s effort for development.

The reliability analysis allows to estimate the system's probability of detecting and identifying outlier. Failure to identify an outlier can jeopardise the reliability level of a system. Due to its importance, outliers must be appropriately treated to ensure the normal operation of a system. The system models are usually developed from certain constraints. Constraints play a central role in model precision and validity. In this work, we present a detailed optical investigation of the effects of the hard and soft constraints on the reliability of a measurement system model. Hard constraints represent a case in which there exist known functional relations between the unknown model parameters, whereas the soft constraints are employed for the case where such functional relations can slightly be violated depending on their uncertainty. The results highlighted that the success rate of identifying an outlier for the case of hard constraints is larger than soft constraints. This suggested that hard constraints should be used in the stage of pre-processing data for the purpose of identifying and removing possible outlying measurements. After identifying and removing possible outliers, one should set up the soft constraints to propagate the uncertainties of the constraints during the data processing. This recommendation is valid for outlier detection and identification purpose.

The production of biodiesel through transesterification routes generates large amounts of glycerol, approximately 10 m3 for every 90 m3 of the biodiesel produced. Taking into account this scenario, the valorization of glycerol using chemical routes that could be operated in biodiesel industry constitutes a promising approach to achieve added-value products. An interesting option is the production of ethers, which can be used as fuel additives in diesel engines to improve the combustion efficiency, reducing soot emission and increasing cetane index. In this study, a purification route was applied to crude glycerol and its valorization by etherification was evaluated. The glycerol contents of purified samples were above 98% wt. The purified and commercial glycerol was used to obtain ethers. Etherification reactions were carried out with different alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol) into a batch reactor, using small amount of Amberlyst 15 as a catalyst, at autogenous pressure and solvent-free conditions. The glycerol conversion, selectivity and yield to ethers were evaluated. A glycerol conversion of 97% wt. with selectivity of 80% to monoether was obtained when using ethanol. For isopropanol, the glycerol conversion was up to 95% (76% of monoether and 22% of diether). However, the selectivity to ethers for 3-methyl-1-butanol was negligible (&lt;3% wt.). A process simulation for purification and etherification steps integrated with a biodiesel production was assessed in terms of productivity and energy consumption, considering different scenarios of glycerol/alcohol molar ratios.

In recent decades, large-scale forest disturbances such as windthrow and bark beetle infestations have significantly impacted the carbon balance of Earth and forest ecosystems, mainly by altering soil respiration (SR) in addition to decreased gross primary productivity. SR is considered the second highest flux on Earth, emitting 78-98 Gt C yr-1 to the atmosphere, thus contributing to global warming. Post-disturbance development is marked by changes in the size of SR. To investigate the impact of bark beetle (Ips typographus) infestations in mountain spruce forests on SR, we measured SR at infested sites by bark beetles and adjacent undisturbed stands in the High Tatra Mountains (Slovakia). The measurements were conducted during the vegetation period (May-September) in 2016 and 2017, five to six years after the initial attack by bark beetles, at an altitudinal gradient (1100-1400 m a.s.l.). SR varied throughout different months and altitudes, and we observed that SR at infested sites reached higher values (in most cases) than at uninfested stands. Average monthly and altitude SR rates during both vegetation periods showed higher values at infested sites, but not all of them were statistically significant. We observed an insignificant change in SR rate between 2016 and 2017 at both infested and uninfested sites. The highest rates of SR were observed in 2016 from July to August at both infested and undisturbed sites. On the other hand, in 2017 the highest SR rates were observed in June and July at undisturbed sites and from June to August at infested sites. However, yearly SR from May-September at infested sites showed significantly higher rates than uninfested ones in both years. SR showed a decreasing pattern with elevation gain in 2016 at infested sites. However, this pattern was not observed in 2017. Based on our observation and results we postulate that SR rates at infested sites are boosted by needle fall and debris from dead and dying trees, which increases heterotrophic SR and compensates the decrease of autotrophic SR from tree roots. This study provides important insights into the impact of bark beetle infestations on SR and highlights the need for further research on the long-term effects of forest disturbances on carbon cycling.

