Pregestational and gestational diabetes mellitus are relevant complications of pregnancy and antidiabetic drugs are prescribed to obtain glycemic control and improve perinatal outcomes. The objective of this study was to highlight the prescription pattern of antidiabetics before, during and after pregnancy in Italy and to evaluate its appropriateness. A multi-database cross sectional population study using a Common Data Model was performed. In a cohort of about 450,000 women, the prescribing profile of antidiabetics seemed to be in line with the Italian standards for the treatment of GDM which currently do not recommend the use of oral antidiabetics and non-insulin injection, even if a small share of new users (up to 3.8% in the third trimester) used oral antidiabetics. A substantial variability in the prescription pattern was observed among the Italian regions considered: the highest increase was registered in Tuscany (4.2%), Umbria (3.5%) and Emilia-Romagna (2.6%) while the lowest in Lombardy (1.5%), Veneto (1.7%) and Apulia (1.7%). Analysing the prevalence of use of antidiabetics between foreign women we observed that the consumption during pregnancy was higher than Italians (second trimester: 1,8% vs 0,9%, third trimester: 3,6% vs 1,8%).

Background: Clinical trails have revealed that patients with depression generally accompanied with learning and memory impairment, which critically impact on individual’s health and development. Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), a famous Chinese complex prescription, significantly overcame depression and relieved cognitive disorder based on previous research and publication. However, its effectsand potential mechanism against chronic restraint stress (CRS) remained unknown. Methods: CRS animal model was established and mice were divided to six groups while they were oral administrated with Danggui-Shaoyao-San at doses of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 g/kg for 14 days. Emotional and cognitive performances were detected by behavior tests, meanwhile neural plasticity and its molecular mechanism were examined by Dil staining, western blot and immunofluorescence. Results: DSS treatment dose-dependently improved locomotion ability in open filed test, overcame depression behavior in forced swimming test and elevated plus maze test, enhanced learning and memory ability in Morris water maze test. CRS decreased number of total spines and mushroom spines, while DSS treatment dose-dependently restored these by Dil staining. Expression of BDNF and GluR1 were significantly down-regulated in CRS group, which were significantly normalized by DSS. Conclusions: DSS treatment dose-dependently reversed CRS-induced cognitive impairments by inducing structural remodeling of neurons.

This study aimed to assess prescription transfer and medicines collection through Wasfaty, an electronic prescription service recently introduced in Saudi Arabia. A link to a cross-sectional online questionnaire was sent to all students and staff at the University of Jeddah, targeting beneficiaries who received e-prescriptions at the University Medical Centre (n = 2067). The questionnaire comprised 20 items under the following sections; demographics, patient perceptions and satisfaction with the Wasfaty service, and the availability of medicines. Of the 217 questionnaires received, the majority were filled by females (n = 125, 57.6%). Most were satisfied with the initial registration process of Wasfaty (n = 183, 84.1%). However, almost one-third of the participants reported that they could not find the prescribed medicines (n = 64, 29.7%), and most of them had to look for another pharmacy to obtain their treatment (n = 138, 63.9%). Respondents voiced their displeasure owing to the lack of access to certain pharmaceuticals, including anti-hypertensives and antidiabetics. This pilot study identified some challenges relating to the use of the Wasfaty service. Further attention to these challenges is required from the service providers, and a large-scale national study is warranted.

Background: RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a deadly condition that is present all over the world today. The infection is initially contained in the lower respiratory tract without systemic transmission. The objective of the study: Bioinformatics was used in Egypt to create an mRNA vaccine against the Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Methodology: In the present screening experimental study, a lipid nanoparticles vaccine of mRNA of the surface fusion protein of Respiratory syncytial virus was manufactured. The present vaccine delivery system was lipid nanoparticles with a particle size of approximately 90 nanometres, manufactured by the hot micro-emulsion method. In stages 1 and 2 of clinical trials, the immunogenicity of the current mRNA RSV vaccine was evaluated. Results: The current vaccine demonstrated 81% immunogenicity in animal testing, but only 69% in stages 1 and 2 of clinical trials. Its side effects were manageable. The results persisted for a while. In the current trial, the vaccination proved effective as a preventative measure against RSV infection. The current vaccination lacked antibody-dependent enhancement, which causes non-protective antibodies to develop. These non-neutralizing antibodies exacerbate infection by activating cytokines and complement cascade through the formation of immune complexes or enhancement of the virus entry and replication in the host cells. On the other hand, the current RSV mRNA vaccine of the surface fusion protein consequent on the production of powerful neutralizing antibodies with prolonged immunity especially to infants and elderly candidates who received the optimal dosage regimen.

Arboviruses are infections caused by arboviruses that may be either symptomatic or asymptomatic, according to individuals' resistance and immune response, which dietary patterns can influence. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the possible association between the occurrence of clinical manifestations of arboviruses and the dietary pattern of the population studied. The study was conducted in a rural population in the metropolitan area of Belém, Pará State, Brazil. The sampling consisted of 95 individuals during a febrile outbreak. Two investigations were conducted: clinical-epidemiological-dietary and laboratory investigation based on blood samples taken for arbovirus analysis. Out of the 95 individuals studied, more than half (57.89%) showed clinical manifestations. Following the laboratory serology (HI and IgM ELISA) analyses, viral isolation in C6/36 cells, and viral genome detection (RT-qPCR), the final diagnosis of the cases was 47.37% Oropouche Fever, 2.11% Oropouche Fever and Chikungunya Fever, and 1.05% Mayaro Fever. Regarding dietary pattern, as for the comparison analyses, statistical significance was observed between dietary pattern and classification regarding the presence of symptoms (p<0.05); after the correspondence analysis, symptomatic cases were more associated with a bad dietary pattern, while asymptomatic cases were more associated with a good dietary pattern.

Nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NPSU) is an ongoing public health crisis in the United States. There exists, however, a dearth of research investigating specific childhood risk factors that may contribute to this illicit use. Adverse childhood experi-ences (ACEs) may be a significant risk factor to address in the prevention and treatment of NPSU, as research has provided evi-dence for increased substance use, potentially including prescription stimulant misuse, among individuals who have experienced trauma. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to gather and synthesize research articles specifically examining the relationship between nonmedical prescription stimulant use in adults and the experience of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Four studies met all inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The results demonstrated that nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in adults is significantly associated with ACEs, with a higher numerical count of ACEs associated with a greater likelihood of nonmedical prescription stimulant use. Gaps in the literature were identified, specifically noting a lack of information available regarding the relationship between ACEs and NPSU within gender- and racially-diverse populations. The findings have implications for informing interventions related to ACEs and the misuse of prescription stimulant medication in adults.

Background: The use of antitussives is a crucial issue in pediatrics and can lead to respiratory complications that can affect the prognosis. Objectives: to determine the frequency of respiratory complications associated with the use of an-titussives in pediatrics in a remote city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Method: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study conducted between January 1, 2017 and De-cember 2022. Patients under 12 years of age with an acute cough were eligible. The parameters studied were treatment with cough suppressants and associated respiratory complications. Results: A total of 218 children suffered from an acute cough. The average age was 11 months 10, the sex ratio (H/F) was 126/92. In 30% of cases, children were treated with cough suppressants for an average of 7 days prior to admission. Respiratory complications were observed in 11% (23/218) of cases. The majority of these complications, 61% (14 of 23), had received antitussive treatment prior to hospitalization. Respiratory complications were associated with cough medications (p-value = 0.0012, relative risk (RR) = 3.66, IC90 [1.696; 7,873]). Acute respiratory distress was reported in 87% (20/23) of cases and was associated with the use of cough suppressants (p-value = 0.0065, RR: 3.060, IC90: [1.433; 6,485]). Conclusion: The use of antitussives in pediatrics poses a risk of acute respiratory distress in a remote city that does not have sufficient human and material resources for management. Keywords: cough, cough suppressants, pediatrics, complications, Mbujimayi, Democratic Republic of Congo.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular prevention is less effective than expected due to the concern about polymedication of professionals and the lack of adherence of patients. Polypills are presented as a possible solution, increasing therapeutic adherence in the medium or long term and improving therapeutic results compared to the administration of drugs separately: they increase effectiveness and Adherence of patients to primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention programs, without increasing the cost of the intervention. OBJECTIVES: Study #Trigeria: to specify the combined prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation, Dyslipidemia and Hypertension and analyze the pharmacological prescription for these pathologies and the possible indications and advantages that would have the prescription of a polypill for these risk factors.METHODS: Observational analytical study on the pathological history in elderly institutionalized in nursing homes and analysis of prescribed oral medication.RESULTS: 169 people analyzed (79.3% women) from 4 nursing homes; 8.9% had a history of Atrial Fibrillation, Dyslipidemia and Arterial Hypertension; these had a higher prevalence of heart disease (42.9%) and Cerebral Vascular Accident (35.7%). Polymedication was present in 88.5%, with an average of 6.94 oral drugs prescribed; among those with the three pathological antecedents, the average number of oral medications was 8.60. Only 26.7% of those with all three factors were prescribed drugs to control them.DISCUSSION: There are high rates of polymedication in the sample and low rates of prescription of antiplatelet agents in people with Atrial Fibrillation (26.5%); the low prescription of statins and antihypertensives of the ACE inhibitor or ARB-II groups may be due to good control with non-pharmacological measures or by the use of other groups of drugs . A polypill holding the drugs that control the three factors studied could increase the prescription rate while simplifying the administration schedule and reducing polymedication by 23.25% improving prescription, increasing adherence and control of risk factors without increasing pharmaceutical expenditure.CONCLUSIONS: There is a low rate of prescription of antiplatelet agents among people with atrial fibrillation. Combination methods (polypills) can increase the suitability of prescriptions in people with polypathology, improving prescribing, simplifying administration and increasing adherence to pharmacological treatments.

Dietary patterns were recently applied to examine the relationship between eating habits and prostate cancer (PC) risk. While the associations between PC risk with glycemic index and Mediterranean score have been reviewed, no meta-analysis is currently available on dietary patterns defined by “a posteriori” methods. Search was carried out (PubMed, Web of Science) to identify studies reporting the relationship between dietary patterns and PC risk. Relevant dietary patterns were selected and the risk estimated were calculated by a random-effect model. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for a 1st-percentile increase in dietary pattern score were combined by a dose response meta-analysis. 12 observational studies were included in the meta-analysis which identified “Healthy pattern” and “Western pattern”. The Healthy pattern was not related to PC risk (OR=0.96; 95% CI: 0.88-1.04) while the Western pattern significantly increased it (OR=1.34; 95% CI: 1.08-1.65). In addition, a “Carbohydrate pattern”, identified in four articles, was positively associated with a higher PC risk (OR=1.64; 95% CI: 1.35-2.00). A significant linear trend between the Western (p=0.011) and the Carbohydrate (p=0.005) pattern and the increment of PC risk was observed. The small numbers of studies included suggest that further investigations are necessary to support these findings.

Clopidogrel is one of the most prescribed antiplatelet drugs for cardiovascular diseases prevention. Clopidogrel is a prodrug metabolised by CYP2C19 in active metabolites with anti-aggregant effect. Pharmacogenetic variants such as CYP2C19*2 variant can alter the anti-aggregant effect of clopidogrel leading to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease relapse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prescription characteristics of CYP2C19 pharmacogenetics in patients on clopidogrel treatment, based on a specific query in a clinical data warehouse. We evaluated the demographics of patients, prescribers, medical indications, CYP2C19 pharmacogenetic tests and therapeutic changes. Neurologists were the main prescribers of CYP2C19 pharmacogenetic tests associated with clopidogrel treatment in a context of suspicion of stroke relapse. Pharmacogenetic tests were mainly prescribed a posteriori to clopidogrel prescription. Clopidogrel pharmacogenetic resistance was associated with the prescription of lysine acetylsalicylate in substitution of clopidogrel. Clear clinical practice guidelines are needed to position CYP2C19 pharmacogenetic testing for patients on clopidogrel treatment.

Colours act as stimuli capable of inducing physiological and psychological responses, impacting on human life by influencing behaviour, cognition and emotion. Designers frequently draw upon colour association cues in designing products, packaging and marketing materials to exploit the reported human reactions to them. To date, clinicians and foot orthoses manufacturers appear to have given little thought to how the colour of foot orthoses may have impact within the broader context of a biopsychosocial model of healthcare. Here we examine research regarding colour perception and association and provide rationale for how the use of colour in foot orthoses therapy might be better exploited to improve patient outcomes and to form a focus for future research.

Canopy characteristics are crucial for accurately and safely determining the pesticide quantity and volume of water used for spray applications in vineyards. The inevitably high degree of intra-plot variability makes it difficult to develop a global solution for the optimal volume application rate. Here, the design procedure of, and the results obtained from, a variable rate application (VRA) sprayer are presented. Prescription maps were generated after detailed canopy characterization, using a multispectral camera embedded on an unmanned aerial vehicle, throughout the entire growing season in Torrelavit (Barcelona) in four vineyard plots of Chardonnay (2.35 ha), Merlot (2.97 ha), and Cabernet Sauvignonn (4.67 ha). The maps were obtained by merging multispectral images with information provided by DOSAVIÑA®, a decision support system, to determine the optimal volume rate. They were then uploaded to the VRA prototype, obtaining actual variable application maps after the application processes were complete. The prototype had an adequate spray distribution quality and exhibited similar results in terms of biological efficacy on powdery mildew compared to conventional (and constant) application volumes. The VRA results demonstrated an accurate and reasonable pesticide distribution, with potential for reduced disease damage even in cases with reduced amounts of plant protection products and water.

