This study investigates the emergence of ertapenem-resistant, meropenem-susceptible (ErMs) among non-carbapenemase producing (NCP) and carbapenemase producing (CP) Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. As mutations for ertapenem resistance establish the genetic background for non-carbapenemase meropenem resistance, there is a great need for antibiotic stewards and researchers to understand the determinants of a strain’s propensity to become resistant. Whole genome sequencing was conducted on clinical carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CREC) and K. pneumoniae (CRKP) across 5 hospitals in San Antonio, U.S. from 2012-2018. The majority of carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) were NCP (54%; 41/76). The blaCTX-M was found to be most prevalent among NCP isolates (p = 0.02). LC-MS/MS analysis of carbapenem hydrolysis revealed that blaCTX-M-mediated carbapenem hydrolysis, indicating the need to reappraise the term, “non-carbapenemase (NCP)” for quantitatively uncharacterized CRE strains harboring blaCTX-M. Antimicrobial susceptibility results showed that 56% of all NCPE isolates had an ErMs phenotype (NCPE vs. CPE, p < 0.001), with E. coli driving the phenotype (E. coli vs. K. pneumoniae, p < 0.001). ErMs strains carrying blaCTX-M, had approximately 4-fold more copies of blaCTX-M than ceftriaxone-resistant but ertapenem and meropenem susceptible (EsMs) isolates (3.7 v. 0.9, p < 0.001). ErMs also carried more mobile genetic elements (MGEs), particularly IS26 composite transposons, than EsMs (37 vs. 0.2, p < 0.0001). Immunoblot analysis demonstrated the absence of OmpC expression in NCP-ErMs E. coli, with 92% of strains lacking full contig coverage of ompC. Overall, this work provides evidence of a collaborative effort between blaCTX-M and OmpC in NCP strains that confer resistance to ertapenem but not meropenem. To thwart potential mismanagement of CRE infected patients, future efforts should focus on understanding the mechanism(s) underlying OmpC loss, developing rapid methods to detect blaCTX-M copy number variants, and targeted antimicrobials for NCPE and ErMs strains.

Titania is one of the most comprehensively studied nanostructures due to its widespread applications in production of catalytic, gas- sensing and corrosion- resistance materials [1]. M-polynomial of nanotubes has been vastly investigated as it produces many degree-based topological indices which are numerical parameters capturing structural and chemical properties. These indices are used in the development of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) in which the biological activity and other properties of molecules are correlated with their structure like boiling point, stability, strain energy etc of chemical compounds. In this paper, we determine M-polynomials of single-walled titanium (SW TiO2) nanotubes and recover important topological degree based indices of them to theoretically judge these nanotubes. We also use Maple to plot surfaces associated to different types of single-walled titanium (SW TiO2) nanotubes.

Body image disturbance (BID) involves negative attitudes towards shape and weight and is associated with lower levels of interoception (awareness of and attention toward internal physiological states). This association is considered a risk factor for developing eating disorders (EDs) and is linked to altered sensorimotor representations of the body (i.e., body schema). BIDs manifest across genders and are currently understudied in men. This study investigated gender-related differences in BID and its relationship to the body schema and interoception. Data were collected from 86 men and women. BID was assessed using questionnaires measuring self-objectification, state, and trait body dissatisfaction. Interoceptive sensibility was measured via the MAIA-2. The body schema was indexed via an embodied mental rotation task. Results showed that women reported higher BID than men across all scales. Gender differences in sub-components of interoceptive sensibility were found. Overall, both gender and interoceptive sensibility predicted BID. However, interoceptive sensibility exhibited its own unique association with BID beyond the influence of gender. BID, IS and gender were not significant predictors of performance in the body schema task. Therefore, while gender predicts differences in BID and interoceptive sensibility, there was no evidence of gender-related differences in body schema.

To meet the calls of the International Labor Organization and National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, this paper discusses how to build Occupational, Health, Safety (OSH), and Well-Being competence by expanding education to non-traditional undergraduate disciplines. The authors provide (1) theoretical background on why this would benefit society as a whole, (2) learning theory strategies for teaching OHS and Well-being outside of traditional majors, (3) case studies of how this can occur in undergraduate classes and (4) opportunities and challenges for the future.

Mental health issues can have significant impacts on individuals and communities and hence on social sustainability. There are several challenges facing mental health treatment, however, more important is to remove the root causes of mental illnesses because doing so can help prevent mental health problems from occurring or recurring. This requires a holistic approach to understanding mental health issues that are missing from the existing research. Mental health should be understood in the context of social and environmental factors. More research and awareness are needed, as well as interventions to address root causes. The effectiveness and risks of medications should also be studied. This paper proposes a big data and machine learning-based approach for the automatic discovery of parameters related to mental health from Twitter data. The parameters are discovered from three different perspectives, Drugs & Treatments, Causes & Effects, and Drug Abuse. We used Twitter to gather 1,048,575 tweets in Arabic about psychological health in Saudi Arabia. We built a big data machine learning software tool for this work. A total of 52 parameters were discovered for all three perspectives. We defined 6 macro-parameters (Diseases & Disorders, Individual Factors, Social & Economic Factors, Treatment Options, Treatment Limitations, and Drug Abuse) to aggregate related parameters. We provide a comprehensive account of mental health, causes, medicines and treatments, mental health and drug effects, and drug abuse, as seen on Twitter, discussed by the public and health professionals. Moreover, we identify their associations with different drugs. The work will open new directions for social media-based identification of drug use and abuse for mental health, as well as other micro and macro factors related to mental health. The methodology can be extended to other diseases and provides a potential for discovering evidence for forensics toxicology from social and digital media.

Abstract: As a low-input crop, Miscanthus offers numerous advantages that, in addition to agricultural applications, permits its exploitation for energy, fuel, and material production. Depending on the Miscanthus genotype, season, and harvest time as well as plant component (leaf versus stem), correlations between structure and properties of the corresponding isolated lignins differ. Here, a comparative study is presented between lignins isolated from M. x giganteus, M. sinensis, M. robustus and M. nagara using a catalyst-free organosolv pulping process. The lignins from different plant constituents are also compared regarding their similarities and differences regarding monolignol ratio and important linkages. Results showed that the plant genotype has the weakest influence on monolignol content and interunit linkages. In contrast, structural differences are more significant among lignins of different harvest time and/or season. Analyses were performed using fast and simple methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Data was assigned to four different linkages (A: b-O-4 linkage, B: phenylcoumaran, C: resinol, D: b-unsaturated ester). In conclusion, A content is particularly high in leaf-derived lignins at just under 70 % and significantly lower in stem and mixture lignins at around 60 % and almost 65 %. The second most common linkage pattern is D in all isolated lignins, the proportion of which is also strongly dependent on the crop portion. Both stem and mixture lignins, have a relatively high share of approximately 20 % or more (maximum is M. sinensis Sin2 with over 30 %). In the leaf-derived lignins, the proportions are significantly lower on average. Stem samples should be chosen if the highest possible lignin content is desired, specifically from the M. x giganteus genotype, which revealed lignin contents up to 27 %. Due to the better frost resistance and higher stem stability, M. nagara offers some advantages compared to M. x giganteus. Miscanthus crops are shown to be very attractive lignocellulose feedstock (LCF) for second generation biorefineries and lignin generation in Europe.

The preparation of transition metal salt ammine complexes having oxidizing anions is a great challenge due to the reaction between the ammonia and oxidizing anions during the synthesis of these materials. However, they have an important role in the development of new oxidants in organic chemistry and especially as precursors in the preparation of mixed metal oxides and alloys in controlled temperature thermal decomposition reactions. Therefore, the synthetic procedures to prepare the complexes of transition metal permanganate, pertechnetate, and perrhenate (VIIB group tetraoxometallates) salts with ammonia as ligand or co-ligand have been comprehensively reviewed. The available data about the structure and spectroscopic properties of these compounds, including the hydrogen bonds that act as redox reaction centers under their thermal decomposition are given and evaluated. Their thermal decomposition processes and products have been summarized. The available pieces of information about their role in organic oxidation reactions like the oxidation of benzyl alcohols, and regeneration of oxo-compounds from oximes and phenylhydrazones including the kinetics of these processes have also been collected.

Legumes develop root nodules that harbour endosymbiotic bacteria, rhizobia. These rhizobia convert nitrogen to ammonia by biological nitrogen fixation. A thorough understanding of the biological nitrogen fixation in legumes and its regulation is key to develop sustainable agriculture. It is well known that plant hormones affect nodule formation; however, most studies are limited to model legumes due to their suitability for in vitro, plate-based assays. Specifically, it is almost impossible to measure the effects of exogenous hormones or other additives during nodule development in crop legumes such as soybean as they have huge root system in soil. To circumvent this issue, the present research develops suitable media and growth conditions for efficient nodule development under in vitro, soil free conditions in an important legume crop, soybean. Moreover, we also evaluate the effects of all major phytohormones during soybean nodulation under identical conditions. This versatile, inexpensive, scalable and simple protocol provides several advantages over previously established methods. It is extremely time-and resource-efficient, does not require special training or equipment, and produces highly reproducible results. The approach is expandable to other large legumes as well as for other exogenous additives.

From a differential geometric perspective, information geometry (IG) aims to characterise the structure of statistical geodesic models. The research done for this paper offers a novel method for modelling the information geometry of a queuing system. From the perspective of IG, the manifold of the transient M/M/infinity queue is described in this context. The Fisher Information matrix (FIM) as well as the inverse of (FIM), (IFIM) of transient M/M/infinity QM are devised. In addition to that, new results that uncovered the significant impact of stability of QM on the existence of (IFIM) are obtained. Moreover, the Geodesic equations of motion of the coordinates of the underlying transient are obtained. Also, it is revealed that stable QM is developable (i.e., has a zero Gaussian curvature) and has a non-zero Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). Novel stability dynamics of transient M/M/iInfinity queue manifold is revealed by discovering the mutual dual impact between the behaviour of (RCT) and the stability(instability) phases of M/M/Infinity QM. Furthermore, a new discovery that presents the significant impact of stability of queue manifold and the continuity of the unique representation between M/G/1 queue manifold and Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). The information matrix exponential (IME) is devised. Also, it is shown that stability of the devised (IME) enforces the instability of M/M/ Infinity QM. More interestingly, novel relativistic info-geometric queueing theoretic links are revealed .

Necroptosis is an inflammatory form of lytic programmed cell death that is thought to have evolved to defend against pathogens. Genetic deletion of the terminal effector protein – MLKL – shows no overt phenotype in the C57BL/6 mouse strain under conventional laboratory housing conditions. Small molecules that inhibit necroptosis by targeting the kinase activity of RIPK1, one of the main upstream conduits to MLKL activation, have shown promise in several murine models of non-infectious disease and in phase II human clinical trials. This has triggered multi-billion-dollar investments into the emerging class of necroptosis blocking drugs, and the potential utility of targeting the terminal effector is being closely scrutinised. Here we review murine models of disease, both genetic deletion and mutation, that investigate the role of MLKL. We summarize a series of examples from several broad disease categories including ischemia reperfusion injury, sterile inflammation, pathogen infection and haematological stress. Elucidating MLKL’s contribution to mouse models of disease is an important first step to identify human indications that stand to benefit most from MLKL-targeted drug therapies.

