We use the theory of coherent measures to look at the problem of surplus sharing in an insurance business. The surplus share of an insured is calculated by the surplus premium in the contract. The theory of coherent risk measures and the resulting capital allocation gives a way to divide the surplus between the insured and the capital providers, i.e. the shareholders.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of chitosan (CH) based composite films with the incorporation of chestnut flower essential oil (CFEO). The composite films were prepared by casting method and characterized in terms of structural, morphological and mechanical properties via FT-IR, XRD, UV, SEM and TGA. The results proved the significantly increased water vapor permeability (WVP), heat resistance, antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities of CH-CFEO films. The incorporation of CH and CFEO enhanced the UV blocking, which made the film shield almost all UV light. Films with the tensile strength of 6.37 ± 0.41 MPa and elongation at break of 22.57 ± 0.35% were got with 6 mg mL-1 CFEO. Subsequently, the fruit preservation experiments also confirmed that the composite films could effectively extend the shelf life of bananas through their excellent water vapor and oxygen barrier. These desirable performances enable our newly developed composite films to be a remarkable packaging material to solve the fresh fruit preservation dilemma.

This paper introduces an innovative framework for the integration of artificial empathy into robot swarms to enhance communication and cooperation. The proposed model relies on fuzzy state vectors to represent the knowledge and environment of individual agents, accommodating uncertainties in the real world. Utilizing similarity measures, the model compares states, enabling empathetic reasoning for synchronized swarm behavior. A practical application example demonstrates the model’s efficacy in a robot swarm striving for a common goal. The evaluation methodology involves the Open Source Physical-based Experimentation Platform (OPEP), emphasizing empirical validation in real-world scenarios. The paper proposes a transitional environment that allows automated and repeatable execution of experiments on a swarm of robots using physical devices.

SUDEP is a sudden death in a person with epilepsy, without evidence of a seizure before death. While its cause is still unclear, various factors have been linked to seizure onset and cardiopulmonary function. Studies have shown that although 91.3% of epilepsy patients want information on premature death, only 31% of them receive it. The numbers emphasize the need for open and sensitive communication by medical professionals. It is important to choose the appropriate moment for the conversation, avoiding periods of stress and ensuring emotional stability in the patient, as well as clear, appropriate and easy to comprehend information about SUDEP. To facilitate this, knowing the patient's level of knowledge is essential. Education on the warning signs of seizures and SUDEP can help take precautions and can decrease the incidence of the phenomenon itself. Effective epilepsy care requires a comprehensive plan, including medication adherence and lifestyle changes. Regular communication and collaboration between the patient, caregiver and health professionals are essential for the effective management of epilepsy, so just as epilepsy has a fluid, changeable course of disease and follow-up appointments are very important, the topic of SUDEP is not a one-time conversation either.

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

In this study, based on a new quantum integral identity, the authors establish some quantum estimates of Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities for convex functions. These results generalize and improve some known results given in literatures.

The feeling of beauty is one of the positive human feelings. In architecture and design, it is associated with forms appropriate to their purpose. The usefulness of products to meet needs is also important. They are well received by users. The task of designers is to achieve perfection in their work. The rational design and use of artificial living environments are expressions of concern for natural resources (sustainable environment). These issues are addressed, i.e., by an interdisciplinary initiative of the New European Bauhaus. The aim of the paper is to expand knowledge about beauty and utility. They are important when choosing mass-produced goods. The article uses research methods: interpretive research, analyses, comparisons, logical argumentation, etc. Experimental qualitative research using a checklist was used. The results expand the knowledge on the selected topic and research scope of the research of the paper. The survey can be used to rationally evaluate architecture, interiors, and design facilities. It can be helpful for various aesthetic and functional strategies dedicated to different users. The paper demonstrates the role of beauty and functionality in the built environment. They are analyzed in the context of social and technical conditions, as well as contemporary sustainable design