In this paper the dynamics of spatially extended infected phytoplankton with the Holling type II functional response and logistically growing susceptible phytoplankton system is studied. The proposed model is an extension of temporal model available [6], in spatiotemporal domain. The reaction diffusion system exhibits spatiotemporal chaos in phytoplankton dynamics. This is particularly important for the spatially extended systems that are studied in this paper as they display a wide spectrum of ecologically relevant behavior, including chaos. In this system stability of the system is studied with respect to disease contact rate and the growth fraction of infected phytoplankton indirectly rejoin the susceptible phytoplankton population. The results of numerical experiments in one dimension and two dimensions in space as well as time series in temporal models are presented using MATLAB simulation. Moreover, the stability of the corresponding temporal model is studied analytically. Finally, the comparison of the three types of numerical experimentations are discussed in conclusion.

Companion animals are increasingly being recognized as important contributors to the spreading of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The present work aimed to measure the antimicrobial drug prescribing in dogs and cats in the Campania region, Italy by analyzing the Veterinary Electronic Prescriptions (VEPs) between 2019 and 2020. The medical records associated with antimicrobial drug prescription were collected considering the drug delivery (systemic or local) and the rationale for the treatment chosen. In the period under investigation, 166879 drugs were prescribed of which 129116 (73.37 %) were antimicrobial. A total of 83965 (65.03 %) antibiotics were prescribed to dogs, 40477 (31.35 %) to cats, and 4674 (3.62 %) to other companion animals. In dogs the 90.48 % of VEPs prescribed for systemic treatment included an antimicrobial Critically Important or Highly Important or Important for human medicine (WHO, 2018). The most widely commonly prescribed class were fluoroquinolones. The main prescribed antimicrobials were the metronidazole-spiramycin (29.71%), amoxicillin-clavulanic (19.58%), enrofloxacin and cephalexin in dogs (16.52 %) and enrofloxacin (22.64%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (21.37 %) in cats. Based on the results the wide use of broad-spectrum or second-line antibiotics is emerged together with the use of the critically important antimicrobials for human medicine.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat linked to increased morbidity and mortality. It has the potential to return us to the pre-antibiotic era. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are recognized as a key intervention to improve antimicrobial use and combat AMR. However, implementation of AMS programs remains limited in Africa, particularly in Rwanda. This qualitative study, conducted at King Faisal Hospital (KFH) in Rwanda, aimed at assessing current prescription practices to identify areas for improvement and promote adherence to AMS principles. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed, revealing four emerging themes. First, emerged on AMS activities that were working well which includes availability of microbiology laboratory results, and prescription guidelines as factors influencing antibiotic prescription adjustments. Second, Implementations challenges to AMS which identified the prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics, limited local data on AMR patterns, stock-outs of essential antibiotics, Thirdly, the importance of adhering to AMR management guidelines at KFH was underscored. Lastly, participant recommendations centered on regular training for healthcare workers, widespread dissemination of AMR findings across departments, and the enforcement of antibiotic restriction policies. These actions can improve prescription behaviors, upholding the highest standards of patient care, and strengthening the nascent AMS program.

Baduanjin exercise is a traditional Chinese health-Qigong routine, created by an ancient physician for health promotion. Its mild-to-moderate exercise intensity is suitable for individuals with medical conditions. Recently, a large number of trials were conducted to investigate the effects of Baduanjin exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It needs to be determined whether Baduanjin exercise prescription is beneficial for the management of COPD patients. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to objectively evaluate the existing literature on this topic. We searched six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CNKI, and Wanfang) from its inception till early May, 2018. The adapted PEDro scale was used for study quality assessment of all randomized controlled trials (RCT). The pooled effect size (Hedge’s g) of exercise capability (6-Minute Walking Test, 6-MWT), lung function parameters (forced expiratory volume in first second, FEV1; forced volume vital capacity, FVC; FEV1/FVC ratio), and quality of life were calculated based on the random-effects model. Twenty RCTs (n = 1975 COPD patients) were included in this review, with sum scores of the adapted PEDro scale between 5 and 9. Study results of meta-analysis indicate that Baduanjin is effective in improving exercise capability (Hedge’s g = 0.69, CI 0.44 to 0.94, p < 0.001, I2 = 66%), FEV1 (Hedge’s g = 0.47, CI 0.22 to 0.73, p < 0.001, I2 = 68.01%), FEV1% (Hedge’s g = 0.38, CI 0.21 to 0.56, p < 0.001, I2 = 54.74%), FVC (Hedge’s g = 0.39, CI 0.22 to 0.56, p < 0.001, I2 = 14.57%), FEV1/FVC (Hedge’s g = 0.5, CI 0.33 to 0.68, p < 0.001, I2 = 53.49%), and the quality of life of COPD patients (Hedge’ s g = - 0.45, CI -0.77 to - 0.12, p < 0.05, I2 = 77.02%), as compared to control groups. Baduanjin exercise as an adjunctive treatment may potentially improve exercise capability and pulmonary function of COPD patients as well as quality of life. Baduanjin exercise could be tentatively prescribed for COPD in combination with the conventional rehabilitation program to quicken the process of recovery. To confirm the positive effects of Baduanjin exercise for COPD patients, future researchers need to consider our suggestions mentioned in this article.

The effective dissemination and implementation of health service interventions into practice requires a range of strategic and systematic approaches. This paper applies a conceptual implementation framework to the evaluation of a hospital-wide clinical pharmacy initiative, a redesign of the discharge medication prescription pathway. The influencing factors and strategies used to overcome potential negative influences are described and assessed.

With opioid overdose rates on the rise, we aim to develop a county-level risk stratification, specifically focusing on access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) and high overdose rates. We examined over 15 million records from the South Carolina Prescription Tracking System (SCRIPTS) across 46 counties. Additionally, we incorporated data from opioid treatment programs, healthcare professionals prescribing naltrexone, clinicians with buprenorphine waivers, and county-level overdose fatality statistics. To assess the risk of opioid misuse, we classified counties into high-risk and low-risk categories based on prescription rates, overdose fatalities, and treatment service availability. Utilizing statistical methods, we compared prescription patterns and outcomes between these groups. Our study shows that between 2017 and 2021, opioid prescriptions decreased from 64,223 to 41,214 per 100,000 residents, while fentanyl-related overdose deaths increased by 312%. High-risk counties have significantly higher rates of fentanyl prescriptions and rely more on out-of-state doctors. They also exhibit higher instances of doctor shopping and had fewer medical doctors per capita, with limited access to MOUD. To effectively combat the opioid crisis, we advocate for improved local healthcare infrastructure, broader treatment access, stricter management of out-of-state prescriptions, and vigilant tracking of prescription patterns. Tailored local strategies are essential for mitigating the opioid epidemic in these communities.

The opioid crisis in the United States has had devastating effects on communities across the country, leading many states to pass legislation that limits the prescription of opioid medications in an effort to reduce the number of overdose deaths. This study evaluates the impact of two categories of PDMP and Pill Mill regulations on the supply of opioid prescriptions at the level of dispensers and distributors (excluding manufacturers) using ARCOS data. The study uses a difference-in-difference method with a two-way fixed design to analyze the data. The study finds that both of the regulations are associated with reductions in the volume of opioid distribution. However, the study reveals that these regulations may have unintended consequences, such as shifting the distribution of controlled substances to neighboring states. For example, in Tennessee, the implementation of Operational PDMP regulations reduces in-state distribution of opioid drugs by 3.36% (95% CI, 2.37 to 4.3), while the out-of-state distribution to Georgia, which did not have effective PDMP regulations in place, increases by 16.93% (95% CI, 16.42 to 17.44). Our studies emphasize that policymakers should consider the potential for unintended distribution shifts of opioid drugs to neighboring states with laxer regulations as well as varying impacts on different dispenser types.

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics has been reported to contribute to the emergence and increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the world. Antibiotics are prescription-only medicines to be dispensed to a person with a legal prescription inscribed by a qualified medical practitioner. Enforcing the dispensing of antibiotics with prescription is a way to promote the rational use of antibiotics and preventing the development and spread of AMR. It is, therefore, the responsibility of a pharmacist to dispense or supervise the dispensing of antibiotics in pharmacies and ensure its rational use. This study aimed to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription in Tanzania. Methods: An online semi-structured questionnaire was designed, tested and shared with licensed pharmacists in Tanzania through an invitation link sent in their official WhatsApp groups. A list of names, contacts and emails of licensed pharmacists obtained from the Pharmacy Council was used to directly contact and request pharmacist to fill the questionnaire, in case the pharmacist contact was not on WhatsApp, a text SMS invitation was sent. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data were then downloaded and exported into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 for data analysis; Chi-square test was used to test association for categorical data, where a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: More than 75% of pharmacists had excellent knowledge about the legal requirements for dispensing antibiotics and of the AMR challenge. Of the interviewed pharmacists, seventy-four percent admitted to dispensing antibiotics without prescription in their daily practice. The main reasons for administering antibiotics without prescription were the profitability nature of pharmacy business, a failure of the patient to get a prescription and lack of stringent regulatory authorities. Penicillins, macrolides and floroquinolones were the classes of antibiotics mostly dispensed without a prescription. Conclusion: The study shows that the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription is a common practice in Tanzania. The regulatory authorities should make regular inspections in pharmacies to detect this malpractice. The community should be trained on the importance of taking laboratory tests before getting medications for their sickness by a qualified medical practitioner.

The main objective of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications of Authorship Pattern. The present study covers 1723 research papers published in the area of authorship pattern and indexed in Scopus database from the year 2013 to 2022. These research publications considered for the present study have been analysed based on their year wise growth, pattern of authorship, times citations, type of publication, most productive publication source as well as countries and institutions. The study shows the positive growth of the literatures with collaborative authorship pattern and good citation status. This original research paper will be helpful to the researchers of library and information science, especially who are working in the area of bibliometrics studies.

Elevation has been a cornerstone of biodiversity research, and changes in the environmental factors behind it influence biodiversity and community patterns. Exploring the potential reasons behind liverwort community patterns has been a matter of multiplied interest for ecologists. In the present study, we assessed the liverwort plants of the Sygera Mountain from 3100 m to 4500 m decaying wood, tree, soil, and rock using complex field surveys in 2017 and 2019, and investigated the effects of altitude and various climatic factors on the diversity and community composition of the Sygera Mountain. Also, we used including ANOVA, mixed effects modeling, NMDS, ANOSIM, and CCA, which helped to critically assess the liverwort diversity with respect to environmental variables. The results of the study showed a bimodal variation in the richness of liverwort communities with altitude, with peaks occurring at 3500 m and 4100 m. The variation with altitude was significant, with communities at 4100 m and 4300 m being associated with arid environments, and those at 3100 m and 3300 m favoring areas of higher mean annual temperatures and precipitation. Among the climatic factors, the variation in mean diurnal rang, precipitation, and annual temperature was found to be the determinant of liverwort communities. The results suggest that elevation and daily temperature fluctuations play a crucial role in the distribution and community structure formation of mountain liverwort plants. This study deepens our understanding of liverwort ecology and emphasizes the importance of climatic variables in determining plant community composition.

In the investment casting process, the pattern made of wax is obtained in a die for further formation of shell mold. This work investigates commercial pattern waxes fluidity with a newly developed injection fluidity test. A good correlation between wax fluidity and its viscosity is observed, which is different from metallic alloys, where the solidification behavior is more critical. The difference in investigated filled waxes fluidity can be associated with the type and amount of filler.

MRI shows in-vivo the three archetypal patterns of CNS volume loss underlying progressive ataxias, namely spinal atrophy (SA), cortical cerebellar atrophy (CCA) and olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA). The MRI-based CNS atrophy pattern was reviewed in 128 progressive ataxias. A CNS atrophy pattern was identified in 91 conditions: SA in Freidreich’s ataxia, CCA in 5 acquired and 72 (24 dominant, 47 recessive,1 X-linked) inherited ataxias, OPCA in Multi-System Atrophy and 12 (9 dominant, 2 recessive,1 X-linked) inherited ataxias. The MRI-based CNS atrophy pattern may be useful for genetic assessment, identification of shared cellular targets, and repurposing therapies or enlargement of drugs indications in progressive ataxias.

This article introduces a novel approach, termed the Asymmetric Probabilistic Tsetlin (APT) Machine, which incorporates the Stochastic Point Location (SPL) algorithm with the Asymmetric Steps technique into the Tsetlin Machine (TM). APT introduces stochasticity into the state transitions of Tsetlin Automata (TA) by leveraging the SPL algorithm, thereby enhancing pattern recognition capabilities. To enhance random search processes, we introduced a decaying normal distribution into the procedure. Meanwhile, the Asymmetric Steps approach biases state transition probabilities towards specific input patterns, further elevating operational efficiency. The efficacy of the proposed approach is assessed across diverse benchmark datasets for classification tasks. The performance of APT is compared with traditional machine learning algorithms and other Tsetlin Machine models, including the Asymmetric Tsetlin (AT) Machine, characterized by deterministic rules for Asymmetric transitions, and the Classical Tsetlin (CT) Machine, employing deterministic rules for symmetric transitions. Strikingly, the introduced APT methodology demonstrates highly competitive outcomes compared to established machine learning methods. Notably, both APT and AT exhibit state-of-the-art performance, surpassing the Classical Tsetlin Machine, emphasizing the efficacy of asymmetric models for achieving superior outcomes. Remarkably, APT exhibits even better performance than AT, particularly in handling complex datasets.