Despite the extensive research conducted on ruminal methanogens and anti-methanogenic intervention strategies over the last 50 years, most of the currently researched enteric CH4 abatement approaches have shown limited efficacy. This is largely because of the complex nature of animal production and the ruminal environment, host genetic variability of CH4 production, and an incomplete understanding of the role of the ruminal microbiome in enteric CH4 emissions. Recent sequencing-based studies suggest the presence of methanogenic archaea in extra-gastrointestinal tract tissues, including respiratory and reproductive tracts of cattle. While these sequencing data require further verification by culture-dependent methods, the consistent identification of methanogens with relatively greater frequency in the airway and urogenital tract of cattle plus increasing appreciation of the microbiome-gut-organ axis highlight the potential interactions between ruminal and extra-gastrointestinal methanogenic communities. Thus, a traditional singular focus on ruminal methanogens may not be sufficient, and a holistic approach which takes into consideration of the transfer of methanogens between ruminal, extra-gastrointestinal, and environmental microbial communities is of necessity to develop more efficient and long-term ruminal CH4 mitigation strategies. In the present review, we provide a holistic survey of the methanogenic archaea present in different anatomical sites of cattle and discuss potential seeding sources of the ruminal methanogens.

A new set of basis functions is presented. The foundation in mathematics is established. To reconstruct a signal, it is compared to the Fourier basis functions. The M-basis functions' potential applications are also presented.

Emerging highly pathogenic human coronaviruses (CoVs) represent a serious ongoing threat to the public health worldwide. The spike (S) proteins of CoVs are surface glycoproteins that facilitate viral entry into host cells via attachment to their respective cellular receptors. The S protein is believed to be a major immunogenic component of CoVs and a target for neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and most candidate vaccines. Development of a safe and convenient assay is thus urgently needed to determine the prevalence of CoVs nAbs in the population, to study immune response in infected individuals, and to aid in vaccines and viral entry inhibitors evaluation. While live virus-based neutralization assays are used as gold standard serological methods to detect and measure nAbs, handling of highly pathogenic live CoVs requires strict bio-containment conditions in biosafety level-3 laboratories. On the other hand, use of replication-incompetent pseudoviruses bearing CoVs S proteins could represent a safe and useful method to detect nAbs in serum samples under biosafety level-2 conditions. Here, we describe a detailed protocol of a safe and convenient assay to generate vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based pseudoviruses to evaluate and measure nAbs against highly pathogenic CoVs. The protocol covers methods to produce VSV pseudovirus bearing the S protein of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV (MERS-CoV) and the severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2), pseudovirus titration, and pseudovirus neutralizing assay. Such assay could be adapted by different laboratories and researchers working on highly pathogenic CoVs without the need to handle live viruses in biosafety level-3 environment.

We report on the occurrence of natural Magnesium Alumina Silicate Hydrate (M-(A)-S-H) cement at Feragen and Leka in eastern and western Trøndelag Norway, respectively. Both occurrences are located in the sub-arctic climate zone and form in glacial till and moraine material deposited on ultramafic rock during the Weichselian glaciation. Weathering of serpentinized peridotite dissolve brucite and result in a relative high pH alkaline fluid that subsequently reacts with the felsic minerals of the till (quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar) to form a cement consisting of an amorphous material or a mixture of nanocrystalline Mg-rich phyllosilicates, including illite. The presence of plagioclase in the till results in the enrichment of alumina in the cement, i.e., forms M-A-S-H instead of the M-S-H cement. Dissolution of quartz results in numerous etch-pits and negative quartz crystals filled with M-A-S-H cement. Where the quartz dissolution is faster that the cement precipitation, a honeycomb-like texture is formed. Compositionally the cemented till (tillite) contains more MgO and has a higher loss of ignition than the till, suggesting that the cement is formed by a MgO fluid that previously reacted with the peridotite. The M-(A)-S-H cemented till represent a new type of duricrust, coined magsilcrete. The study of natural Mg-cement provides information on peridotites as a Mg-source for Mg-cement and as a feedstock for CO2 sequestration.

The misuse of antibiotics during the last decades led to the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogenic bacteria. This phenomenon constitutes a major public health issue. Consequently, the discovery of new antibacterials in the short term is crucial. Colicins, due to their antibacterial properties, thus constitute good candidates. These toxin proteins, produced by E. coli to kill enteric relative competitors, exhibit cytotoxicity through ionophoric activity or essential macromolecule degradation. Among the 25-colicin types known to date, colicin M (ColM) is the only one colicin interfering with peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Accordingly, ColM develops its lethal activity in E. coli periplasm by hydrolyzing the last peptidoglycan precursor, lipid II, into two dead-end products, thereby leading to cell lysis. Since the discovery of its unusual mode of action, several ColM orthologs have also been identified based on sequence alignments; all of the characterized ColM-like proteins display the same enzymatic activity of lipid II degradation and narrow antibacterial spectra. This publication aims at being an exhaustive review about what is currently known on this new family of antibacterial enzymes as well as on their potential use of food preservatives or therapeutic agents.

Hoof capability of domesticated, barefoot-kept horses and ponies traversing artificial environments remains undocumented. In this study, four equines were walked in-hand for 16 days, covering a distance of 50 km, over three solid surfaces. Subsequently, we conducted an assessment of hoof morphology. Hooves (n = 16) were radiographed before and after the trial, spaced 3 weeks apart, for sole depth measurement. External measurements of feet were recorded 24 hours before day 1 and repeated on day 9. Radiographs revealed increased sole depth in 11 hooves, notably at the palmar process, and some misalignment in certain phalanges. On day 9, after a 36-km distance, all hooves exhibited calloused soles and frogs, and required trimming. The front hooves of the horses had a pronounced, natural concavity. Hard surfaces were found to stimulate sole growth, with a portion of sole thickness preferentially accumulating within the dermal zone. Collectively, the maintenance of short trimming cycles to prevent misalignment, minimize hoof-wall loading and maintain a load-sharing system, may be necessary for barefoot-kept horses considering their rapid growth rate.

Excessive cell phone use contributes to distracted driving, may increase risk for automobile accidents, and a minority of mobile phone users exhibit behaviors consistent with technological addiction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cell phone beliefs and behaviors could be changed by a brief educational encounter. The Theory of Reasoned Action provided a lens for viewing attitudes and behavior. A one-week pre-post design with a thirty-day follow-up was used with participants (N = 215, 67.0% female, age = 20.0 + 1.6) assigned to a peer led intervention or comparison groups. The intervention included cell-phone educational materials. A short index of cell phone behavior was developed which showed good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of .81. The intervention group “agreed” or “strongly-agreed” more than the comparison group on five of the seven areas of cell phone beliefs and behaviors ( p < 0.05, item Cohen’s d = .32 to .47, total d = .50) at one-week following receipt of informational materials. We conclude that attitudes and behaviors regarding cell phones are malleable and susceptible to change in young-adults following a brief psychoeducational intervention.

Targets for finished livestock are often determined by expected fat, either subcutaneous or intramuscular. These targets are used frequently to improve the chances of acceptable eating quality. Lower intramuscular fat, lack of product uniformity, and reduced or insufficient tenderness can negatively impact beef acceptability. This study aimed to investigate differences in gene expression that potentially alter subsequent metabolism and intercellular signaling in the muscle and proximate intermuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissue in beef carcasses at different fat endpoints. In this study, Longissimus thoracis muscle samples and associated adipose tissue were collected at harvest. RNA was harvested from both tissues, and individual samples were sequenced using RNAseq. Differential expression was determined using edgeR, and p-values were adjusted using the Benjamini-Hochberg method. A corrected p-value of 0.005 and log₂ (fold change) of 1 was set as the threshold to identify differential expression of genes. Comparison between intermuscular fat and subcutaneous fat showed no differences between the genes activated in the two adipose tissue depots, suggesting that subcutaneous fat could be sampled to evaluate changes in adipose tissue. Carcass data allowed the classification of carcasses by projected USDA quality grades (marbling targets). In the comparison between muscle from Standard and Choice carcasses, 15 genes were downregulated, and 20 were upregulated. The insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS 1) gene was the only known functionally important gene to be differentially expressed. There were 49 downregulated genes and 113 upregulated genes in the comparison between adipose tissue from Standard and Choice carcasses. These genes are mostly related to the metabolism of fat and energy. This potentially indicates that muscle is not changing at the transcript level as much as the adipose tissue at the sampled endpoints. Also, subcutaneous fat can be used to evaluate transcript changes in both subcutaneous and intermuscular fat. However, it is not clear if these fat tissues can be used as surrogates for intramuscular fat or marbling.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Frequent inactivation of the tumour suppressors BAP1, NF2 and P16 may differentially sensitise tumours to treatments. We have established chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) xenograft models of low-passage MPM cell lines and protocols for evaluating drug responses. Ten cell lines, representing the spectrum of histological subtypes and tumour suppressor status, were dual labelled for fluorescence/bioluminescence imaging and implanted on the CAM at E7. Bioluminescence was used to assess viability of primary tumours, which were excised at E14 for immunohistological staining or real-time PCR. All MPM cell lines engrafted efficiently forming vascularised nodules, however their size, morphology and interaction with chick cells varied. MPM phenotypes including local invasion, fibroblast recruitment, tumour angiogenesis and vascular remodelling were evident. Bioluminescence imaging could be used to reliably estimate tumour burden pre- and post-treatment, correlating with tumour weight and Ki-67 staining. In conclusion, MPM-CAM models recapitulate important features of the disease and are suitable to assess therapies using a broad range of MPM cell lines that allow histological or genetic stratification. They are amenable to multi-modal imaging, offering a time and cost-efficient, 3Rs-compliant alternative to rodent xenograft models to prioritise candidate compounds from in vitro studies.

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

Background: As the only place in a store where all customers must pass through and wait, the checkout lane may be particularly influential over consumer purchases. Because most foods and beverages sold at checkout are unhealthy (e.g., candy/sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and salty snacks), policymakers and advocates have expressed growing interest in healthy checkout policies. To understand the extent to which such policies could improve nutrition equity, we as-sessed the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of purchasing items from checkout. Methods: We assessed self-reported checkout purchasing and sociodemographic characteristics in a national convenience sample of adults (n=10,348) completing an online survey in 2021. Re-sults: Over one-third (36%) of participants reported purchasing foods or drinks from checkout during their last grocery shopping trip. Purchasing items from checkout was more common among men; adults <55 years of age; low-income consumers; Hispanic, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native, and non-Hispanic Black consumers; those with at least a bachelor’s degree; parents; and consumers diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes (p-values<0.05). Conclusions: Purchasing foods or beverages from store checkouts is common and more prevalent among low-income and racial and ethnic minority groups. These results suggest that healthy checkout policies have the potential to improve nutrition equity.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, and despite advances in treatment, survival rates are still low; therefore, the development of novel drugs is imperative. Acetylcorynoline (ACN) is derived from Corydalis ambigua. The effect of ACN on colon cancer is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated its potential effects. Our data showed that ACN inhibited cell viability and proliferation. Moreover, ACN induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by inhibiting cell growth. In the present study, we hypothesized that ACN regulates c-Myc through CNOT2 or MID1IP1. ACN reduced the protein expression of oncogenic genes, decreased c-Myc half-life, and rapidly inhibited the serum stimulation response. Moreover, knockdown of CNOT2 and MID1IP1 with ACN increased apoptosis and further reduced the expression of oncogenes. In addition, ACN exhibited a synergistic effect with low-dose of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin (Dox). Collectively, our data demonstrates that ACN inhibited c-Myc expression through CNOT2 and MID1IP1 and induced apoptosis. These findings indicate the potential of ACN as a therapeutic agent against colon cancer.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by demyelination, axonal degeneration, and cognitive impairment. It also has an important impact on the quality of life of patients and their family members. An estimated 2,500,000 people in the world have multiple sclerosis. Neurophysiological parameters, like sensitivity to demyelination and the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic interactions in the cerebral cortex, can be identified through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). These parameters can be valid and objective parameters that can be correlated with the progression of MS, and can provide reliable indices for the severity of illness and the efficacy of drugs used to treat it. The discovery of specific and detailed neurophysiological parameters as surrogate end points for disease activity could represent an important step in clinical trials. Changes in cortical connectivity have already been demonstrated in MS, but in clinical practice, other measures are usually used to evaluate disease activity. We speculate that TMS may be more effective in identifying disease progression that leads to long-term disability, compared to standard surrogate markers, due to the fact that it represents a direct measure of synaptic transmission(s) in MS.