Idiosyncratic drug induced liver injury (DILI) is an unpredictable reaction of exposed individual on a certain drug, and the drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis (DIAIH) presents a DILI phenotype that mimics idiopathic autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) when considering the clinical, biochemical, serological and histological parameters. We present a case of a 48-year-old male that was hospitalized due to severe hepatocellular liver injury two months after the self-treatment with the muscle-building dietary supplement based on arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate, L-citrulline, L tyrosine, creatine malate and beet extract. His immunology panel was positive with increased IgG levels, and the radiologic methods showed no signs of chronic liver disease. He underwent corticosteroid treatment with adequate response. After the therapy withdrawal, a clinical relapse occurred. Seven months after the initial presentation liver MR suggested the initial cirrhotic changes of the right liver lobe. Liver biopsy revealed abundant lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with piecemeal necrosis and grade 2 fibrosis. He responded well on the corticosteroid treatment again, and was further treated with low dose prednisone without additional relapses. Several years later, further management confirmed presence of liver cirrhosis with no histological or biochemical signs of the disease activity. DIAIH is a DILI phenotype difficult to distinguish from idiopathic AIH despite a wide armamentarium of diagnostic methods. Regular patient monitoring and clinical open-mindedness with the adjustment of therapeutic approaches according to the disease course are more important than strict labelling of the disease.

Objective: Physical inactivity is linked to chronic illnesses and disabilities among workers, especially those in high demanding jobs like teachers. Despite the global prominence of sedentary behaviour research, studies drawing the relationships between physical inactivity and multimorbidity among working teacher populations in low-and middle-countries remain untapped. This study assessed the sedentariness and health status of primary school teachers in Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana. Method: This cross-sectional survey employed 1109 primary school teachers from the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana, using convenient sampling method. Results: Generally, the teachers were highly sedentary and reported poor health status. Other results showed no difference in sedentariness across gender, t (1107) = -0.32, p > .05. However, female teachers suffer more pain and discomfort, [t (1103.51) = - 3.07, p < .05, anxiety and depression, [t (1099.56) = - 2.85, p < .000,)], and poor health status [t (1107) = 2.14, p < .05, than their male counterparts. Also, pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression, health status and years of work significantly predicted sedentariness among the teachers, F (4, 1104) = 5.966, p=.00, R = .145, R2 = .029, adjusted R2 = .018. Conclusion: The findings suggest that individualized or personalized interventions are urgently needed to promote regular physical activity to improve the health status and reduce associated complications on the health and well-being, especially among the female primary school teachers. Given the health risks of sedentary lifestyle, behavioral interventions at the person-level (i.e., individualized- routine weekly physical activity programmes) and built environmental restructuring (e.g., creation of walkways to encourage regular walking) could be done to physical activity behavior among teachers within the Cape Coast Metropolis, and perhaps beyond.

In this work, the cross-linked PMMA-based dental resins scraps were submitted to pyrolysis to recover MMA (Methylmethacrylate). The thermal degradation of cross-linked PMMA-based dental resins scraps was analyzed by TG/DTG to guide the operating conditions in pilot scale. The pyrolysis experiments carried out in a reactor of 143L, at 345, 405, and 420°C, 1.0 atmosphere. The reaction liquid products obtained at 345°C, physicochemical characterized for density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index. The chemical composition of liquid products obtained at 345°C, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 110 minutes, at 405°C, 50, 70, and 130 minutes, and at 420°C, 40, 50, 80, 100, 110, and 130 minutes determined by GC-MS. The experiments show that liquid phase yields were 55.50%, 48.73%, and 48.20% (wt.), at 345, 405, and 420°C, respectively, showing a smooth sigmoid behavior, decreasing with increasing temperature, while that of gas phase were 31.69%, 36.60%, and 40.13% (wt.), respectively, increasing with temperature. The liquid products density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index obtained at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 110 minutes, varied between 0.9227 and 0.9380 g/mL, 0.566 and 0.588 mm2/s, and 1.401 and 1.414, respectively, showing percentage deviations between 0.74 and 2.36%, 7.40 and 10.86%, and 0.00 and 0.92%, respectively, compared to standard values for density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index of pure MMA at 20 °C. The GC-MS identified in the reaction liquid products at 345, 405, and 420°C, 1.0 atm, esters of carboxylic acids, alcohols, ketones, and aromatics, showing concentrations of MMA between 83.454 and 98.975% (area.). For all the depolymerization experiments, the concentrations of MMA in the liquid phase, between 30 and 80 minutes, reach purities above 98% (area.), decreasing drastically with increasing reaction time after 100 minutes, thus making it possible to depolymerize the cross-linked PMMA-based dental resins scraps by pyrolysis to recover MMA. The optimum operating conditions to achieve high MMA concentrations, as well as elevated yields of liquid reaction products were 345 °C and 80 minutes.