Security patterns encompass security-related issues in secure software system development and operations that often appear in certain contexts. Since the late 1990s about 500 security patterns have been proposed. Although the technical components are well investigated, the direction, overall picture, and barriers to implementation are not. Here, a systematic literature review of 240 papers is used to devise a taxonomy for security pattern research. Our taxonomy and the survey results should improve communications among practitioners and researchers, standardize the terminology, and increase the effectiveness of security patterns.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) or testicular tissue cryopreservation (TTC) are effective and often the only options for fertility preservation in female or male patients due to oncological, medical, or social aspects. While TTC and resumption of spermatogenesis, either in vivo or in vitro, has still be considered an experimental approach in humans, OTC and autotransplantation has been applied increasingly to preserve fertility with more than 200 live births worldwide. However, the cryopreservation of reproductive cells followed by the resumption of gametogenesis, either in vivo or in vitro, may interfere with sensitive and highly regulated cellular processes. In particular, the epigenetic profile, which includes not just reversible modifications of the DNA itself but also post-translational histone modifications, small non-coding RNAs, gene expression and availability, and storage of related proteins or transcripts, have to be considered in this context. Due to complex reprogramming and maintenance mechanisms of the epigenome in germ cells, growing embryos, and offspring, OTC and TTC are carried out at very critical moments early in the life cycle. Given this background, the safety of OTC and TTC taking into account the epigenetic profile has to be clarified. Cryopreservation of mature germ cells (including Metaphase II oocytes and mature spermatozoa collected via ejaculation or more invasively after testicular biopsy) or embryos has been used successfully for many years in Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR). However, tissue freezing followed by in vitro or in vivo gametogenesis has become more attractive in the past, while few human studies have analysed the epigenetic effects, with most data deriving from animal studies. In this review, we highlight the potential influence of the cryopreservation of immature germ cells and subsequent in vivo or in vitro growth and differentiation on the epigenetic profile in humans and animals.

Footprints are powerful indicators for evaluating the impact of the bioeconomy of a country on environmental goods, domestically and abroad. In this study, we apply a hybrid approach combining a Multi-Regional Input-Output model and land use modelling to compute the agricultural land footprint (aLF). Furthermore, we added information on land-use change to the analysis and allocated land conversion to specific commodities. The German case study shows that the aLF abroad is larger by a factor of 2.5 to 3 than the aLF in Germany. In 2005 and 2010, conversion of natural and semi-natural land-cover types abroad allocated to Germany due to import increases was 2.5 times higher than the global average. Import increases to Germany slowed down in 2015 and 2020, reducing land conversion attributed to the German bioeconomy to the global average. The case study shows that the applied land footprint provides clear and meaningful information for policymakers and other stakeholders. The presented methodological approach can be applied to other countries and regions covered in the underlying database EXIOBASE. It can be adapted, also for an assessment of other ecosystem functions, such as water or soil fertility.

The effective management of Fusarium wilt of bananas (FW) depends on the knowledge of the disease dynamics in time and space. The objectives of this work were: To estimate disease intensity and impact, and to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamic of FW. Fields planted with Silk (n = 10), Pome (n = 17) or Cavendish (n = 3) banana subgroups were surveyed in Brazil, totaling 95 ha. In each field, all plants were visually assessed and diseased plants were georeferenced. The incidence of FW and the impact of the disease on yield on a regional scale were estimated. Spatial patterns were analyzed using quadrat- and distance-based methods. FW incidence ranged from 0.09 to 41.42%, being higher in Silk fields (median = 14.26%). Impacts of epidemics on yield ranged from 18.4 to 8,192.5 kg.ha-1.year-1, with a median of 935.2 kg.ha-1.year-1. The higher economic impact of the disease was observed on Silk cultivar with a median loss of US$ 910.5 ha-1.year-1. Overall, estimated losses increased on average by US$ 109.8 ha-1.year-1 at each 1% of incidence. Aggregation of FW was detected by all analytical methods in 13 fields (1 of Cavendish, 11 of Pome and 1 of Silk). In the other 17 fields, at least one analytical method did not reject the null hypothesis of randomness. One field (5 ha), composed of six plots, was selected for spatial and temporal studies during two years with bi-monthly assessments. A sigmoidal curve represented the FW progress and the Gompertz model best fitted disease progress. The level of aggregation varied over time, and evidence of secondary infection to neighboring and distant plants were detected. FW is a widespread problem in Brazil and yield losses can be of high magnitude. Epidemiology-based management strategies can now be better established.

The expression microarray technique was performed to investigate the differences in gene expression between Czech Large White pigs and wild boars in the longissimus lumborum et thoracis and biceps femoris muscle tissues. The NREP gene (neuronal regeneration related protein homolog) was selected for detailed study as an expressional and functional candidate gene. NREP plays a role in the transformation of neural, muscle and fibroblast cells and in smooth muscle myogenesis. Quantitative real-time PCR results confirmed that the porcine NREP gene was expressed in both skeletal muscles and significantly overexpressed in Czech Large White pigs compared to wild boars (P &lt; 0.05). We identified 9 polymorphic sites in genomic DNA of NREP gene. Six of these polymorphisms were in complete linkage disequilibrium and therefore only 4 polymorphisms were informative. Associations of these 4 polymorphisms (HF571253:g.103G&gt;A, HF571253:g.134G&gt;A, HF571253:g.179T&gt;C and HF571253:g.402_409delT) with meat performance traits were assessed in Czech Large White pigs. New polymorphisms in NREP gene were significantly associated with parameters of daily weight gain, lean meat and backfat thickness in Czech Large White pigs. Our primary study suggested that porcine NREP may play an important role in skeletal muscle growth, fat metabolism and meat performance traits.

Agriculture and farming worldwide are responsible for numerous environmental threats, including degradation of land and water resources depletion. Underlining the dynamic interaction between bio-physical and socio-economic drivers is the key towards a more sustainable land and water management. With regard to a highly developed agricultural area in southern Italy, multi-regression models were developed to interpret the observed inter-annual variability of cropped land. Main drivers related to Common Agricultural Policy support, product market prices, crop yield and irrigation water availability were investigated. The adopted models revealed the different weighs of each driver. The findings reported the role that direct payments played in supporting the extension of irrigated crops, such as processing tomato. Likewise, the models pointed to decoupled payment scheme as the most important driver of change in the crop pattern over the last years.

Generally, when cognitive radio users are in Underlay mode, through the analysis of the electromagnetic spectrum in time, frequency, space, and field of multiple dimensional data accounts for judging the inherent correlation of the radio spectrum used/idle state, this is the realization of cognitive radio users (secondary users, SUs) efficient access to the foundation of the limited spectrum resources. Therefore, how to efficiently use of spectrum status of each SU implementation of reception multidimensional combination forecasting is the core of this paper addressing the problem. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning hybrid model called TensorGCN-LSTM based on the tensor data structure. The model treats SUs deployed at different spatial locations under the same frequency and the spectrum status of SUs themselves under different frequencies in the task area as nodes and constructs two types of graph structures. Graph convolutional operations are used to sequentially extract corresponding spatial-domain and frequency-domain features from the two types of graph structures. Then, the long short-term memory (LSTM) model is used to fuse the spatial, frequency, and temporal features of the cognitive radio environment data. Finally, the prediction task of the spectrum distribution situation is accomplished through fully connected layers. Specifically, the model constructs a tensor graph based on the spatial similarity of SUs' locations and the frequency correlation between different frequency signals received by SUs, which describes the electromagnetic wave's dependency relationship in spatial and frequency domains. LSTM is used to capture the electromagnetic wave's dependency relationship in the temporal domain. To evaluate the effectiveness of the model, we conducted ablation experiments on LSTM, GCN, GC-LSTM, and TensorGCN-LSTM models using simulated data. The experimental results show that our model achieved better prediction performance in RMSE, and the correlation coefficient R2 of 0.8753 also confirmed the feasibility of the model.

Music acoustics is an interdisciplinary field and mathematics is the basis in the music art form. Music and mathematics correlation exist since the inception of music. Various philosophers, scientists, mathematicians and musicians have expressed their views about this relationship. This paper attempts to explore this association with focus on melodic pattern identification. Mathematics in Indian Classical music with raga as the basis and just intonation tuning system is discussed. Indian vocal music clips are used for different pitch estimation algorithms in the experimentation. Harmonic product spectrum and auto-correlation algorithms are tested for accurate pitch estimation. Enhanced auto-correlation function using audio segmentation is compared with other approaches for effective pitch extraction. Results indicate pitch extraction with enhanced auto-correlation function provides accurate results as compared with other approaches tested.

Cannabinoids are prescribed to children with cerebral palsy (CP) despite limited evidence. We aimed to assess the prescription practices of cannabinoids in children with CP with a particular focus on indications, what kind of preparations are used and how well cannabinoids are tolerated. Furthermore, we investigated how physicians acquire knowledge on cannabinoid medication. We asked physicians with expertise in the care of children with CP about their prescription prac-tices of cannabinoids. Data was collected through an online survey, which was distributed by email. In addition to the demographic information of participants, we also inquired about the indications for the prescription of cannabinoids, about experiences regarding efficacy, and ob-served side effects of the therapy. Seventy physicians from Europe, North America and Australia completed the survey. Forty-seven participants were experienced in the treatment of children with CP by cannabinoids. The most common indication was epilepsy (69%), followed by spasticity (64%) and pain (63%). The pre-scribed preparations and doses varied considerably. Half of the participants evaluated the effect of the cannabinoids as moderate. Twenty-nine physicians reported side effects, most frequently drowsiness (26%), somnolence (19%), fatigue (13%), and diarrhea (13%). Despite the lack of evidence to date, cannabinoids are used to treat children with CP in a wide variety of indications. Randomized controlled trials in this vulnerable patient group are therefore of utmost importance.

Background: Monitoring of antibiotic prescription practices in hospitals is essential to assess and facilitate appropriate use. This is relevant to halt the progression of antimicrobial resistance. Methods: Assessment of antibiotic prescribing patterns and completeness of antibiotic prescriptions among out-patients in 2021 was conducted at the University Hospital of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in the Ashanti region of Ghana. We reviewed electronic medical records (EMR) of 49,660 patients who had 110,280 encounters in the year. Results: The patient encounters yielded 350,149 prescriptions. Every month, 33-36% of patient encounters resulted in antibiotic prescription, higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended optimum of 27%. Almost half of the antibiotics prescribed belonged to WHO’s Watch group. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (50%), azithromycin (29%), ciprofloxacin (28%), metronidazole (21%), and cefuroxime (20%) were the most prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotic prescribing parameters (indication, name of drug, duration, dose, route and frequency) were documented in almost all prescriptions. Conclusions: Extending antimicrobial stewardship to the out-patient settings by developing standard treatment guidelines, an out-patient specific drug formulary and antibiograms can promote rational antibiotic use at the hospital. The EMR system of the hospital is a valuable tool for monitoring prescriptions that can be leveraged for future audits.

Despite increased protection globally, climate change and other anthropogenic factors have caused a significant decline in seagrass cover. Identifying the specific causes of this decline is paramount if they are to be addressed. Therefore, we identified the causes of long-term change in seagrass/submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) percentage cover and extent in the Bluefields Bay Special Fish Conservation Area (BBSFCA), a marine protected area on Jamaica’s southern coast. We used two random forest regression (RFr) models that included 2013 hydroacoustic survey SAV percentage cover data (dependent variable), and auxiliary data, reflectance data from level 2 processed 2013 Landsat 7 and 8 images and image band texture statistics maps (mean and variance) as predictors to generate 24 SAV percentage cover maps for the period 1984 – 2021 (37 years) using data from Landsat 4-5, 7 and 8 images., from which benthic features maps (SAV present, absent and coral reef) were created. Rainfall and map data were used to determine if SAV extent/area (km2) and average percentage cover and annual rainfall changed significantly over time and to evaluate the influence of rainfall. Rainfall impact on the overall spatial patterns of SAV loss, gain, and percentage cover change was assessed using a pixel-based regression. Finally, the most important spatial pattern predictors (two rainfall proxies (distance and direction from river mouth), benthic topography, depth, and hurricane exposure (a measure of hurricane disturbance)) of SAV loss, gain, and percentage cover change during 23 successive 1-to-4-year periods were identified using spatial Bayesian INLA generalized linear mixed models. SAV area/extent was largely stable with &gt; 70% mean percentage cover for multiple years. However, Hurricane Ivan (in 2004) caused a significant decline in SAV area/extent (by 1.62 km2, or a 13%) during 2002 – 2006 and a second hurricane (Dean) in 2007 delayed recovery until 2015. Additionally, rainfall declined significantly by &gt;1000 mm since 1901, and mean monthly rainfall positively influenced SAV percentage cover change. The pixel-based regression highlighted areas where mean monthly rainfall had a positive overall effect on SAV cover percentage change (across the entire bay) and gain (closer to the mouth of a river). The most frequently selected important spatial pattern predictors were the two rainfall proxies (areas closer to the river mouth were more likely to experience SAV loss and gain) and depth, with shallow areas generally having a higher probability of SAV loss and gain. Three hurricanes had significant but different impacts depending on their distance from the southern coastline. Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall in 1988, resulted in higher SAV percentage cover loss in 1987 - 1988. Benthic locations with a northwestern/northern facing aspect (the predominant direction of Ivan’s leading edge wind bands) experienced higher SAV losses during 2002 – 2006. Although some locations impacted by Ivan and not by Dean recovered during 2006 – 2008, exposure to Ivan explained percentage cover loss during 2006 – 2008 and average exposure to (the cumulative impact of) Ivan and Dean (both with tracks close to the southern coastline) explained SAV loss during 2013 – 2015. Therefore, despite historic lows in annual rainfall, overall, higher rainfall was beneficial, multiple hurricanes impacted the site, and despite two hurricanes in three years SAV recovered within a decade. Hurricanes and a further reduction in rainfall may pose a serious threat to SAV persistence in the future.

