Intergenerational Justice entitles the maximum retention of Earth’s Biodiversity. The United Nations COP 15 committed to the protection of 30% of Earth’s terrestrial environments to provide Biospheric Sustainability. However, proactive amphibian sustainability needs support from amphibian Reproduction Technologies, Biobanking, and Conservation Breeding Programs [RBCs]. These technologies include the reliable practice of stimulation of reproduction and the collection of sperm and oocytes, refrigerated and cryopreserved sperm storage, in vitro fertilization. Emerging technologies promise the perpetuation of species solely from biobanked biomaterials. However, although exemplary national programs for amphibian RBCs are now established in the USA and Australia, these potentials are not fully realised resulting in unacceptable biodiversity loss. To fully realise these potentials an independent and democratic global organisation is proposed to, 1) focus on the bioregions with the highest amphibian biodiversity, 2) maximise regional inclusion in international initiatives, and 3) provide for maximum community engagement and financial resources. We present the first overall multidisciplinary review of amphibian RBCs, including their geopolitical, cultural, and scientific background, along with their development and application to economically, efficiently, and reliably, perpetuate amphibian biodiversity. We provide genetic models, the potential for diploid cell cryopreservation to perpetuate species, along with significant new information on methodologies and techniques, and standardise nomenclature for specificity in publications and media consistency.

As the world population grows, fulfilling the need for biomaterials in the healthcare system becomes increasingly important. Biomaterials, which include metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, play an important role in the creation of medical devices that improve people's lives. The European Society for Biomaterials described biomaterials as non-biological materials used in medical devices to interact with biological systems. This definition has developed to encompass materials that treat, assess, or replace tissues or bodily functions. Biocompatibility, as defined by the FDA, is a key feature of biomaterials, as is the requirement to fulfil design requirements such as mechanical performance, geometry, and electrical control. Over the last decade, advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have boosted biomaterials' usage in medical applications dramatically. Despite its promise, scientists, engineers, and physicians continue to face significant challenges due to the complexity of biomaterials. Biomaterials have various benefits, including biodegradability, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, making them extremely useful for replacing, sustaining, or improving biological activities in damaged tissues. They are used in a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering implants, human tissue healing and regeneration, medication delivery systems, and biosensors. This study gives insights into the fundamental characteristics, case studies, and ethical issues associated with the usage and use of biomaterials, further examining their potential and significance in healthcare and medicine.

In 2020, the Covid-19 outbreak led many countries across the globe to introduce lockdowns (LDs) that effectively caused most anthropic activities to either stop completely or be significantly reduced. In Europe, Italy played a pioneeristic role via the early introduction of a strict nationwide LD on March 9^th. This study is aimed at evaluating, using both chemical and meteorological data, the environmental response to that occurrence as observed by the Lamezia Terme (LMT) GAW/WMO station in Calabria, Southern Italy. The first 2020 lockdown has therefore been used as a “proving ground” to assess CO, CO₂, CH₄, BC, and NO_x concentrations in a rather unique context by exploiting the location of LMT in the context of the Mediterranean Basin. In fact, its location on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria and local wind circulation both lead to daily cycles where western-seaside winds depleted in anthropogenic pollutants can be easily differentiated from northeastern-continental winds, enriched in anthropogenic outputs. In addition to that, the first Italian LD occurred during the seasonal transition from Winter to Spring and, consequently, Summer, thus providing new insights on emission outputs correlated with seasons. Findings have clearly indicated BC and, in particular, CO as strongly correlated with average daily temperatures, and possibly domestic heating. CO₂’s reduction during the lockdown and consequent increase in the post-lockdown period, combined with wind data, has allowed to constrain local source of emissions located northeast from LMT. NO_x reductions during specific circumstances are consistent with hypotheses from previous research which linked them to rush hour traffic and other forms of transportation emissions. CH₄’s stable patterns are consistent with livestock, landfills, and other sources assumed to be nearly constant during LD periods.

Due to its high short-term global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide, methane (CH₄) is a considerable agent of climate change. This research is aimed at analyzing data on methane gathered at the GAW (Global Atmosphere Watch) station of Lamezia Terme (Calabria, Southern Italy) spanning seven years of continuous measurements (2016-2022) and integrating the results with key meteorological data. Compared to previous studies on detected methane mole fractions at the same station, daily-to-yearly patterns have become more prominent thanks to the analysis of a much larger data set. Overall, the yearly increase of methane at the Lamezia Terme station is in general agreement with global measurements by NOAA, though local peaks are present, and an increase linked to Covid-19 is identified. Seasonal changes and trends have proved to be fully cyclic, with the daily cycles being largely driven by local wind circulation patterns and synoptic features. Outbreak events have been statistically evaluated depending on their weekday of occurrence to test possible correlations with anthropic activities. A cross analysis between methane peaks and specific wind directions has also proved that local sources may be deemed responsible for the highest mole fractions.

The key towards a sustainable future is the reduction of mankind’s impact on natural systems via the development of new technologies and the improvement of source apportionment. Though days, years and seasons are arbitrarily set, their mechanisms are based on natural cycles driven by Earth’s orbital periods. This is not the case for weeks, which are a pure anthropic category and are known from literature to influence emission cycles. For the first time since it started data gathering operations, CO (carbon monoxide), CO₂ (carbon dioxide), CH₄ (methane) and eBC (equivalent black carbon) values detected by the Lamezia Terme WMO/GAW station in Calabria, Southern Italy have been evaluated via a two-pronged approach accounting for weekly variations in absolute concentrations, as well as the number of hourly averages exceeding select thresholds. The analyses were performed on seven continuous years of measurements, from 2016 to 2022. Moreso, the two results have been combined into a new parameter: the hereby defined WDWO (Weighed Distribution of Weekly Outbreaks) normalizes weekly trends of CO, CO₂, CH₄ and eBC on an absolute scale as percentages, with the scope of providing regulators and researchers alike with a new tool meant to better evaluate anthropogenic pollution and mitigate its effects.

The primary objective of this study was to identify a rapid and noninvasive methodology for effectively differentiating various herbal species cultivated in Eastern Poland. Typically, a plant's chemical profile is obtained using chromatographic methods; however, spectroscopic methods can serve as a complementary or independent tool for determining similarities in the analyzed samples. The investigation centered on leaves of plant species from the Lamiaceae family, encompassing basil, lavender, oregano, sage, and thyme. UV-VIS and ATR-FTIR spectra of dried plant samples' powder were recorded and subsequently analyzed using chemometric tools. This paper assesses the relative performance of different discrimination methods, including both traditional methods based on machine learning and those dealing with specimens associated with a specific category. Among the methodologies tested, SIMCA showed the best performance, particularly effective for small training sets.

Macrophages as a source and target of GDF-15

Background: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is a complicated disease that affects millions of people all over the world. Previous studies have shown that PASC impacts 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients of which 50-70% are hospitalized. It has also been shown that 10-12% of those vaccinated against COVID-19 were affected with PASC and its complications. The severity and the later development of PASC symptoms is positively associated with the early intensity of the infection. Results: The generated health complications caused by PASC involve a vast variety of organ systems. Patients affected by PASC have been diagnosed with neuropsychiatric and neurological symptoms. Cardiovascular system also has been involved and several diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis, and coronary artery diseases were reported. Chronic hematological problems such as thrombotic endothelialitis and hypercoagulability were described as a condition that could increase the risk of clotting disorders and coagulopathy in PASC patients. Chest pain, breathlessness, and cough in PASC patients were associated with respiratory system in long COVID-19 causing respiratory distress syndrome. The observed immune complications were notable, involving several diseases. Renal system also was impacted and result in raising the risk of diseases such as thrombotic issues, fibrosis, and sepsis. Endocrine gland malfunction can lead to diabetes, thyroiditis, and male infertility. Symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and taste were also among reported observations due to several gastrointestinal disorders. Skin abnormalities might be an indication of infection and long-term implications such as persistent cutaneous complaints were linked to PASC. Conclusions: Long COVID is a multidimensional syndrome with considerable public health implications, affecting several physiological systems and demanding thorough medical therapy as well as more study to address its underlying causes and long-term effects.

The literature analysis did not indicate any studies on fluorination tests of carbon nanocomposite coatings doped with transition metals of the nc-MeC/a-C type. This was the motivation for undertaking research in this area. As a model coating to investigate the effect of fluorination in a tetrafluoromethane (CF4) atmosphere, a nano-composite carbon coating doped with chromium nc-CrC/a-C produced by magnetron sputtering from graphite targets and the use of a Pulse-DC type medium frequency power supply was chosen [6]. After deposition of the gradient CrCN adhesive sublayer, fluorination of the main coating was conducted in a reactive mode in an (Ar+CF4) atmosphere at various CF4 contents. It was observed that the presence of CF4 in the atmosphere resulted in a reduced amount of chromium carbides formed in favor of chromium fluorides. So far, this is an observation that seems unnoticed by the carbon coatings researchers. Fluorine was assumed to bond much more readily to carbon than to chromium, due to the stability of tetrafluoromethane (CF4). The opposite seems to be true. The mechanical properties (nano-hardness and Young's modulus) and tribological properties in the 'pin-on-disc' friction pair are presented, along with the analysis of bonds occurring between chromium, carbon, and fluorine (XPS).

The well-known hop variety Saaz, which gives the Pilsner lager beer characteristic hop aroma may be threatened by climate change in the future. Therefore, new Saaz-related hop varieties, Saaz Late, Saaz Brilliant, Saaz Comfort, and Saaz Shine were bred recently. To evaluate whether these varieties are ac-ceptable for traditional lagers, their comparison was carried out. For this purpose, sensorial and chemical analyses of hops and related beer including namely analysis of hop resins and hop oils were performed. Sensory profiles of Saaz varieties are very similar (fine hoppy aroma, floral, herbal) except for Saaz Comfort which has a little higher aroma intensity, and Saaz Shine which has the most noticeable fruity scent with traces of citrusy of all. Also, the chemical profiles are very close, α-humulene, β-pinene, (E)-β-farnesene, β-caryophyllene, and myrcene are the most abundant. As a result of decoction mashing and kettle-hopping technology with bottom fermentation, are very similar lager beers with hoppy, floral, herbal, fruity, and spicy aromas. Typical hop oils are farnesol, linalool, methyl geranate, β-pinene, and limonene. The high concentration of farnesol in beer correlates with the concentration of (E)-β-farnesene and farnesol in hops. New Saaz varieties are well used for the production of the Pilsner type of lager without affecting the traditional sensory aroma of this widespread style. Varieties have a higher yield and concentration of bitter acids and hop oils. Moreover, Saaz Shine and Saaz Comfort have very good re-sistance to drought, which is an important property from a climate change perspective.

Due to its application as an anti-cancer drug, pazopanib (1) has attracted the interest of many researchers and several studies on pazopanib synthesis have been reported over the years. This paper provides a novel route for synthesizing N,2,3-trimethyl-2H-indazol-6-amine (5) which is a crucial building block in the synthesis of pazopanib from 3-methyl-6-nitro-1H-indazole (6). By alternating between the reduction and two methylation steps compound 5 was obtained in comparable yield (55.0%) to what has been reported (54%). Noteworthy, the last step of N2-methylation also yielded N,N,2,3-tetramethyl-2H-indazol-6-amine (5’) as a new compound ever reported. Furthermore, the data presented in this paper can serve as instrumental for future research aimed at further refining the synthesis process of pazopanib.

While the scientific community has focused on documenting environmental degradation and developing scenarios that help identify the operational margins for system Earth, less attention has been given to the mental models of decision-makers that underpin environmental policies. We suggest that global efforts to stop deforestation and biodiversity loss are failing in part due to a critical blind spot in the analysis—human agency. To address this weakness, we propose to formulate mental models and translate them into strategy games. This will increase the representation of agency in scenario development and create spaces for deliberation between different worldviews. We claim that personal transformation can be achieved through transparent democratic dialogues that identify, challenge, and respond to the human and social limitations inherent to decision-making and we present empirical examples that validate that claim. Their transformation through gaming gives decision-makers access to the experience of consciousness: “what is it like being a stakeholder?”. Such experience will help to break free of established norms in science and political processes.

This paper presents laboratory devices on which experimental measurements were carried out to prove the validity of the assumption about the reduction of vibrations transmitted to the conveyor belt structure generated by the impact forces of falling material grains in the places of transfer or on the hoppers of conveyor belts. In order to limit damage to the conveyor belts caused by the impact of the sharp edges of material grains, conveyor belts are supported by impact rollers or impact rubber rods in the places of transfers and on the hoppers of belt conveyors. The flattened ends of the impact rollers are inserted into the grooves of steel brackets installed on the supports of the fixed conveyor idlers of a conventional design. In this paper, a special modification of the fixed conveyor idler is presented, which consists of inserting plastic brackets into the structurally modified roller axle holders of the fixed conveyor idler. Measurements were carried out on the first laboratory device, which showed that the specially modified fixed conveyor idler resulted in a higher damping of up to 15% of the impact forces of the falling weight on the rubberized hoop of the impact roller shell compared to the conventional fixed conveyor idler design. Measurements carried out on the second laboratory device show that the effective vibration velocity values detected at the points where the impact roller axis fits into the fixed roller table holder, i.e. points B and D, are higher than when using plastic brackets, up to 6% for a 108 mm diameter roller, compared to steel impact roller brackets.