For years, effort has been devoted to establishing an effective bull breeding soundness evaluation procedure; usual research on the subject is based on BBSE (Bull Breeding Soundness Examination) methodologies, which have significant limitations in terms of their evaluation procedure, such as high cost, time-consuming and administratively difficult. This research focuses on the creation of a prediction model to supplement and/or improve the BBSE approach, through the study of two algorithms, Clustering and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), to find the optimum Machine Learning (ML) approach for our application, with an emphasis on data categorization accuracy. The tool is designed to assist veterinary medicine and farmers in identifying key factors and increasing certainty in their decision-making during the selection of bulls for breeding purposes, providing data from a limited number of factors generated from a deep pairing study of bulls. Zebu Bulls, European Bulls, and Crossbred Bulls were the general groupings. The data utilized in the model's creation (N =359) considers five variables that influence improvement decisions. This approach enhances decision-making by 12%. ANN obtained an accuracy of 90%; Precision was 97% for satisfying, 92% for unsatisfying, and 85% for Bad.

This work explores the significance of toothbrushing in maintaining optimal oral health, delving into its benefits, proper techniques, and types of toothbrushes. The primary cause of caries, periodontal diseases, and halitosis is oral biofilm development. One of the most fundamental practices in maintaining oral health is toothbrushing. Studies have confirmed that mechanical procedures for controlling plaque and toothbrushing, in particular, significantly decrease plaque accumulation. The significance of teeth brushing in preventing dental caries has been well-acknowledged for a considerable period. Dentists recommend brushing twice daily for at least two min to ensure thorough cleaning. Unfortunately, precise guidelines from dental associations are often missing. Authors mention that two min of brushing are insufficient for significant plaque removal; plaque removal increases with augmented brushing time, with maximum removal at 180 s. Multiple studies have documented that engaging in the practice of brushing one’s teeth twice a day has a preventive impact. Various toothbrush designs, including both manual and electric options, have been created to improve the elimination of dental biofilm and reduce the accumulation and persistence of bacteria. In conclusion, toothbrushing is a simple yet incredibly important practice for maintaining oral health. The benefits extend beyond just a bright smile, encompassing caries, gum disease, halitosis prevention, and the preservation of tooth enamel. Adhering to proper toothbrushing techniques, selecting the right toothbrush, and understanding the connection between oral health and overall well-being can lead to a healthier life. To foster favorable toothbrushing behaviors among the population, dental practitioners and public health experts must know the factors that influence toothbrushing habits.