A low-resource emotional speech synthesis system for empathetic speech synthesis based on modelling prosody features is presented here. Secondary emotions, identified to be needed for empathetic speech, are modelled and synthesised in this paper. As secondary emotions are subtle in nature, they are difficult to model compared to primary emotions. They are also less explored, and this is one of the few studies that model secondary emotions in speech. Current speech synthesis research uses large databases and deep learning techniques to develop emotion models. There are many secondary emotions, and hence, developing large databases for each of the secondary emotions is expensive. This research presents a proof-of-concept using hand-crafted feature extraction and modelling of these features using a low resource-intensive machine learning approach, thus creating synthetic speech with secondary emotions. Here, a quantitative model-based transformation is used to shape the emotional speech fundamental frequency contour. Speech rate and mean intensity are modelled via rule-based approaches. Using these models, an emotional text-to-speech synthesis system to synthesise five secondary emotions - anxious, apologetic, confident, enthusiastic and worried is developed. A perception test to evaluate the synthesised emotional speech is also conducted.

Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the availability of portable devices for nasal FeNO measurement, which could replace exhaled NO measurement based on the continuous aspiration of multiple flow measurement systems. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study. The healthy subjects without rhinosinusis disorders (control group) and those with diagnosed allergic rhinitis (AR group) were enrolled in the study. They underwent nasal and bronchial FeNO measurements by both fixed flow NObreath® connected to nasal mask and multiple flows HypAir FeNO®. Results: A total of 153 people were recruited including 63 healthy subjects and 90 subjects with AR. There were no statistically significant differences in anthropometric characteristics between the two groups (P > 0.05). There were a significant increase in FeNO values in the AR group compared to the control group; concentrations of nasal and bronchial FeNO mearsured by NObreath® were 76.0 ± 50.7 ppb (vs 36.0 ± 28.1 ppb, P < 0.01) and 32.3 ± 15.4 ppb (vs 9.2 ± 5.6 ppb, P < 0.001), and those mearsured by NObreath® Hypair FeNO® were 1796.9 ± 523.3 ppb (vs 400.2 ± 123.1 ppb, P < 0.001) and 37.3 ± 23.0 ppb (vs 17.4 ± 18.3 ppb, P < 0.01). A weak correlation between the values measured by NObreath® and Hypair FeNO® devices was observed (r = 0.023 and r = 0.089, respectively; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The handheld NObreath® device is effective in measuring FeNO concentrations in both normal subjects and AR patients. The advantages in price and size, creating a compact, low-cost device that is convenient for use and research.

Elevated carbon dioxide (eCO₂) stimulates wheat grain yield, but simultaneously reduces protein (N) concentration. Also other essential nutrients are subject to change. This study is a comprehensive synthesis of wheat experiments with eCO₂, estimating effects on N, minerals (B, Ca, Cd, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Zn), and starch. Analysis was made by i) deriving response functions for the relative effect on element concentration in relation to CO₂ concentration, ii) meta-analysis to test the magnitude and significance of observed effects, and iii) relating CO₂ effects on minerals to effects on N and grain yield. Responses range from zero to strong negative effects of eCO₂ on mineral concentration, with largest reductions for the nutritionally important elements N, Fe, S, Zn and Mg. Together with the positive but small and non-significant effect on starch concentration, the large variation in effects suggests that CO₂-induced responses cannot be explained by a simple dilution model. To explain the observed pattern, uptake and transport mechanisms may have to be considered, along with the link of different elements to N uptake. Our study shows that eCO₂ has a significant effect on wheat grain stoichiometry, with implications for human nutrition in a world of rising CO₂.

In this paper, we have established Hermite-Hadamard inequalities for r-preinvex functions via fractional integrals.