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

The World Health Organization(WHO) in 2016 considered mHealth as: “the use of mobile wireless technologies including smart devices such as smartphones and smartwatches for public health” as an important resource for health services delivery and public health given their ease of use, broad reach and acceptance. WHO emphasizes the potential of this technology to increase access to health information, services and skills as well as promoting positive changes in health behaviors and management of diseases. In this regard, the capability of smartphones and smartwatches for m-health monitoring as well as verification of the patient the signal has become an important component of mHealth system. Most of the smartwatches could extract more than one bioelectrical signal therefore, therefore they provide suitable platform for extracting health data for e-monitoring. The existing approaches have not considered the integrity of data obtained from these smart devices. Therefore, it is important that the integrity of the collected data be verified continuously through user authentication. This could be done using any of the bioelectrical signals extracted and transmitted for e-monitoring. In this article, a smartwatch is used for extracting bioelectrical signal before decomposing the signal into sub-bands of Detail and Approximation Coefficient for user authentication. To select suitable features using biorthogonal wavelet decomposition of signal from a non-intrusive extraction, a detailed experiment is conducted extracting suitable statistical features from the bioelectrical signal from 30 subjects using different biorthogonal wavelet family. Ten features are extracted using Biorthogonal wavelet to decompose the signal into three levels of sub-band Detail and Approximation Coefficient and features extracted from each level the decomposed Detail and Approximation Coefficients. Comparison analysis is done after the classification of the extracted features based on the Equal Error Rate (EER). Using Neural Network (NN) classifier, Biorthogonal Wavelet Detail Coefficient Sub-band level 3 of bior1.1 achieved the best result of EER 13.80% with the fusion of the best sub-band three levels of bior1.1 achieving a better result of 12.42% EER.

Let R be a commutative ring with identity and m, n be positive integers. In this paper, we introduce the class of (m,n)-prime ideals which lies properly between the classes of prime and (m,n)-closed ideals. A proper ideal I of R is called (m,n)-prime if for a,b∈R, a^{m}b∈I implies either aⁿ∈I or b∈I. Several characterizations of this new class with many examples are given. Analougus to primary decomposition, we define the (m,n)-decomposition of ideals and show that every ideal in an n-Noetherian ring has an (m,n)-decomposition. Furthermore, the (m,n)-prime avoidance theorem is proved.

We report on metastable defects introduced in n-type 4H-SiC material by epithermal and fast neutron irradiation. The epithermal and fast neutron irradiation defects in 4H-SiC are much less explored compared to electron or proton irradiation induced defects. In addition to silicon vacancy (Vsi) and carbon antisite-carbon vacancy (CAV) complex, the neutron irradiation has introduced four deep level defects, all arising from the metastable defect, the M-center. The metastable deep level defects were investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), high-resolution Laplace DLTS (L-DLTS) and isothermal DLTS. The existence of the fourth deep level M4, recently observed in ion implanted 4H-SiC, has been additionally confirmed in neutron irradiated samples. The isothermal DLTS technique has been proven as a useful tool for studying the metastable defects.

Sarcocystis sp. are coccidian protozoans belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum. As other members of this phylum, they are obligate intracellular parasites having a complex cellular machinery for the invasion of host cells. Sarcocystis spp. display dixenous life cycles, involving a predator and a prey as definitive and intermediate hosts, respectively. Specifically, these parasites develop sarcocysts in the tissues of their intermediate hosts, ranging in size from microscopic to visible to the naked eye, depending on the species. When definitive hosts consume sarcocysts, infective forms are produced in the digestive system and discharged into the environment via feces. Consumption of oocyst-contaminated water and pasture by the intermediate host completes the parasitic cycle. More than 200 Sarcocystis spp. have been described infecting wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, some of which are of economic or public health importance. Interestingly, Old World camelids (dromedary, domestic Bactrian camel, and wild Bactrian camel) and New World or South American camelids (llama, alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña) can each be infected by two different Sarcocystis species: Old World camelids by S. cameli (producing micro- and macroscopic cysts) and S. ippeni (microscopic cysts); and South American camelids by S. aucheniae (macroscopic cysts) and S. masoni (microscopic cysts). Large numbers of Old and New World camelids are bred for meat production, but the finding of macroscopic sarcocysts in carcasses significantly hampers meat commercialization. This review tries to compile the information that is currently accessible regarding the biology, epidemiology, phylogeny, and diagnosis of Sarcocystis spp. infecting Old and New World camelids. In addition, knowledge gaps will be identified to encourage research that will lead to the control of these parasites.

The current work reports the upper bound of the state variable of the of the Pointwise Steady Fluid Flow Approximation (PSFFA) model of non-stationary M/Ek/1 queueing system.

Background: The incidence of spinal metastatic disease has risen with improved cancer survivorship. Separation surgery, the current standard surgical treatment, does not fully address spinal deformity. Advances in operative management warrant reevaluating maximal tumor resection and anterior column reconstruction with corpectomy. Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective single-center review of 63 patients was performed. Demographics, tumor characteristics, clinical and radiographic data, treatments, and neurological and survival outcomes were analyzed. Results: The mean age at presentation was 63.5 ± 9.6 years (range, 37-84 years) and 28 patients (44.4%) were female. Functional outcomes, measured by KPS, RAND-36 survey scores and Oswestry Disability Index all improved postoperatively (pre- vs postop: 70 to 80 (p=0.0056), 26.5 to 46.4 (p=0.0081), and 28.9 to 16.9 (p=0.0613), respectively). Spinal alignment also improved, with Cobb angle measurements showing a reduction in spinal kyphosis from -5 to 0 (p=0.021). Nine patients (14.5%) had non-fatal postoperative complications. The median OS for this cohort was 14.4 months (range, 0.6-145.0 months) with median follow-up time of 15.5 months. Conclusion: In oligometastatic spinal disease patients with good functional status, corpectomy for decompression of neural elements, deformity correction, and spinal stabilization is associated with improvements in pain and functional outcomes without overwhelming morbidity.

The leading cause of gastroenteritis in children under the age of five is rotavirus infection, accounting for 37% of diarrhoeal deaths in infants and young children globally. Oral rotavirus vaccines have been widely incorporated into national immunisation programs, but whilst these vaccines have excellent efficacy in high-income countries, they protect less than 50% of vaccinated individuals in low- and middle-income countries. In order to facilitate the development of improved vaccine strategies, a greater understanding of the immune response to existing vaccines is urgently needed. However, the use of mouse models to study immune responses to human rotavirus strains is currently limited as rotaviruses are highly species-specific and replication of human rotaviruses is minimal in mice. To enable characterisation of immune responses to human rotavirus in mice, we have generated chimeric viruses that combat the issue of rotavirus host range restriction. Using reverse genetics, the rotavirus outer capsid proteins (VP4 and VP7) from either human or murine rotavirus strains were encoded in a murine rotavirus backbone. Neonatal mice were infected with chimeric viruses and monitored daily for development of diarrhoea. Stool samples were collected to quantify viral shedding, and antibody responses were comprehensively evaluated. We demonstrated that chimeric rotaviruses were able to efficiently replicate in mice. Moreover, the chimeric rotavirus containing human rotavirus outer capsid proteins elicited a robust antibody response to human rotavirus antigens, whilst the control chimeric murine rotavirus did not. This chimeric human rotavirus therefore provides a new strategy for studying human rotavirus-specific immunity, and could be used to investigate factors causing variability in rotavirus vaccine efficacy. This small animal platform therefore has the potential to test the efficacy of new vaccines and antibody-based therapeutics.

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

Pulmonary infections with Mycobacterium avium occur in susceptible individuals following exposure to the bacterium in the environment, where it often persists in biofilms. Many methods have been used to generate biofilms of M. avium, and it is unknown whether different approaches generate similar structures and cell phenotypes. To make a parallel comparison of in vitro biofilm ultrastructure, extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, and drug susceptibility of biofilm resident bacteria, we used two published methods to generate M. avium biofilms: four week incubation in M63 medium or 24 hour exposure to dithiothreitol (DTT). Scanning electron microscopy revealed differences in biofilm ultrastructure between the two methods, including variation in appearance of ECM materials and morphology of resident cells, while light microscopy and staining with calcofluor white indicated that both biofilms contained polysaccharides characteristic of cellulose. Measuring susceptibility of biofilms to degradation by enzymes suggested differences in structurally important ECM molecules, with DTT biofilms having important protein and, to a lesser extent, cellulose components, and M63 biofilms having moderate protein, cellulose, and DNA components. Both biofilms conferred resistance to the bactericidal effects of amikacin and clarithromycin, with resident cells being killed at &gt;10-fold lower rates than planktonic cells at almost all concentrations. Though these comparisons indicate differences in biofilm responses by M. avium under differing conditions, they also suggest common features of biofilm formation including cellulose production and antimicrobial resistance.

The topological index is a numerical quantity based on the characteristics of various invariants or molecular graph. For ease of discussion, these indices are classified according to their logical derivation from topological invariants rather than their temporal development. Degree based topological indices depends upon the degree of vertices. This paper computes degree based topological indices of Bismuth Tri-Iodide chains and sheets with the help of M-polynomial.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vitalness of telehealth in our medical world, where considering a restructuring of healthcare services has become paramount. In fact, telemedicine has recently earned a valuable place in many specialties; and its implications in cardiology and cardiovascular medicine were among the leading interests. In this letter, we gathered previous evidence supporting the merit of telemedicine in the fields of cardiology and cardiovascular medicine—medical branches in which patients require meticulous care and continuous monitoring—as well as protrusions of concerns about the uncertainty regarding the efficacy of telemedicine’s future implications and technologies. In sum, in the context of this still on-going pandemic, medical institutions must strive to improve telehealth technologies and implement solid future research directions in this growing field—to be able to persevere in meeting the needs of the patients. As long as no conclusive evidence exists regarding the fields where telemedicine is most worthwhile, healthcare systems will always keep the dread of wasting resources on developing ineffective programs. We conclude that telemedicine has been attributed a considerable attention in managing cardiac and cardiovascular conditions; nevertheless, further studies with solid designs are still needed to confirm its validity and utility in those specialties.

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

Climate change is affecting the planet, compromising survival and altering forest ecosystems. Investigating climatic variations in all regions is important. The aim of this research was to assess such variations in the W and Pendjari Biosphere Reserves in Benin from 1985 to 2015 and predict climate up to 2045. Drought frequency was assessed by using the Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and correlation was performed between climatic variables. Then a predictive analysis was computed. From 1985 to 2015, there was change in the climate with few severe dry and wet years while no extreme climatic condition was noticed. Most of the years showed nearly normal climatic conditions. The predicted climate indicates an absence of extreme conditions up to 2045 but an increase in the annual humidity is expected. A low decrease in annual mean temperature with high confidence is expected. Decision-makers can better organize adaptation programs and sensitize people in the reserves on their role in environmental conservation and mitigation of climate change using these outputs.