Effective solar forecasting has become a critical topic in the scholarly literature in recent years due to the rapid growth of photovoltaic energy production worldwide and the inherent variability of this source of energy. Due to the technological and econonomic limitations of energy storage solutions, using other, mosty conventional, sources to cover energy shortfalls and at the same time utilising solar surpluses production becomes necessary. The need to optimize energy systems, ensuring power continuity, and balancing energy supply and demand has led to the development of various forecasting methods and approaches based on meteorological data or photovoltaic plant characteristics. This article presents the results of a meta-review of the solar forecasting literature, including the current state of knowledge and methodological discussion. It presents a comprehensive set of forecasting methods, evaluates current classifications, and proposes a new synthetic typology. The article emphasizes the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques in improving forecast accuracy, alongside traditional statistical and physical models. It explores the challenges of hybrid and ensemble models, which combine multiple forecasting approaches to enhance performance. The paper addresses the emerging trends in solar forecasting research, such as the integration of big data and advanced computational tools. Additionally, from a methodological perspective, the article outlines a rigorous approach to the meta-review research procedure, addresses the scientific challenges associated with conducting bibliometric research, and highlights best practices and principles. This includes defining research questions, selecting eligibility criteria, literature search, data extraction, synthesis, and assessing bias and quality. The article contributes to the solar forecasting field by providing up-to-date knowledge, along with insights on the emerging trends, future research directions, and anticipating implications for the theory and practicce.

In mining machines with friction discs, but also in multi-rope traction elevators, it is necessary to distribute the applied tensile load, generated by the weight of the cage and counterweight, evenly in all cross-sections of the load-bearing ropes. Hydraulic devices used for this purpose can operate on the principle of Pascal's law. The article presents a structural design, a 3D model and an implemented solution of a laboratory device capable of simulating a practical method of evenly distributing the total weight of the load into partial tensile forces of the same size acting on a selected number of load-bearing ropes. The laboratory equipment uses two pairs of three steel cables of finite length for the simulations. During the experimental measurements, tensile forces derived from the tractive force of the piston rods, pushed into the bodies of the hydraulic cylinders by the pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied through the pipeline under the pistons of the hydraulic cylinders, were detected. The resulting amount of hydraulic oil pressure in the hydraulic circuit influenced by different values of the hydraulic oil pressures in the hydraulic cylinders and by the pressure in the supply pipe was experimentally studied on the laboratory equipment. Simulations were also carried out in order to detect the hydraulic oil pressure in the hydraulic circuit caused by the change in the different magnitudes of the tensile forces in the ropes From the experiments carried out, it follows that with the appropriate choice of hydraulic elements and the design of the hydraulic circuit, the weight of the load, acting as the total pulling force in the ropes, can be evenly distributed (with a deviation of up to 5%) to all cross-sections of the load-bearing ropes. If the exact values of the hydraulic oil volumes under the pistons of all hydraulic cylinders are not known, it is not possible to calculate the pressure values in the hydraulic circuit when the valves of the hydraulic pipes are gradually opened.

The article focuses on mining of non-energy mineral resources with minimum environmental impacts. It issues from research results of a project Competence Centre for Effective and Ecological Mining of Mineral Resources implemented at the Faculty of Mining and Geology at VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Geological Survey, a company Watrad ltd., a state enterprise Diamo, a company RPS Ostrava plc and a company Sedlecký kaolin plc. The paper starts with a partial analysis of the existing legal norms related to mining and processing of mineral resources. Next, it analyses mineral resource mining options free of negative environmental impacts. The fundamental tool to assess potential environmental impacts of mining is the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for a given mineral resource. In the Czech Republic environmental impact assessment is carried out by course of Act 100/2001 Coll. Its important amendment is Act 39/2015 Coll. claiming, inter alia, that the environmental impact assessment is rigidly connected with other permits and procedures, such as the zoning process and building construction permits. The article describes the environmental impacts of mining of non-energy mineral resources, including the following factors: appropriation of land, impacts on surface water, ground water and soil, noise, influence on the landscape character, and air pollution. The paper also includes a case study summarizing information on the environmental factors that may play a role in potential underground mining of graphite in the deposit Český Krumlov - Městský Vrch and the deposit Lazec - Křenov.

Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is one of the most versatile technique to modify the surface properties of material. Recent developed metal free SI-ATRP makes such technique more widely applicable. Herein photo-induced metal-free SI-ATRP of methacrylates, such as methyl methacrylate, N-isopropanyl acrylamide, and N,N- dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, on the surface of SBA-15 was reported to fabricate organic-inorganic hybrid materials. SBA-15 based polymeric composite with adjustable graft ratio was obtained. The structure evolution during the SI-ATRP modification of SBA-15 was monitored and verified by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, BET, and TEM. The obtained polymeric composite showed enhanced adsorption ability for the model compound toluene in aqueous. This procedure provides a low cost, ready availability, and facile modification way to synthesize the polymeric composites without the contamination of metal.

The removal of sulfur from fossil fuels is one of the most important processes in modern refineries. It is accomplished via hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of the sulfur organic compounds in presence of heterogeneous catalysts. In the current work, heterogeneous catalysts containing cobalt and mo-lybdenum supported on mesoporous materials type SBA-15 and AlSBA-15 were synthesized for application in the HDS reactions of thiophene in n-heptane stream. The mesoporous materials were synthesized by hydrothermal method starting from TEOS, pseudobohemite, hydrochloric ac-id and water. Pluronic P123 was used as template. The best calcination conditions for removal of the organic template were optimized by thermogravimetry analysis (TG/DTG). The calcined SBA-15 and AlSBA-15 supports were submitted to co-impregnation with solutions of cobalt nitrate and ammonium heptamolybdate, aiming the production of 15% in mass of metal loading with atomic ratio of [Co/(Co+Mo)]=0.45. The obtained materials were dried and calcined for obtaining the mesoporous catalysts in the form of CoMo/SBA-15 and CoMo/AlSBA-15. The catalysts were char-acterized by XRD, TG/DTG, SEM and nitrogen adsorption. From XRD analysis, it was verified that after decomposition of the cobalt and molybdenun salts, were formed MoO3, Co3O4 and Co-MoO4 oxides on the supports, being attributed to these chemical species the activity for the HDS reactions. The activity of the obtained catalysts was evaluated in a continuously flowing tubular fixed-bed microreactor coupled on-line to a gas chromatograph, using n-heptane stream contain-ing 12070 ppm of thiophene (ca. 5100 ppm of sulfur) as a model compound. From the catalytic tests it was verified that the synthesized catalysts presented good activity for the reaction, and the main obtained products were cis- and trans-2-butene, 1-butene, n-butane and low amounts of iso-butane. The presence of 1,3-butadiene and tetrahydrothiophene (THT) were not detected. A mechanism of the primary and secondary reactions and subsequent formation of the olefins and paraffins, in the CoMo/SBA-15 and CoMo/AlSBA-15 mesoporous catalysts were proposed, con-sidering steps of desulfurization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, THT decyclization and isomerization.

The proposed method deals with the problem of data privacy and sharing when processing personal mobility tracking data. Previous methods concentrate on producing highly detailed data on short-term and restricted areas, e.g. for autonomous driving scenarios. Another possibility consists of city-wide scales and beyond, that are used to predict general traffic flows. The presented approach takes the tracked mobility behavior of individuals to create coherent new mobility data that reflects the long-term mobility behavior of the person, guaranteeing location persistency and sound embedding within the point-of-interest structure of the observed area. After an analysis and clustering step with the original data, the area is distributed into a geospatial grid structure (H3 is used here), and the neighborhood relationships between the grids are interpreted as a graph. A feed-forward-autoencoder and a graph encoding-decoding network generate a latent space representation of the area. The original clustered data is associated with their respective H3 grids. With a greedy algorithm approach and concerning privacy strategies, new combinations of grids are top-level patterns for individual mobility behavior. Concrete locations are found and connected within the grids based on the original data. The described method is then applied to a study with 1000 participants from the city of Munich in Germany, and the results are described, showing the application of the approach in generating synthetic data, enabling further research on individual mobility behavior and patterns. The result is a sharable dataset on the same abstraction level as the input data, which makes it interesting, particularly for machine learning applications.

Long COVID-19 affects a significant percentage of survivors and is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including weariness and mental fog as well as emotional symptoms like worry and sadness. COVID-19 is closely linked to the autoimmune disorders that are becoming more prevalent worldwide and are linked to the immune system hyperactivation, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) development, and molecular mimicry pathways. Long-term COVID-related autoimmune responses include a watchful immune system, altered innate and adaptive immune cells, autoantigens secreted by living or dead neutrophils, and high concentrations of autoantibodies directed against different proteins. The microbiome, which consists of billions of bacteria living in the human body, is essential for controlling immune responses and supporting overall health. The microbiome can affect the course of long-term COVID-associated autoimmunity, including the degree of illness, the rate of recovery, and the onset of autoimmune reactions. Although the precise role of the microbiome in long COVID autoimmunity is still being investigated, new studies indicate that probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary changes—interventions that target the microbiome—may be able to reduce autoimmune reactions and enhance long-term outcomes for COVID-19 survivors. It is clear that more research is required to precisely understand how the microbiome affects COVID-19-related autoimmunity and to create tailored treatment plans.

Anxiety disorders significantly reduce patients' quality of life. Current pharmacological treatments, primarily benzodiazepines and antidepressants, are associated with numerous side effects. Consequently, there is a continual search for alternative methods to traditional therapies that are less burdensome for patients and broaden their therapeutic options. In this review, we examined recent evidence on alternative treatments for anxiety disorders, including physical activity, mindfulness, VR technology, biofeedback, herbal remedies, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), cryotherapy, hyperbaric therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, MDMA, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Our objective was to determine the role of these selected alternative methods in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Alternative treatments significantly expand the options available to patients and clinicians, with many serving as adjuncts to traditional therapies. Among the methods presented, mindfulness has the most significant therapeutic potential.

Two distinct measures of information, connected respectively to the amplitude and phase of the wave function of a particle, are proposed. There are relations between the time derivatives of these two measures and their gradients on the configuration space, which are equivalent to the wave equation. The information related to the amplitude measures the strength of the potential coupling of the particle (which is itself aspatial) with each volume of its configuration space, i.e. its tendency to participate in an interaction localized in a region of ordinary physical space corresponding to that volume. The information connected to the phase is that required to obtain the time evolution of the particle as a persistent entity starting from a random succession of bits. It can be considered as the information provided by conservation principles. The meaning of the so-called "quantum potential" in this context is briefly discussed.

Abstract: Brassinosteroids (BR) are essential plant hormones that play a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development, as well as their resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, including pathogen infections. In the context of plant im-munity, BR influence various processes such as the expression of genes related to pathogen defense, the production of antimicrobial compounds, and the re-inforcement of the plant cell structure. The aim of work is understand the role of BR in plant defense against abiotic and biotic stresses. BR are involved in the regulation of metabolic processes, water economy, and photosynthesis, contributing to increased plant resistance to abiotic stresses. The study discusses various mechanisms of BR action on plant immunity, including the regulation of gene expression related to defense, activation of the plant defense system, in-teraction with other plant hormones, regulation of water and salt balance, and influence on photosynthetic processes. In the context of plant immunity, BR influence various processes, including the expression of genes related to pathogen defense, the production of antimicrobial compounds, and the reinforcement of the plant cell structure. Additionally, BR are involved in the regulation of metabolic processes, water economy, and photosynthesis, con-tributing to increased plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The paper emphasizes the importance of further research on the role and mechanisms of action of BR in plant immunity, which may contribute to the development of more effective strategies for the use of BR in agriculture, horticulture, and plant protection.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of STP1, a combination of ibudilast and bumetanide, tailored for the treatment of a specific subgroup of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), namely ASD Phenotype 1 (ASD-Phen1). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group phase 1b study with two 14-day treatment phases (registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04644003). Nine ASD-Phen1 patients were administered STP1, while three received a placebo. We assessed safety and tolerability, along with electrophysiological markers, such as EEG, Auditory Habituation, and Auditory Chirp Synchronization, to better understand STP1's mechanism of action. Additionally, we used several clinical scales to measure treatment outcomes. The results showed that STP1 was safe and well-tolerated, with electrophysiological markers indicating a significant and dose-related reduction of gamma power in the whole brain and in brain areas associated with executive function and memory. Treatment with STP1 also increased alpha 2 power in frontal and occipital regions and improved habituation and neural synchronization to auditory chirps. Although numerical improvements were observed in several clinical scales, they did not reach statistical significance. Overall, this study suggests that STP1 is safe and well-tolerated in ASD-Phen1 patients and shows indirect target engagement in ASD brain regions of interest.

The extensions of Boltzmann-Gibbs classical entropic form are presented. The focus is on the thermodynamical entropies which do not obey classical definition of additivity and extensity with main motivation coming from the gravitational systems admitting long-range interactions both in astrophysics (black holes) and in cosmology. Horizon entropies are the main concern. In the paper, the plethora of non-Boltzmann-Gibbs entropies are studied and the comparative analysis of their properties with respect to additivity and extensivity is presented.