In this work, Gaussian Tribonacci functions are defined and investigated on the set of real numbers $\mathbb{R},$ \textit{i.e}., functions $f_{G}$ $:$ $\mathbb{R}\rightarrow \mathbb{C}$ such that for all $% x\in \mathbb{R},$ $n\in \mathbb{Z},$ $f_{G}(x+n)=f(x+n)+if(x+n-1)$ where $f$ $:$ $\mathbb{R}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is a Tribonacci function which is given as $f(x+3)=f(x+2)+f(x+1)+f(x)$ for all $x\in \mathbb{R}$. Then the concept of Gaussian Tribonacci functions by using the concept of $f$-even and $f$-odd functions is developed. Also, we present linear sum formulas of Gaussian Tribonacci functions. Moreover, it is showed that if $f_{G}$ is a Gaussian Tribonacci function with Tribonacci function $f$, then $% \lim\limits_{x\rightarrow \infty }\frac{f_{G}(x+1)}{f_{G}(x)}=\alpha \ $and\ $\lim\limits_{x\rightarrow \infty }\frac{f_{G}(x)}{f(x)}=\alpha +i,$ where $% \alpha $ is the positive real root of equation $x^{3}-x^{2}-x-1=0$ for which $\alpha >1$. Finally, matrix formulations of Tribonacci functions and Gaussian Tribonacci functions are given. In the literature, there are several studies on the functions of linear recurrent sequences such as Fibonacci functions and Tribonacci functions. However, there are no study on Gaussian functions of linear recurrent sequences such as Gaussian Tribonacci and Gaussian Tetranacci functions and they are waiting for the investigating. We also present linear sum formulas and matrix formulations of Tribonacci functions which have not been studied in the literature.

This paper investigates the feasibility of a backend design for real-time, multiple-channel processing digital phased array system, particularly for high-performance embedded computing platforms constructed of using general purpose digital signal processors. Frist, we obtained the lab-scale backend performance benchmark from simulating beamforming, pulse compression, and Doppler filtering based on MicroTCA chassis using Serial RapidIO protocol in backplane communication. Next, a field-scale demonstrator of a multifunctional phased array radar is emulated by using the similar configuration. Interestingly, the performance of a barebone design is compared to that of emerging tools that systematically take advantage of parallelism and multicore capabilities, including Open Computing Language.

Utility perceived by individuals is believed to be different from the utility experienced by that individual. System dynamicists implicitly categorize this phenomenon as a form of bounded rationality and traditionally employ a simple smoothing function to capture it. We challenge this generalization by testing it against an alternative formulation of utility perception that is suggested by modern theories of behavioral economics. In particular, the traditional smoothing formulation is compared with the peak-end rule in a simple theoretical model as well as in a medium-size model of electronic health record implementation. Experimentation with the models reveals that the way utility perception is formulated is important and might affect behavior and policy implications of system dynamics models.

Phylogenomics has enriched our understanding that the Tree of Life can have network-like or reticulate structures among some taxa and genes. Non-vertical modes of evolution—such as hybridization/introgression and horizontal gene transfer—deviate from a strictly bifurcating tree model, causing non-treelike patterns. Here, we present a brief overview of a phylogenomic workflow for inferring organismal histories and compare methods for detecting reticulate evolution. We discuss how the timing of coalescent events can help disentangle introgression from incomplete lineage sorting and how horizontal gene transfer events can help determine the relative timing of speciation events. In doing so, we identify pitfalls of certain methods and discuss how to extend their utility across the Tree of Life. Workflows, methods, and future directions discussed herein underscore the need to embrace reticulate evolutionary patterns for understanding the timing and rates of evolutionary events, providing a clearer understanding of life’s history.

A micro decision-making utility model under uncertainty is presented as a complementary foundation for macro coronavirus models. The micro model consists of two functions, a risk averse utility function depending on wellness and a wellness random output which is a function of the input variable called “treatment” consisting of such elements as social distance, washing hands, wearing a face mask, and others. The decision maker selects a level of treatment that maximizes her/his expected utility, given the probabilities of the respective outputs. The focus is on how changes in a person’s psychological attitude towards the macro determined (announced) probabilities affects the optimum results of the model. Such changes create a micro-macro dynamic interaction which is briefly outlined. A short discussion of the model’s behavioral implications for health policy is also given.