There is mounting evidence that patients with severe COVID-19 disease may have symptoms that continue beyond the acute phase, extending into the early chronic phase. Often referred to as 'Long COVID'. Simultaneously, case investigations have shown that COVID-19 individuals might have a variety of neurological problems. The accurate and accessible assessment of cognitive function in patients post COVID-19 infection is thus of increasingly high importance for both public and individual health. Little is known about the influence of COVID-19 on the general cognitive levels but more importantly, at sub functions level. Therefore, we first aim to summarize current level of evidence supporting a negative impact of COVID-19 infection on cognitive functions. 27 studies have been included in the systematic review representing a total of 94,103 participants (90,317 COVID-19 patients and 3,786 healthy controls). We then performed a meta-analysis summarizing the results of 5 studies (959 participants, 513 patients) to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on cognitive functions. The overall effect, expressed in Standardized Mean Differences, is -0.56 [95%CI -0.79 ; -0.34]. To prevent disability, we finally discuss the different approaches available in rehabilitation to help these patients and to avoid long-term complication.

This study evaluated the microbial safety of vended boiled, pasteurized and UHT milk sold in Nakawa, Kampala-Uganda. 15 milk samples were analyzed; 2 samples had Salmonella, 5 had S. aureus with a count of 1.66 0.02 log₁₀CFU/ml. E. coli was detected in 8 samples with 1.0 0.02 to 3.0 0.01log₁₀CFU/ml count. A high load of 3.0 CFU/ml was obtained in 3 samples with E. coli. Four E. coli positive samples had a contamination load of 2.0 0.015log₁₀ CFU/ml of which one was pasteurized milk. Only a pasteurized milk showed a low E. coli load at 1.0 0.02log₁₀ CFU/ml. All UHT milk had no microbial contamination. Both boiled and pasteurized milk had Salmonella, S. aureus and E. coli in levels above the set threshold limits. Milk consumers in Nakawa stand a potential public health risk of food poisoning reflected by presence of Salmonella, S. aureus and E. coli in some milk sold in the area.

The key challenges to treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are the heterogenous and complex nature of the GBM tumour microenvironment (TME) and difficulty of drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The TME is composed of various neuronal and immune cells, as well as non-cellular components including metabolic products, cellular interactions, and chemical compositions, all of which play a critical role in GBM development and therapeutic resistance. In this review, we aim to unravel the complexity of the GBM TME, evaluate current therapeutics targeting this microenvironment, and lastly identify potential targets and therapeutic delivery vehicles for the treatment of GBM. Specifically, we explore the potential of aptamer-targeted delivery as a successful approach to treating brain cancers. Aptamers have emerged as promising therapeutic drug delivery vehicles with the potential to cross the BBB and deliver payloads to GBM and brain metastases. By targeting specific ligands within the TME, aptamers could potentially improve treatment outcomes and overcome the challenges associated with larger therapies such as antibodies.

The scope of this study was twofold: first, to introduce a new method in examining measurement invariance, especially with large-scale studies where a large number of group comparisons are involved: the alignment approach, where only configural invariance is necessary to achieve measurement invariance. Second, to evaluate the psychometric robustness of this approach using real-life data. Particularly, we applied this approach to examine whether the factor structure of a cognitive ability test (PGAT) exhibits measurement invariance across the 26 universities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 9,849 graduate students from 26 universities around the Kingdom. The results indicated a robust configural model suggesting that the P-GAT subscales were invariant across the 26 universities. Finally, the aligned factor mean values were estimated, and factor mean comparisons of every group’s mean with all other group means were conducted for both cognitive domains (Verbal and Quantitative). In both domains, King Saud University had the highest mean score among all universities. Moreover, its mean factor score was significantly higher than any other university besides Dammam University. On the other hand, several universities allocated at the northern and Southern borders of the country exhibited the lowest factor mean scores.

The seismic damage in reinforced concrete bridges is identified in this study using the "M and P" hybrid technique initially developed for planar frames. The proposed methodology involves a series of pushover and instantaneous modal analyses with a progressively increasing target deck displacement along the longitudinal direction of the bridge. From the results of these analyses, the diagram of the instantaneous eigenfrequency of the bridge, ranging from the health state to near collapse, is plotted against the inelastic seismic deck displacement. By pre-determining the eigen-frequency of an existing bridge along its longitudinal direction through "monitoring and frequency identification", the target deck displacement corresponding to the damage state can directly be found from this diagram. Subsequently, the damage can be identified by examining the results of the pushover analysis at the step where the target deck displacement is indicated. The effectiveness of this proposed technique is evaluated in the context of multiple span bridges with unequal pier heights, illustrated through an example of a four-span bridge. The findings demonstrate that the damage potential in bridge piers can be successfully identified by combining the results of a monitoring process and pushover analysis.

Let R be a commutative ring and m, n be positive integers. We define a proper submodule N of an R-module M to be (m,n)-closed if for r∈R and b∈M, r^{m}b∈N implies rⁿ∈(N:_{R}M) or b∈N. This class of submodules lies properly between the classes of prime and primary submodules. Many characterizations, properties and supporting examples concerning this class of submodules are provided. The notion of (m,n)-modules is introduced and characterized. Furhermore, the (m,n)-closed avoidance theorem is proved. Finally, the (m,n)-closed submodules in amalgamated modules are studied.

It has been more than a century since Erlang published his paper in 1909. The classical queueing system for the M/D/c queue has been investigated by many authors. The key is to find the roots of an equation using explicit or numerical methods. We present an alternate form of explicit solution(s) of this/these root(s) using the Lambert-W function in this paper. In addition, the unsaturated probabilities of the number of customers in the system is derived explicitly in terms of this/these root(s). Finally, the mean number of customers in the system and the mean queueing delay are obtained from these probabilities. The exact queueing delay formula for the M/D/c queue is expressed in closed-form in terms of the root(s). Numerical results show that they are in excellent agreement with the numerical results published by Seelen, Tijms and Van Hoorn.

Acid proteins capable of nucleating Ca2+ and displaying aggregation capacity play key roles in the formation of calcium carbonate biominerals. EF-hands are among the largest Ca2+-binding motif in proteins. Gad m 1, an Atlantic cod β-parvalbumin isoform, is a monomeric EF-hand protein that acts as a Ca2+ buffer in fish muscle and is able to form amyloids under acidic conditions. Since nucleating Ca2+ protein have a propensity to form extended β-strand structures, we wondered whether amyloid assemblies of a protein containing refolded EF-hand motifs were able to influence the in vitro calcium carbonate crystallization. Here we have used the Gad m 1 chain as model to generate monomeric and amyloid assemblies and analyze their effect on in vitro calcite formation. We found that only amyloid assemblies alter calcite morphology.

A sense of crisis pervaded the university sector as Covid-19 spread, with worries about possible significant loss of income and students in its wake. This analysis examines several years of financial and student data through the pandemic (2020-2022) for Scottish universities. It shows that far from losing money or students, universities in Scotland gained both, and accelerated income growth during Covid. The University of Glasgow stands out not only among Scottish universities but also in the Russell Group in increasing income and student numbers faster than other institutions, becoming over the course of the pandemic, the third largest university in the UK and the largest in Scotland by student numbers. The driver of income growth for all Scottish universities is expanded intakes of international students, who primarily come from Asia and Africa. Across 2021 and 2022, Scottish Universities earned income totalling £1.7 billion from international tuition fee alone. Universities across the UK are increasingly dependent on yet continuing to actively pursue international tuition fees as a primary source of income. This paper documents the situation for Scotland, considering the implications of this growth trajectory in terms of: concentrating financial dependence on a single income source; rising casualisation of staff as a means of managing higher student numbers; impacts on learning and working conditions as students numbers rapidly expand; a shifting composition of students in higher education. It concludes with reflections on: a blurring boundary between the practices and values of profit-making companies and those of the charitable university sector; the ethical and colonial implications in international student recruitment and targeting of ‘new markets’ in the Global South; and the implications of all this for the shape, health and purpose of the university sector in Scotland.

The current study characterizes the transient M/M/1 queue manifold info-geometrically, through devising Fisher Information matrix(FIM) and its inverse(IFIM). Additionally, the impact of stability on the existence of IFIM and explore the geodesic equations of motion has been revealed. More potentially, the paper discusses some info-geometric applications to Machine Learning are highlighted. Closing remarks with some challenging open problems combined with the next phase of research are given.

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

We summarize structural instabilities exhibited by the one dimensional (1D) (arene)2X family of organic conductors in relation with their electronic and magnetic properties. With a charge transfer of one electron to each anion X these salts exhibit a quarter-filled (hole) conduction band located on the donor stacks. Compounds built with donors such as fluorenthene and perylene derivatives and anions X such PF6 or AsF6 exhibit a high temperature (TP~170K) conventional Peierls transition which is announced by a sizeable regime of 1D 2kF charge density wave fluctuations (kF is the Fermi wave vector of the 1D electron gas located on Per stacks). Surprisingly, and probably because of the presence of a multi-sheet warped Fermi surface, the Peierls transition is considerably reduced in the perylene series α-(Per)2[M(mnt)2] where X is the dithiolate molecule with M=Au, Cu, Co and Fe. A special attention is devoted in this paper to physical properties of α-(Per)2[M(mnt)2] salts which with M=Pt, Pd and Ni incorporate segregated S=1/2 1D antiferromagnetic (AF) dithiolate stacks with 1D metallic Per stacks. We analyse conjointly the structural and magnetic properties of these salts in relation with the 1D spin-Peierls (SP) instability located on the dithiolate stacks. We show that the SP instability of the Pd and Ni derivatives occurs in the classical (adiabatic limit) while the SP instability of the Pt derivative occurs in the quantum (anti-adiabatic limit). Furthermore we show that in the Pd and Ni derivatives frustrated 1st neighbour direct and 2nd neighbour indirect (through a fine tuning with the mediated 2kF RKKY coupling interaction on Per stacks) AF interactions add their contribution to the SP instability to open a singlet-triplet gap. Our analysis of the data show unambiguously that magnetic α-(Per)2[M(mnt)2] salts are a typical realization of the physics predicted for two chain 1D Kondo lattices.

Over half of adult Americans now have diabetes or prediabetes and worse, this epidemic is now world-wide and shows no signs of slowing, with rates of both diabetes and diabetes-related health complications still rising. When advising patients with diabetes on food choices, many providers rely on nutrition guidelines provided by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and these guidelines influence other recommendations across the globe. Given the alarming trends in diabetes, it is paramount to review the treatment guidelines to ensure they are based on rigorous and accepted scientific methods. Our review included the evidence cited by the ADA in support of its claims and recommendations for eating patterns to combat diabetes (see Description of Eating Patterns, Supplemental Appendix), as presented in the most current edition of the annual ADA’s Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (2018 Standards). Our review also includes sources cited in the latest edition of the ADA’s Nutrition Therapy Recommendations for Adults with Diabetes (2014 Recommendations), which also informed the 2018 Standards. In October 2018 low carbohydrate was named as a recommended eating pattern by the ADA and European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)⁵but only citations from the 2014 and early 2018 ADA documents were reviewed.