Jamaica has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rate and therefore identifying the context of adolescent sexual and reproductive health is important, especially since there is paucity of research on preadolescents in the Jamaican context. The study was a nationally representative cross-sectional, interviewer administered, school-based survey of 10 -15 year olds. Summary statistics of the demographics and bivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of sexual initiation and given risk and resiliency factors. 1,422(47.4%) males, 1,581 (52.6%) females, mean age (SD) 12.5 (1.6) years were surveyed. Mean age of first sex was 11.0 (±2.5) years. Factors significantly with sexual initiation were, female sex (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.12-0.23), caring relationships inside the home (OR 0.85; 95%CI 0.83-0.97) rare church attendance (OR1.36; 95%CI1.0-1.8), age (OR 1.75; 95%CI1.6-1.9) and community disorganization (OR 1.02 95% CI 1.01-1.07). Sexual initiation of early adolescents is positively influenced by environmental factors such as family connectedness and religious involvement. The negative correlates are societal risk factors such as community disorganization. Empowerment through learned sexual negotiation skills, should be incorporated into the education programme of pre-adolescents to facilitate adolescents embracing their intrinsic power to delay sexual debut and if sexually active to insist on condom use.

This paper evaluates the usefulness of measuring the concentration of dissolved hydrogen in an anaerobic fermenter for maintaining the process stability. A laboratory test of two-stage psychrophilic anaerobic digestion of food leftovers from a university canteen was carried out in a vertical reactor with a total working volume of 0.255 m3 without stirring. In the course of the experiment lasting 1050 days, with an average organic loading of 15.45 kgVS m-3 d-1 for the 1st stage and 0.657 kgVS m-3 d-1 for the 2nd stage, a specific biogas production of 0.123 Nm3 per kilogram of substrate and 0.448 Nm3 per kilogram of total solids and 0.480 Nm3 per kilogram of volatile solids, respectively, was achieved. The average methane content in biogas was 55.9 % vol. Slightly higher gas productions were measured in the batch BMP test. The concentration of hydrogen in the mixed biogas from both reactor stages occasionally exceeded 1000 ppm and averaged 134 ppm, the concentration of dissolved hydrogen measured by AMT MS 08 sensor in the overloaded second stage was often 0.10-0.23 mg dm-3 and correlated with the total concentration of lower fatty acids and with the VFA/ TIC parameter. The dissolved hydrogen concentration from AMT instrument was not found to be a reliable timely indicator of overload or process stability.

It was the aim of this study to examine whether the usage of the vaccine COXEVAC® (Ceva Santé Animale) could reduce the consumption of antibiotics in Q-fever-positive dairy farms. Additionally, the effects of other herd-level factors on the consumption of antibiotics were investigated. In this longitudinal cohort study, 36 farms with vaccination and 13 farms without vaccination participated. In all herds, Coxiella burnetii had been directly or indirectly diagnosed. To compare the treatment frequency of antibiotics between the vaccinated group and the non-vaccinated group, the consumption of antibiotics for each farm was collected using the veterinary documents about the application and delivery of antibiotics. To gather detailed information about herd data, nutrition, milking management, housing, and animal health, the farmers were interviewed with the help of a questionnaire. The results suggest that there might be an association between the vaccination against Q fever and a reduced consumption of antibiotics. Neither herd size nor milk yield level influenced the consumption of antibiotics in the study herds. Type of flooring and udder cluster disinfection while milking were associated with a lower and higher therapy frequency, respectively. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the cause-effect relationship between vaccination and the consumption of antibiotics.

In the current study, a two-dimensional numerical study is carried out to investigate the performance of a novel Double-chamber Parallel Flexible Valves micropump, which utilized the electrowetting-on-dielectrics (EWOD) effect to drive the microfluid flow. By observing the flow fields, the internal circulations are seen on both the left and right side of the pump. The generation of the backflow is discussed by tracking the movement of the vortices. Only slight flow fluctuation is seen in the micropump. Based on the simulation outcomes, the structural parameters including the width of the inlet/outlet, the width of the pumping channel and the diverging angle in the micropump are analyzed, the influence of these parameters on the pumping volume and the maximum pressure have been discussed. Eventually, a group of optimal parameter combinations is given according to the results to extend the operating potential of the micropump.

The connection between a prefabricated reinforced concrete column and a pocket foundation is a case treated from a general perspective in the European Standard named EN 1992-1-1, and when the structural engineer deals with the dimensioning or verification of the connection, he tackles several unknowns. The present work aims to fill in the missing information by presenting detailed calculation models based on the strut-and-tie method for 4 of the widely used pocket foundations: pedestal pocket foundation with smooth, rough or keyed internal walls, and pad foundation with pocket possessing keyed internal walls. Additionally, detailed design prescriptions applicable to seismic areas are given. Afterwards, as a case study, a pocket foundation is designed in all 4 variations, having the structural design particularities, similitudes and differences pointed out. Finally, to conclude the advantages and disadvantages are mentioned for pocket foundations in respect to the type of internal wall surface used. Quantifiable data based on the case study undertaken is available.

We introduce two symmetric concepts to physics: “distance” (space and time in one) and “wavematter” (electromagnetic wave packet and matter in one). We claim that physics has chosen the wrong concept of time: It is not aware that the time of a moving object flows in a direction other than my time. We provide 15 proofs for our claim by solving 15 mysteries of physics graphically! For example, we prove that length contraction and time dilation are actually geometrical effects in a 4D manifold that we call “Euclidean spacetime” (ES). We prove that the discrepancy in calculating the Hubble constant stems from a systematic error in the redshift measurement. We prove that what I deem wave, deems itself matter, which solves wave–particle duality. We even untangle quantum entanglement without the issue of non-locality. We finally understand why alternative theories of Euclidean relativity have failed: They are all based on four dimensions of space rather than distance. A huge amount of energy was injected into ES at a point that we take as origin. Ever since has this energy been moving radially away at the speed of light. We live in the 3D hypersurface of an expanding 4D hypersphere. Hyperspherical coordinates have the great advantage that they reduce all that is ever happening to just one formula. So, it is the Theory of Everything in these coordinates: “Energy is covering radial distance which, divided by Euclidean time, is equal to the speed of light.” Acceleration and force like gravitation emerge from a rotation of objects in ES and a subsequent projection to 3D space. Matching the symmetry simplifies physics.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven noise reduction algorithms on metal artifacts and image quality parameters in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of the oral cavity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 70 patients, 61 of whom were analyzed after excluding those with severe motion artifacts. CBCT scans, performed using a Hyperion X9 PRO 13 × 10 CBCT machine, included images with dental implants, amalgam fillings, orthodontic appliances, root canal fillings, and crowns. Images were processed with ClariCT. AI deep learning model (DLM) for noise reduction. Objective image quality was assessed using metrics such as the differentiation between voxel values (ΔVVs), the artifact index (AIx), and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Subjective assessments were performed by two experienced readers, who rated overall image quality and artifact intensity on predefined scales. Results: Compared with native images, DLM reconstructions significantly reduced the AIx and increased the CNR (p<0.001), indicating improved image clarity and artifact reduction. Subjective assessments also favored DLM images, with higher ratings for overall image quality and lower artifact intensity (p<0.001). However, the ΔVV values were similar between the native and DLM images, indicating that while the DLM reduced noise, it maintained the overall density distribution. Orthodontic appliances produced the most pronounced artifacts, while implants generated the least. Conclusion: AI-based noise reduction using ClariCT. AI significantly enhances CBCT image quality by reducing noise and metal artifacts, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. Further research with larger, multicenter cohorts is recommended to validate these findings.

Waste glycerol can be subjected to various processing operations, including purification and re-fining, to obtain glycerol of appropriate purity. In addition, alternative methods of utilising waste glycerol are also being sought, e.g. by converting it into other valuable chemical products or biofuels. Therefore, various technologies are being developed to utilise this type of waste effectively and sustainably. The production of value-added products from waste glycerol is an important issue that determines the improvement of the economic viability of biofuel production and corresponds to the model of a waste-free and emission-free circular economy. This paper characterised the mechanisms and evaluated the efficiency of existing methods of microbiological utilisation of waste glycerol into liquid biofuels, including biodiesel, bioethanol and biobutanol, and identified further directions for the production of value-added products. In addition, a bibliographical analysis of publications re-lated to the production of liquid fuels and economically valuable products from glycerol was carried out, the progress of research and application work was assessed and directions for future research were identified.

The aim of this work is research dedicated to the search for new bactericidal systems for use in cosmetic formulations, dermocosmetics, or the production of wound dressings. Over the last two decades chitosan due to its special biological activity, has become a highly indispensable biopolymer with very wide application possibilities. Literature reports on the antibacterial effects of chitosan are very diverse, but our research has shown that they can be successfully improved through chemical modification. Therefore, in this study, results on the synthesis of new Schiff bases chitosan – dCsSB-SFD and dCsSB-PCA obtained using two aldehydes: sodium 4-formylbenzene-1,3-disulfonate (SFD) and 2-pyridine carboxaldehyde (PCA) respectively. Chitosan derivatives synthesized in this way demonstrate stronger antimicrobial activity. Carrying out the procedure of grafting chitosan with a caproyl chain allowed obtaining compatible blends of chitosan derivatives with κ-carrageenan, which are stable hydrogels with a high swelling coefficient. Furthermore, covalently bounded PCL improved the solubility of obtained polymers in organic solvents. With this respect, the Schiff base-containing polymers obtained in this study, with special hydrogel and antimicrobial properties are very promising materials for the potential use as a controlled-release formulation of both, hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in cosmetic products for skin health.

High-precision conical threads are widely used in responsible joints in the drilling of oil and gas wells. Difficult underground drilling conditions due to the occurrence of significant mechanical loads and an aggressive environment in wells require the use of workable materials that are often difficult to machine. The huge need for such connections dictates the use of high-performance cutting tools, which means that high demands are placed on their effective geometric performance. The study describes the theoretical dependence of the profile precision of the tapered drill-string tool-joint threads of all standard sizes on the complex of a cutting tool geometric parameters and cutting tool setting accuracy. The experiments include an assessment of the geometric accuracy of the profile of the obtained NC23 thread connector, depending on the values of the installation angles and the declared tangential displacement of the standard threaded carbide insert.

For this research we are selected three indicators of wheat: yield (t/ha), producer price (USD/t) and share of the harvested area under wheat in relation to the total land area of country (%). The mentioned indicators were analyzed for the period 2006-2021 in thirty-two European countries. The purpose of the research is to determine which of the mentioned indicators achieve average annual growth/decrease rates, what is the correlation between them, how European countries are grouped with their similarities and differences. The research examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mentioned indicators in a two time phases: Phase I, before the pandemic (2006-2019); Phase II, during the pandemic (2020-2021). The methodological approach to the research topic involved the application of descriptive statistics, as the method of principal components analysis (abbr. PCA) with graphics. A positive correlation exists only between the yield of wheat and the share of the harvested area under wheat in the total area of the land (0.291). PCA method showed that countries are grouped differently depending on the observed indicator and the analyzed time phase.

Hyperlipidemia is an identified risk factor for metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular complications characterized by elevated levels of lipids in blood. The present study aimed to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase with 15-oxoursolic acid through in-vivo and in-silico assessments. HFD-induced hyperlipidemia in rats was developed with a marked increase in total cholesterol (58.34 ± 0.21 mg/dl), triglycerides (45.45 ± 0.39 mg/dl), LDL-c (66.12 ± 0.10 mg/dl), VLDL-c (19.34 ± 0.16 mg/dl), and a decrease in HDL-c (10.34 ± 0.18 mg/dl). The oral administration of 15-oxoursolic acid at a concentration of 30 mg/Kg b.w significantly reduced the serum concentration of total cholesterol (42.65 ± 0.54 mg/dl), triglycerides (32.33 ± 0.16 mg/dl), LDL-c (50.34 ± 0.15 mg/dl) and VLDL-c (13.15 ± 0.45 mg/dl) respectively and an increased in the serum HDL-c (18.56 ± 0.34 mg/dl). 15-oxo ursolic acid also caused a decrease in the coronary risk index and atherogenic risk index. In-silico studies of 15-oxoursolic acid with HMG-CoA reductase showed significant interaction capability with binding energy (-9.26805 Kcal/mol). It is concluded that 15-oxoursolic acid could significantly reduce the total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels in HFD-induced hyperlipidemia rats which might lead to new medication with significant hypolipidemic potential.

In some species of salmon, reproductive maturity triggers the development of massive pathology resulting from reproductive effort, leading to rapid post-reproductive death. Such reproductive death, which occurs in many semelparous organisms (with a single bout of reproduction), can be prevented by blocking reproductive maturation, and this can increase lifespan dramatically. Reproductive death is often viewed as distinct from senescence in iteroparous organisms (with multiple bouts of reproduction) such as humans. Here we review the evidence that reproductive death occurs in C. elegans and discuss what this means for its use as a model organism to study aging. Inhibiting insulin/IGF-1 signaling and germline removal suppresses reproductive death and greatly extends lifespan in C. elegans, but can also extend lifespan to a small extent in iteroparous organisms. We argue that mechanisms of senescence operative in reproductive death exist in a less catastrophic form in iteroparous organisms, particularly those involving costly resource reallocation, and exhibiting endocrine-regulated plasticity. Thus, mechanisms of senescence in semelparous organisms (including plants) and iteroparous ones form an etiological continuum. Therefore understanding mechanisms of reproductive death in C. elegans can teach us about some mechanisms of senescence that are operative in iteroparous organisms.