Chipman contends, in stark contrast to the conventional view, that utility is not a real number but a vector and is inherently lexicographic in nature. According to these views, it will be proved that, for every preordered topological space (X,≾,t), the assumption t to be finer than the order topology t≾ on (X,t), i.e. t⊇t≾, and the assumption the quotient topology t∣∼≾ that is defined on the preordered set (X∣∼,≾∣∼) of indifference classes of ≾ to be Hausdorff imply that a cardinal number κ and a (complete) preorder ≲ on {0,1}κ that is coarser than the lexicographical ordering ≤lex on {0,1}κ, i.e. ≤lex⊂≲, can be chosen in such a way that there exists a continuous order-embedding ϑ:(X,≾,t)⟶({0,1}κ,≲,t≤lex). This theorem will be compared with a theorem that, in particular, describes necessary and sufficient conditions for ≾ to have a continuous multi-utility representation.

Genetic disorders are preeminent determinants of infant mortality. The inherited pediatric-onset genetic disorders have consequential stress on child growth and development: several congenital, complex and rare disorders with indistinguishable clinical symptoms where diagnosis always remains a challenging task. Traditional diagnosis methods include biochemical tests followed by chromosomal microarray and sequencing of a single gene or panel of genes. These methods had several limitations, but with the advent of whole-exome sequencing (WES), genetic testing has become cost-effective and transformative. Exome sequencing has been known for its effectiveness, which appropriately elucidates and distinguishes the heterogeneous disorders to avoid misdiagnosis and decode the underlying genetic alterations. WES has led to discovering genes and genomic variants in a broad spectrum of diseases, including autism, epilepsy, congenital heart diseases, neurodevelopmental diseases, cancer, nephrotic disorders, neural tube defects and fetal structural anomalies. WES is significant in producing immense genomic biomarkers that can be made as appropriate pharmacogenomic targets for drug therapy. In this article, we analyze the recent exploration of WES technology to revolutionize not only the process of genetic variation and disease detection but also the convention of preventative and targeted drug discovery.

Fumaric acid esters (FAEs) are small molecules with anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is the best characterised FAE and is approved and registered for the treatment of psoriasis and Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). Psoriasis and RRMS share an immune-mediated aetiology, driven by severe inflammation and oxidative stress. DMF, as well as monomethyl fumarate and diroximel fumarate, are commonly prescribed first-line agents with favourable safety and efficacy profiles. The potential benefits of FAEs against other diseases that appear pathogenically different but share the pathologies of oxidative stress and inflammation are currently investigated.

Purpose: Expanded carrier screening (ECS) informs couples of their risk of having offspring affected by certain genetic conditions. Limited data exists assessing the actions and reproductive outcomes of at-risk couples (ARCs). We describe the impact of ECS on planned and actual pregnancy management in the largest sample of ARCs studied to date. Methods: Couples who elected ECS and were found to be at high risk of having a pregnancy affected by at least one of 176 genetic conditions were invited to complete a survey about their actions and pregnancy management. Results: Three hundred ninety-one ARCs completed the survey. Among those screened before becoming pregnant, 77% planned or pursued actions to avoid having affected offspring. Among those screened during pregnancy, 37% elected prenatal diagnostic testing (PNDx) for that pregnancy. In subsequent pregnancies that occurred in both the preconception and prenatal screening groups, PNDx was pursued in 29%. The decision to decline PNDx was most frequently based on the fear of procedure-related miscarriage, as well as the belief that termination would not be pursued in the event of a positive diagnosis. Conclusions: ECS results impacted couples’ reproductive decision-making and led to altered pregnancy management that effectively eliminates the risk of having affected offspring.