Introduction: Lung cancer remains a global health concern, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprising the majority of cases. Early detection of lung cancer has led to an increased number of cases identified in the earlier stages of NSCLC. This required the revaluation of the NSCLC treatment approaches for early-stage NSCLC. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search using multiple databases to identify relevant studies on treatment modalities for early-stage NSCLC. Inclusion criteria prioritized but were not limited to, clinical trials and meta-analyses on surgical approaches to early-stage NSCLC conducted from 2021 onwards. Discussion: Minimally invasive approaches, such as VATS and RATS, along with lung resection techniques, including sublobar resection have emerged as treatments for early-stage NSCLC. Ground-glass opacities (GGOs) hve shown prognostic significance, especially when analyzing the consolidation-tumor ratio (CTR). There have also been updates on managing GGOs, including the non-surgical approaches, the extent of lung resection indicated, and the level of lymphadenectomy required. Conclusion: The management of early-stage NSCLC requires further assessment of treatment strategies. This includes understanding the required extent of surgical resection, interpreting the significance of GGOs (specifically GGOs with a high CTR), and evaluating the efficacy of alternative therapies. Customized treatment involving surgical and non-surgical interventions is essential for advancing patient care.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a growing crisis in both human and veterinary medicine. We evaluated the use of two categories of antibiotic alternatives – heavy metals and essential oils – in beef cattle, and their effects on gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In this randomized controlled field trial, we measured the impact of supplemental zinc and menthol on antimicrobial resistance among commensal enteric bacteria of feeder cattle. Fecal suspensions were plated onto plain- and antibiotic-supplemented MacConkey and m-Enterococcus agar for quantification of total and antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp., respectively. Temporal effects on overall E. coli growth were significant (P&lt; 0.05); however, there were no significant effects on antibiotic-supplemented agar. Zinc was associated with significant increases in growth on erythromycin-supplemented m-Enterococcus agar. Cattle fed zinc exhibited significantly higher macrolide resistance among fecal enterococci isolates.

Clarifying the impact mechanism of digital transformation of enterprises on the M&A efficiency of listed companies can provide a factual basis for improving capital market regulatory policies. Taking the mergers and acquisitions of listed companies from 2007 to 2021 as a research sample, the influence mechanism of the digital transformation degree of companies on their M&A efficiency was studied. The research results show that the digital transformation of listed companies will improve their M&A efficiency. Digital transformation will reduce the degree of mispricing of stocks of M&A companies, curb conflicts between managers and agents of M&A companies, and improve their M&A efficiency. Further research finds that the promotion effect of digital transformation on M&A efficiency is more significant in non-state-owned companies, with a higher degree of financing constraint and high analyst attention. In the future, regulatory authorities should actively promote the digital transformation of listed companies, curb mispricing and management agency problems in the capital market with digital governance, and improve the efficiency of mergers and acquisitions in the capital market.

Purpose. Moraxella is an ocular bacterial pathogen isolated in cases of keratitis, conjunctivitis, and endophthalmitis. Gram-negative brick-shaped diplobacilli from ocular specimens, and slow growth in culture, are early indications of Moraxella ocular infection; however, identifying Moraxella to species can be complex and inconsistent. Methods. In this study, bacteria consistent with Moraxella were identified to species using: 1) DNA sequencing coupled with vancomycin susceptibility, 2) MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, and 3) Biolog ID System. Study samples consisted of 9 ATCC Moraxella controls, 82 isolates from keratitis, 21 isolates from conjunctivitis, and 4 isolates from endophthalmitis. Results. The ATCC controls were correctly identified. For keratitis, 66 (80.5%) were identified as M. nonliquefaciens, 7 (9.0%) as M. lacunata, 5 (6%) as M. osloensis, 2 (2.5%) as Acinetobacter lwoffi, 1 (1.0%) as M. bovis/nonliquefaciens, and 1 (1.0%) as M. osloensis/nonliquefaciens. For conjunctivitis, 9 (43.0%) were identified as M. osloensis, 6 (29.0%) as M. nonliquefaciens, 3 (14.3%) as Roseomonas, 2 (9.5%) as Acinetobacter (parvus, junii), and 1 (4.5%) as M. catarrhalis/M. nonliquefaciens. From endophthalmitis, 3 of 4 of the isolates were M. nonliquefaciens. Overall, M. nonliquefaciens and M. osloensis were identified in 70% (75 of 107) and 13% (14 of 107) of cases, respectively, totaling 83% (89 of 107). Conclusions. M. nonliquefaciens and M. osloensis are important bacterial pathogens of the eye as determined by DNA sequencing, MALDI-TOF MS, and Biolog. Although Moraxella catarrhalis is a clinical pathogen, other species of Moraxella appear to have a prominent role in eye infections.

Graph theory plays a crucial role in modeling and designing of chemical structure or chemical network. Chemical Graph theory helps to understand the molecular structure of molecular graph. The molecular graph consists of atoms as vertices and bonds as edges. Topological indices capture symmetry of molecular structures and give it a mathematical language to predict properties such as boiling points, viscosity, the radius of gyrations etc. In this article, we study the chemical graph of carbon Crystal structure of graphite and cubic carbon and compute several degree-based topological indices. Firstly we compute M-Polynomials of these structures and then from these M-polynomials we recover nine degree-based topological indices.

The paper deals with the problem of choosing the best O&M strategy for wind power plants. Current maintenance theory considers just production opportunities and minimizes the maintenance costs, but with the liberalization of the electricity market also the electricity price has become an important variable to take into account in the O&M scheduling. Another important variables that is often neglected by the existing maintenance theory is the weather condition. This paper proposes a new strategy that takes into account the electricity price and weather conditions, improves the expected profit of the systems, and reduce the overall maintenance and logistic costs. The maintenance schedule is formalized as an optimization problem where the discounted cumulative profit of a wind generation portfolio in a fixed-time horizon (e.g. two years ahead), subject to the technologically-derived maintenance time constraints is optimized. Both the theoretical and computational aspects of the proposed O&M strategy are discussed. Results show that taking into account market and weather opportunities in the design of the maintenance strategy, it is possible to achieve a more complete scheduling for a given set of wind power plants.

The Drosophila spermatogenesis has the renewal of germline stem cells, meiosis of spermatocytes, and morphological transformation of spermatids into mature sperm. We previously demonstrated that Ocnus (ocn) plays an essential role in spermatogenesis. ValRS-m (Valyl-tRNA synthetase, mito-chondrial) gene was downregulated in ocn RNAi testes. By hatchability testing, we found that ValRS-m-knockdown induced complete sterility of male flies. We also concluded that ValRS-m-knockdown inhibited the transition from spermatogonia to spermatocytes and caused accumulated spermatogonia in testes. To understand the intrinsic reason for this destruction, we further conducted transcriptome sequencing analysis in ValRS-m RNAi testes. A total of 7710 dif-ferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified to have at least a 2-fold change with a p-value of

In order to investigate the coordination chemistry of O-alkyl N-aryl thiocarbamate ligands, BiI3 has been reacted with two equivalents of MeOC(=S)N(H)Ph in MeCN solution to afford the dinuclear title compound complexes [{I2Bi(μ2-I)2BiI2}{1-MeOC(=S)N(H)Ph}4] 1. Compound 1 has been characterized by IR, UV and NMR spectroscopy, the dinuclear framework has be ascertained by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study performed at 100 K.

Cyclin dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) has been primarily identified as a key cell cycle regulator in both mitosis and meiosis. Recently, an extramitotic function of CDK1 emerged when evidence was found that CDK1 is involved in many cellular events that are essential for cell proliferation and survival. In this review we summarize the involvement of active CDK1 in the initiation and elongation steps of protein synthesis in eukaryotes. During its activation CDK1 influences the initiation of protein synthesis, promotes the activity of specific translational initiation factors and affects the functioning of a subset of elongation factors. Our review provides insights into gene expression regulation during the transcriptionally silent cell cycle/M-phase and describes quantitative and qualitative translational changes based on the extramitotic role of the cell cycle master regulator CDK1, to optimize temporal synthesis of proteins to sustain division-related processes: mitosis and cytokinesis.

Artificial intelligence is dramatically transforming medical imaging. We assessed the levels of artificial intelligence use among radiology trainees and explored their perceived impact of artifi-cial intelligence on the radiology workflow and radiology profession, in correlation with the perceived ease of use and behavioral intention to use artificial intelligence. This cross-sectional study enrolled radiology trainees from Saudi Arabia, and an online 5-part-structured question-naire was disseminated via online networks to trainee in July 2021. We included 98 participants (51 male; age 27.59±2.02 years). Level of use was low; few used it in routine practice (7%). The impact of artificial intelligence on the radiology workflow was positively perceived in all radi-ology workflow steps (3.64–3.97 out of 5). A positive impact on the radiology profession was more frequently perceived for technical and performance aspects (81%–85%) compared with prestige and legal aspects (64%–71%). Perceived ease of use and behavioral intention to use arti-ficial intelligence was associated with the current professional activity, level of use artificial in-telligence use, and perceived impact on the profession as well as on radiology workflow (p<0.05). Levels of artificial intelligence use in radiology are very low. The perceived positive impact of ar-tificial intelligence on radiology workflow and profession is correlated with an increase in be-havioral intention to use artificial intelligence. Thus, increasing awareness about the favorable impact can improve the behavioral use.

The successive steps of the oxidation mechanism of crocin, major compound of saffron, by the free OH• radical are investigated by the pulse radiolysis, steady-state (gamma) radiolysis methods and molecular simulations. The optical absorption properties of the transient species and their reaction rate constants are determined. The absorption spectrum of the oxidized radical of crocin resulting from the H-abstraction presents a maximum at 678 nm and a band at 441 nm, almost as intense as that of crocin. The spectrum of the covalent dimer of this radical contains an intense band at 441 nm and a weaker one at 330 nm. The final oxidized crocin, issued from radical disproportionation, absorbs weaker with a maximum at 330 nm. The molecular simulation results suggest that the OH• radical is electrostatically attracted by the terminal sugar and is scavenged predominantly by the neighbor methyl site of the polyene chain as in a sugar-driven mechanism. Based on detailed experimental and theoretical investigations, the antioxidant properties of crocin are highlighted.

Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of skin cancer. Sport is a fundamental part of Australasian culture, beginning in childhood, often with life-long participation. Participating in outdoor sports can contribute significantly to the lifetime ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dose individuals receive and their risk of developing skin cancer. This systematic scoping review explores the use of sun-protection by outdoor sporting participants in Australasia and considers how sun-protection practices may be better evaluated and improved in the community. A search of electronic databases using the search strategy “sun protection” AND “sport” AND “Australia” yielded 17 studies published in English from January 1992 to August 2021. Study methods included using UV-dosimeters to measure individual UVR-exposure; remote estimates of clothing-adjusted UVR-exposure; direct observation of sun-protection practices; and self-reported sun-exposure and sun-protection. Despite 40-years of ‘Slip Slop Slap’ campaigns in Australia, the use of sun-protection in most outdoor sports is inadequate. The paucity of comparable data limited our analyses, demonstrating a need for standardized, objective evaluation tools. Such tools, if used across a range of sports, should inform the development of workable recommendations that sporting clubs could implement and adopt into policy, thus empowering them to better protect the health of their participants.

Critically ill patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) can present many abdominal conditions that need a prompt diagnosis and timely treatment because of their general frailty. Clinical evaluation and diagnostic tools like ultrasound or CT scan are not reliable or feasible in these patients. Bedside laparoscopy (BSL) is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to assess the abdominal cavity directly in the ICU, thus avoiding unnecessary exploratory laparotomy or incidence related to intra-hospital transfer. We conducted a review of the literature to summarize the state-of-the-art of BSL. Medline, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Scopus databases were utilized to identify all relevant publications. Indications, contraindications, technical aspects, and outcomes are discussed. The procedure is safe, feasible, and effective. When other diagnostic tools fail to diagnose or exclude an intra-abdominal condition in ICU patients, BSL should be preferred over exploratory laparotomy.