Reproductive disorders are a common event in modern reproductive medicine, occurring both in spontaneous and assisted pregnancies. Studies of the molecular mechanisms of implantation disorders in thin endometrium, including the study of gene transcriptional activity, have shed light on the identification of potential biological markers of endometrial receptivity. Background/Objectives: to reveal significantly dysregulated selected genes expression between RIF and RPL patients with thin endometrium. Methods: Endometrial samples were collected in the implantation window days (LH+7 – LH+10) of the natural menstrual cycle from RIF patients (n=20) and RPL patients (n=19). Ten genes were chosen as target genes regarding their possible relations with the implantation process. Total RNA was purified, reverse-transcribed; gene expression was quantified by RT-PCR. Results: The expression of the IL-15, INFG and HPRT1 genes were significantly decreased in RIF with thin endometrium patients compared to the RPL patients (log2 fold change=0.92, p=0.023 for IL-15, log2 fold change=1.24, p=0.046 for INFG, and log2 fold change=0.579, p=0.046 for HPRT1). There were not significant differences in expression of CXCL8, CXCL1, MMP10, C4BPA, TNC, VEGFB and HAND2 genes between groups. Conclusions: decreased expression of IL-15, INFG and HPRT1 genes was found in patients with RIF with thin endometrium compared to the endometrium of women with RPL. This has practical significance for clinicians for differentiated prescription of immunomodulatory therapy in patients undergoing ART programs.

Every finite simple group P can be generated by two of its elements. Pairs of generators forP are available in the Atlas of finite group representations as (not necessarily minimal) permutation representations P . It is unusual but significant to recognize that a P is a Grothendieck’s dessin d’enfant D and that a wealth of standard graphs and finite geometries G - such as near polygons and their generalizations - are stabilized by a D. In our paper, tripods P − D − G of rank larger than two,corresponding to simple groups, are organized into classes, e.g. symplectic, unitary, sporadic, etc (as in the Atlas). An exhaustive search and characterization of non-trivial point-line configurationsdefined from small index representations of simple groups is performed, with the goal to recognize their quantum physical significance. All the defined geometries G's have a contextuality parameterclose to its maximal value 1.

Waddington’s epigenetic landscape, a famous metaphor in developmental biology, depicts how a stem cell progresses from an undifferentiated phenotype to a differentiated one. The concept of “landscape” in the context of dynamical system theory represents a high-dimensional cell state space, in which each cell phenotype is considered as an “attractor” that is determined by interactions among multiple variables (molecular players), and is buffered against environmental fluctuations. Further, biological noise is thought to play an important role during these cell-fate decisions and in fact controls transitions between different phenotypes. Here, we discuss these phenotypic transitions in cancer from a dynamical systems perspective and invoke the concept of “cancer attractors” – hidden stable states of the underlying regulatory network that are not occupied by normal cells. Using epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer stem-like properties, metabolic reprogramming and the emergence of drug/hormone resistance as examples, we illustrate how phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells enables them to acquire hybrid phenotypes (such as hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and hybrid metabolic phenotypes) that tend to be more aggressive and notoriously resilient to drug/hormone treatment. Furthermore, we highlight multiple factors that may give rise to phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells, such as (a) multi-stability or oscillatory behaviors governed by underlying regulatory networks involved in cell-fate decisions in cancer cells, and (b) network rewiring due to conformational dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that are highly enriched in cancer cells. We conclude by discussing why a therapeutic approach that promotes ‘recanalization’, i.e. the exit from “cancer attractors” and re-entry into “normal attractors”, is more likely to succeed rather than a conventional approach that targets individual molecules/pathways.

Surgical navigation has evolved as a vital tool in maxillofacial surgery, offering precise and patient-specific data. This study explores the clinical applications and accuracy of intraoperative tool tracking in maxillofacial surgery. The research includes 37 patients with various pathologies who underwent surgery assisted by a surgical navigation system using tracked instruments. The study showcases two representative cases: one involving coronoid hyperplasia with mouth opening deficit and another addressing nose-orbital-ethmoidal-frontal ossifying fibroma resection. The results indicate that surgical navigation with tracked instruments provides high precision (<1.5 mm error), reduced surgical time, and less invasive approaches. The study highlights the potential for reproducible outcomes and increased safety, especially in complex cases. Despite some limitations, the synergy between surgical navigation and tracked instruments offers a promising approach in maxillofacial surgery, expanding its applications beyond current practices.

In recent decades, reports of deforestation, mass extinctions, biodiversity loss, and emergencies like floods and droughts have clearly highlighted the impact of human activities on these outcomes. This underscores the need for significant lifestyle changes to mitigate this impact. Pro-environmental behavior (PEB) change involves adopting actions that protect the environment and reducing environmentally harmful activities. While qualitative research may provide unique insights into PEB barriers that are challenging to capture through quantitative methods, reports of qualitative studies are scattered across different literatures with little integration. With the present review, we bring together insights from qualitative studies on PEB barriers and examine whether those studies reveal barriers compatible with existing barrier frameworks from environmental psychology. We identified 38 qualitative studies on barriers to PEB change. Our analysis revealed that most of the barriers to individual pro-environmental action identified in qualitative studies align with environmental psychology frameworks. These barriers were experienced not only by individuals in their role as consumer or citizen, but also by community-level actors (e.g., seeking to implement pro-environmental policies) and industrial decision-makers (e.g., aiming to reduce the ecological footprint of their business activities). Our findings underscore the multifaceted nature of barriers to PEB change and emphasize the importance of addressing structural and institutional factors alongside individual-level interventions.

This study investigates the mean annual water temperature trends at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers, along with air temperature trends at the Belgrade meteorological station, spanning from 1956 to 2020. Results reveal a consistent increase in temperature across all three measuring stations, with the Danube experiencing a rise of 0.34°C/10 years, the Sava at 0.44°C/10 years, and Belgrade's air temperature increasing by 0.39°C/10 years. Employing the RAPS method, sharp rises in water temperature were pinpointed in 1989 for the Sava and 1990 for the Danube, while Belgrade's air temperature surge began in 1998. The highest intensity of air temperature increase within the recent period (1998-2020) was observed at the Belgrade observatory, reaching 0.76°C/10 years. Notably, the Sava exhibited a faster increase in water temperature over the last thirty years compared to the Danube. August marked the peak average water temperature for both rivers, while July recorded the highest average air temperature in Belgrade. Despite differing flow rates, both rivers exhibit similar hydrological regimes, with maximum flows occurring in April and minimum flows in August for the Sava, and October for the Danube. Seasonal temperature increases were most pronounced in summer, notably in August, with the smallest rises occurring during cold periods. Additionally, an inverse proportional relationship between mean annual water temperatures and discharges was observed at both river stations.

How much is religion quantitatively involved in global climate politics? After assessing the role of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from a normative perspective, this descriptive, transdisciplinary and unconventional study offers the first comprehensive quantitative examination of religious nongovernmental organizations that formally participate in its annual meetings, the largest attempts to solve the climate crisis through global governance. This study finds that although their numbers are growing, only about 3 percent of registered nongovernmental organizations accredited to participate in the conference are overtly religious in nature — and that more than 80 percent of those faith-based groups are Christian. Additionally, this study finds that religious nongovernmental organizations that participate in the conference are mostly from the Global North. The results call for greater participation of religious institutions in the international climate negotiations in order for society to address the planetary emergency of climate change.

Pharmacists must acquire the necessary knowledge to provide better drug therapy to patients. In other words, educational programs need to facilitate behavioral changes among pharmacists. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how the behavior of pharmacists changed after attending a palliative care educational program. We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey examining the behavior of pharmacists regarding palliative care before participating in the program, two months after participating in the program, and eight months after participating in the program, to determine the behavior and changes over time. For all questions, scores were higher at two and eight months after attending the program than before attending the program (P &lt;0.05). In addition, no significant difference was observed between two and eight months after attending the program for all questions (P =0.504-1.000). The knowledge gained from the educational program was used to repeatedly intervene with patients with cancer, to address the various symptoms they experienced and maintain their behavior. The proven effectiveness of this program serves as a stepping stone for a nationwide rollout across Japan’s 47 prefectures.

The SBA-15 loaded with methylene blue was successfully prepared by sample adsorption of methylene blue in SBA-15 and is characterized by an XRD, SEM, FTIR, and BET. The photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) degradation was investigated under visible light irradiation under LEDs. Experimental results demonstrate that the SBA-15-MB exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than SBA-15 under visible light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of MO (50 ppm) by SBA-15-MB could reach 80% within 180 min under 25W LED visible light. The photocatalytic activity of SBA-15 could be attributed to the excitation of methylene blue by visible light, the transfer of electrons from methylene blue to SBA-15, and the production of radicals at the surface of SBA-15.

Infertility is affecting around 20 % of couples in the age of procreation but however in some societies as many as one-third of all couples are unable to conceive. Different factors are contributing to male fertility declining such us endocrine disruptors environmental and professional exposures, oxidative stress and life style changes with risks of de novo epigenetics dysregulation. Since the fantastic development of new technologies of Omes and Omics , the contribution of inherited or de novo genomes and epigenome disorders contributions in male infertility are more elucidated and relevant. More than somatic genome investigation of infertile men (from chromosome to single or multiple gene point mutations) many others techniques become available in molecular andrology laboratory to investigate the genome and epigenome integrity, the maturation and the competency of the spermatozoa and its physiological environment. All those new methods of assessment are demonstrating the role of genetics and epigenetics disorders contribution on reproductive pathology and are helping the professional of assisted reproductive technology to propose different management strategy of male infertility to improve the clinical outcomes and minimize the risk of genetics or metabolic disorders at birth.

Background: Fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) have been proposed as an alternative to traditional metal alloys for the realization of frameworks in full-arch implant supported prostheses. The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the deflection under load of seven prostheses endowed with frameworks made of different materials, including different types of fiber reinforced composites (FRCs). Methods: A master cast with four implant analogues in correspondence of the two lateral incisors and the two first molars was used to create full-arch fixed prostheses with the same shape and different materials. Prostheses were made in different materials (framework+veneering material): gold alloy+resin (Au+R), titanium+resin (Ti+R), FRC with multi-directional carbon fibers+resin (ICFRC+R), FRC with unidirectional carbon fibers+composite (UCFRC+C), FRC with glass fibers+resin (GFRC+R), FRC with glass fibers+composite (GFRC+C), resin (R, full-acrylic prosthesis). Flexural tests were conducted using Zwick/Roell Z 0.5 machine and the deflection of the lower surface of the prosthesis was measured in order to obtain load/deflection graphs. Results: Greater rigidity and less deflection were recorded for UCFRC+C, GFRC+C, followed by Ti+R, and Au+R. The greatest deformations were observed for resin alone, ICFRC+R and GFRC+R. The results were slightly different in the incisal region probably due to the greater amount of veneering material in this area. Conclusions: When used to realize full-arch frameworks, Au and Ti allow a predictable mechanical behavior with gradual deformations with increasing load. UCFRC also demonstrated good outcomes and less deflection than ICFRCs when loaded. The GFRC full-arch framework may be a valid alternative, however showed greater deflections. Further studies are needed in order to evaluated how different prosthesis design and material thickness might affect the outcomes.

Agricultural drainage canals that connect upstream fish spawning areas to downstream rivers and lakes serve as crucial habitats for migrating fish. However, disconnections, such as drops and chutes, have been constructed in these canals due to agricultural modernization and flood control measures, hindering the movement of fish with limited swimming abilities. Portable fishways offer a promising solution to reconnect water bodies in agricultural canals, as they can be easily removed during high water discharges to avoid impeding the canals' drainage function. In addition to experimental assessments of fishway functionality, employing a hydrodynamic model to explore effective placement strategies for portable fishways is essential to maximize their effectiveness. This study presents a method to determine the best horizontal location of a portable fishway in an agricultural drainage canal using two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations within the specified cases. The applicability of this method is demonstrated by addressing the positioning challenge of a portable fishway on a chute in an agricultural drainage canal in Japan. Results indicate that the proposed method allows for the selection of a suitable location, considering preferable hydraulic conditions both within the portable fishway and around its entrance.

The asymptotic dynamics of the classes of rational difference equations (RDEs) of third order defined over the positive real-line as $$\displaystyle{x_{n+1}=\frac{x_{n}}{ax_n+bx_{n-1}+cx_{n-2}}}, \displaystyle{x_{n+1}=\frac{x_{n-1}}{ax_n+bx_{n-1}+cx_{n-2}}}, \displaystyle{x_{n+1}=\frac{x_{n-2}}{ax_n+bx_{n-1}+cx_{n-2}}}$$ and $$\displaystyle{x_{n+1}=\frac{ax_n+bx_{n-1}+cx_{n-2}}{x_{n}}}, \displaystyle{x_{n+1}=\frac{ax_n+bx_{n-1}+cx_{n-2}}{x_{n-1}}}, \displaystyle{x_{n+1}=\frac{ax_n+bx_{n-1}+cx_{n-2}}{x_{n-2}}}$$ is investigated computationally with theoretical discussions and examples. It is noted that all the parameters $a, b, c$ and the initial values $x_{-2}, x_{-1}$ and $x_0$ are all positive real numbers such that the denominator is always positive. Several periodic solutions with high periods of the RDEs as well as their inter-intra dynamical behaviours are studied.