In offshore drilling, accidents such as gas invasion, overflow, and kicks are inevitable, and they can escalate into blowouts and other catastrophic events that result in casualties and substantial economic losses. Therefore, maintaining drilling safety requires accurate monitoring of gas invasion and overflow. The majority of overflow monitoring methods currently utilized at drilling sites are threshold-based. However, monitoring parameters acquired during actual drilling operations frequently contain noise signals, making it difficult for threshold-based methods to strike a balance between improving accuracy and minimizing false positives. In this paper, Pattern Recognition-based Kick Detection (PRKD) is proposed as a novel method for diagnosing overflow in offshore drilling. This method utilizes the overflow evolution process by integrating multi-phase flow calculations, data filtering theory, pattern recognition theory, the Bayesian framework, and other theoretical models. The PRKD effectively detects and monitors gas intrusion and overflow based on single parameters by analyzing the shape and wave characteristics of the curves. The case analysis demonstrates that the proposed method for monitoring drilling overflow achieves high precision while maintaining a low false positive rate. By combining advanced computational techniques with pattern recognition algorithms, the PRKD improves the accuracy and reliability of kick detection, enabling proactive responses to potential risks, protecting the environment and human lives, and optimizing drilling operations.

Ground penetrating radar (georadar, GPR), widely used in geology, archeology and road construction, is an efficient tool for searching and studying subsurface objects and structures. When planning GPR missions, it is necessary to predict the resolution of the device and the achievable probing depth. The article discusses the methods and results of assessing these characteristics of the Loza-V and Loza-N radars obtained in the course of archaeological and geographical expedition works.

For personalized recommender systems,matrix factorization and its variants have become mainstream in collaborative filtering.However,the dot product in matrix factorization does not satisfy the triangle inequality and therefore fails to capture fine-grained information. Metric learning-based models have been shown to be better at capturing fine-grained information than matrix factorization. Nevertheless,most of these models only focus on rating data and social information, which are not sufficient for dealing with the challenges of data sparsity. In this paper,we propose a metric learning-based social recommendation model called SRMC.SRMC exploits users' co-occurrence pattern to discover their potentially similar or dissimilar users with symmetric relationships and change their relative positions to achieve better recommendations.Experiments on three public datasets show that our model is more effective than the compared models.

Existing implementations of game design patterns have largely been confined to theoretical or research settings. Weaknesses in these implementations have prevented game design patterns from being properly evaluated as an educational and practical development tool. This paper examines these weaknesses, describes a method of developing and applying patterns that overcome the weaknesses, and evaluates use of the method for game design education and practice. Weaknesses in existing pattern implementations are: omission of design problems, presumption of functional completeness at the level of pattern languages, narrow topical focus, and lack of a concise, repeatable method for pattern production. Several features of the proposed method were specifically built to address these weaknesses, namely the pattern template, the process for connecting patterns into a language and assessing the language’s scope, a rubric for assessing pattern confidence and interconnectivity confidence, and pattern-building exercises. This method was applied in a classroom setting. Results, as assessed by the evaluation of student work, suggest that creating patterns/pattern languages is an effective pedagogical approach. De-signs produced using designer-created patterns closely align with existing design theory and are clearly understood by students. The above results may indicate that the path to gaining wider acceptance of pattern theory as a design framework within game design is not to produce a universal pattern language but to facilitate the creation of case-specific languages, by students and professional designers, that use a shared ontology and thus can be combined easily to solve the diverse sets of problems faced by these groups.

The study aimed to evaluate the association between the changes in ventilatory variables (tidal volume (Vt), respiratory rate (RR), and lung ventilation (VE)) and deoxygenation of m.intescostales (∆SmO2-m.intercostales) during a maximal incremental exercise in nineteen male competitive marathon runners. The ventilatory variables and oxygen-consumption (VO2) were recorded breath-by-breath by exhaled gas analysis. A near-infrared spectroscopy device (MOXY) located in the right-hemithorax allowed recording SmO2-m.intercostales. To explore changes in oxygen levels in muscles with high demand during exercise, a second MOXY records SmO2-m.vastus laterallis. The triphasic model of exercise intensity was used for evaluating changes in SmO2 in both muscle groups. We found that ∆SmO2-m.intercostales correlated with VO2-peak (r=0.65; p=0.002) and the increase of VE (r=0.78; p=0.001), RR (r=0.54; p=0.001), but not Vt (p=0.210). The interaction of factors (muscles X exercise-phases) in SmO2 expressed as an arbitrary unit (a.u) was significant (p=0.005). At VT1 were no difference (p=0.177), but SmO2-m.intercostales was higher at VT1 (p&lt;0.001) and VO2-peak (p&lt;0.001). In competitive marathon runners, the m.intercostales deoxygenation during incremental exercise is directly associated with the aerobic capacity and increased lung ventilation and respiratory rate, but not tidal volume. Besides, it shows less deoxygenation than m.vastus laterallis at intensities above the aerobic ventilatory threshold.

Recent advancements in web-based geospatial software and smartphone technology have popularized the process of voluntary production and sharing of geospatial data by individual citizens. Through such Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) activities, people across the world participate in online mapping projects (such as OpenStreetMap) to insert their spatial information. The quality of data generated by such VGI activities has profound impacts on online mapping projects and their spatial database. In this study, we examine the VGI contribution pattern in OpenStreetMap through three case study neighborhoods located in three major cities: Tehran, London, and Los Angeles, and investigate how it might affect the process of quality assessment of VGI.

Background: Poisoning is a challenging medical condition facing health care providers, as it usually results in serious outcomes in terms of morbidities or mortalities. Poisoning is a challenging medical condition facing health care providers, as it usually results in serious outcomes in terms of morbidities or mortalities. The lack of or inadequate information about the circumstances, substances and populations at risk are considered barriers to the actual prevention of poisoning and effective intervention strategies in Saudi Arabia. The aim of the current study was to describe the pattern and determinants of chemical and drug overdose poisoning in Makkah.Subjects and methods: All reports of chemical and drug overdose poisoning delivered to the Environmental Health and Occupational Safety Department in Makkah over two years (2018-2019) were reviewed.Results: The total number of cases reported in 2018 was 209 cases, while it reached 42 cases in 2019. The overwhelming majority of the cases were Saudi (91.6%), with a slight predominance of males (57.4%) over females (42.6%). Generally, almost two-thirds of the cases occurred in children below 13 years (61.4%), most of the poisoning cases resulted from drug overdose (63.3%), while 34.7% were chemical poisoning. The most common drug poisoning was attributed to analgesics followed by antiepileptics, antihypertensive drugs, antipsychotics and antimicrobials, while cleaning and detergent agents were the most commonly poisoned chemicals. The majority of these agents were taken by the oral route. Children's chemical poisoning was significantly higher than that in older age groups (p<0.05). All intentional poisoning occurred in adults; the great majority of them (88.9%) used drug overdosing rather than chemical substances.Conclusion and recommendations: The current study results are consistent with most of the previous studies carried out in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Further in-depth studies are needed to elaborate other social and demographic factors associated with chemical and drug overdose poisoning. Public health plans, policies and legislations should be implemented to reduce these factors. Intensive supervision of children is needed. Suicidal poisoning patients should seek psychiatric help to limit the possibility of attempting suicide again in the future. Furthermore, efforts are needed to plan and implement health education programs about the factors proven in the current study to be significantly related to chemical and drug overdose poisoning.

Pressure drop and flow pattern of oil-water flows were investigated in a 19 mm ID clear polyvinyl chloride pipe consisting of U-bend with radius of curvature of 100 mm. The range for oil and water superficial velocities tested were and respectively. Measurements were carried out under different flow conditions in a test section that consisted of four different parts: upstream of the bend, at the bend and at two redeveloping flow locations after the bend. The result indicated that the bend had limited influence on downstream flow patterns. However, the shear forces imposed by the bend caused some shift flow pattern transition and bubble characteristics in the redeveloping flow section after the bend relative to develop flow before the bend. Generally, pressure gradient at all the test sections increased with both oil fraction and water superficial velocity and there was a sharp change of pressure gradient profile during phase inversion. The transition point where phase inversion occurred was always within the range of . Pressure losses differed at the various test sections and the difference was strongly linked to the superficial velocity of the phases and the flow pattern. At high mixture velocity, pressure losses at the redeveloping section after the bend were higher than that at the bend and that for fully developed flows. At low mixture velocity, pressure losses at the bend are higher than in the straight sections. Pressure drop generally decreased with level of flow development downstream of the bend.

Introduction: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common disease burdened with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the substantial number of new available drug treatments, adherence to therapy and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the major constrain in the management of this disease. We evaluated the use, the adherence and the dsaftey of antidiabetic drugs in patients with T2DM. Methods: we performed an observational, retrospective, multicenter study on medical records of outpatients referred to general practitioners. Drug adherence was measured in agreement to the European Society for Patient Adherence, Compliance and Persistence Medication Adherence Reporting Guideline. ADRs were evaluated using the Naranjo probability scale. Collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: During the study we evaluated 12,170 medical records of 7 general practitioners. The most prescribed drug was metformin alone (28.4%) or with other oral antidiabetics (19.6%) and then insulin (n: 354; men 190, women 164). Enrolled patients were stratified as high (35%), medium (41%) and low (24%) adherence. Logistic regression showed an association between T2DM less than or equal to 5 years and low adherence (P = 0.023). During the study we recorded 26 ADRs that was correlated with sex (women) and insulin treatment. Conclusion: this real-life study shows that patients with T2DM have high adherence probably related dto a low number of ADRs

Background: Although, negative repercussions of inadequate health service use on the health outcomes has been presumably exacerbated by COVID-19, the impact of the pandemic measures has been not evaluated properly yet. Objective: Our study aimed to quantify the COVID-19 pandemic measures’ effect on the general practitioner (GP) visit, specialist care, hospitalization and cost-related prescription nonredemption (CRPNR) among adults in Hungary, and to identify the social strata susceptible to the pandemic effect. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study based on nationally representative data of 6,611 (Nprepandemic=5,603 and Npandemic=1,008) subjects aged 18 years and above. Data were obtained from the European Health Interview Survey 2019 (EHIS) and International Social Survey Program 2021 (ISSP) for prepandemic and pandemic, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing the health care use by odds ratios (OR) along with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). To identify the social strata susceptible to pandemic effect, the interaction of the time of data collection with level of education, marital status, and ethnicity, was also tested. Results: While, the CRPNR did not changed, the frequency of GP visit, specialist care and hospitalization rate were remarkably reduced by 22.2%, 26.4%, and 6.7%, respectively, during the pandemic in Hungary. Roma proved to be not specifically affected by the pandemic in any studied respect. The pandemic restructuring of health care impacted the social subgroups evenly with respect to hospital care. However, the pandemic effect was weaker among primary educated adults (ORhigh-school vs primary-education =0.434; 95% CI 0.243-0.776, ORhigh-school vs primary-education =0.598; 95% CI 0.364-0.985), and among widows (ORwidowed vs married =2.284; 95% CI 1.043-4.998, ORwidowed vs married=1.915; 95% CI 1.157-3.168) on the frequency of GP visit and specialist visit; and the prepandemic CRPNR inequality by level of education was increased (ORhigh-school vs primary-education =0.236; 95% CI 0.075-0.743). Conclusion: Primary educated and widowed did not follow the general trend, and their prepandemic limited health care use was not reduced further during pandemic, resulting in an inequality reduction. The vulnerability of primary educated to CRPNR was the only gap widened in the pandemic period. This shows that although the management of pandemic health care use restrictions was implemented by increasing the social inequality in Hungary, the prevention of inequity in drug availability for primary educated individuals could require more support.

Traditionally, neutron scattering is an essential method for the analysis of spin structures and spin excitations in bulk materials. Over the last 30 years, polarized neutron scattering in terms of reflectometry has also contributed largely to the analysis of magnetic thin films and magnetic multilayers. More recently it has been shown that polarized neutron reflectivity is, in addition, a suitable tool for the study of thin films laterally patterned with magnetic stripes or islands. We provide a brief overview of the fundamental properties of polarized neutron reflectivity, considering different domain states, domain fluctuations, and different domain sizes with respect to the neutron coherence volume. The discussion is exemplified by a set of simulated reflectivities assuming either complete polarization and polarization analysis, or a reduced form of polarized neutron reflectivity without polarization analysis. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of the neutron coherence volume for the interpretation of specular and off-specular intensity maps, in particular when studying laterally non-homogeneous magnetic films. Finally, experimental results, fits, and simulations are shown for specular and off-specular scattering from a magnetic film that has been lithographically patterned into a periodic stripe array. These experiments demonstrate the different and mutually complementary information that can be gained when orienting the stripe array parallel or perpendicular to the scattering plane.