The application potential of cellulosic materials in natural composites and other fields needs to be explored to develop innovative, sustainable, lightweight, functional biomass materials that are also environmentally friendly. This study investigated Typha augostifolia (Typha sp.) as a potential new raw material for extracting cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for application in wastewater treatment composites. Alkaline treatments and bleaching were used to remove cellulose from the stem fibers. The CNCs were then isolated from the recovered cellulose using acid hydrolysis. The study showed a few distinct functional groups (O-H, -C-H, =C-H and C-O, and C-O-C) in the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed the smooth surface of CPC and CNCs that resulted from removing lignin and hemicellulose from powdered Typha augostifolia. Based on the crystalline index, the powdered Typha augostifolia, CPC, and CNCs were 42.86%, 66.94% and 77.41%. The loss of the amorphous section of the Typha sp. fiber resulted in a decrease in particle size. It may be inferred from the features of a Typha sp. CNC that CNCs may be employed as reinforcement in composites for wastewater treatment.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by varying degrees of demyelination of uncertain etiology, and is associated with specific environmental and genetic factors. Upon recognition of CNS antigens, the immune cells initiate an inflammatory process which leads to destruction and deterioration of the neurons. Innate immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells and natural killer cells are known to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of MS. Also, the activation of peripheral CD4+ T cells by CNS antigens leads to their extravasation into the CNS causing damages that exacerbates the disease. This could be accompanied by dysregulation of T regulatory cells and other cell types functions. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a mouse model used to study the pathophysiology of MS disease. In this review, we highlight the roles of innate and adaptive immune players in the pathogenesis of MS and EAE.

Cells respond to DNA double-strand breaks by initiating DSB repair and ensuing a cell cycle checkpoint. The primary responder to DSB repair is non-homologous end joining, an error prone repair pathway. However, when DSBs are generated after DNA replication in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, a second DSB repair pathway, homologous recombination, can come into action. Both ATM and ATR are important for DSB-induced DSB repair and checkpoint responses. One method of ATM and ATR working together is through the DNA end-resection of DSBs. As a readout and marker of DNA end-resection, RPA is phosphorylated at Ser4/Ser8 of the N-terminus of RPA32 in response to DSBs. Here, the significance of RPA32 Ser4/Ser8 phosphorylation in response to DNA damage, specifically in S phase to G2 phase of the cell cycle is examined. RPA32 Ser4/Ser8 phosphorylation in G2 synchronized cells is necessary for increases in TopBP1 and Rad9 accumulation on chromatin and full activation of the ATR-dependent G2 checkpoint. In addition, our data suggest RPA Ser4/Ser8 phosphorylation modulates ATM-dependent KAP-1 phosphorylation and Rad51 chromatin loading in G2 cells.

In present paper, spatial Minkowski Pythagorean Hodograph (MPH) curves are characterized with Rational Rotation Minimizing Frames (RRMFs). We define Euler-Rodrigues Frame (ERF) for MPH curves and by means of this concept, we reach the definition of MPH curves of type (n, m). Expressing the conditions provided by these curves in the form of Minkowski-Hopf map that we define, it is aimed to establish a connection with the Lorentz force which occurs during the process of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) type sinker Electronic Discharge Machines (EDMs). This approach is reinforced by split quaternion polynomials. Finally, we give conditons satisfied by MPH curves of low degree to be type (n, m) and construct illustrative examples.

In this work, we derive the spectral efficiency, secrecy outage probability, and bit error rate of a communication system assisted by a large intelligent surface (LIS). We consider a single-antenna user and an array of antennas at the transmitter side and the possibility of a direct link between transmitter and receiver. Additionally, there is a single-antenna eavesdropper with a direct link to the transmitter, which is modeled as a Nakagami-m distributed fading coefficient. The channels from transmitter to the LIS and from the LIS to the user may or may not have the line-of-sight (LoS) and are modeled by the Nakagami- m distribution. Moreover, we assume that the LIS elements perform non-ideal phase cancellation leading to a residual phase error that assumes a Von Mises distribution. We show that the resulting channel can be accurately approximated by a Gamma distribution whose parameters are analytically estimated using the moments of the equivalent signal-to-noise ratio. We also provide an upper bound for the error probability for M-QAM modulations. With the derived formulas, we analyze the effect of the strength of the LoS link by varying the Nakagami parameter, m.

Fungi of the genus Penicillium produce secondary metabolites used as a model for the synthesis and development of several compounds with bactericidal, fungicidal, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral activities, among others. Based on this information, a study was conducted to investigate the metabolomic profile and antimicrobial potential of Penicillium purpurogenum (CFAM – 214). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts obtained from P. purpurogenum broth (CFAM - 214) in ISP2, SB, and YES against Candida albicans was 500 µg/mL, 31.25 µg/mL and 62, 5µg/mL, respectively. In the test against Candida tropicalis and Staphylococcus aureus, the MIC for extracts cultivated in SB was 250 µg/mL and 125 µg/mL, respectively. Due to the good performance of the P. purpurogenum extract in SB, large-scale cultivation was carried out that led to the isolation of two compounds, whose structures were determined by spectroscopic methods such as 1D NMR (1H NMR and 13C NMR) and 2D (HMBC and HSQC), HRMS and MS/MS. The isolated compounds were identified as two citrinin derivatives, dihydrocitrinin (1) and 1-methyl-dihydro citrinin (2).

Djeya1 (RKLAFRYRRIKELYNSYR), is a very effective cell penetrating peptide (CPP) which mimics the α5 helix of the highly conserved Eya domain (ED) of eyes absent (Eya) proteins. The objective of this study was to bioengineer analogues of Djeya1 that, following effective translocation into planarian tissues, would reduce the ability of neoblasts (totipotent stem cells) and their progeny to regenerate the anterior pole in decapitated S. mediterranea. As a strategy to increase the propensity for helix formation, molecular bioengineering of Djeya1 was achieved by the mono-substitution of the helicogenic aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) at three species variable sites: 10,13,16. CD analyses indicted that Djeya1 is highly helical and that Aib-substitution had little influence on secondary structure. Aib-substituted Djeya1 analogues are highly efficient CPPs, devoid of influence upon cell viability or proliferation. All three peptides increase the migration of PC-3 cells which express high concentrations of Eya. Two peptides, [Aib13]Djeya1 and [Aib16]Djeya1, are bioportides which delay planarian head regeneration. As neoblast are the only cell population capable of division in planaria, these data indicate that bioportide technologies could be utilised to directly manipulate other stem cells in situ, thus negating any requirement for genetic manipulation.

Bacterial conjugation, also referred to as bacterial sex, is a major horizontal gene transfer mechanism where the DNA is transferred from a donor to a recipient bacterium by direct contact. Conjugation is universally conserved among bacteria and occurs in a wide range of environments (soil, plant surfaces, water, sewage, biofilms and host-associated bacterial communities). Within these habitats, conjugation drives the rapid evolution and adaptation of bacterial strains by mediating the propagation of various metabolic properties, including symbiotic life-style, virulence, biofilm formation, or resistance to heavy metals and, most importantly, resistance to antibiotics. These properties make of conjugation a fundamentally important process at the center of extensive study. Here, we review the key steps of conjugation by following the life-cycle of the F plasmid during transfer from the donor to the recipient cell. We also discuss our current knowledge of the extent and impact of conjugation within an environmentally and clinically relevant bacterial habitat, bacterial biofilms.

This study delves into the intricate interplay of economic growth components, specifically focusing on Consumption and investment in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2022. Employing vector error correction models and cointegration techniques, we analyze the short- and long-term dynamics within the relationship of Consumption, investment, and economic growth. Granger causality analysis is also used to discern these pivotal variables' causal connections. Our empirical analysis reveals a persistent long-term cointegration relationship among the variables, underscoring the enduring nature of their interdependency. Furthermore, our findings highlight Consumption and investment's statistically significant positive impact on economic growth. Notably, the short-term analysis unveils a stable model characterized by an annual adjustment to equilibrium of 100%.Moreover, the Granger causality study demonstrates unidirectional causal linkages between Consumption, investment, and economic growth. These findings hold substantial implications for policy formulation in Saudi Arabia. Policymakers must grasp the ramifications of burgeoning prosperity and evolving private consumption patterns on future environmental outcomes. Achieving sustainable long-term results necessitates equal emphasis on bolstering private Consumption and fostering other facets of economic growth.

To solve large scale linear equations involved in the Fast Multipole Boundary Element Method (FM-BEM) efficiently, an iterative method named the generalized minimal residual method (GMRES)(m)algorithm with Variable Restart Parameter (VRP-GMRES(m) algorithm) is proposed. By properly changing a variable restart parameter for the GMRES(m) algorithm, the iteration stagnation problem resulting from improper selection of the parameter is resolved efficiently. Based on the framework of the VRP-GMRES(m) algorithm and the relevant properties of generalized inverse matrix, the projection of the error vector r_m+1 on r_m is deduced. The result proves that the proposed algorithm is not only rapidly convergent but also highly accurate. Numerical experiments further show that the new algorithm can significantly improve the computational efficiency and accuracy. Its superiorities will be much more remarkable when it is used to solve larger scale problems. Therefore, it has extensive prospects in the FM-BEM field and other scientific and engineering computing.

We prove an analog of the removable singularity theorem for bounded harmonic functions on stratified sets. The harmonic functions are understood in the sense of the soft Laplacian. The result can become one of the main technical components for extending the well-known Poincaré–Perron’s method of proving the solvability of the Dirichlet problem for the soft Laplacian.

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

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

Regeneration of peripheral nerves depends on the ability of axons to navigate through an altered extracellular environment. It has been suggested that Schwann cells facilitate this process through their secretion of neuropeptides and proteases. Using the RT4-D6P2T Schwann cell line (RT4), we have previously shown that RT4 cultures endogenously express the neuropeptide PACAP, and respond to exogenous stimulation by inducing the expression of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) through PAC1 receptor activation. In this study, based on recent findings showing that doxycycline and minocycline act as positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the PAC1 receptor, we tested if treatment with these tetracyclines could induce the expression and activity of tPA and uPA in RT4 cells. Using ELISA and zymographic analyses, we demonstrate that doxycycline and minocycline reliably induce the secretion and activity of both tPA and uPA, which is paralleled by an increased expression levels, as shown by immunocytochemistry and Western blots. These actions were mediated, at least in part, by the PAC1 receptor, as PACAP6-38 mitigated tetracycline-induced expression and activity of tPA and uPA. We conclude that doxycycline and minocycline can act as PAMs of the PAC1 receptor to promote proteolytic activity in RT4 cells.