In this paper we evaluate the effects of hard and soft constraints on the Iterative Data Snooping (IDS), an iterative outlier elimination procedure. Here, the measurements of a levelling geodetic network were classified according to the local redundancy and maximum absolute correlation between the outlier test statistics, referred to as clusters. We highlight that the larger the relaxation of the constraints, the higher the sensitivity indicators MDB (Minimal Detectable Bias) and MIB (Minimal Identifiable Bias) for both the clustering of measurements and the clustering of constraints. There are circumstances that increase the family-wise error rate (FWE) of the test statistics, increase the performance of the IDS. Under a scenario of soft constraints, one should set out at least three soft constraints in order to identify an outlier in the constraints. In general, hard constraints should be used in the stage of pre-processing data for the purpose of identifying and removing possible outlying measurements. In that process, one should opt to set out the redundant hard constraints. After identifying and removing possible outliers, the soft constraints should be employed to propagate their uncertainties to the model parameters during the process of least-squares estimation.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) has a prevalence of 0.16%-0.34% and an incidence of 7.6 per 100,000 person-years, accounting for 1%-2% of all deaths in Western countries. Currently, no effective pharmacological therapies have been identified to slow TAA development and prevent TAA rupture. Large TAAs are treated with open surgical repair and less invasive thoracic endovascular aortic repair, both of which have high perioperative mortality risk. Therefore, there is an urgent medical need to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying TAA development and rupture to develop new therapies. In this review, we summarize animal TAA models including recent developments in porcine and zebrafish models: porcine models can assess new therapeutic devices or intervention strategies in a large mammal and zebrafish models can employ large-scale small-molecule suppressor screening in microwells. The second part of the review covers current views of TAA pathogenesis, with a focus on the roles of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) pathway and the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)-elastin-contractile unit. The last part discusses TAA treatment options as they emerge from recent preclinical studies.

Historically, the evaluation and assessment of the clinical response to treatment for canine back pain is subjective and relies on owner and clinician assessment of pain. This study evaluated the use of sequential infrared thermal images as a measure of the response of canine patients with back pain to a prescribed series of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) treatments. Qualifying participants had histories of pain and dysfunction associated with spinal osteoarthritis or intervertebral disk disease, or of non-specific uni- or bilateral back pain along the paravertebral epaxial muscles. Each patient was initially thermally imaged prior to PBMT treatment and then received multiple PBMT treatments delivered to the appropriate spinal area on days 1, 2, 3, and 4. Participants were reimaged on day 7. Thermal images provided an objective measure of superficial temperature changes over the area of PBMT treatment of each patient after the PBMT regimen. The temperature correlated with statistically significant changes in Colorado State University Canine Chronic Pain Scale scoring (CPS) and owner assessment using the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), which includes a Pain Severity Score (PSS) and Pain Interference Score (PIS). The correlation of objective thermal imaging data with more subjective outcome measures suggests thermal imaging may be a valuable additional tool in monitoring therapy outcome.

Binge drinking is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of pneumonic melioidosis can occur in healthy humans; however, binge alcohol intoxication is a major risk factor. Previous findings indicate that a single binge alcohol episode increases Burkholderia spp. infection by reducing alveolar macrophage function. The aim of this study was to test the ability of the phytonutrient sulforaphane (SFN) to rescue the phagocytic function of alveolar macrophages when infected with Burkholderia spp. in vitro. B. thailandensis E264 was used as a useful BSL-1 model to determine the effects of SFN pre-treatment. The primary outcome was macrophage phagocytic killing, while the secondary outcome was the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like (Nrf2) signaling response measured by western blot analysis. Results indicate that alveolar macrophages pre-treated with SFN (5 M) and challenged with 0.2% (v/v) alcohol for 3 or 8 h prior to live B. thailandensis infection improved intracellular killing of B. thailandensis ~2-fold compared to MH-S cells treated with alcohol alone. These data demonstrate that SFN may be an effective pre-treatment option to prevent alcohol mediated immune dysfunction and restore macrophage phagocytic killing of Burkholderia spp. and other similar opportunistic pathogens.

The present work aimed to validate a low-cost passive monitoring procedure. For its validation, the monitoring of atmospheric organic pollutants - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was carried out in a capital of the central-western region of Brazil. The sensors were fixed on poles intended for electrification during the dry season. After 15 days, samples were extracted by solvent extraction and analysed by High-Resolution Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (HRGC-FID). For the validation of the procedure, PAHs monitored and standardised by the American Environmental Agency (EPA), a benchmark for environmental monitoring of air quality by several countries, were analysed. The results demonstrated that the low-cost passive monitoring method was effective in the quantification of PAH in the environment-air, capable of being used by countries that do not have many resources for monitoring air quality.