The swelling behavior of titanium-modified austenitic stainless steel 15-15Ti was investigated by pre-implantation of He at room temperature followed by Ni irradiation at 580 °C to peak doses of 120, 240 and 400 dpa. Relatively smaller cavities were observed in the zone of helium implantation while large cavities appeared in the region near the damage peak. A correction formula of the dpa curve was proposed and applied for samples with large swelling. It is found that the steady-state swelling rate of 15-15Ti keeps at ~1% /dpa even to high doses. By comparing the swelling data of the helium-implanted and helium-free regions at same doses, 70 dpa and 122 dpa, the suppression of excessive helium on swelling can be deduced at such doses.

Background: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the reliability of two 15-sec sprint cycling tests in men and women to estimate the maximum rate of glycolysis or lactate production (VLa-Max). Methods: Eighteen men and twelve women completed two sprint sessions over 1-week. A 10-min warm-up preceded a 3 µl blood lactate (BLC) sample, after which a 15-sec sprint was completed; cyclists then rested passively while multiple lactate samples were taken until levels peaked. VLaMax was calculated as (Peak BLC – Pre BLC) * (15-sec – Talac)-1. Trial differences and reliability across trials were analyzed using a paired-sample t-test, Pearson correlation, ICC, and Bland-Altman analysis with α=0.05 for all tests; data are reported as mean ± sd. Results: Power (W) was similar across trails (773.0 ±143.5 vs. 758.2 ± 127.4; p = 0.333) and coefficient of varia-tion (CV) of 4.7%. VLaMax was similar (0.673 ± 0.024 vs 0.635 ± 0.237; p = 0.280), but only moder-ately reliably across trials with a CV, ICC, and R value of 18.6%, 0.661, and 0.67, respectively. Conclusions: A 15-sec VLaMax cycling sprint is moderately reliable being affected both by the lac-tate measurement and other variables used in the calculation. More research may offer ways to improve reliability.

Gastric cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases with only a fraction of patients responds to immunotherapy. The relationships between tumor DNA damage response, the immune system and immunotherapy have recently attracted attention. Accumulating evidence indicate that DNA repair landscape is a significant factor in driving response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. In this study, to explore new prognostic and predictive biomarkers for gastric cancer patients who are sensitive and responsible to immunotherapy, we developed a novel 15-DNA repair gene signature (DRGS) and its related scoring system and evaluated the efficiency of DRGS in discriminating different molecular and immune characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of gastric adenocarcinoma. The results showed that DRGS high score patients showed significantly better therapeutic outcomes compared to DRGS low score patients (P < 0.001). Integrated analysis of multi-omics data demonstrated that the patients with high DRGS score were characteristic of high levels of anti-tumor lymphocytes infiltration, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and PD-L1 expression, and these patients exhibited a longer overall survival and may benefit more from ICB therapy, as compared to the low-score patients. Therefore, the DRGS and its scoring system may have implications in tailoring immunotherapy in gastric cancers.

This review paper aims to understand the current processing plant maintenance systems and further identify on-stream phased array corrosion mapping (PACM) to reduce turnaround maintenance (TAM) activity during plant operations. Reducing the TAM duration and extending the TAM interval are common goals of most researchers. Thus, a detailed review was performed to understand the maintenance systems and the problems faced. Furthermore, a review of the current PACM application and the possibility of applying it during on-stream inspection was also per-formed. PACM has better detectability for localized corrosion, and the results can be obtained for a range of thicknesses, which is the main advantage of this method. The challenge is to apply it to a surface with high temperatures, owing to the greater probe contact and the limitation of ultrasonic properties. This literature review provides a more precise direction for future research to evaluate PACM on piping that can be utilized in inspection during plant operation at elevated temperatures. Detecting and monitoring corrosion growth without shutdown.

The escalating global population and subsequent demand for agricultural products have led to a surge in agricultural waste generation, posing significant disposal challenges. Conventional disposal methods such as burning and dumping not only harm the environment but also jeopardize human health and safety. Recognizing the urgent need for sustainable waste management, researchers have increasingly focused on repurposing agricultural plant waste as a valuable resource. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the potential of agricultural plant waste in wealth creation and sustainable development. It highlights the detrimental impacts of current disposal methods and emphasizes the necessity for alternative approaches. By analyzing the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of plant fibers, particularly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, this review underscores their suitability for diverse applications. Moreover, it explores the emerging trend of utilizing pineapple leaf fiber, a sustainable and lightweight material, in structural applications such as UAV construction. With its exceptional mechanical properties and biodegradability, pineapple leaf fiber holds promise as a viable alternative to traditional materials, contributing to a more sustainable future. In conclusion, this review advocates for a paradigm shift towards embracing agricultural plant waste as a valuable asset for economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. It underscores the importance of continued research and technological advancements to unlock the full potential of agricultural waste in fostering a circular economy and driving sustainable development globally.

RNA transcripts play a crucial role as witnesses of gene expression health. Identifying disruptive short sequences in RNA transcription and regulation is essential for potentially treating diseases. Let’s delve into the mathematical intricacies of these sequences. We’ve previously devised a mathematical approach for defining a “healthy” sequence (10.14218/GE.2023.00079). This sequence is characterized by having at most four distinct nucleotides (denoted as nt≤4). It serves as the generator of a group denoted as fp. The desired properties of this sequence are as follows: fp should be close to a free group of rank nt−1, it must be aperiodic, fp should not have isolated singularities within its SL2(C) character variety (specifically within the corresponding Groebner basis). Now, let’s explore the concept of singularities. There are cubic surfaces associated with the character variety of a four-punctured sphere denoted as S24. When we encounter these singularities, we find ourselves dealing with some algebraic solutions of a dynamical second-order differential (and transcendental) equation known as the Painlevé VI equation (10.3390/dynamics4010001). In certain cases, S24 degenerates, in the sense that two punctures collapse, resulting in a “wild” dynamics governed by the Painlevé equations of an index lower than VI. In our paper, we provide examples of these fascinating mathematical structures within the context of miRNAs. Specifically, we find a clear relationship between decorated character varieties of Painlevé equations and the character variety calculated from the seed of oncomirs. These findings should find applications in cancer research.

In the current era of emerging technologies and cutting-edge inventions, it is equally important to consider the ethical aspects of research and innovations to have an ethical space for the sustainable progress and safety of humanity. The field of nanotechnology research and innovation often faces criticism due to its potential adverse impacts on health, the environment, limited accessibility, high costs, and concerns about data privacy. Therefore, it is crucial to address and resolve these ethical issues systematically. In this regard, we present our findings and methods for exploring the application of the ethics technology assessment method by considering its relevance at different stages of innovation development. Specifically, the present work provides a conceptual framework for ethics technology assessment focused on evaluating a significant innovation in nanotechnology within the domain of food safety with specific reference to mycotoxin remediation. By leveraging the value-sensitive design approach, we described various strategies for analyzing the ethical implications of nanotechnology-based innovations in mycotoxin remediation. Through comprehensive ethics technology assessment, nanotechnology-based innovations can be guided toward becoming more value-oriented, thereby making substantial contributions to social progress.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the world. Although the incidence is decreasing in developed countries, treatment results are still unsatisfactory. The standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) is gastrectomy with perioperative chemotherapy. Aim: Assessment of selected microRNAs (miRNAs) in chemoresistance in archival material from LAGC. Material and method: The research group consisted of archival material from 10 patients with LAGC. Histological material from each patient was used from a biopsy performed during gastroscopy and after surgery preceded by 4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) according to the FLOT or FLO regimen. The expression of selected miRNAs was assessed in the tissue material, such as miRNA-21-3p, miRNA-21-5p, miRNA-106a-5p, miRNA-122-3p, miRNA-122-5p, miRNA-143-3p, miRNA-143-5p, miRNA-203a-3p, miRNA-203-5p, miRNA-551b-3p, miRNA-551b-5p and miRNA-574-3p. miRNA expression was assessed by quantitative chain reaction polymerase reverse transcriptase (qRT-PCR). The response to NAC was assessed by computed tomography of the abdomen, chest and histopathology after gastrectomy. The statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism 9.The significance limit was set at p

Suicide is a major public health concern in South Korea, and self-poisoning by pesticides is one of the common methods of suicide. Pesticide ban policies have been successful for suicide prevention; however, no studies have shown their effect according to occupational groups. The present study analyzed suicide and suicide by pesticide rates among South Korean workers age 15-64 in 2003-2017, their associations with occupational groups, and the impact of three major economic indices on these factors. Workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries have relative risks of 5.62 (95% CI: 5.54-5.69) for suicide overall and 25.49 (95% CI: 24.46-26.57) for suicide by pesticide. The real gross domestic product (RGDP) has a positive association with suicide overall only in the last five-year period investigated in this study, and the unemployment rate consistently has a positive association. The economic status and policy for suicide prevention affect suicide and suicide by pesticide rates differently among occupational groups and different time periods. Policy addressing suicidal risk for different occupational groups should be of concern in South Korea.

The measurement of discrimination in employment is a key variable in understanding dynamics in the nature of and change in ‘race relations’. Measuring such discrimination using ‘situation’ and ‘correspondence’ tests was influenced by John Rex’s sociological analyses, begun in in England in the 1960s, and replicated in Europe and America in later decades. This literature is reviewed, and the methodologies of testing for employment discrimination are discussed. Recent work in Britain and The Netherlands is considered in detail in the light of changing social structures, and the rise of Islamophobia. Manchester, apparently the city manifesting the most discrimination in Britain, is considered for a special case study, with a focus on one individual, a Muslim woman seeking intermediate level accountancy employment. Her vita was matched with that of a manifestly indigenous, white Briton. Submitted vitas (to 1,043 potential employers) indicated significant discrimination against the Muslim woman candidate. Results are discussed within the context of Manchester’s micro-sociology, and Muslim women’s employment progress in broader contexts, drawing on our work in Jordan and Palestine. We conclude with the critical realist comment that the “hidden racism” of employment discrimination shows that capitalist societies continue to be institutionally racist, and the failure to reward legitimate aspirations of minorities pushes ethnic minorities into a permanent precariat, with implications for social justice and social control, which denies minority efforts to “integrate” in society’s employment systems.

Background: The microbiome of the ocular surface has been characterised, but only limited in-formation is available on a possible silent intraocular microbial colonisation in normal eyes. Therefore, we performed next generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S rDNA genes in aqueous hu-mor. Methods: Aqueous humor was sampled from three patients during cataract surgery. Air swabs, patient’s and healthy donor conjunctival swab served as controls. Following DNA extraction, the V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rDNA gene were amplified and sequenced fol-lowed by denoising. The resulting Amplicon Sequence Variants were matched to a subset of the Ribosomal Database Project 16S database. The deduced bacterial community was then statis-tically analysed. Results: DNA content in all samples was low (0-1.49 ng/µl) but sufficient for analysis. Main phyla in all samples were Acinetobacteria (48%), Proteobacteria (26%), Firmicutes (14%), Acidobac-teria (8%) and Bacteroidetes (2%). Patients conjunctival control samples and anterior chamber fluid showed similar patterns of bacterial species containing many waterborne species. Non-disinfected samples showed a different bacterial spectrum than the air swab sample. Conclusions: The data confirm the existence of an ocular surface microbiome. A distinct intraoc-ular microbiome was not discernable from the background, suggesting the absence of an intra-ocular microbiome in normal eyes.

This paper aims to assess the proximity of urban services through the lens of the 15-minute city concept, using the Municipality of Rome as a case study. The question of whether Rome qualifies as a 15-minute city is explored by examining proximity in terms of the "intensity" of urban services accessible within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance. A simple model, based on GIS techniques, is implemented to measure proximity to urban services at the neighborhood level. Furthermore, proximity levels in urban areas characterized by similar socioeconomic conditions, referred to as the "seven cities," are analyzed to identify potential inequalities.

La integration (at various nominal contents) in SBA-15 prepared under acidic medium was intended from corresponding direct nitrate addition during mesoporous silica formation. Materials were impregnated with Pt (1.5 w%) and studied through several textural (N2 physisorption), structural (XRD, TG-DTG) and surface (FTIR, STEM-HAADF, SEM-EDS, NH3 and CO2 TPD) instrumental techniques. Pt-impregnated solids were tested in phenol hydrodeoxygenation (HDO, T=250 °C, 3.2 MPa, batch reactor, n-decane as solvent). Catalytic activity (in pseudo first order kinetic constant, kHDO basis) was related to Pt dispersion which was, however, not determined by nominal rare earth content. Determining actual composition of modified SBA-15 materials is crucial in reaching sound conclusions regarding their physicochemical properties, especially when La modifier is directly added during mesoporous matrices formation where efficient interaction among constituents could be difficult to get. Otherwise, results from some characterization techniques (N2 physisorption and FTIR, for instance) could be misleading and even contradictory. Indeed, extant modifier precursors when under SBA-15 synthesis conditions could affect the properties of prepared materials even though they were absent in obtained| formulations. Performing a simple compositional analysis could eliminate uncertainties regarding the role of various modifiers on characteristics of final catalysts. However, several groups have failed in doing so.