(1) Background: The incidence of vancomycin-induced neutropenia in hospitalized patients is estimated to be around 2 to 8 percent [1,2]. Data surrounding vancomycin-induced neutropenia is limited as it is based on a small number of observational case reports. Additionally, it is difficult to provide generalized conclusions since patient characteristics and indications for treatment vary between reports. (2) Case Reports: We present two cases of vancomycin-induced neutropenia that occurred at our facility; a 50-year-old male who developed neutropenia after treatment with vancomycin for a gluteal abscess and a 51-year-old female who developed neutropenia after treatment with vancomycin for lumbar osteomyelitis. In both cases, neutropenia resolved within 2 days of discontinuation of vancomycin. (3) Conclusion: The risk of developing neutropenia increases with age, prolonged drug exposure, decreased renal clearance, and in those of female sex. Treatment involves discontinuation of vancomycin with or without administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Additional studies are needed to better understand the true incidence of this adverse drug reaction and to identify risk factors that may predispose patients to vancomycin-induced neutropenia.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive and endocrinological disease characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, polycystic ovaries, and hyperandrogenism. Adipokines are believed to contribute to developing PCOS and its accompanying metabolic complications such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular diseases. Oncostatin M (OSM), a novel adipokine, plays a role in oogenesis, lipogenesis, and inflammation and may contribute to PCOS pathogenesis and its related metabolic problems. Methods: In this case-control study, the patients were grouped in a 1:1 ratio into either the PCOS (n = 32) or the control group (n = 32). Blood samples were obtained between the 3rd and 5th days of the menstrual cycle. Serum levels of fasting glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, white blood cell count, thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, total testosterone, prolactin estradiol, and OSM were analyzed. Results: OSM levels were significantly lower, but CRP levels were substantially higher in the PCOS group than in the control group (p = .002, p = .001, respectively). OSM was inversely correlated with total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, and the luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (ρ = .329, p = .017; ρ = .386, p = .005; ρ = .440, p = .001; ρ = .316, p = .023, respectively). Conversely, there was no correlation between OSM and total testosterone level (ρ = .220; p = .118). In the context of inflammation and metabolic parameters, OSM was inversely correlated with CRP, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance score (HOMA-IR), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (ρ = .353, p = .019; ρ = .275, p = .048; ρ = .470, p &lt; .001, respectively). The performance of Oncostatin M for diagnosing PCOS showed 50% sensitivity, 75% specificity, and 63% accuracy (p = .009) in ROC curve analysis. Conclusions: Plasma OSM levels were considerably lower in patients with PCOS than in the control group, and this was inversely correlated with the hormonal and metabolic parameters of PCOS. Thus, OSM may be a novel therapeutic target for PCOS and metabolic complications.

In this paper, chaos sequence is used to replace the traditional Spread Spectrum sequence. From the perspective of the communication partner, a new method of generating the initial value of chaotic sequence is proposed, which is more suitable for the multi-base Spread Spectrum System and easy to extract. In order to further improve the error performance of the system and ensure the integrity of the system, an improved suboptimal soft information extraction method based on log-likelihood ratio (LLR) is proposed in the channel coding module, which can further improve the error performance of the system. On this basis, we choose the synchronization mode of multiple transmission of one reference signal to solve the problem that chaotic sequence is difficult to obtain synchronization because of its aperiodic characteristics. Finally, the system is simulated in the channel with low SNR. The simulation results show that chaotic sequence as Spread Spectrum code can make the signal transmit accurately in the worse channel environment. The performance gain of applying soft information decoding decision in the M-ary Spread Spectrum System with chaotic sequence as Spread Spectrum code can reach 5.2dB compared with the traditional Direct Spread Spectrum System.

Imbalance of homeostasis between the microbial communities and the host system leads to dysbiosis in oral micro flora. DMTU (1,3-di-m-tolyl-urea), is a biocompatible compound that was shown to inhibit Streptococcus mutansbiofilms by inhibiting its communication system (quorum sensing). Here, we hypothesized that DMTU is able to inhibit multispecies biofilms. We developed a multispecies oral biofilm model comprising an early colonizer Streptococcus gordonii, a bridge colonizer Fusobacterium nucleatum, and late colonizers Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. We performed comprehensive investigations to demonstrate the effect of DMTU on planktonic cells and biofilms. Our findings showed that DMTU inhibits and disrupts multispecies biofilms without bactericidal effects. Mechanistic studies revealed significant down regulation of biofilm and virulence related genes in P. gingivalis. Taken together, our study highlights the potential of DMTU to inhibit polymicrobial biofilm communities and their virulence.

Seafood, especially from the ocean, is now seen as a greener and more sustainable source of protein causing an increase in its demand. This has also led to people making choices towards seafood as a replacement of carbon intensive protein sources. As a result, the demand for seafood is growing, and the Aquaculture industry is required to increase their produce while keeping the produce safe and sustainable. There are many challenges faced by the aquaculture industry in meeting these increased demands. One such challenge is the presence of harmful algal blooms (HAB) in the ocean which can have a major impact on aquatic life. In this paper we look at the impact of this challenge on aquaculture and the mitigating strategies. We will focus on Abagold Limited, a land-based marine aquaculture business that specializes in large scale production of abalone (Haliotis midae) based in Hermanus, South Africa. HABs are considered a threat to commercial scale abalone farming along the South-African coastline and requires continuous monitoring. The most recent HAB was in February-April 2019, the area experienced a severe red-tide event with blooms of predominantly Lingulodinium polyedrum. We present some of the mitigation strategies employing digital technologies for future proofing the industry.

Degradation of intracellular components through autophagy is a fundamental process to maintain cellular integrity and homeostasis. Recently a glycogen-selective autophagy pathway has been described, termed ‘glycophagy’. Glycogen is a primary storage depot and regulator of glucose availability, and glycophagy is emerging as a critical physiological process involved in energy metabolism. Glycophagy-mediated degradation of glycogen appears to operate in parallel with the well-described canonical pathway of glycogenolysis involving glycogen phosphorylase. Evidence suggests that starch-binding domain protein-1 (Stbd1) is a key glycogen-binding protein involved in tagging glycogen for glycophagy, and that Gabarapl1 is primarily involved as the Atg8 family protein recruiting the Stbd1-glycogen complex into the forming glycophagosome. The nuances of glycophagy protein machinery, regulation and lysosomal glucose release are yet to be fully elucidated. In this mini-review, we critically analyze the current evidence base for glycophagy as a selective-autophagy process of physiological importance and highlight areas where further investigation is warranted.

A total of 473 metabolites were identified from 4 sour cherry genotypes using UPLC-TOF-MS. Untargeted metabolomics revealed the dominant chemical groups present in sour cherries. PCA showed that the diversity in sour-cherry metabolites was due to the genotype differences indicating iditol, malic acid, chlorobenzene, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and pyroglutamic acid as the predominant contributors. The variable importance in the projection (VIP &gt; 1.0) in partial least-squares–discriminant analysis described 20 biomarker metabolites, representing the cherry metabolome profiles. A heatmap of Pearson’s correlation analysis between the 20 biomarker metabolites and antioxidant activities identified seven antioxidant determinants that displayed the highest correlations with different types of antioxidant activities. This study of correlating metabolomics and antioxidant activities elucidated that the higher nutritional value and biological functions of select sour cherry genotypes can be useful for the development of nutraceutical and functional foods.

There is increasing evidence that some adult mitral valve pathologies may have developmental origins involving errors in cell signaling and protein deposition during valvulogenesis. While early and late gestational stages are well-documented in zebrafish and small mammalian models, longitudinal studies in large mammals with a similar gestational period to humans are lacking. Further, the mechanism of chordae tendineae formation and multiplication remains unclear. This current study presents a comprehensive examination of mitral anterior leaflet and chordae tendineae development in a bovine model (with a gestational period of 9 months). Remarkably distinct from small mammals, bovine development displayed early branched chordae, with increasing attachments only until birth, while the anterior leaflet grew both during gestation and postnatally. Chordae also exhibited accelerated collagen deposition, maturation, and crimp development during gestation. These findings suggest that the bovine anterior leaflet and chordae tendineae possess unique compartmentalized processes of development despite being a continuous collagenous structure.

Important current limitations of the implementation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the rehabilitation field are related to the validation process of new technologies and interventions. Indeed, most of the strict guidelines that have been developed for the validation of new drugs (i.e., double or triple blinded, strict control of the doses and intensity) cannot – or only partially – be applied in rehabilitation. Well powered high quality randomized controlled trials are more difficult to organize in rehabilitation (e.g., longer duration of the intervention in rehabilitation, more difficult to standardize the intervention compared to drugs’ validation studies, limited funding’s since not sponsorized by big pharma companies), which reduces the possibility of conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as currently high level of evidence is sparse. The current limitations of EBP in rehabilitation are presented in this paper and innovative solutions are suggested such as: technology-supported rehabilitation systems, continuous assessment, pragmatic trials, rehabilitation treatment specification systems, and advanced statistical methods, to tackle the limitations to increase the quality of the research in rehabilitation. The development and implementation of new technologies should increase the quality of research and the level of evidence supporting rehabilitation provided some adaptation in our research methodology.

This study introduces SkinLiTE, a lightweight supervised contrastive learning model, tailored to enhance the detection and typification of skin lesions in dermoscopic images. The core of SkinLiTE lies in its unique integration of supervised and contrastive learning approaches, which leverages labeled data to learn generalizable representations. This approach is particularly adept at handling the complexities and imbalances inherent in skin lesions datasets. The methodology encompasses a two-phase learning process. In the first phase, SkinLiTE utilizes an encoder network and a projection head to transform and project dermoscopic images into a feature space where contrastive loss is applied, focusing on minimizing intra-class variations while maximizing inter-class differences. The second phase freezes the encoder's weights, leveraging the learned representations for classification through a series of dense and dropout layers. The model was evaluated using three datasets from Skin Cancer ISIC 2019-2020, covering a wide range of skin conditions. SkinLiTE demonstrated superior performance across various metrics—accuracy, AUC , and F1 score—particularly when compared with traditional supervised learning models. Notably, SkinLiTE achieved an accuracy of 0.9087 using AugMix augmentation for binary classification of skin lesions. It also showed comparable results with the state-of-the-art approaches of ISIC challenge without relying on external data, underscoring its efficacy and efficiency. The results highlight the potential of SkinLiTE as a significant step forward in the field of dermatological AI, offering a robust, efficient, and accurate tool for skin lesion detection and classification. Its lightweight architecture and ability to handle imbalanced datasets make it particularly suited for integration into Internet of Medical Things environments, paving the way for enhanced remote patient monitoring and diagnostic capabilities. This research contributes to the evolving landscape of AI in healthcare, demonstrating the impact of innovative learning methodologies in medical image analysis.

Concrete contributes 8% of all global carbon emissions making the need to find substitute critical for environmental sustainability. Research has indicated the potential for recycled plastics to be used as concrete substitutes. This study extends existing research by investigating the use of polycarbonate (PC) in plastic sand bricks as a mechanical equivalent to concrete. PC has high compressive strength, durability, impact strength, thermal resistivity, clarity, fatigue resistance, and UV resistance. This work provides a method and mold to produce a matrix of sand-plastic sample compositions with dimensions adhering to ASTM D695 standard for compressive properties of rigid-plastic. Compositions of 0% (control), 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% sand by weight were tested. Samples were tested for compressive strength until yield and stress-strain behaviors plotted. The results for 100% PC demonstrated an average and maximum compressive strength of 71 MPa and 72 MPa, respectively. The 50% PC and 50% sand composition yielded an average and maximum compressive strength of 71 MPa and 73 MPa respectively with an increase in compressive stiffness, and transition to shear failure resembling cement. With a composite density of 1.86 g/cm3 against concrete’s average 2.4 g/cm3, and a compressive strength exceeding commercial concrete demands of 23.3 MPa to 30.2 MPa, this lightweight alternative meets the strength demands of concrete, reduces the need for new construction materials, and provides an additional recycling opportunity for nonbiodegradable waste plastic.