The mining industry is known for the intense environmental impacts it triggers, especially when it is developed in an open environment. Pit lakes are formed in depleted deposits and may be promising opportunities for use by society as well as troubling environmental liabilities. While these artificial basins are increasing numerically in many parts of the world, they are still little known researchers in the Environmental Sciences, which makes their environmental management challenging. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental quality of sediments from three deactivated open-pit gold mines, located in the Mara Rosa, Brazil, through chemical, ecotoxicological and genotoxicology analyses. For this purpose, we collected samples in the dry season boom, and subsequently, we analysed metals. In sequence, acute ecotoxicological and a genotoxicology test (comet assay) were developed with Danio rerio fishes, in concentrations of 3.12%; 6.25%; 12.5%; 25%; 50% and 100%, in addition to the control group. The results indicated that the three lakes are environmentally compromised, especially Lago Azul, whose waters and sediments are undergoing an intense process of geological conditioning. Our results did not verify the ecotoxicity of the sediments of any of the lakes, only behavioural alterations in the test organisms exposed to the concentrations of 25%, 50% and 100% of the samples obtained in the Lago Azul. About the sediments, DNA damage at Danio rerio was detected in the three investigated environments, although fishes kept in the water sampled at Lago Azul presented the most extension of DNA damages.

The increase in online orders following the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened consumer ex-pectations regarding prompt deliveries. However, this phenomenon has subsequently triggered a substantial increase in the number of vehicles navigating through urban areas, highly affecting the overall quality of life within cities. Capitalizing on the complexities posed by urban logistics, this paper proposes an innovative digital business model for logistics services. In this context, we introduce “Urban Logistics as a Service (ULaaS), platform”, a concept rooted in the principals of circular economy and harnessed through the application of the Canvas methodology. The con-ceptual framework outlines the ULaaS ecosystem and explores potential user-functionality com-binations. The proposed platform serves as both an on-demand service provider and a control hub for stakeholders such as traffic authorities, policymakers, logistics providers, carriers, and shippers. This platform streamlines citywide logistics to enhance movement efficiency, ease congestion, and reduce emissions. The ULaaS concept was validated through analysis of data collected from interviews in the unique social context of Campinas City, Brazil. The key value-generating mod-ules within the ULaaS ecosystem include parking reservations, shared warehousing, e-commerce deliveries, and comprehensive logistics solutions. However, implementing Urban Logistics as a Service has challenges. These include defining public and private sector roles, creating effective pricing models, and fairly distributing respon-sibilities among service providers. The paper also elucidates various monetization models and required investments, crucial for fostering potential private sector involvement.

The rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of clinically important pathogens is a major threat to global health security. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the urgent need to develop alternative treatments to address the growing list of priority pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) rank among the various suggested options with proven activity and a high potential to be developed into effective agents. Many AMPs are naturally produced by living organisms and protect the host against pathogens as a part of their innate immunity. Various mechanisms associated with their antimicrobial actions include cell membrane disruption, cell wall weakening, protein synthesis inhibition, and interference in nucleic acid dynamics that can induce apoptosis and necrosis. Acinetobacter baumannii is considered a critical pathogen, and severe clinical problems have appeared with isolates resistant to current antibiotic treatments and conventional control procedures such as UV light, disinfectants, and drying. Here, we review the natural AMPs representing the primary candidates for new anti-A. baumannii drugs in a post-antibiotic era and present the use of computational tools to develop the next generation of AMPs with greater microbicidal activity and reduced toxicity.