Effective management of water distribution systems requires an integrated approach, but none of the available frameworks for one are in broad use in the water supply industry. Frameworks developed include a management standard of the American Water Works Association and Distribution System Optimization, a methodology for physical, hydraulic, and water quality performance assessment. The intelligent systems framework also offers a pathway to integration, but it lacks a definite structure. The voluntary aspect of adopting innovations within the fragmented and unregulated nature of the water utility industry poses a barrier to adoption of such innovations. Another barrier is the uncoordinated arrangements of water research stakeholders with different incentive structures. Intelligent water systems offer a way to incentive utilities to encourage implementation. They can provide a bottom-up approach where utilities see advantages, as opposed to a top-down approach where they are expected to adopt a method without seeing clear benefits. Research to develop new and improved tools is needed, but the research roadmap should prioritize implementation.

This paper presents a study on the idle vibration reduction of a diesel sport utility vehicle (SUV). To reduce idle vibration, the transmission paths of vibration from the engine to the driver seat floor were investigated with the vehicle components related to idle vibration. Furthermore, operational deflection shape (ODS) tests were conducted to visualize the vibration shapes during engine idling. Experimental modal analyses were performed to obtain the natural frequencies and mode shapes. Through the ODS and modal tests, the vibration characteristics of the diesel SUV during idling were identified. Considering these vibration characteristics, a multi-body dynamic model for the diesel SUV described by differential equations of motion was established to evaluate the idle vibration. To implement the dynamic model effectively, the equivalent stiffnesses and damping coefficients included in the model were determined experimentally or analytically. The established dynamic model was verified by comparing the natural frequencies and idle vibration levels between simulations. Using this dynamic model, we analyzed the effects of various design variables on idle vibration and obtained an optimal design for reducing the idle vibration level. Finally, we present a design guide to reduce the idle vibration for diesel SUVs.

In view of intensified disasters and fatalities caused by natural phenomena and geographical expansion, there is a pressing need for a more effective environment logging for a better management and urban planning. This paper proposes a novel utility computing model (UCM) for structural health monitoring (SHM) that would enable dynamic planning of monitoring systems in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The proposed UCM consists of network-attached data drive that stores data from SHM logger, population count system and Geographic Information System (GIS) enhanced with a Cloud IoT data backup, display, and analysis server. The UCM using this data and data from building information systems applies a simple machine learning algorithm to generate real-time structure health and suggests re-planning of SHM units. The health of structure varies dynamically with disturbances created by higher occupancy and structure density per zone. The proposed SHM-UCM is unique in terms of its capability to manage heterogeneous SHM resources. This was tested in a case study on Qatar University (QU) in Doha Qatar, where it looked at where SHM nodes are distributed along with occupancy density in each building. This information was taken from QU simulated occupation and zone calculation models and then compared to ideal SHM system data. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed model in logging and dynamically planning SHM.

The allosteric SERCA (Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) activator CDN1163 has been recently added to the group of pharmacological tools for probing SERCA function. We chose to investigate the effects of the compound on T lymphocyte Ca2+ stores, using the well-described Jurkat T lymphocyte as a reliable cell system for Ca2+ signaling pathways. Our study identified the lowest concentrations of the SERCA inhibitors thapsigargin (TG) and 2,5-di-(tert butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (tBHQ) capable of releasing Ca2+, permitting the differentiation of the TG-sensitive SERCA 2b Ca2+ store from the tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 Ca2+ store. We proceeded to test the effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores, examining specific actions on the SERCA 2b and SERCA 3 Ca2+ pools using our low dose SERCA blocker regimen. In contrast to previous work, we find CDN1163 exerts complex time-sensitive and SERCA isoform-specific actions on Ca2+ stores. Surprisingly, short-term exposure (0-30 minutes) to CDN1163 perturbs T cell Ca2+ stores by suppressing Ca2+ uptake with diminished Ca2+ release from the SERCA 2b-controlled store. Concomitantly, we find evidence for a SERCA-activating effect of CDN1163 on the SERCA 3 regulated store, given the observation of increased Ca2+ release inducible by low dose tBHQ. Intriguingly, longer-term (&gt;12 hours) CDN1163 exposure reversed this pattern, with increased Ca2+ release from SERCA 2b-regulated pools, yet decreased Ca2+ release responses from tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 pool. Our results reveal differential effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores regulated by distinct SERCA isoforms, prompting the need for careful interpretation of the compound’s effects, particularly in cells expressing multiple SERCA isoforms.