The human proteome is composed from diverse and heterogeneous gene products/proteoforms. Previously, we have been discussing the main technical aspects in developing for inventory of human proteoforms that would be visually attractive, clear, and easy to search (Naryzhny S. J. Proteomics 2018, S1874-3919(18) 30220-3). Here, we present our first draft of the database of proteoforms that is based on this discussion. The database principles and structure are described. The database is called “2DE-pattern” as it contains multiple isoform-centric patterns of proteoforms separated according to 2DE principles.

This paper presents a study and implementation of a convolutional neural network to identify and recognize humpback whale specimens from the unique patterns of their tails. Starting from a dataset composed of images of whale tails, all the phases of the process of creation and training of a neural network are detailed – from the analysis and pre-processing of images to the elaboration of predictions, using TensorFlow and Keras frameworks. Other possible alternatives are also explained when it comes to tackling this problem and the complications that have arisen during the process of developing this paper.

Forensic anthropologists play a key role in skeletal trauma analysis and commonly use macroscopic features to distinguish between trauma types. However, this approach can be challenging, particularly in cases of highly comminuted or incompletely recovered fractures. Histological analysis of microscopic fracture characteristics in fractured bones may thus help provide additional information on trauma type and bone fracture biomechanics in general. This study analysed the extent of microcrack damage to osteons in long bones with blunt force trauma (BFT) and gunshot trauma (GST), from both traumatic death cases and post-mortem experimental fractures. We identified four types of osteonal damage (OD). In traumatic death cases, OD affecting the inside of the osteon and compromising the Haversian canal (type 1) was found to be indicative of BFT. Moreover, OD affecting the cement line (type 3) and interstitial lamellae (type 4) was more common in the GST samples. OD affecting the inside of the osteon without compromising the Haversian canal (type 2) was not found to be indicative of either trauma type. In cases of experimental fractures, our study revealed that post-mortem fractures in dry bone samples featured the highest amount of OD, particularly of type 4. This study also found that the experimentally produced GST featured similar OD pattern to GST death cases. These findings support our hypothesis that there are distinct osteonal damage patterns in human long bones with BFT and GST, which are of relevant value for trauma analysis in forensic anthropology.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Its presentation as ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI) is influence by atherosclerosis risk factors. Aim: To assess the patterns of presentation and predicting risk factors of acute MI in Kosovo. Methods: This is a cross sectional study from the Clinic of Cardiology of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, which included all patients hospitalized with acute MI over a period of 7 years (January 1st, 2014 to December 31st, 2020). Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and epidemiological patterns and risk factors were analyzed. Results: Among 7353 patients admitted with acute MI (age 63 ± 12 years, 29% female), 4366 (59.4%) patients had STEMI, and 2987 (40.6%) NSTEMI. Patients age was not different between the two groups (p=0.077). NSTEMI patients smoked less (48.3% vs. 54%, p<0.001), but were more diabetics (37.8% vs. 33.6%, p<0.001), more hypertensives (69.6% vs. 63%, p<0.001), frequently had family history for coronary artery disease (CAD) (40% vs 38%, p=0.009), and included more females compared to STEMI patients (32% vs 27%, p<0.001). The two groups of patients, did not differ in the prevalence of significant CAD on angiography (66.8% vs. 67.8%, p = 0.396), but NSTEMI patients underwent less primary percutaneous interventions compared with STEMI patients (43.6% vs. 55.2%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In Kosovo, STEMI is commoner than NSTEMI, who were mostly males, more likely to have diabetes, hypertension and family history for CAD compared to those with NSTEMI. Smoking and arterial hypertension proved the strongest predictors of acute MI, in Kosovo, thus highlighting the urgent need for better atherosclerosis risk control and education strategy.

Galectins have been shown to have roles in cancer progression via contributions to angiogenesis, metastasis, cell division, and evasion of immune destruction. This study analyses galectin-1, -3, and -9 serum concentrations in breast cancer patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the characteristics of the patient and tumor such as stage, molecular subtype, and receptor expression. Galectin-9 was found to be statistically significantly increased in HER2 enriched tumors as well as being reduced in patients with hormone receptor positive tumors and increased in patients with HER2 amplified tissues. Galectin-1 was found to be statistically significantly increased in the serum of patients who had undergone hormonal, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy. These findings provide insight as to the changes in galectin levels during cancer progress, response to treatment and molecular phenotype. These findings are valuable in the further understanding of the relationships of galectin and tumor biology and can inform future research on therapeutic targets for galectin inhibitors and the utility of galectin biomarkers.

The nutraceutical value of pomegranate in the treatment of many neoplastic, cardiovascular, viral, inflammatory, metabolic, microbial, intestinal, reproductive and skin diseases is well-documented and is linked to its richness in phenolic compounds. This study aims to evaluate nutraceutical and genetic diversity of novel pomegranate genotypes (G1-G5) in comparison to leading commercial pomegranate varieties i.e. ‘Wonderful’, ‘Primosole’, ‘Dente di Cavallo’ and ‘Valenciana’. Morphometric measurements were carried out on fruits, accompanied by chemical characterization and the development of four new polymorphic SSR markers involved in the flavonoid pathway. The cultivars displayed a marked variability in the weight and shape of fruits, as well as in the weight of arils and juice yield. The highest level of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity was found in ‘Wonderful’ and G4, while the lowest was in ‘Dente di Cavallo’. Furthermore, the results showed that the pomegranate juice, is an excellent source of minerals, especially potassium, which plays a key role in organ functioning. The new flavonoid-related markers effectively differentiated the cultivars with the same diversity pattern as morpho-chemical characterization, so the SSRs developed in the present study can be used as a rapid tool for the identification of pomegranate cultivars with relevant nutraceutical traits.

Data on the KIT mutation rate in skin melanoma in the central European region is missing. Accordingly, in a cohort of 79 double wild type (BRAF/NRAS) skin melanoma KIT mutation was assessed by Sanger sequencing of exons 9,11,13,17 and 18. In this skin melanoma cohort KIT mutation frequency was found to be 34/79 (43%) with a significantly higher rate in acrolentiginous melanoma (ALM) as compared to UV-induced common variants (20/34, 58.8% versus 14/45, 31.1%, p=0.014). Exon 11 was the most frequent mutation site (44.7%) followed by exon 9 (21.1%) equally characterizing UV-induced common histotypes and ALM tumors. KIT mutation hotspots were identified in exon 9 (c491/492), in exon 11 (c559,c572, c570), in exon 13 (c642), in exon 17 (c822) and in exon 18 (c853). The relatively high KIT mutation rate in skin melanoma in this central-European cohort justifies regular testing of this molecular target.

The effect of divergence of chute sidewalls with three different baffle block geometries namely USBR, trihedral and semicircular blocks, as well as the depth and dimensions of the scour hole downstream of the chute were studied using a physical model. For this purpose, 9 models of baffled chutes were designed and constructed with divergence ratios of 1.45, 1.75, and 2.45 and without divergence (with a divergence ratio of 1). Comparing the results on the effect of block geometry at different divergence ratios revealed that the use of blocks proposed in this study instead of standard USBR blocks reduced the mean and maximum scour hole by 50%. For a given block geometry, the mean depth, maximum depth, and length of scour hole were reduced by 75%, 58%, and 50%, respectively.

Stingless bee beekeeping provides new opportunities to improve the incomes of many households in Malaysia through the sale of honey and other bee products. While Heterotrigona itama is one of the most commonly cultured species of stingless bees, its behavior is not very well understood. Hence, we conducted this study to investigate the behavior of H. itama in exploiting food sources by ascertaining the nectar sugar concentration preferred by the bee. We also aimed to determine the preferred distance of food source from the bee hive. Our results suggest that H. itama prefers high sugar concentrations of 35% and above, and they would fly up to 7 m from the hive to collect food. We discuss how nectar concentration and food distance influence the number of bees exploiting food sources and the overall foraging pattern of H. itama.

This paper aims to investigate carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations on roadways of Karachi, potential blood levels carboxy-hemoglobin (COHb) in Karachi. Geographical information system (GIS) was used for spatial analysis of diseases potentiality while an interpolation technique has been applied for surface generation with town boundaries and later evaluates risk areas.The higher concentration of carbon monoxide in the ambient is mainly due to automobile emissions. The City center and CBD areas are more perilous.

With recent advancements in network technology and spread of Internet, use of social network services and Internet of Things devices has flourished, leading to a continuous generation of large volumes of graph stream data, where changes, such as additions or deletions of vertices and edges occur over time. Additionally, owing to the need for efficient use of storage space and security requirements, graph stream data compression has become essential in various applications. Even though various studies on graph compression methods have been conducted, most of them do not fully reflect the dynamic characteristics of graph streams and complexity of large graphs. In this paper, we propose a compression scheme using provenance data to efficiently process and analyze large graph stream data. It obtains provenance data by analyzing graph stream data and builds a pattern dictionary based on this to perform dictionary-based compression. By improving the existing dictionary-based graph compression methods, it enables more efficient dictionary management through tracking pattern changes and evaluating their importance using provenance. Furthermore, it considers the relationships among sub-patterns using an FP-tree and performs pattern dictionary management that updates pattern scores based on time. Our experiments show that the proposed scheme outperforms existing graph compression methods in key performance metrics, such as compression rate and processing time.

As the world increasingly becomes more interconnected, the demand for safety and security is ever-increasing, particularly for industrial networks. This has prompted numerous researchers to investigate different methodologies and techniques suitable for intrusion detection systems (IDS) requirements. Over the years, many studies have proposed various solutions in this regard including signature-based and machine-learning (ML) based systems. More recently, researchers are considering deep learning (DL) based anomaly detection approaches. Most proposed works in this research field aimed to achieve either one or a combination of high accuracy, considerably low false alarm rates (FARs), high classification specificity and detection sensitivity, achieving lightweight DL models, or other ML and DL-related performance measurement metrics. In this study, we propose a novel method to convert a raw dataset to an image dataset to magnify patterns. Based on this we devise an anomaly detection for IDS using a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) that classifies denial of service and distributed denial of service. The proposed methods were evaluated using a modern dataset, CSE-CIC-IDS2018, and a legacy dataset, NSL-KDD. We have also applied a combined dataset to assess the generalization of the proposed model across various datasets. Our experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed methods achieved high accuracy and considerably low FARs with high specificity and sensitivity. The resulting loss and accuracy curves have also demonstrated the excellent generalization of the proposed lightweight CNN model, effectively avoiding overfitting. This holds for both the modern and legacy datasets, including their mixed version.

The fate of critically sick patients with infections in intensive care units (ICUs) is significantly influenced by antimicrobial resistance, which has become a serious concern in developing nations. This observational study was conducted at the IBN Sina Specialised Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, over a 12-month period from January 2021 to December 2021, in order to track the pattern of antibiotic resistance among the patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Aspiration pneumonia (29%) and diabetes mellitus (24%), among 200 patients, were the most common main diagnoses. 65 samples (or 26%) of the 250 samples had 85 bacteria identified from them. Urine (14.12%) and tracheal aspirate (64.71%) were the most frequently found sites of infection. In the sample from the tracheal aspirate, Pseudomonas spp. (30.59%), Escherichia coli (24.71%), Acinetobacter spp. (20%), and Klebsiella spp. (14.12) were the most frequently isolated microorganisms. The following antibiotics were shown to have the highest overall patterns of resistance: levofloxacin (68.24), amikacin (64.71), meropenem (49.41), ceftazidime (75.29), ciprofloxacin (78.82), and gentamicin (82.35). The most effective antibiotic against Klebsiella species was meropenem (64.61%), while Acinetobacter species were mostly susceptible to cotrimoxazole (64.67%) and piperacillin + tazobactam (60.50%). Most susceptible to netilmicin (70.48%) and meropenem (49.32%) were Escherichia coli, while Pseudomonas spp. were mostly responsive to colistin (55.14%) and netilmicin (52.25%). Antibiotic resistance is common among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and most isolated microbes have resistance to traditional medicines.

E-commerce recommendation systems usually deal with massive customer sequential databases, such as historical purchase or click stream sequences. Recommendation systems’ accuracy can be improved if complex sequential patterns of user purchase behavior are learned by integrating sequential patterns of customer clicks and/or purchases into the user-item rating matrix input of collaborative filtering. This reviews focuses on algorithmic techniques of existing E-commerce recommendation systems that are sequential pattern based such as ChoRec05, ChenRec09, HuangRec09, LiuRec09, ChoiRec12, Hybrid Model RecSys16, Product RecSys16, SainiRec17, HPCRec18 and HSPCRec19. It provides a comprehensive and comparative performance analysis of these systems, exposing their methodologies, achievements, limitations, and potentials for solving more important problems in this domain. The review showed that integrating sequential pattern mining of historical purchase and/or click sequences into user-item matrix for collaborative filtering (i) improved recommendation accuracy (ii) reduced user-item rating data sparsity (iii) increased novelty rate of recommendations and (iv) improved scalability of the recommendation system.