This study investigates how the determinants including risk preference affect farmers’ decision to adopt SLM practices in upland areas of Vietnam. Empirical data collected through in-depth interviews with 200 farmers in Na Ri district, Bac Kan province were used. The factors affecting SLM adoption of farmers in Na Ri district were examined by the 2SLS or IV-Probit model. The estimated 2SLS regression indicated that there is a set of factors affecting SLM adoption, namely, relative risk aversion, farming experience, farm size, knowledge of SLM, membership in farmers’ organization, number of labors, and slope of farm land. Specifically, relative risk aversion had a negative effect on SLM practices adoption. The farmers who are less risk averse are more likely to adopt more SLM practices. This implies that reducing farmer’ risk exposure could promote SLM practices. This result is also helpful for policymakers to understand farmers’ behaviors and promote the diffusion of SLM practices across regions on a large scale.

This economic evaluation aims to support policy-making on the combined use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with HIV vaccines by evaluating the potential cost-effectiveness of implementation that would support the design of clinical trials for assessment of combined product safety and efficacy. The target study population is a cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Policy strategies considered include standard HIV prevention, daily oral PrEP, HIV vaccine, and their combination. We constructed a Markov model based on clinical trial data and published literature. We used a payer perspective, monthly cycle length, a lifetime horizon, and a 3% discount rate. We assumed a price of $500 per HIV vaccine series in the base case. HIV vaccines dominated standard care and PrEP. At current prices,PrEP was not cost-effective alone or in combination. A combination strategy had the greatest health benefit but was not cost-effective (ICER=$463,448/QALY) as compared to vaccination alone. Sensitivity analyses suggest a combination may be valuable for higher-risk men with good adherence. Vaccine durability and PrEP drug prices were key drivers of cost-effectiveness. Results suggest that boosting potential may be key to HIV vaccine value.

Headache is considered to be one of the most common causes of medical treatment and evaluation worldwide in both acute and outpatient settings. It is the most common neurological symptom seen worldwide affecting all genders, ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels. It’s impact is noted in educational decline in school-aged children and decreased productivity through sick leave in adults. Its overall burden is well documented in well-resourced countries but limited data is seen low resourced countries. While many underlying causes bring about secondary headaches, primary headaches and more specifically migraines have been more widely explored. Migraines have a distinct criterion that is inclusive of one day duration (4 hours to 7 days, unilateral distribution, nausea and vomiting and disability as a few examples. However, migraines can vary and proper documentation through a migraine diary can help to guide treatment. Management of migraines can vary. Lifestyle modification is a key factor in the overall prevention and reduction of triggers in migraines. In addition to this, pharmacotherapy can be given in a tier-based approach based on overall severity and frequency of the migraine. Interventions have progressed from botox injection and have seen the advent of new medications such as nasal sprays to novel formulations of pre-existing drug formulations. Nonetheless, there is great room for further studies of headaches and migraines. Research specifically in low-resource countries can prove to beneficial.

Bottom-up systems biology entails the construction of kinetic models of cellular pathways by collecting kinetic information on the pathway components (e.g. enzymes) and collating this into a kinetic model, based for example on ordinary differential equations. This requires integration and data transfer between a variety of tools, ranging from data acquisition in kinetics experiments, to fitting and parameter estimation, to model construction, evaluation and validation. Here, we present a workflow that uses the Python programming language, specifically the modules from the SciPy stack, to facilitate this task. Starting from raw kinetics data, acquired either from spectrophotometric assays with microtitre plates or from NMR spectroscopy time courses, we demonstrate the fitting and construction of a kinetic model using scientific Python tools. The analysis takes place in a Jupyter notebook, which keeps all information related to a particular experiment together in one place and thus serves as an e-labbook, enhancing reproducibility and traceability. The Python programming language serves as an ideal foundation for this framework because it is powerful yet relatively easy to learn for the non-programmer, has a large library of scientific routines and active user community, is open-source and extensible, and many computational systems biology software tools are written in Python or have a Python API. Our workflow thus enables investigators to focus on the scientific problem at hand rather than worrying about data integration between disparate platforms.