Urban accessibility represents one of the great challenges of the contemporary city, which is required to adopt sustainable development models in line with the UN Agenda 2030 objectives, recently confirmed by the health emergency. Urban accessibility and walkability are topics closely related to those aiming at a livable, healthy and inclusive city, based on a system of high-quality public spaces and on a network of services and infrastructures. However, these principles collide with the fragmentation of many urban contexts, built following vehicular accessibility needs. Within this framework, the city of Cagliari represents an interesting case study as it is affected by the disposal of public properties which appear as “enclaves” in the historic urban fabric. This research aims to evaluate if and in which terms the abandoned assets can facilitate the development of the 15-minutes city, as a city reducing the need to move over a certain time and space and therefore granting a more equal access to urban services to a wide range of citizens. This is done by proposing indexes defined as porosity, crossing and attractiveness, which constitute a combined index to improve the pedestrian accessibility in the “central places” of the contemporary city, where the walkability can also become a possible “free choice” for a new healthy lifestyle. These indexes were calculated for the most significant large disused public buildings in the historic center to guide future scenarios towards a 15 minutes city.

The enormous increase in the volume of Earth Observations (EOs) has provided the scientific community with unprecedented temporal, spatial, and spectral information. However, this increase in the volume of EOs has not yet resulted in proportional progress with our ability to forecast agricultural systems.This study examines the applicability of EOs obtained from Sentinel2 and Landsat8 for constraining the APSIM-Maize model parameters. We leveraged leaf area index (LAI) retrieved from Sentinel2 and Landsat8 NDVI to constrain a series of APSIM-Maize model parameters in three different Bayesian multi-criteria optimization frameworks across 13 different sites across the U.S Midwest. A time variant sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the most influential parameters driving the LAI estimates in APSIM-Maize model. Then surrogate models were develop using random samples taken from the parameter space using Latin hypercube sampling to emulate APSIM’s behavior in simulating NDVI and LAI at all sites. Site-level, global and hierarchical Bayesian optimization models were then developed using the site-level emulators to simultaneously constrain all parameters and estimate the site to site variability in crop parameters. For within sample predictions, site-level optimization showed the largest predictive uncertainty around LAI and crop yield, whereas the global optimization showed the most constraint predictions for these variables. Lowest RMSE for within sample yield prediction was found for hierarchical optimization scheme (1423 Kg ha−1) while the largest RMSE was found for site-level (1494 Kg ha−1). In out-of-sample predictions within the spatio-temporal extent of the training sites, global optimization showed lower RMSE (1627 Kg ha−1) compared to the hierarchical approach (1822 Kg ha−1) across 90 independent sites in the U.S Midwest. On comparison between these two optimization schemes across another 242 independent sites outside the spatio-temporal extent of the training sites, global optimization also showed substantially lower RMSE (1554 Kg ha−1) as compared to the hierarchical approach (2532 Kg ha−1). Overall, EOs demonstrated their real use case for constraining process-based crop models and showed comparable results to model calibration exercises using only field measurements.

Background: Myocardial infarction is increasing at a young age. New tools are needed to evaluate the risk population of young patients. GDF-15 has been implicated in several key mechanisms of atherogenesis and also is associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. Arterial stiffness parameters, including pulse wave velocity, can also be measured using peripheral arterial tonometry and can indicate the presence or progression of atherosclerotic changes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the GDF-15 level and arterial stiffness parameters in patients with premature myocardial infarction Method: Thirty patients who recovered from a myocardial infarction were consecutively included. Fifteen age-sex-matched subjects were included as controls. The patients’ serum GDF-15 concentration levels were measured using relevant kits. Measurements of arterial stiffness [pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx)] were performed using a Mobil-O-Graph arteriography system. Results: GDF-15 concentration levels were significantly higher in the patients with premature myocardial infarction when compared to controls. PWV and AIx were similar between the groups. GDF-15 level was negatively correlated with high-density cholesterol (HDL) and positively correlated with uric acid levels in all study populations. Conclusions: GDF-15 levels may be a risk factor for patients with premature myocardial infarction. This pilot study may trigger further studies to elucidate the central role of GDF-15 in the pathophysiology of early atherosclerosis in the young population.

This study involved the fabrication of a set of Aluminum ion-grafted SBA-15 utilizing ethylene-diamine and trimethylamine ionic liquids. The primary objective was to examine the impact of the fabrication environment on the physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts. Comprehensive characterization of the Al-SBA-15 catalysts was conducted using various techniques, including XRD, FTIR, surface area, pyridine FTIR, 27Al-NMR, TGA, HRTEM, and FESEM, to analyze their physicochemical characteristics. Furthermore, the acidic characteristics were examined by con-ducting potentiometric titration in a nonaqueous solvent and employing FTIR spectroscopy to an-alyze the chemisorbed pyridine. The effectiveness of the fabricated acid materials was evaluated by testing their performance in the acetic acid esterification with butanol. The findings obtained reveal that the mesostructured of SBA-15 remains intact following the successful inclusion of Al3+ ions into the silica frameworks. Additionally, a remarkable enhancement in the existence of both Bronsted and Lewis acid centers is noted due to the grafting process of Al3+ ions. At temperatures of 80°C and 100°C, the reaction in Al-SBA-15(T-120) proceeds swiftly, reaching approximately 32% and 38% conversion, respectively, within a span of 110 minutes. The excellent catalytic performance observed in the esterification reaction can be attributed to two factors: the homogeneous distribution of Al3+ ions within the SBA-15 frameworks and the acidic character of Al-SBA-15. The findings further indicate that the grafting process for incorporating Al3+ ions into the silica matrix is more efficient.

Fusing data from many sources helps to achieve higher results of analysis. In this work, we present a new algorithm to fuse data from multiple cameras with data from multiple lidars. This algorithm was developed to increase the sensitivity and specificity of autonomous vehicle perception systems, where the most accurate sensors measuring the vehicle’s surroundings are cameras and lidar devices. Perception systems based on data from one type of sensor do not use complete information and have lower quality. The camera provides two-dimensional images; lidar produces three-dimensional point clouds. We developed a method for matching pixels on a pair of stereoscopic images using dynamic programming inspired by an algorithm to match sequences of amino acids used in bioinformatics. We improve the quality of the basic algorithm using additional data from edge detectors. We also improve the algorithm performance by reducing the size of matched pixels determined by available car speeds. We perform point cloud densification in the final step of our method, fusing lidar output data with stereovision output. We implemented our algorithm in C++ with Python API, and we provided the open-source library named Stereo PCD. This library very efficiently fuses data from multiple cameras and multiple lidars. In the article, we present the results of our approach to benchmark databases in terms of quality and performance. We compare our algorithm with other popular methods.

Spondyloptosis is a condition where there is complete dislocation of L5 over sacrum. It is a form of spinal dislocation in which one spinal segment is lodged in the anterior or posterior space of another or advanced spondylolisthesis [1]. Treatment is usually spinal fusion depending on the level of lesion [2]. This clinical case is of a 15 year old male with a history of fall from auto-rickshaw followed by a blunt trauma from a heavy iron rod falling over his abdomen. There was no history of loss of consciousness, but the patient had an excruciating pain over back immediately after the incident. Patient is now paraplegic with loss of sensation below L5 along with loss bladder and bowel control since the time of injury. The T1 weighted MRI of spine revealed grade 5 anterior lysthesis of L5 over S1 level with complete spinal cord transaction. The patient was operated to restore the vertebral alignment with pedicle screws and rods. After 3 months, patient is now treated for neuro-musculoskeletal , genitourinary and genitointestinal function with biofeedback, pelvic floor exercises and timed voiding [3]. When a patient has issues with urine retention, Valsalva manoeuvres, Crede's method, suprapubic tapping, and anal stretching are employed to help them void more effortlessly [4].

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

The most widely distributed bla_CTX-M gene on a global scale is bla_CTX-M-15. The dissemination has been associated with clonal spread and different types of mobile genetic elements. This study aimed to review and describe the genetic environments of bla_CTX-M-15 gene detected from Enterobacteriaceae in published literature from Africa. A literature search for relevant articles was done through PubMed, and Google Scholars electronic databases, 43 articles from 17 African countries were included in the review based on the eligibility criteria. Insertion sequences were reported as part of the genetic environment of bla_CTX-M-15 gene in 32 studies, integrons in 13 studies, and plasmids in 23 studies. In this review, five insertion sequences including ISEcp1, IS26, orf447, IS903, and IS3 have been detected associated with the genetic environment of bla_CTX-M-15 in Africa. Seven different genetic patterns were seen in bla_CTX-M-15 genetic environment. Insertion sequence ISEcp1 was commonly located upstream of the end of the bla_CTX-M-15 gene while insertion sequence orf477 was located downstream. In some studies, ISEcp1 was truncated upstream of bla_CTX-M-15 by insertion sequences IS26 and IS3. Class 1 integron (Intl1) was most reported to be associated with bla_CTX-M-15 (13 studies), with Intl1/dfrA17–aadA5 being the most common gene cassette array. IncFIA-FIB-FII multi-replicons and IncHI2 replicon types were the most common plasmid replicon types that horizontally transfer bla_CTX-M-15 gene. Aminoglycoside modifying enzymes, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes were commonly collocated with bla_CTX-M-15 gene on plasmids. This review revealed the predominant role of ISEcp1, Intl1and IncF plasmid in the mobilization and continental dissemination of the bla_CTX-M-15 gene in Africa.

Schizophrenia is a disease with a complex etiology that significantly impairs the functioning of patients. In recent years, there has been increasing focus on the importance of the gut microbiota in the context of the gut-brain axis. In our study, we analyzed data on the gut-brain axis in schizophrenia, as well as the impact of eating habits, the use of various supplements, and diets on schizophrenia. Additionally, the study investigated the impact of antipsychotics on the development of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. There may be significant clinical benefits to be gained from therapies supported by supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and probiotics. The results suggest the need for a holistic approach to the treatment of schizophrenia, incorporating both drug therapy and dietary interventions.

. Background: Recent studies suggest that acquired brain injury with impaired consciousness in infancy is related to more severe and persistent effects and may have a cumulative effect on ongoing development. In this work, we aim to describe vocational outcome in a group of patients at 15 years from a severe brain lesion they suffered in developmental age. Methods: This study included a total of 147 patients aged 1.5 to 14 years with acquired brain lesion. Clinical, functional details (“Glasgow Outcome Scale – Extended”, “Functional Independent Measure”, Intelligence Quotient) were collected at the time of their first hospitalization and vocational outcome was determined after 15 years. Results: 94 patients (63.9%) presented with traumatic brain injury, while 53 patients (36.1%) presented with a brain lesion of other origin. Traumatic patients had a higher probability to be partly or fully productive than non-traumatic ones: 75.5% of traumatic subjects were working –taking into account limitations due to the traumatic event, versus 62.3% of non-traumatic ones. A relationship between some clinical variables and the vocational outcome was found. Conclusions: Rehabilitation should adequately emphasize “vocational rehabilitation” because a significant proportion of people experiencing a disorder of consciousness in childhood may show good social integration in adult age.

Pigs are used as laboratory animals in preclinical studies on medical devices for cardiac surgery. On the one hand, the anatomy of the cardiovascular system of these animals has been well studied and acknowledged suitable for use and testing of new cardiovascular devices developed for humans. On the other hand, there are no morphometric characteristics of the aortic root and other parts of it in pigs with different weights. This can lead to difficulties in the work of researchers and even result in the death of experimental animals due to the discrepancy in the size of the implantable devices. Thus, such information is essential to improve the efficiency of surgical technologies used in the correction of aortic pathologies in its various sections. The purpose of our research is to study the anatomy of the aorta in mini-pigs, and to assess whether the size, age, and sex of animals affect the size of the main structures in their aorta. In addition, we attempted to compare the results obtained by the method of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and angiography. We studied 28 laboratory mini-pigs weighing from 40 to 105 kg, and then we compared our results with other studies and did not find any relationship between the external somatometric characteristics of animals and the size of their aorta. Each animal has an individual anatomy, so they are to be examined in terms of preoperative planning by any available method - echocardiography, angiography or multispiral computed tomography (MRI).

Raman Spectroscopy has long been anticipated to augment clinical decision making, such as classifying oncological samples. Unfortunately, the complexity of Raman data has thus far inhibited its routine use in clinical settings. Traditional machine learning models have been used to help exploit this information, but recent advances in deep learning have the potential to improve the field. However, there are a number of potential pitfalls with both traditional and deep learning models. We conduct a literature review to ascertain the recent machine learning methods used to classify cancers using Raman spectral data. We find that while deep learning models are popular, and ostensibly outperform traditional learning models, there are many methodological considerations which may be leading to an over-estimation of performance: primarily, small sample sizes which compound upon sub-optimal choices regarding sampling and validation strategies. Amongst several recommendations is a call to collate large benchmark Raman datasets, similar to those that have helped transform digital pathology, which researchers can use to develop and refine deep learning models.

We analyzed data of pediatric invasive fungal diseases of the central nervous system (CNS-IFDs) reported by five of total eight Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Departments in Greece for 15 years (2007-2022). A total of twelve patients (11 boys, median age: 9.5yrs range: 2-16) were reported suffering from CNS-IFDs. Underlying malignancy was acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 9/12, and acute myeloid leukemia, Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma in one each. Eleven patients presented with CNS-related symptoms (i.e seizures, headache, cerebral palsy, ataxia, hallucination, seizures, blurred vision, amaurosis). All patients had pathological MRI findings. Multifocal fungal disease was observed in 6/12 patients. Nine proven and three probable CNS-IFD cases were diagnosed. Causative pathogens in proven cases were Aspergillus spp. and Candida albicans (n=2 each), Mucor spp., Rhizopus arrhizus, Absidia spp., Fusarium oxysporum and Cryptococcus neoformans (n=1 each). Causative pathogens in probable cases were Aspergillus spp. (n=2) and Candida spp. (n=1). All patients received appropriate antifungal therapy (median duration: 69.5 days, range 19-364). Two patients underwent additional surgical treatment. Six patients admitted to ICU due to complications. Three patients (25%) died, two due to IFD and one due to underlying disease. Early recognition and prompt intervention of CNS-IFDs may rescue the patients and improve overall survival.

Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus) is a gastrointestinal parasite affecting small ruminants, leading to a significant decline in animal productivity. In this study, we developed a nanovaccine by encapsulating the recombinant protein rHcES-15, derived from the excretory/secretory products of H. contortus, within biodegradable poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs). To construct the nanovaccine, PLGA NPs were prepared using a modified double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated successful encapsulation of rHcES-15 within PLGA NPs, with a size ranging between 350-400 nm. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of the antigen in the nanovaccine was determined to be 72%. A total of forty experimental mice were divided into five groups, receiving the nanovaccine on day 0 and being humanely sacrificed at the end of the 14-day trial. The stimulation index (SI) from mice vaccinated with the nanovaccine indicated an amplified lymphocyte proliferation and a significant increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17). Furthermore, the percentages of T-cells (CD4+, CD8+) and dendritic cell phenotypes (CD83+, CD86+) were substantially upregulated in mice immunized with the nanovaccine compared to control groups and the rHcES-15 group. Similarly, higher levels of antigen-specific serum immunoglobulins (IgG1, IgG2a, IgM) were observed in response to the nanovaccine compared to both the antigenic (rHcES-15) and control groups. In conclusion, the data strongly supports the notion that encapsulation of rHcES-15 within PLGA NPs effectively stimulates immune cells in vivo, ultimately augmenting antigen-specific adaptive immune responses against H. contortus. This discovery highlights the promising potential of the nanovaccine, justifying additional investigations to ascertain its efficacy finally.

Legionnaires’ disease is normally acquired by inhalation of legionellae from a contaminated environmental source. Water systems of large buildings, such as hospitals, are often contaminated with legionellae and therefore represent a potential risk for the hospital population. In this study, we demonstrated the constant presence of Legionella in water samples from the water system of a large university hospital in Messina (Sicily, Italy) consisting of 11 separate pavilions during a period of 15 years (2004-2018). In total, 1346 hot water samples were collected between January 2004 and December 2018. During this period, to recover Legionella spp. from water samples the standard procedures reported by the Italian Guidelines emanated in 2000 were adopted; from May 2015 to 2018 Italian Guidelines revised in 2015 (ISS, 2015), were used. The most water samples (72%) were positive to L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14 whereas L. pneumophila serogroup 1 accounted for the 18% and Legionella spp. for the 15%. Most of the positive samples were found in the buildings where are situated critical wards as ICU, Neurosurgery, Surgeries, Pneumology and Neonatal Intensive Unit Care. We highlighted the importance of a continuous monitoring of hospital water samples to prevent the potential risk of nosocomial legionellosis.

This paper presents a case study of Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria, whose traditional ethnoveteri-nary practices risk being lost as the country transitions to more intensive and enclosed livestock practices. We use a planetary health framing to make visible the value of indigenous practices that are less damaging to the environment, animal welfare and human health. Through ethnographic observation, focus group discussions (FGD) and key stakeholder interviews, we show that the Fulani use a complex system of herbal medicines and traditional herding practices to maintain herd health, manage and treat animal disease when it arises. However, their traditions often sit uncomfortably with commercial farming practices. As traditional Fulani grazing lands are eroded, dispossessed Fulani take employment from businessmen farmers but both parties’ inex-perience with shed hygiene, artificial feed and less environmentally resilient crossbreeds leads to increased incidence of infectious disease. This in turn drives higher use of antibiotics. There is a ‘causal chain’ of underlying drivers that leads, through poorer environmental, animal and hu-man health, to increased use of antibiotics. The antibiotic resistance that emerges from this chain threatens human health now and into the future. Through a planetary health framing we advocate for more respect for Fulani herdsmen and their traditional ethnoveterinary practices as an alter-native to increasing antibiotic use.

Xanthone derivatives, a class of natural compounds abundantly found in plants such as mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) and certain herbs, have garnered substantial interest due to their diverse pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. Recent investigations have unveiled their potential as modulators of enzymatic activity, prompting exploration into their effects on hyaluronidase-mediated HA degradation, and their effects in topical treatment of telangiectasia and rosacea. Telangiectasia and rosacea are common dermatological conditions characterized by chronic skin inflammation, vascular abnormalities, and visible blood vessels, resulting in significant cosmetic concerns and impaired quality of life for affected individuals. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding regarding the interplay between mechanisms of action by which xanthone derivatives exert their therapeutic effects, including the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulation of oxidative stress pathways, and regulation of vascular endothelial growth factors. Furthermore, we will discuss the implications of harnessing xanthone derivatives as therapeutic agents for mitigating vascular dysfunction and its associated pathologies, thereby offering insights into future research directions and therapeutic strategies in the field of vascular biology.

The eating behaviors of young people underwent substantial changes due to the COVID-9 19 pandemic. This study addresses the understanding of pandemic impacts on perceived psycho-10 logical and physical well-being exploring the connection between self-perceived eating behavior 11 quality and chronic stress. A sample of Portuguese young people aged 15-26 years (N=951), com-12 pleted a self-report questionnaire assessing socio-demographic data, perception of eating quality 13 behavior, appetite, stress, well-being and optimism. The results reveal gender differences, with 14 males scoring higher in well-being and optimism, while females exhibit elevated appetite and 15 chronic stress scores, and also reveals negative links between age group and eating quality and 16 chronic stress, and positive links between eating quality and well-being. Well-being emerges as a 17 significant predictor of stress in middle and oldest young adults that maintain or increase quality of 18 eating behaviors, while optimism plays a paradoxical role in predicting higher stress in younger 19 adults with reduced eating quality. These results emphasize the need to consider eating behaviors 20 and stress among young adults as an investment in global public health, given the significant rep-21 resentation of young adults in the population, to mitigate long-term health risks. Effectively reduc-22 ing detrimental eating behaviors and stress in these demographic groups can enhance overall well-23 being and longevity.

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an affective-sexual education programme among 14-15 year-old adolescents and its impact on their perception of their health. Design: This is a quantitative, descriptive and prospective quasi-experimental study, employing various cross-sections throughout the school year. It constitutes an educational promotion intervention where a health blog serves as a supplementary component to the "Health and School" programme. This phase is assessed using specific tools designed to evaluate scales. The study aims to assess the programme's effectiveness in the areas of knowledge and attitudes related to sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, and affectivity. Additionally, it aims to evaluate the intervention's impact on 292 secondary school students, divided into a control group (N=144) and an intervention group (N=148). Both groups belong to the same population and have undergone affective-sexual education interventions focusing on gender and sexual diversity perspectives. The assessment considers perceptions and behaviours related to knowledge about HIV and other STDs/STIs, attitudes towards HIV, health anxiety, and AIDS phobia. Cross-sectional comparisons between the control and intervention groups are conducted at three points during the school year: longitudinal study, baseline, at month 4, and at month 9 post-intervention. Methods: Median and interquartile range, Wilcoxon test for numerical variables and Fisher's test for categorical variables were calculated according to intervention group. Results: 53% of the students reported a very good perception of health, compared to 45% with a good perception. Boys reported a good perception of health (85%) and had perceptions of their physical appearance and health (p=0.023) and (p<0.001) in the intervention group. Differences were found between perceptions of physical appearance in the control group, which was close to normal (p=0.429). In terms of level of knowledge about HIV and other STDs/STIs, the most significant difference was found in knowledge about HIV transmission, which varied between groups. Conclusions: Early affective-sex education sessions have an impact on health perception and behaviours related to knowledge about HIV and other STDs/STIs, leading to reduced anxiety in adolescents. School nurses should focus on health promotion, prevention of sex-related diseases, healthy attitudes from a gender perspective and integrated affective relationships in all their dimensions.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano (20.57°S, 175.38°W) violently erupted on 15 January 2022. The volcanic plume evolution during its initial stages is delineated by using Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC)-2 radio occultation (RO) measurements. The bending angle (BA) anomaly over the Tonga volcanic plume (within 200 km from the eruption center) at 5:17 UTC on 15 January shows a prominent peak at higher stratospheric heights. The top of the BA anomaly revealed that negative to positive change occurred at ~38 km indicating the first height where the RO line-of-sight encounters the volcanic plume. The BA anomaly further revealed an increase of ~50% at ~36 km and confirms the volcanic plume reached above ~36 km. Further, the evolution of BA perturbations within 24 hours after the initial explosion is also discussed. From collocated RO profiles with the volcanic plume, we find a clear descending of the peak altitude of the BA perturbation from ~36 km to ~30 km within 24 hours after the initial eruption. The results from the study will provide some insights into advancing our understanding of volcanic cloud dynamics and their implementation in volcanic plume modeling.

The direct radiative effects of atmospheric aerosols are essential for climate, as well as for other societal areas, like the energy sector. The goal of the present study is to exploit the newly devel-oped ModIs Dust AeroSol (MIDAS) dataset for quantifying the direct effects on the downwelling surface solar irradiance (DSSI), induced by the total and dust aerosols amount, under clear-sky conditions and the associated impacts on solar energy for the broader Mediterranean basin, over the period 2003 – 2017. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and dust optical depth (DOD) derived by the MIDAS dataset, along with additional aerosol and dust optical properties and atmospheric variables were used as inputs to radiative transfer modeling to simulate DSSI components. A 15-year climatology of AOD, DOD and of clear-sky Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) and Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI) was derived. The spatial and temporal variability of the aerosol and dust effects on the different DSSI components was assessed. Aerosol attenuation of annual GHI and DNI range from 1-13% and 5-47%, respectively. Significant attenuation by dust 2-10% and 9-37% was found over North Africa and the Middle East, contributing to 45-90% of the total aero-sol effects. The mean GHI and DNI attenuation during extreme dust episodes reached values up to 12% and 44%, respectively, for different areas. After 2008 a decline of aerosol effects on DSSI was found, attributed mainly to the dust component. Sensitivity analysis using different AOD/DOD inputs from Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) reanalysis dataset, revealed CAMS underestimation of aerosol and dust radiative effects compared to MIDAS, due to slight AOD and stronger DOD underestimation, respectively.

The paper presents modelling of relationships between wind velocity distributions observed in Poland and technical requirements for wind power stations design. The wind velocities distributions for various locations in Poland are determined, and expressed in Weibull distribution parameters. Theoretical computations concerning the dependence of wind power station as function of wind speed and aire physical properties are presented. Conclusions important for design of power stations fitted to atmospheric conditions in Poland are given. Wind power plants have been an important source of electricity generation for many years.Wind power modelling with the use of wind speed is used to improve the accuracy of forecasts and analyses of the power production of wind farms.

Structural biology has a strong interest in ion channels, a diverse group of membrane proteins. This group has long remained difficult to study, but much progress has been made in recent decades with improvements in biochemical methods and computational procedures. Voltage-gated ion channels undergo conformational changes upon functioning, and multiple models of activation mechanisms were proposed based on experimental data. This review focuses on the structural studies of the functioning of voltage-gated ion channels, which are accompanied by conformational changes in proteins, and the methodological advances that allow their observation. Modern experimental methods that allow obtaining ion channel proteins in specific functional states are discussed, including cryoelectron microscopy and cryoelectron tomography. Finally, new algorithms for studying the conformational mobility of proteins have been developed, which help to better understand the mechanisms of ion channel domain movements.

The growing interest in benchtop NMR systems is visible in a vast number of applications in science and industry. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) became an instant in technologies that productions are dependent on the reliable structure identification, grade and purity control, chemical process inspection or reaction monitoring. Beyond the benefits of being cost-, space-, maintenance- and user friendly, insufficient sensitivity and low signal resolution are the main drawbacks, due to which the low-field NMR (LF-NMR) in the fields of organic chemistry and synthesis remains limited to solely academic teaching purposes. Herein, we discuss the possibilities of LF-NMR for the needs of organic chemistry and synthesis on a set of compounds 1-4 achieved as the products of student’s laboratory course and organic derivatives 5-8 that are from our research interests. Chemical structure determination of all compounds 1-8 presented herein was performed using the benchtop-type NMR instrument operating at 60 MHz (Pulsar Oxford Ltd.). Structure of novel compounds 5-7 prepared under the aims of our research was characterized by combined 1H/19LF-NMR and compared with an appropriate high-field NMR data from Bruker Ascend Instrument (400 MHz). Finally, possibilities of the low-field NMR as an analytical tool for the research purposes in the fields of organic chemistry and synthesis are documented on a set of 1H and 2D 1H-1H COSY for azomethine 8.