In bone tissue engineering, ceramics have been the choice due to their excellent biological properties. But the paradigm changed with the discovery of bioactive glasses (BGs) in 1969 by Larry Hench and co-workers, due to their ability to bond to living tissues through the formation of an interfacial bone-like hydroxyapatite layer when the bioglass was put in contact with biological fluids in vivo. Among a number of tested compositions, the one exhibiting the highest bioactivity index is the well-known trademarked 45S5 Bioglass®. The topic received increasing attention particularly after 1985 when this material entered in the market of biomedical devices, inspiring many other investigations aiming at further exploring the in vitro and in vivo performances of this BG, or developing other related BG compositions. The research efforts gradually revealed a number of shortcomings of 45S5 Bioglass®, mostly derived from its high sodium content, initially intended to decrease the melting temperature and accelerating the degradation of the silicate network over time. But the extensive release of sodium from 45S5 Bioglass® in the biological fluids creates a high pH cytotoxic environment. Other serious drawbacks include a fast degradation rate, and a poor sintering ability, which hinders the reliable fabrication of porous scaffolds. Therefore, sol-gel was regarded as an attractive alternative to prepare alkali-free BG compositions. The process uses inorganic and/or organic precursors, which undergo hydrolysis and condensation at room-temperature, being less costly. When properly conducted, the sol-gel process might result in amorphous structures with all the components intimately mixed at the atomic scale. Moreover, developing new better performing materials for bone tissue engineering is a growing concern, as the ageing of the world’s population leads to lower bone density and osteoporosis. This work describes the sol-gel synthesis of a novel quaternary silicate-based BG with the composition 60 SiO2 – 34 CaO – 4 MgO – 2 P2O5 (mol%) was prepared using acidified distilled water as single solvent. By controlling the kinetics of the hydrolysis and condensation steps, an amorphous glass structure could be obtained. The results of XRD of samples calcined within the temperature range from 600-900 ºC demonstrated that amorphous nature was maintained until 800 ºC, followed by partial crystallization at 900 ºC. The specific surface area, an important factor in osteoconduction, was also evaluated over different temperatures, ranging from 160.6 ± 0.8 m2/g at 600 ºC down to 2.2 ± 0.1 m2/g at 900 ºC, being accompanied consistent changes in average pore size and agreeing pore size distribution. The immersion of the BG particles in simulated body fluid (SBF) led to the formation of an extensive apatite layer on its surface. These overall results indicate the proposed material is very promising for biomedical applications in bone regeneration and tissue engineering.

Maternal and child nutrition has been a critical component of health, sustainable development, and progress in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). While a decrement in maternal mortality is an important indicator, simply surviving pregnancy and childbirth does not imply better maternal health. One of the fundamental obligations of nations under international human rights law is to enable mothers and teenage girls to endure pregnancy and delivery as an aspect of their enjoyment of reproductive and sexual health and rights and live a dignified life. The aim of this study was to discover the correlation between the Maternal Observation and Motivation (MOM) program and m-Health support for maternal and newborn health. A Comparative study was done among 109 pregnant mothers (study group-94; control group-102 mothers) with not less than 20 weeks of gestation. Maternal outcomes such as Hb, weight gain and newborn results like birth weight and crown- heel length was obtained on the baseline, 28 and 36 weeks of gestation. Other secondary data collected were abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight, major congenital malformations, twin or triplet pregnancies, physical activity and maternal wellbeing. The MOM intervention included initial face to face education, three in-person visits and eight virtual health coaching by WhatsApp. The baseline data on Hb of the mothers show that 31(32.98%) vs 27(28.72%) of the study and control group had anaemia, which improved to 27.66% and 14.98% among study group mothers at 28 and 36 weeks of gestation (p<0.001). The weight gain (p< 0.001), level of physical activity (p< 0.001), and maternal wellbeing (p< 0.01) also had significant differences after the Intervention. Even after controlling for potentially confounding variables, the maternal food practices regression model revealed that birth weight was directly correlated with consumption of milk (p 0.001), fruits (p 0.01), and green vegetables (p 0.05).As per the physical activity and maternal wellbeing regression model, the birth weight and crown heel length were strongly related with the physical activity and maternal wellbeing of mothers at 36 weeks of gestation (p <0.05). Combining the MOM intervention with standard antenatal care is a safe and effective way to improve maternal welfare while upholding pregnant mothers' human rights.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cells released from the primary tumor and intravasate into the blood or lymphatic vessels, where they are transported to distant sites and act as seeds that initiate cancer metastases. Recent advances in CTC research have shown their relevance as prognostic markers for early and metastatic disease detection, predictive biomarkers for relapse, and response to medical intervention or therapy. The rapidly evolving landscape of CTC biology has opened new avenues for understanding cancer progression, metastasis, and treatment response. Additionally, translating these findings into clinical applications holds promise for improving cancer diagnostics, prognosis, and personalized therapeutic strategies. This review discusses the significance of CTCs in cancer research and their associated challenges. We explore recent developments in the detection and characterization of CTCs and their implications in cancer research and clinical practice.

Molecular studies regarding regulatory elements such as small ncRNAs and their mechanisms are poorly understood in infectious diseases. Tuberculosis is one of the oldest infectious diseases of humanity, and it is still a challenge to prevent and treat it. The control of the infection as well as its diagnosis are still complex, and treatments used are linked to several side effects. This study aimed to investigate miRNA’s expression profile to identify possible biomarkers for tuberculosis. We applied NGS techniques to investigate miRNA’s global expression profile from blood samples of infected patients with tuberculosis, their respective healthy physicians, and external healthy individuals as controls. Samples from 22 individuals run through a differential expression, target genes, gene set enrichment, and miRNA-gene network analysis. We observed 153 altered miRNAs, among which, only three DEmiRNAs (hsa-let-7g-5p, hsa-miR-486-3p and hsa-miR-4732-5p) were found between the investigated patients and their respective physicians. These DEmiRNAs are suggested to play an important role in granuloma regulation and their immune physiopathology. Our results propose that miRNAs may be involved in immune modulation, regulating the repertoire of genes expressed in the immune system’s cells. Our findings encourage the application of miRNAs as potential biomarkers for tuberculosis.

An exposition is undertaken to reveal the significant impact of the time-dependent root parameter, on the stability of Pointwise Stationary Fluid Flow Approximation (PSFFA) model of the non-stationary queueing system. This opens new grounds to stability analysis of non-stationary queueing systems. Potential PSFFA applications of IoT are highlighted.

.Various synthetic nematicides are currently used effectively in the control of plant parasitic nematodes. However, these nematicides have adverse effects on humans and the environment. Neem oil is eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic nematicides. The effectiveness of repeated neem oil application in suppressing the root-knot nematodes infestation in figs seedlings was therefore examined in this study, both in its natural form (10 ml/L) and in its nano-emulsion form (5 and 7 ml/L). The recorded reduction parameters of M. incognita were J2/250g soil, galls and egg masses / 5g roots of infected fig seedlings were measured at that time, and the effects of these natural additives were compared with the Fosthiazate (Krenkel 75%EC). The impact of such soil amendments on some typical plant parameters, the total microbial count of soil, and the overall enzymatic activity of the fig rhizosphere were also included. Obtained results revealed that the soil population density of root knot nematode suppressed by 80.3% , reduction of nematode egg masses (60.4%) due to the application of nano-emulsion of neem oil (at 7ml/L). Present work recommend the use of nano-emulsion of neem oil as one of the effective and eco-friendly means to reduce the root- knot nematode on fig .

PTB7-Th is an important donor copolymer used in construction of many organic devices and other industrial applications. In this work, we investigate the structure and energetics of PTB7-Th. We employ density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP), dispersion corrected DFT (B3LYP-D3) and long-range corrected DFT (CAM-B3LYP, LC-BLYP, and ωB97xD) to analyze the conformational structures and their corresponding energies to determine the lowest energy state of PTB7-Th. The role of the alkane side chains is carefully investigated. Our findings indicate that, when branched ethylhexyl side chains are present, the lowest energy structure of PTB7-Th has fluorine in the same plane and the same side as the double bonded oxygen in the TT-CF part of the monomer and S-C-C-S dihedral angles along the chain backbone are cis-like having values in the range of 20-30 degrees in most cases. Without these side chains the polymer, not unexpectedly, has many near conformational degeneracies.

The current work reveals the fine tuning between stability zones and randomness of GI/M/1 Pointwise Stationary Fluid Flow Approximation (PSFFA) model of the non-stationary D/M/1 queueing system. More specifically, this clearly provides more insights into developing a contemporary PSFFA theory that unifies non-stationary queueing theory with chaos theory and fields in both theoretical physics and chaotic systems. This opens new grounds for stability analysis of non-stationary queueing systems. A notable application of GI/M/1 queueing model to achieve ultra-low latency of autonomous driving service is highlighted. Concluding remarks associated with future avenues of research are given.

The model proposed in this study was based on the assumption that the biomass attached to the anode served as biocatalysts for MFC exoelectrogenesis, and this catalytic effect was quantified by the exchange current density of anode. By modifying the Freter model and combining it with the Butler-Volmer equation, this model could adequately describe the processes of electricity generation, substrate utilization, and the suspended and attached biomass concentrations, at both batch and continuous operating modes. MFC performance is affected by the operating variables such as initial substrate concentration, external resistor, influent substrate concentration, and dilution rate, and these variables were revealed to have complex interactions by data simulation. The external power generation and energy efficiency were considered as indices for MFC performance. The simulated results explained that an intermediate initial substrate concentration (about 100 mg/L under this reactor configuration) needed to be chosen to achieve maximum overall energy efficiency from substrate in the batch mode. An external resistor with the value about that of the internal resistance boosted the power generation, and a resistor with several times of that of the internal resistance achieved better overall energy efficiency. At continuous mode, dilution rate significantly impacted the steady-state substrate concentration level (thus substrate removal efficiency and rate), and attached biomass could be fully developed when the influent substrate concentration was equal to or higher than 100 mg/L at any dilution rate of the tested range. Overall, this relatively simple model provided a convenient way for evaluating and optimizing the performance of MFC reactors by regulating operating parameters.

To stabilize the Earth’s climate a large-scale transition is needed to non-carbon emitting renewable energy technologies like wind and solar energy. Although these renewable energy sources are now lower-cost than fossil fuels, their inherent intermittency make them unable to supply a constant load without storage. To address these challenges rechargeable electric batteries are currently the most promising option; however, their high capital costs limit current deployment velocities. To both reduce the cost as well as improve performance 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution. This literature review provides the state-of-the-art enhancements of battery properties with 3D printing including efficiency, mechanical stability, energy and power density, customizability and sizing, production process efficiency, material conservation and environmental sustainability as well as the progress in solid-state batteries. The principles, advantages, limitations, and recent advancements associated with the most common types of 3D printing are reviewed focusing on their contributions to the battery field. 3D printing batteries offer design flexibility, material flexibility, reduces pack weight, minimizes material waste, increases the range of applications and has the potential to reduce costs. As 3D printing technologies become more accessible, the prospect of cost-effective production for customized batteries is extremely promising.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

In this paper, we propose an imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition using deep learning. Multiple features were extracted concurrently from eight-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals. To obtain classifiable EEG data with fewer number of sensors, we placed the EEG sensors on carefully selected spots on the scalp. To decrease the dimensions and complexity of the EEG dataset and to avoid overfitting during the deep learning algorithm, we utilized the wavelet scattering transformation. A low-cost 8-channel EEG headset was used with MATLAB 2023a to acquire the EEG data. The Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) was used to decode the identified EEG signals into four audio commands: Up, Down, Left, and Right. Wavelet scattering transformation was applied to extract the most stable features by passing the EEG dataset through a series of filtration processes. Filtration has been implemented for each individual command in the EEG datasets. The proposed imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition approach achieved a 92.50% overall classification accuracy. This accuracy is promising for designing a trustworthy imagined speech-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) future real-time systems. For better evaluation of the classification performance, other metrics were considered, and we obtained 92.74%, 92.50% and 92.62% for precision, recall, and F1-score, respectively.