The popularity of online retail is followed by decreasing transactions at shopping centres. Leisure and companionship trips to restaurants and cafés are replacing the frequency of intra-urban shopping trips. Several studies demonstrated a notable trend in urban commercial areas, wherein functionality has shifted from shopping centres to primarily focused on restaurants and cafes. Leisure and companionship places in the urban south have greater diversity than formal restaurants and cafés. This article employs a comprehensive framework to examine the categorization of restaurants and cafés in the urban south, referred to as food services. This study aims to investigate the spatial pattern of food service in Surabaya and ascertain whether there is a concentration of all food service variants around existing shopping centres. This research employs the POI of food service units gathered through web scraping from Google Maps. Applying the k-means cluster analysis demonstrates that the spatial pattern of food services is categorized into several distinct clusters. This article discloses five types of urban spaces characterized by varying compositions of food service variants within them. These spaces include the city centre, sub-city centre, areas along main roads, residential neighbourhoods, and peri-urban areas.

Life in the modern century is heavily reliant on an enormous amount of electricity consumption as technology has become the most integral part of daily life. In this context, smart grid systems play a pivotal role to maintain the uninterrupted power supply which needs to be monitored in a timely fashion to keep track of the electric consumers’ usage pattern. The smart meter is the one of smart applications of the smart grid that collects huge amounts of consumer load data on a daily basis which has become a focus for various researchers and analyzers to study load characterization. In this paper, an approach has been proposed to recognize the energy consumption patterns among diverse types of consumers ranging from residential to industrial levels. This approach is worth considering not only for load pattern recognition but also for involving customers in different events such as demand response or peak shaving. In such a way, this analytical mechanism certainly assists in reducing power wastage and saving costs. The proposed methodology is based on a two-fold clustering algorithm with the use of state-of-the-art technology, machine learning. The primary goal is to classify electric customers' data collected from smart meters. Then, analyzing the classified results with an aim to predict power consumption patterns for the customers in the future and making the right energy policy that will benefit both the grid operator and consumers as well.

The key to ensuring the sustainability of transportation operations on the roads is to manage traffic flows homogeneously. By homogenizing the behavior of various drivers, traffic operation can be optimized, and traffic safety can be improved. However, the advent of autonomous vehicles is expected to have a major impact on the homogeneity of sustainable transportation operations. In this study, a method of driving in harmony with surrounding vehicles was studied to minimize the impact of autonomous vehicles on current traffic operation. In particular, in this study, a methodology was developed to optimize the driving behavior of autonomous vehicles by analyzing the driving behavior of following vehicles using spectrum analysis. Specifically, a method for calculating three indicators that can analyze the driving behavior of a following vehicle, such as reaction time, stimulus adaptation index, and collision risk avoidance index, was proposed. These indices produced consistent and robust results for all traffic conditions. If these indicators are used, it is expected that sustainable traffic management will be possible even when autonomous vehicles and human drivers are mixed on the road.

Brugada Syndrome is a cardiac channelopathy closely related to lethal arrhythmias and sudden death in people without underlying structural pathology. The diagnosis is usually assumed with electrocardiographic patterns strictly limited to the right precordial leads, V1 or V2; but this is not so at all. In our article, we describe the clinical case of a patient with a novel and different electrocardiographic presentation: the typical diagnostic pattern was presented in a lower lead of the electrocardiogram, and next to it, another pattern was presented in a contiguous lead. In addition, we propose the possible association of a structural pathology (non-compaction cardiomyopathy) with Brugada Syndrome, since both share a possible common genetic origin in the SCN5A gene.

Food security is a matter of global interest, as the provision of food resources is the primary determinant of human existence. Food is one of the basic needs, ensuring the survival of the species. The trend of globalization and development of the global economy has shifted the responsible local consumption patterns to an increased homogeneity of diets, food products being disconnected from their source. This disconnection led to two major results: (1) increased global consumption, with seasonal foods now available throughout the year, and a decrease in food prices on the global market, and (2) increased uncertainty in the supply chain, susceptible to disruptions, as was the case during the Covid-19 pandemic. The present study, based on the research and analysis of third-party data on food security, sustainable diets, consumption patterns and recommended actions to change the current unsustainable consumer behaviour towards a careful approach to food, environment and personal health, aims to identify consumption patterns that have the potential to increase the sustainability of the food system and a positive correlation with food security. Adopting sustainable dietary patters, based on short supply chains and mindful consumption, has great potential in restoring food security and resilience to adversity.

Due to the growth of tourism, mining and manufacturing, economy of the Hainan Island, southern China has swiftly expanded, but also poses a risk of soil pollution by mercury (Hg) due to the traffic and mineral processing. In order to investigate the characteristics of soil Hg pollution in the Hainan Island and assess the health risk, a total of 239 samples were gathered from five representative regions across the island. A vehicle-mounted potable mercury analyzer was used to measure the atmospheric Hg and soil Hg concentrations in the collected samples. The results indicate that the soil Hg concentration of the five sub-study areas exhibits notable fluctuations, which was found to be influenced by various factors, including wind direction, mining activities, and economic development conditions. The degree of Hg pollution was assessed using both the Single Pollution Index Method and the Geoaccumulation Index Method. The results showed that although nearly half of the sampling points were contaminated, the current soil Hg level does not pose a non-carcinogenic risk to human health.

In our work, using the analysis of DNA barcodes and morphology (wing color, male genitalia, sphragis shape in females), we show that the group of species close to P. mnemosyne is represented by two phylogenetic lineages, the western and eastern ones. The eastern lineage includes P. stubbendorfii, P. glacialis and P. hoenei. The western lineage includes three morphologically similar species, P. mnemosyne (Western Eurasia), P. turatii (southwestern Europe) and P. nubilosus stat. nov. (Turkmenistan and NE Iran), as well as P. ariadne (Altai). The latter species differs from the rest of the group in the presence of red spots on the wings. Parnassius mnemosyne s.s. is represented by four differentiated mitochondrial clusters that show clear association with specific geographic regions. We propose to interpret them as subspecies: P. mnemosyne mnemosyne (Central and Eastern Europe, N Caucasus, N Turkey), P. mnemosyne adolphi (the Middle East), P. mnemosyne orientalis (Tian Shan) and P. mnemosyne gigantea (Gissar-Alai in Central Asia). We demonstrate that in P. ariadne the red spots on the wing evolved as a reversion to the ancestral wing pattern. This reversion is observed in Altai, where the distribution areas of the western lineage, represented by P. ariadne, and the eastern lineage, represented by P. stubbendorfii, overlap. These two species hybridize in Altai, and we hypothesize that the color change in P. ariadne is the result of reinforcement of prezygotic isolation in the contact zone. Lectotype of Parnassius mnemosyne var. nubilosus Christoph, 1873 is designated.

Background: Scaffold (SCA) functionalization with aptamers (APT) provides adsorption of specific bioactive molecules on biomaterials surface. The aim of this study was to observe if SCA enriched with anti-fibronectin APT can favor coagulum (PhC) and osteoblasts (OSB) differentiation. Methods: 20 ug of APT was functionalized on SCA by simple adsorption. For PhC formation, SCAs were inserted into rat calvaria defects for 17 hours. Following proper transportation (Buffer solution-PB), OSB (UMR-106 lineage) were seeded over PhC + SCAs with and without APT. Cells and PhC morphology, PhC cell population, protein labelling and gene expression were observed in different time points. Results: The APT induced higher ALP and BSP immunolabeling in OSB. CD90, CD45 and CD44 expression was more detected in APT group than when scaffolds were not functionalized. Additionally, an enriched and dense fibrin network and different cell types were observed, with more OSB and white blood cells in PhC formed on SCA with APT. The gene expression showed higher TGF-β1 detection in SCA with APT. Conclusions: The SCA functionalization with fibronectin aptamers provides a selective expression of proteins related to coagulation pattern and osteo differentiation. Additionally, aptamers increase TGF-β1 gene expression, which is highly associated with improvements in regenerative therapies.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) may sometimes unexpected loss of life. It affects the heart and blood vessels of body. CVD plays an important factor of life since it may cause death of human. It is necessary to detect early of this disease for securing patients life. In this chpter two exclusively different methods are proposed for detection of heart disease. The first one is Pattern Recognition Approach with grammatical concept and the second one is machine learning approach. In the syntactic pattern recognition approach initially ECG wave from different leads is decomposed into pattern primitive based on diagnostic criteria. These primitives are then used as terminals of the proposed grammar. Pattern primitives are then input to the grammar. The parsing table is created in a tabular form. It finally indicates the patient with any disease or normal. Here five diseases beside normal are considered. Different Machine Learning (ML) approaches may be used for detecting patients with CVD and assisting health care systems also. These are useful for learning and utilizing the patterns discovered from large databases. It applies to a set of information in order to recognize underlying relationship patterns from the information set. It is basically a learning stage. Unknown incoming set of patterns can be tested using these methods. Due to its self-adaptive structure Deep Learning (DL) can process information with minimal processing time. DL exemplifies the use of neural network. A predictive model follows DL techniques for analyzing and assessing patients with heart disease. A hybrid approach based on Convolutional Layer and Gated-Recurrent Unit (GRU) are used in the paper for diagnosing the heart disease.

We previously showed that, based on the frequency and distribution of specific cell types, rainbow trout (RT) intestinal mucosa is divided in two regions that form a complex nonlinear 3D pattern and have a different renewal rate. This work had two aims. First, to investigate whether the unusual distribution of cell populations reflects a similar distribution of functional activities. To this end, we determined the protein expression pattern of three well defined enterocytes functional markers: Peptide Transporter 1 (PepT1), Sodium-Glucose/Galactose Transporter 1 (SGLT-1) and fatty acid-binding protein 2 (Fabp2). Second, to characterize the structure of RT intestinal stem cells (ISC) niche and to determine whether the different proliferative rates correlate with a different organization and/or extension of the stem cells population. We studied the expression and localization of well-characterized mammal ISC markers: LGR5, HOPX, SOX9, NOTCH1, DLL1 and WNT3A. Our results indicate that morphological similarity is associated with similar function only between the first portion of the mid-intestine and the apical part of the complex folds in the second portion. Mammal ISC markers are all expressed in RT but their localization is completely different suggesting also substantial functional differences. Finally, higher renewal rates are supported by a more abundant ISC population.

In this study, we aimed to determine the trend of antimicrobial resistance pattern of pathogens isolated in samples collected from patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU), in selected periods before and after COVID-19. A retrospective study of bacterial pathogens was performed on 1267 patients. The resistance patterns were analyzed using Vitek 2 Compact system. Positive-bacterial culture data of 1695 samples from pre-COVID-19 period and 1562 from post-COVID-19 period were obtained. The most frequently isolated in both periods were Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella spp. Klebsiella spp. had a statistically significant increase in resistance rates in the post COVID-19 period, against colistin, gentamicin and aztreonam. For E. coli strains, it was registered a significant increase against colistin and a significant decrease against levofloxacin and imipenem. For Acinetobacter spp. strains it was observed a significant increase against colistin. More than 50% from the Staphylococcus aureus strains were MRSA with statistically significant increases in antimicrobial resistance rate in the post-COVID-19 period against doxycycline, linezolid, rifampicin and teicoplanin. The study revealed a significantly increasing trend of the antimicrobial resistance rate of Gram-negative pathogens (Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter spp.) against certain antibiotics, including those used only in cases where there are no other therapeutic options.

Healthy eating behaviour of women is critical not only for their health but also for their children's health and well-being. The present study examined the dietary pattern, nutrition knowledge and attitudes of working women in Western Province, Sri Lanka. In addition, identify the factors associated with Dietary Diversity Score (DDS). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 working women, aged 20-60 years, in Western Province, Sri Lanka. The data on so-cio-demography, dietary patterns, and nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes were collected. Overall, 38% of the women were overweight and 13% were obese. The median frequency of intake of chicken, fish, eggs, milk and milk products, green leafy vegetables and fruits were 2, 5, 2, 9, 5 and 10 respectively, per week. A large majority of the women (70%) had tea/coffee with sugar and snacks (60%) at least four times a week. Only a third of the women met the minimum DDS, while more than half of the women had good nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes. Multiple regression analysis showed that age and household income were significantly independently related to DDS, while attitudes were negatively associated. While there was a trend, the association of nutrition-related knowledge with DDS was not statistically significant (p=0.057). The overall F ratio (8.46) was highly significant (p=0.000) and the adjusted R2 was 0.093. The results demonstrated that a significant proportion of working women have good basic nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes, while two-thirds of them do not meet the minimum DDS. Furthermore, age, family income and knowledge were positively associated with DDS, while attitudes were negatively associated. Before designing any intervention, further research is needed using a qualitative approach to understand how nutrition knowledge and eating behaviour are related in this population group.