Separase is a key cysteine protease to separate sister chromatids through digestion of cohesion ring that inhibits chromosome segregation as trigger of metaphase–anaphase transition in eukaryotes and highly regulated its activity by binding with securin and cyclinB-CDK1 complex. Those bindings prevent proteolytic activity of separase until the onset of anaphase. Chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy are frequently observed in malignancies. However, there are some difficulties for biochemical examinations due to instability of separase in vitro and a few spatiotemporal resolution approaches monitoring live separase activity throughout mitotic processes. Here we have developed FRET-based molecular sensors including GFP variants with separase cleavable sequences as donor and covalently attached fluorescent dye as acceptor molecules applicable to conventional live cell imaging and flow cytometric analysis because of efficient live cell uptake. We investigated performance of equivalent molecular sensors localized or not localized inside nucleus under cell cycle control using flow cytometry. Synchronized cell cycle progression rendered significant separase activity detections in both molecular sensors. We obtained consistent outcomes with localized molecular sensor introduction and cell cycle control by fluorescent microscopic observations. We thus established live cell separase activity monitoring systems specifically or statistically that could lead to elucidate separase properties in detail.

Soil formation results from the weathering and alteration of bedrock, influenced by climatic conditions and biotic factors, including living organisms. The mineralogical composition of the parent material, along with plant species and soil microorganisms, forms the foundational elements of an ecosystem's energy cycle. Afforestation in arid-semi arid regions plays a crucial role in preventing erosion and enhancing soil quality, offering significant economic and ecological benefits. This study assessed the impact of parent material diversity on soil physicochemical properties, microbial basal respiration (MR), and microbiological characteristics, as well as their subsequent effects on plant growth, 15 years post-afforestation. For this purpose, various soil physicochemical parameters, MR, soil microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), stoichiometry (microbial quotient= Cmic/Corg = qMic and metabolic quotient = MR/Cmic = qCO2), and tree growth metrics such as height and diameter were measured. The results of the one-way ANOVA indicated that afforested soils on limestone bedrock exhibited significantly better physicochemical and microbiological properties, as well as tree growth parameters, compared to those on andesite. Notably, sensitive microbial properties such as Cmic, MR, and qMic were positively influenced by afforestation. The highest Cmic (323 g C kg−1) and MR (1.3 CO2–C g−1 h−1) values were recorded in limestone-derived soils. Currently, the measured properties of soils can be ranked as LS&gt;AS&gt;LC&gt;AC. Conversely, the highest qCO2 values were observed in the control plots of andesite parent material (7.22). This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate parent material and understanding soil characteristics to optimize afforestation efforts in bare areas. As a result, the higher plant growth capacity and carbon retention of limestone soil indicate that it has high microbial biomass and microbial activity (qMic).

To achieve low-cost and on-demand launches of micro satellites, the authors have been researching and developing a micro hybrid rocket since 2014. In 2018, a ballistic launch experiment was performed using the developed hybrid rocket, where it reached an altitude of about 6.2 km. The rocket engine had a 3D-printed solid fuel grain made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin in combination with a nitrous-oxide oxidizer. The fuel grain port had a star-fractal swirl geometry in order to increase the surface area of the port, to promote the laminar-turbulent transition by increasing the friction resistance, and to give a swirling velocity component to the oxidizer flow. This overcame the hybrid rocket’s drawback of low fuel regression rate; i.e., it achieved a higher fuel-gas generation rate compared with a classical port geometry. In 2021, the hybrid rocket engine was scaled up and its total impulse was increased to over 50 kNs for reaching an altitude of 15 km. In addition to the engine, other components were also improved, such as through incorporation of lightweight structures, low-shock separation devices, a high-reliability telemetry device and data logger, while keeping costs low. The rocket was launched and reached an altitude of about 10.1 km, which broke the previous Japanese altitude record of 8.3 km for hybrid rockets. The presentation will report on the developed components from the viewpoint of system design and the results of the ballistic launch experiments.

Increasing population size and income growth are causing and increasing demand for food and protein of animal origin. Insects are an interesting alternative to conventional animal source proteins as they can convert by-products from the agricultural industry to biomass for commercial feed for livestock and potentially as a food source for human consumption. Microorganisms have been found to affect insects and can be accumulated via horizontal and vertical transmission. This study aimed to identify if the removal of egg- and substrate-associated microorganisms impact larval performance through the following parameters: development of biomass, final biomass, and the survival rate of house fly (Musca domestica) larvae. Four treatments were tested on substrate consisting of 10.81% alfalfa (Medicago sativa), 21.62% wheat bran (Triticum aestivum), and 67.57% water: (A) disinfected eggs and non-autoclaved substrate, (B) non-disinfected eggs and autoclaved substrate, (C) disinfected eggs and autoclaved substrate, and (D) a control without any removal of microbiota. The results showed a significant decrease in final biomass for the treatments with only disinfected eggs, only autoclaved substrate and both when comparing to the control, and a significant decrease in survival rate for B and D. Moreover, the development of biomass showed a significant difference between days within all treatments. Together this suggest that microorganisms of housefly eggs and the growth substrate plays an important role for growth, which is critical in commercial insect production. Further studies must be performed to examine these parameters in more commercially relevant substrates.

Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables has been associated with a lower risk of various chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers. Recently, fruit and vegetable intake has also been linked with mental health, including depression. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between fruit and vegetable intake and depressive symptoms in young people and adults aged 15-45. The systematic review focused on peer-reviewed cohort studies published from 1 January 2000 to 31 August 2020 using searches of six electronic databases. The exposure was fruit and vegetable consumption analysed both separately and/or together, and the outcome was depression or depressive symptoms. Data from eligible studies were extracted according to predefined criteria and the studies were appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for Cohort Studies to evaluate for study quality and risk of bias. To evaluate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and depressive symptoms, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Of 9667 potentially relevant studies that were screened for title and abstracts, 144 full text studies were evaluated, and 12 studies from seven countries were deemed eligible and included in the qualitative synthesis. Using the NOS framework one study was categorised as ‘very good’ quality, ten studies were ‘good’ quality, and two studies were ‘moderate’ quality. With respect to combined fruit and vegetable consumption, two studies demonstrated an inverse association with depression. When the effects of fruit and vegetable on depression were analysed separately, five studies showed significant associations in fruit consumption, and two studies showed significant associations in vegetable consumption. Four studies showed no association between combined fruit and vegetable consumption and depression, one study showed no association between fruit consumption and depression, and two studies showed no association between vegetable consumption and depression. Despite some contradictory results in the studies included in this review, the evidence seems to be building that a possible association exists, and this may have implications for addressing the burden of mental illness in young people and adults aged 15-45 years. Well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to provide more robust evidence on the diet-depression relationship.

This article introduces a new method for modelling and verifying the execution of timed security protocols (TSP) and their time-dependent security properties. The method, which is both novel and reliable, uses an extension of interpreted systems, accessible semantics in multi-agent systems, and timed interpreted systems (TIS) with dense time semantics to model TSP executions. We enhance the models of TSPs by incorporating delays and varying lifetimes to capture real-life aspects of protocol executions. To illustrate the method, we model a timed version of the Needham-Schroeder Public Key Authentication Protocol. We have also developed a new SMT-based bounded model checking reachability algorithm for the proposed structures and implemented it with the tool. The method comprises a new procedure for modelling TSP executions, a translation of TSP into TIS, and a translation of TIS's reachability problem into the SMT problem. The paper also includes thorough experimental results for nine protocols modelled by TIS and discusses the findings in detail.

Potassium 6-oxo-7,13,16,22-tetraazatetracyclo[12.6.2.18,12.017,21]tricosa-1(20),8(23),9,11,14,16,18,21-octaen-2-yne-15-carboxylate was synthesized through a multi-step pathway starting from commercially available 3-iodo-1,2-phenylenediamine. Structure characterization of this new substituted macrocyclic quinoxaline compound was achieved by using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS spectral analysis. This new macrocyclic derivative demonstrated submicromolar potency on both Pim-1 and Pim-2 isoforms, with an interesting selectivity profile against a selected panel of human kinases.

In pediatric burn care, achieving swift healing with minimal complications remains paramount. This investigation assesses polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)'s role in managing superficial partial-thickness burns in children, focusing on the effects of various patient-specific factors on recovery. Through a retrospective analysis of 27 pediatric cases treated with PHMB, we explored the impact of age, burn size, dressing frequency, treatment delay, cold therapy application, and analgesic usage on the duration until reepithelialization. Notably, the majority of patients benefited from early cold therapy, yet only 1 in 3 patients received analgesics. The study reveals a mean healing time of 8.78 days, with the extent of the burn showing a strong correlation to recovery speed. Most treatments were managed outpatient, evidenced by a negligible average hospital stay. Impressively, the intervention recorded no complications. Our findings endorse PHMB as a promising treatment for second-degree burns in young patients, offering healing efficiency on par with or surpassing traditional methods, without increasing complication risks. This investigation underscores the necessity for continued exploration into the optimal application of prehospital interventions and the comprehensive benefits of PHMB in pediatric burn management, advocating for future research aimed at assessing long-term outcomes, including scar quality and patient satisfaction.

The aims of this study were to assess oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among orthodontic patients between the ages of 15 and 17 years old compared to adolescents without orthodontic treatment. This cross-sectional study included 392 adolescents drawn from various French teaching hospitals. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. Adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment had a higher knowledge of oral health than adolescents without orthodontic treatment. The majority of adolescents for both groups (69%) claimed to brush their teeth twice a day. Regarding complimentary dental material, 81.9% of adolescents without orthodontic treatment never used an interdental brush and 78.8% never used dental floss. For those undergoing orthodontic treatment, 48.5% never used interdental brush. Only 4% of adolescents without and 3% of adolescents with orthodontic treatment never consumed fizzy drinks, 4.9% and 3% never consumed sweets, 4% and 8.4% never ate fast-food. Adolescents without treatment consumed more sodas (p=0.04) and more fast food (p=0.03). Adolescents had insufficient knowledge of oral health. Health education programmes should be implemented to improve adolescents' knowledge and individual oral prophylaxis with interdental brushes.

Critical realism emerged from the philosophical writings of Roy Bhaskar, and has evolved into a philosophy of social science research using the model of “dialectical critical realism” (DCR) which begins with the researcher’s assumptions that the structures being researched have a real, ontological grounding which is independent of the researcher. This approach has proved fruitful in British and European social science research, but has had less influence in North America. We outline DCR’s four level model for understanding society and its changing social structures through “the pulse of freedom”. DCR has been used by Marxists, Muslims, Catholics and secular scholars who engage fruitfully in morphogenic dialogues leading to a critical realist understanding of society and social research, which transcends positivist and social constructionist models. Examples of DCR’s application in the fields of childhood research, child abuse, education, and research on organisations are outlined to illustrate the working of this new research paradigm. We are enthusiastic in our advocacy of DCR as a model of qualitative research, and for constructing models of positive social change, and are particularly impressed by the substantive and theoretical expositions of DCR by Priscilla Anderson, Matthew Wilkinson and Margaret Archer, whose work we document and review.

There is a need to find methods to intensify the anaerobic digestion process. One possibility is the use of pre-treatment techniques. Many laboratory tests confirm their effectiveness, but in most cases, there is no verification work carried out on industrial plants. The aim of the research carried out under laboratory conditions and on a large scale was to determine the technological and energy efficiency of the use of hydrodynamic cavitation in the pre-treatment of a waste mixture from dairy farms. It has been shown that hydrodynamic cavitation significantly increases the concentration of organic compounds in the dissolved phase. In the most effective variants, the increase in the content of these indicators was over 90% for both COD and TOC. The degree of solubilisation achieved was 49±2.6% for COD and almost 52±4.4% for TOC. Under laboratory conditions, the highest effects of anaerobic digestion were achieved after 10 minutes of pre-treatment. The amount of biogas was on average 367±18 mL/gCOD and the amount of methane 233±13 mL/gCOD. Further large-scale optimisation trials showed that after 8 minutes of hydrodynamic cavitation, the biogas yield was 327±8 L/kgCOD with a CH4 content of 62.9±1.9%. With this variant, the net energy yield was 66.4±2.6 kWh/day, a value that was 13.9% higher than the original variant with 10 minutes of disintegration and 3.1% higher than the variant without pre-treatment.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is widespread in European pig production, and although it is not an important food-borne pathogen, it constitutes a potential occupational hazard to farm workers and possibly to their household members. Farm workers can be exposed to LA-MRSA via direct contact with pigs and via airborne transmission. Bacteria can then be carried home in the nose or on the skin, potentially exposing household members. Therefore, it is important to consider LA-MRSA in a one-health context, studying human exposure by investigating LA-MRSA levels in pigs and in the farm environment, air, and dust. In the present investigation, we quantified LA-MRSA levels in nasal swab samples, air samples, and dust, collected at three different time points in a farm rearing pigs from appr. 30 kg until slaughter. Sampling was repeated across seven batches of pigs, resulting in the analysis of 504 nasal swab samples, together with air and dust samples. LA-MRSA was cultured and quantified on MRSA2 agar plates. Our findings revealed a significant batch-to-batch variation and a significant decrease of 94.1 % in LA-MRSA levels during the rearing period. Despite this decrease, all nasal swab samples tested positive, with the highest level reaching 353,000 cfu in a sample. In the 42 air samples collected, we found low to moderate LA-MRSA levels, with a maximum of 568 and an average of 63 cfu/m3. In the 28 dust samples collected during the second and third sampling periods, LA-MRSA counts were high, reaching up to 37,272 cfu/g, with an average of 17,185 cfu/g. The results indicate that while LA-MRSA levels in pigs gradually decrease with age and reach low levels before slaughter, the bacterium remains highly abundant in dust, which may pose an occupational hazard to farm workers.