Adenine and thymine homopolymer strings of at least 8 nucleotides (AT 8+mers) were characterized in Salmonella entericasubspecies I. The motif differed between cother taxonomic classes but not between Salmonella enterica serovars. The motif in plasmids was associated with serovar. Approximately 12.3% of the S. enterica motif loci had mutations. Mutability of AT 8+mers suggests that genomes undergo frequent repair to maintain optimal gene content, and that the motif facilitates self-recognition; in addition, serovar diversity is associated with plasmid content. A theory that genome regeneration accounts for both persistence of predominant Salmonella serovars and serovar diversity provides a new framework for investigating root causes of foodborne illness.

This study presents a novel polyurethane-activated carbon composite (PACC) as an effective and sustainable adsorbent for treating lead-ion-contaminated waters. The PACC was characterized using SEM-EDX, FTIR, BET, XRD, and TGA to evaluate its physicochemical and thermal properties. Furthermore, the PACC was employed in an experimental column adsorption setup to investigate its adsorption performance and to develop a dynamic method suitable for industrial implementation. Parameters such as bed height (50, 100, 150 mm), flow rate (4, 6, 8 mL min-1), pH (2, 4, 6), and initial metal ion concentrations (10, 50, 100 mg L-1) were examined. The experimental data exhibited strong agreement with the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models (R2 ≥ 0.96), indicating efficient adsorption mechanisms. Remarkably, the depleted adsorbent has the potential for facile regeneration without substantial loss in capacity. The PACC demonstrated excellent adsorption performance for lead ions in aqueous solutions in a fixed-bed column system. Thus, the novel PACC material holds potential for scalable application in industrial settings to address water pollution challenges, especially in regions with uncontrolled effluent discharge.

Background: Pteropodine (PT) is a component of some plants with potentially useful pharmaco-logical activities for humans. This compound has biomedical properties related to the modulation of the immune system, nervous system, and inflammatory processes. This study addresses the an-ti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity of pteropodin in a murine model of arthritis and induced edema of the mouse ear. Methods: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity, we used the reversed passive Arthus reaction (RPAR), which includes the rat paw edema test, the rat pleurisy test, and a mouse ear edema model. The antioxidant effect was evaluated by determining the myeloperoxidase enzyme activity. Results: PT showed an anti-inflammatory effect in the different specific and non-specific tests. We found a 52 to 74% of inhibitory effect of PT in the rat paw edema test, 52% of reduction of the pleural exudate volume, and low neutrophil count (28%), when compared to the control group. We also found a 81% of inflammatory inhibition of the ear edema, and a significant myeloperoxidase enzyme inhibition by the three doses of PT. Conclusions: PT exerted a potent an-ti-inflammatory effect in the acute inflammation model in rodents.

Nine crossbred finishing barrows randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments were used to investigate the effects of dietary lysine on muscle growth related metabolic and signaling pathways. Muscle samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi of individual pigs after feeding the lysine-deficient, lysine-adequate, or lysine-excess diet for 5 weeks, and the total RNA was extracted afterwards. Affymetrix Porcine Gene 1.0 ST Array was used to quantify the expression levels of 19,211 genes. A total of 674 transcripts were differentially expressed (P ≤ 0.05); 60 out of 131 transcripts (P ≤ 0.01) were annotated in the NetAffx database. Ingenuity pathway analysis showed that dietary lysine deficiency may lead to (1) increased muscle protein degradation via the ubiquitination pathway as indicated by the up-regulated DNAJA1, HSP90AB1 and UBE2B mRNA, (2) reduced muscle protein synthesis via the up-regulated RND3 and ZIC1 mRNA, (3) increased serine and glycine synthesis via the up-regulated PHGDH and PSPH mRNA, and (4) increased lipid accumulation via the up-regulated ME1, SCD, and CIDEC mRNA. Dietary lysine excess may lead to (1) decreased muscle protein degradation via the down-regulated DNAJA1, HSP90AA1, HSPH1, and UBE2D3 mRNA, and (2) reduced lipid biosynthesis via the down-regulated CFD and ME1 mRNA.