Understanding the spatial distribution pattern and evolution characteristics of the elderly population in urban areas is of great significance for the development of urban planning and the implementation of public management policies in the context of rapid aging. Accurately identifying the spatial distribution and evolution characteristics of the elderly population in the city requires a comprehensive analysis of multiple indicators and large-scale data. Taking Wuhan city as an example, this article measures the spatial distribution characteristics and evolution trend of the elderly population from 2000 to 2020 at the street/township level, based on the fifth, sixth, and seventh census data, using methods such as kernel density hotspot detection, spatial clustering analysis, and standard deviation ellipse analysis. The results show that: ① there are significant differences in the aging spatial pattern between the central area and the suburban areas of Wuhan; ② overall, Wuhan's aging rate shows a typical "core-periphery" growth mode in space, while the density of the elderly population has significant spatial aggregation characteristics and shows an evolution trend of "centralized concentration, peripheral outliers, axial development, and near-field growth"; ③the center of gravity of the elderly population remains relatively stable over time.

Background: Patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) have a higher susceptibility to infections. Respiratory infections are the most common nosocomial infections. Rising antibiotic resistance due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics and poor adherence to standard precaution in healthcare facilities compounds the problem. The main aim of this study is to assess microbial patterns and antibiotic resistance from bronchoalveolar lavage specimens in severe pneumonia patients. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in an Indonesian tertiary care hospital from January 2016-December 2020. Written and verbal informed consent was obtained prior to bronchoscopy procedures. Patients were enrolled if they had severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) according to American Thoracic Society (ATS)/Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) criteria, had high-risk hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), or pneumonia caused by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Respiratory specimens via bronchoscopy were inoculated on general semi-sloid thioglycolate media. Testing for antibiotic susceptibility was done using the disk diffusion method. Results: Two hundred and one patients’ data were analyzed. The majority of patients were males (65,17%) and above 60 years of age. The most common type of pneumonia was CAP (39,3%). Neurologic/cerebrovascular disease was the most common comorbidity (35,32%). Acinetobacter baumannii was the most frequently isolated microorganism. Ampicillin/sulbactam and amikacin were found to yield lower microbial resistance. Conclusion: Combination of ampicillin/sulbactam and amikacin appeared effective as initial empirical therapy in severe pneumonia patients. Further studies are needed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this combined therapy.

Nucleosome positioning plays an important role in crucial biological processes like replication, transcription, and gene regulation. It has been widely used to predict the genome’s function and chromatin organisation. So far, the studies of patterns in nucleosome positioning have been limited to transcription start sites, CTCFs binding sites, and some promoter and loci regions. The genome-wide organisational pattern remains unknown. We have developed a theoretical model to coarse-grain nucleosome positioning data in order to obtain patterns in their distribution. Using hierarchical clustering on the auto-correlation function of this coarse-grained nucleosome positioning data, a genome-wide clustering is obtained for Candida albicans. The clustering shows the existence beyond hetero- and eu-chromatin inside the chromosomes.

Unhealthy diet can lead to the development of metabolic disorders, and studies have shown strong associations between those conditions and biomarkers, such as c-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin. Recently, marine algal biomaterials have been investigated extensively due to their health benefits. We report on associations between metabolic markers and bioactive nutrients from diet and Sujiaonori algal biomaterial (SBM), a natural adiponectin modulation inducer (NAMI) containing 60% of ulvan-rich fiber, in a sample of Japanese women. The study comprised dietary survey and intervention conducted in Kochi, Japan (2016-2017), involving 31 women who completed a dietary survey and provided biospecimen for CRP and adiponectin measurement using ELISA. Sixteen women received 3g SBM daily for one month and 15 others (controls) received 3g of corn starch. In SBM group, mean age was 23.06 (2.21) years [vs. 23.06 (1.55)], BMI was 21.11 (0.59) kg/m² [vs. 21.43 (0.60) in controls], and daily intake of n3-PUFA [3.83 (0.24) vs. 2.21 (0.33) mg/day; p=0.042] and total fiber [364.12 (2.45) vs. 48.13 (1.57) mg/day in controls; p=0.000] were markedly higher. Furthermore, CRP was inversely associated with total fiber, total n3-PUFA, SBM-n3PUFA, vitamin D and vitamin B6, whereas adiponectin was strongly and positively associated with SBM-fiber and total n3-PUFA. Thus ulvan-rich SBM supplement, which contains ulvan-rich fiber and n3-PUFA, might be beneficial in reducing metabolic risk.

To address the expression pattern of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 and the viral priming protease, TMPRSS2, in the respiratory tract, this study investigated RNA sequencing transcriptome profiling of samples of airway and oral mucosa. As shown, ACE2 has medium levels of expression in both small airway epithelium and masticatory mucosa, and high levels of expression in nasal epithelium. The expression of ACE2 is low in mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and can’t be detected in alveolar macrophages. TMPRSS2 is highly expressed in small airway epithelium and nasal epithelium, and has lower expression in masticatory mucosa. Our results provide the molecular basis that the nasal mucosa is the most susceptible locus in the respiratory tract for SARS-CoV-2 infection and consequently for subsequent droplet transmission and should be the focus for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

New detailed geological/structural mapping as well as field-based structural analysis were carried out to investigate the deformation pattern of well-preserved high-pressure rocks of the Blueschist Unit exposed on SE Syros (Cyclades, Greece). Our new geological mapping revealed the occurrence of a metasedimentary sequence underlain by a meta-igneous sequence. The contact between these two sequences displays typically interfingering patterns in map-scale due to folding. The earlier ductile deformation phase recognized in the mapped area, is associated with the development of a penetrative foliation, which was formed under eclogite/blueschist facies conditions at peak conditions. The subsequent main deformation phase occurred at blueschist facies conditions synchronous with the early stages of exhumation of the high-pressure rocks. This phase is mainly associated with the formation of map-scale WNW-trending folds and a pervasive axial planar foliation linked with ESE-directed shearing. The main deformation ceased within blueschist facies conditions and exhumation of the rocks to greenschist facies conditions took place under very weak deformation. Greenschist retrogression observed in the southwestern part of the mapped area seems to be controlled by fluids rather than by intense deformation. Our results indicate that the high-pressure rocks of the Blueschist Unit exposed on Syros Island represent a large-scale pod of low deformation under blueschist to greenschist facies conditions, likely occupying the core of an extrusion wedge.

In this paper, we propose a pre-configured error pattern ordered statistics decoding (PEPOSD) algorithm and discuss its application to short cyclic redundancy check (CRC)-polar codes. Unlike the traditional OSD that changes the most reliable independent symbols, we regard the decoding process as testing the error patterns, like guessing random additive noise decoding (GRAND). Also, the pre-configurator referred from ordered reliability bits (ORB) GRAND can better control the range and testing order of EPs. Offline-online structure can accelerate the decoding process. Additionally, we also introduce two orders to optimize the search order for testing EPs. Compared with CRC-aided OSD and list decoding, PEPOSD can achieve a better trade-off between accuracy and complexity.

Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are the primary source for discriminating the preictal from the interictal stage, enabling early warnings before the seizure onset. The epileptic seizure prediction models face significant challenges due to data scarcity, diversity, and privacy. This paper proposes a three-tier architecture for epileptic seizure prediction associated with the Federated Learning (FL) model that enhances the capability by utilizing the significant amount of seizure patterns from globally distributed patients with data privacy. The determination of the preictal state is influenced by global and local model-assisted decision-making by modeling the two-level edge layer. Integrating the Spiking Encoder (SE) with Graph Convolutional Neural Network (Spiking-GCNN) works as the local model trained using the bi-timescale approach. Each local model utilizes the aggregated seizure knowledge from the different medical centers through FL and determines the preictal probability in the coarse-grained personalization. The Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is utilized in fine-grained personalization to recognize epileptic seizure patients by examining the outcomes of the FL model, heart rate variability features, and patient-specific clinical features. The proposed seizure prediction is evaluated using benchmark datasets by comparing them with the existing works to demonstrate the potential results.

Considering the current needs of industry 4.0, especially in the condition of systems linked to artificial intelligence, this multidisciplinary concept work and difficult to execute, proposes the main idea of recognizing patterns using mathematical concepts of simple access and logical resolution of great potential. The objective of this work is to demonstrate a process for pattern recognition by applying the Fibonacci concept to vibration signals of hybrid dynamical systems. For this to be possible, it was necessary to use the concepts of preprocessing in a vector for pattern recognition, together with the concepts of the golden rule of Fibonacci, finally, all applied in the theorem of Jeffcott Rotors. The general result, from a technical point of view, demonstrates positivity and relationship of patterns, because, considering the aspect of the location between the values of the experimental and numerical result, both signs have similarities.

In the context of the emergence and development of varieties of English around the globe, this paper focuses on Kuwait, where the use of English has greatly increased since the mid-20th century. Drawing on the principles of nativisation and indigenisation, I investigate substrate- and superstrate-derived discourse-pragmatic markers (DPMs) in Kuwaiti English: the Arabic loanwords alhamdulillah and ya'ni and their English equivalents (e.g. I mean and thankfully). Data are drawn from the Kuwaiti English National Corpus, a spoken corpus of almost 800,000 words containing interviews, samples of situated language use, and mediated data (podcasts, TV, radio and YouTube). Keyness and concordance analyses were performed to identify the frequency and functions of the DPMs in Kuwaiti English compared to reference corpora of British and American English. The analysis also takes into account contextual and sociolinguistic information such as the speakers’ social identity. Results show that the Arabic-derived DPMs are abundant in both formal and informal settings, indicating that they have become an integral part of this variety of English. Their English equivalents perform similar roles, but are vastly less common (with the exception of I mean for ya'ni). Both the Arabic- and English-based markers show somewhat narrowed discourse-pragmatic functions and are more likely to be placed in clause-initial position than in ‘native’ contexts. Their use appears to be linked to the social identity of the speakers.

This paper presents an approach to the application of the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Model-Based Systems Architecting (MBSA) principles to develop a Model-Based Pattern Language (MBPL). It takes too long for systems engineers and architects to develop a new system from scratch, particularly new space-based systems derived from the existing space systems architectures. A pattern language is a holistic view of reusable logical model artifacts; many are interdisciplinary and introductory, if at all. The results are mostly a combination of the application-specific logical solution, which further results in the best possible overall solution. The main benefit of the pattern language is reducing the time and validation required to generate a new space-based system architecture; this approach will develop top-level requirements in the initial phase of the system development. The rationale of the methodology proposed by the paper is as follows, collect, and decompose published literature and other open-source information available on space system architectures and system models; develop SysML models for systems, subsystems, products, assembly, subassembly level, and mission-specific requirements using CAMEO SysML software. Arrange these patterns to develop a functional ontology and construct a logical architecture pattern library. This approach created, updated, and managed SysML pattern language, which evaluated the expedited new model construction. Again, our objective is to develop a logical pattern language using public domain information and evaluate patterns by constructing a new space mission concept—for example, planetary surface habitat.

Some genetic diseases (“digenic traits”) are due to the interaction between two DNA variants, which presumably reflects biochemical interactions. For example, certain forms of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a type of blindness, occur in the presence of two mutant variants, one each in the ROM1 and RDS genes, while occurrence of only one such variant results in a normal phenotype. Detecting variant pairs underlying digenic traits by standard genetic methods is difficult and is downright impossible when individual variants alone have minimal effects. Frequent Pattern Mining (FPM) methods are known to detect patterns of items. We make use of FPM approaches to find pairs of genotypes (from different variants) that can discriminate between cases and controls. Our method is based on genotype patterns of length two, and permutation testing allows assigning p-values to genotype patterns, where the null hypothesis refers to equal pattern frequencies in cases and controls. We compare different interaction search approaches and their properties on the basis of published datasets. Our implementation of FPM to case-control studies is freely available.

We present an Arduino-based automatic robotic system which is used for cutting grass or lawns, mostly healthy grass which needs to cut neatly like in a public park or a private garden. The purpose of this proposed project is to design a programmable automatic pattern design grass cutting robot with solar power which no longer requires time-consuming manual grass-cutting, and that can be operated wirelessly using an Android Smartphone via Bluetooth from a safe distance which is capable of cutting the grass in indeed required shapes and patterns; the cutting blade can also be adjusted to maintain the different length of the grass. The main focus was to design a prototype that can work with a little or no Physical user interaction. The proposed work is accomplished by using an Arduino microcontroller, DC geared Motors, IR obstacle detection sensor, motor shield, relay module, DC battery, solar panel, and Bluetooth module. The grass-cutting robot system can be moved to the location in the lawn remotely where the user wants to cut the grass directly or in desired patterns. The user can press the desired pattern button from the mobile application, and the system will start cutting grass in the similar design such as a circle, spiral, rectangle, and continue pattern. Also, with the assistance of sensors positioned at the front of the vehicle, an automatic barrier detection system is introduced to enhance safety measurements to prevent any risks. IR obstacle detector sensors are used to detect obstacles, if any obstacle is found in front of the robot while traveling; it avoids the barrier by taking a right/right turn or stop automatically appropriately, thereby preventing the collision. Also, the main aim of this project is the formation of a grass cutter that relieves the user from mowing their own grasses and reduces environmental and noise pollution. The proposed system is designed as a lab-scale prototype to experimentally validate the efficiency, accuracy, and affordability of the systems. The experimental results prove that the proposed work has all in one capability (Simple and Pattern based grass cutting with mobile-application, obstacle detection), is very easy to use, and can be easily assembled in a simple hardware circuit. We note that the systems proposed can be implemented on a large scale under real conditions in the future, which will be useful in robotics applications and cutting grass in playing grounds such as cricket, football, and hockey, etc.

The futures market plays a significant role in hedging and speculating by investors. Although various models and instruments are developed for real-time trading, it is difficult to realize profit by processing and trading a vast amount of real-time data. This study proposes a real-time index futures trading strategy that uses the pattern of KOSPI 200 index futures time series data. We construct a pattern matching trading system (PMTS) based on a dynamic time warping algorithm that recognizes patterns of market data movement in the morning and determines the afternoon's clearing strategy. We adopt 13 and 27 representative patterns and conduct simulations with various ranges of parameters to find optimal ones. Our experimental results show that the PMTS provides stable and effective trading strategies with relatively low trading frequencies. Investor communities that have sustained financial markets are able to make more efficient investments by using the PMTS. In this sense, the system developed in this paper is a sustainable investment technique and helps financial markets achieve efficient sustainability.

The complex adaptive systems (CAS) research study investigates into the theoretical link of a sustained economic growth as a critical pathway to lift people out of poverty and improve their quality of life. The results show a left-skewed global behavior of an economy-driven human development of 189 countries with 20% or 27 countries obtaining low human development; 80% or 162 countries obtaining medium to very high human development of which 21.16% or 39 countries with medium HDI, 53 or 28.04% or 53 countries with high HDI, and 31.22% or 59 countries with very high HDI. Using the Log (GDP) for visual transformation, closer investigation into the scatterplot diagram reveals that there are also bimodal patterns where countries in the high amplitude and low amplitude groups obtained different human development outcomes despite less or more on economic growth variances mirror on the government policy priorities resulting in four differentiating conditions. Very few countries experience virtuous cycles where both growth and human development are successful; few countries with vicious cycles where both are weak; and many countries with lopsided conditions where the economy is strong but human development is weak, or conversely ones where human development is strong but the economy is weak. The global pattern of economy and human development illustrated by an upward sinusoid or sine wave refutes the conventional linear approach. Uniquely and most importantly, the sinusoidal wave illustrates a decreasing amplitude and decreasing periods as countries manifest apparently complex behaviors that emerge as a result of often nonlinear spatio-temporal interactions among a large number of component systems at different levels of organizations and governments leading to an emergence of a behavior characterizing of a complex adaptive system.

Background Obesity compromises the health of a woman's pregnancy and her newborn. Aim: To describe weight-gaining changes throughout pregnancy and evaluating outcomes for the mother and the baby. Methods A retrospective review of women who delivered singletons using Large Perinatal Registry. According to their BMI, patients were categorized into four categories: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. Mode of delivery, gestational diabetes, hypertensive diseases, obstetric cholestasis, and postpartum hemorrhage were the main maternal outcome measures. The newborn outcome indicators were birth weight, NICU hospitalization, premature birth, and stillbirth. Results The study sample included 2,352 natives (25%) and 7,058 expatriates (75%). The majority of the sample (4726) were aged 20-29 years, 43.6% were aged 30-39 years, and 2.1% and 3.9% were aged 19 years and 40 years respectively. The incidence of hypertension, obstetric cholestasis, diabetes, postpartum hemorrhage, and cesarean section varied among the entire sample. In the underweight group, the incidence of CS was 15.7%, in the normal weight group (24.9%), in the overweight group (31.3%), and in the obese group (41%). Hypertensive disorders were 3 times more prevalent in obese women than in normal-weight women (2%), and 5.3% of obese women had PPH compared to 5. 6% of women of normal weight. The underweight groups gained the most weight during pregnancy, whereas the obese gained the least. Conclusions A significant proportion of pregnant women in our sample will become obese by the time of delivery. Obesity during pregnancy is associated with negative maternal and fetal outcomes.

With the rapid development of network science, Turing pattern on complex networks has attracted extensive attention from researchers. In this paper, we focus on spatial patterns in multiplex ER (Erdös-Rényi) random networks, taking the predator-prey model with Allee effect and hyperbolic mortality as an example. In theory, the threshold condition for generating Turing pattern is given using the Turing instability theory of multiplex networks. Numerically, we design relevant experiments to explore the impact of network topology on Turing pattern. The factors considered include model parameters, diffusion rate, average degree of the network, and differences in the average degree of different layers. The results indicate that the importance of diffusion rate and network average degree for Turing pattern is affirmed on the single-layer network. For multiplex networks, the differentiation of average degrees in different layers controls the generation of Turing pattern, which is not affected by the diffusion rates of the two populations. More interestingly, we observe the switching of Turing pattern and spatiotemporal pattern. We believe that these findings contribute to a better understanding of self-organization on complex networks.

The geographic variability of the dorsal pattern (DP) of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus, across its native range was studied with the aim to understand whether the distributions of this phenotypic trait were more shaped by allopatric differentiation rather than adaptive processes. A total of 1298 georeferenced observations scattered across the Italian peninsula and the main islands (Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia) were obtained from citizen science databases and five DPs were characterized by different shapes of the dark pattern (“reticulated”, “campestris”, “reticulated/campestris” and “striped”) or by absence of it (“concolor”). Frequencies of different DP phenotypes differ between the two main mtDNA lineages settled in central-northern and in southern Italy respectively. This pattern may be indicative of a role of long-term allopatric historical processes in determining the observed pattern. The analysis also identified a putative wide area of secondary contact, in central southern Italy, characterized by high diversity of the DP. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), used to estimate a possible association between bioclimatic variables and the observed phenotypic variation, showed that each of the five DPs is correlated to different environmental factors and show different distribution of areas with high probability of occurrence. However, for all but one of the DPs, the area with the greatest probability does not correspond exactly to the real distribution of the DP. Conversely, the “concolor” phenotype does not seem related to any particular mtDNA lineage and it shows a preference for areas with high temperature and low rainfall. This is in agreement with the expectation of low amount of melanin of the dorsal pattern that, in the study areas, is characterized by a light uniform coloration which could confer a better thermoregulation ability in high temperatures environments avoiding overheating.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Its treatment includes antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) to modulate the function of cardiac ion channels. However, AADs have been limited by proarrhythmic effects, non-cardiovascular toxicities as well as often modest antiarrhythmic efficacy. Theoretical models showed that combined blockade of Nav1.5 (and its current INa) and Kv1.5 (and its current, IKur) ion channels yield a synergistic anti-arrhythmic effect without effect on ventricles. We focused on Kv1.5 and Nav1.5 to search for structural similarities in their binding site (BS) for flecainide (a common blocker and widely prescribed AAD), as a first step for prospective rational multi-target directed ligand (MTDL) design strategies. We presented a computational workflow for flecainide BS comparison in a flecainide-Kv1.5 docking model and a solved structure of flecainide-Nav1.5 complex. The workflow includes docking, molecular dynamics, BS characterization and pattern matching. We identified a common structural pattern in flecainide BS for these channels. The latter belongs to the inner cavity and consist of a hydrophobic patch and a polar region, involving residues from S6 helix and P-loop. Since the rational MTDL design for AF is still incipient, our findings could advance multi-target atrial-selective strategies for AF treatment.

Studies on the gait's parameters have been identified on the patients population. Most researchers confirm that the patients walk differently than normal people and they may have a risk for falls. Consistent finding and description of gender, age, and body mass index differences in gait studies is rare in healthy subjects. A cross-sectional study with forty-five young adult (F = 20, M = 25) was conducted. Stadiometer and Physilog 4 inertial sensors were used for data collection. A gait analyser 5.2 software (GaitUp, S.A. Lausanne, Switzerland) was used to determine spatiotemporal parameters. No statistically significant differences were found in any bilateral foot gait parameters with respect to gender, age, and body mass index. Females are found with higher total double support and cadence than males. Cadence also increases with age. Obese people showed lower gait speed, cadence, and total double support. These findings may be beneficial to those who have abnormal gait pattern due to age, body mass index differences, decreased muscle strength, spasticity, and joint mobility. This important informations should be considered to rehabilitate patients with abnormal gait patterns to controlling dynamic balance and riks to falling.

The prevalence and case fatality rates of Pediatric Lassa fever disease (LFD) are not well documented. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence, pattern and outcome of Pediatric LFD. It was a prospective observational study. A total of 183 subjects that met the criteria for LFD suspects were recruited consecutively and subjected to Lassa virus PCR test. Structured questionnaire was used to collect information. Of the 183 children recruited, 24 tested positive to Lassa virus PCR, giving a positivity rate of 13.1%. Mean duration of illness at presentation was 8.54 ± 3.83 days. Fever, abdominal pain and vomiting were the three highest presenting complaints. Seven out of 24 children died giving a case fatality rate (CFR) of 29.2%. Subjects with bleeding, poor urine output, convulsions and unconsciousness were more likely to die of LFD. Positivity and CFR of LFD are high. Improved case finding and prompt treatment is advocated.

We propose a novel plasmon nano-optical antenna that consists of three vertically superimposed discs with different materials. Two symmetrical nanometer-scale Yagi antenna elements with gold-material are embedded into the surface of the middle disc with silicon dioxide. Based on plasmon theory and Yagi antenna principle, we explore the properties of the far-field radiation and near-field transmission of the antenna in near infrared band. It is found that the pattern of the xoy plane in the antenna can be adjusted in arbitrary direction. The far-field pattern and near-field transmission spectrum can be reconfigured by changing the angle a of the Yagi antenna elements in the middle disc. Moreover, we also discuss the influences of the widths and lengths of the elements on the near-field transmission spectrum when a is fixed at 0 degree.

The purpose of this study was to (a) compare macro- and micronutrient intakes between male and female CD patients (b) compare micronutrient intakes of CD patients to a representative population of healthy individuals, and; (c) describe Mediterranean diet scores (P-MDS) of male and female CD patients in remission recruited from an IBD clinic in Calgary, AB. Consecutive patients with ileal and/or colonic CD in endoscopic remission were recruited for participation in this cross-sectional study. Sixty-seven patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 45, and a BMI ≥ 25. Compared with the healthy population, patients with CD had similar energy, protein, carbohydrate and total fat intake. However, PUFA, omega-6 and 3 and MUFA were lower in CD patients and dietary fibre intake was higher. Vitamins C, D, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and potassium were all significantly lower in all CD patients compared to a healthy population. Few patients with CD met P-MDS criteria for olive oil, vegetable, legumes, and fish intake or consuming Sofrito sauce (mean 4.5, SD=1.1 in males and 4.7, SD=1.8 in females). Patients with CD in remission have suboptimal dietary intakes and patterns and targeted dietary interventions may be beneficial in this population to improve intake.

Global warming and climate change have led to extreme changes in climatic conditions in recent years. The Taiwan government designates the construction of the Kinmen County as low carbon islands, to promote the operation of 100 electric motorcycles and battery demonstration. This study combined with island tourism, after boarding the island, visitors can rent electric motorcycles from the passenger service center and coordinate with the island tour map to show the location of the battery exchange points, so as to facilitate the search. During the operation, the amount of electric motorcycle lease is 15,551 times, the total mileage of motor vehicle is 284,404 km, the number of battery exchange is 622 times, the lease income is about NT$900,000. To reduce carbon and economic benefits of the assessment, compared to the motorcycles (50 c.c), electric motorcycles (EM 100) can reduce the carbon emissions by 8,726 kg, reducing energy costs of NT$422,594.

Significant changes have occurred at Arabian Gulf Coast of Saudi Arabia over the last three decades. The area of mangrove was reduced by about 55%. Thus the economic, social, and environmental value of mangroves must be assessed over short -to long-term scales and employ these assessments for the awareness rising at local communities. This study provides a preliminary assessment of the risks on mangrove vegetation; it will provide database to mitigate the tremendous pressures due to coastal development and urban activities. The effects of human development on the mangrove plant cover in Eastern Region of KSA were recognised, during 2013 to 2016. The mean variations of physio-chemical characteristics in water and sediment were recorded. With regard to water analyses including; nitrogen, phosphorus, TSS, TDS, BOD, and turbidity were evaluated. On the other hand, for sediment: TDS, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphate and total organic carbon were assessed. Moreover, the growth parameters: plant height, and size index, of Avicennia marina were recorded and estimated. It is concluded that human impact and urban developments have exerted drastic effects on the coastal ecosystems and its environments.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) has long been a dominant paradigm in software development, but it's not without its challenges. One major issue is the problem of tight coupling between objects, which can hinder flexibility and make it difficult to modify or extend code. Additionally, the complexity of managing inheritance hierarchies can lead to rigid and fragile designs, making it hard to maintain and evolve the software over time. This paper introduces a software development pattern that seeks to offer a renewed approach to writing code in Object-Oriented (OO) environments. Addressing some of the limitations of the traditional approach, the Puzzle Pattern focuses on extreme modularity, favoring writing code exclusively in interfaces. Concrete classes are subsequently assembled through the implementation of those interfaces, reducing coupling and introducing a new level of flexibility and adaptability in software construction. The highlighted pattern offers significant benefits in software development, promoting extreme modularity through interface-based coding, enhancing adaptability via multiple inheritance, and upholding the SOLID principles, though it may pose challenges such as complexity and a learning curve for teams.

This study delves into a unique binary pattern found within the wellknown 3n+1 problem, or Collatz conjecture. Through careful analysis of the steps in the 3n+1 sequence, we have discovered a special binary representation that captures the behavior of all positive integers undergoing this transformation. With this new understanding, we have provided a solid proof confirming the validity of the 3n+1 problem for all positive integers. Our method goes beyond the need for extensive computational confirmation, providing a simple and elegant resolution to a long-standing mathematical mystery.