Today is the era of nanoscience and nanotechnology, which finds applications in the field of medicine, electronics, or environmental cleanup. Even though the nanotechnology is in its emerging phase, but still it provides solutions to numerous challenges. Nanotechnology and nanoparticles are found very effective because of their unique chemical and physical properties, high surface area, but their high cost is one of the major hurdles in its wider application. So, the synthesis of nanomaterials especially 2D nanomaterials from the industrial, agricultural and other biological activities could provide a cost-effective technique. The nanomaterials synthesized from such waste not only minimizes the pollution but also provides an eco-friendly approach towards the utilization of the waste. In the present review work, the emphasis has been given on the types of nanomaterials, different methods for the synthesis of 2D nanomaterials from the waste generated from industries, agriculture and their application in electronics, medicine and catalysis.

In the paper, the authors consider the generating functions of the Hermite polynomials and their squares, present explicit formulas for higher order derivatives of the generating functions of the Hermite polynomials and their squares, which can be viewed as ordinary differential equations or derivative polynomials, find differential equations that the generating functions of the Hermite polynomials and their squares satisfy, and derive explicit formulas and recurrence relations for the Hermite polynomials and their squares.

It is proved that there exist two odd prime numbers, p_i and p_j , such that p_i + p_j = 2r + 2(r ⩾ 2), where p_n denote the n-th odd prime number, 1 ⩽ i, j ⩽ n. By the theory of generating functions, we prove that there exist two positive integers, h_i and h_j , such that h_i + h_j = r(r ⩾ 2), where h_n = (p_n − 1)/2，(p_n ⩾ 3).Then we complete the proof.

The Chromogranin A (CgA)-derived peptide Catestatin (CST: hCgA352-372) is highly conserved (>90% in 90% species) in mammalian species. The highest-evolved primates show 58.8% similarity with the lowest-evolved monotremes. CST was initially identified as a physiological brake in catecholamine secretion by inhibiting nicotinic-cholinergic signaling. CST also inhibits desensitization of catecholamine secretion, indicating that CST can act both as a cholinergic antagonist (short-term) and as a cholinergic agonist (long-term). The long-term effect sustains catecholamine secretion during stressful situations. CST is now established as a pleiotropic hormone: it affects the cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure and cardiac contractility, enhancing baroreflex sensitivity, increasing heart rate variability, and promoting angiogenesis; and it increases insulin sensitivity by reducing inflammation, inhibiting hepatic glucose production, attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inducing glycogen production. The present review will highlight the important direct and indirect effects of CST, CST1-15 (aka cateslytin), D-CST1-15 (where L-amino acids were changed to D-amino acids), and human variants of CST (Gly364Ser-CST and Pro370Leu-CST) on microbial growth inhibition and their potential as therapy for antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microbes.

This study focuses on a new class of functions called sub-b-s-preinvex, that is a generalization of sub-b-s-convex and preinvex functions, and discusses some of their properties. A new sub-b-s-preinvex programming is introduced and the sufficient conditions of optimality under this type of function is established.

Background: Simulation plays a crucial role in health studies, as it helps medical students apply their theoretical knowledge in real-life situations. Moulage is one of the techniques that helps in making simulation more realistic or high-fidelity. It uses special effects to emulate wounds for a better understanding of what the wound is like visually. Still, moulage is expensive, time-consuming, resource-intensive, and requires the training of staff, which is why we need to find low-cost substitutes for moulage materials. Method: When searching the database “PubMed” for the terms “Low-cost and Medical moulage”, we retrieved 222 studies, out of which when excluding results not related to low-cost, we obtained 62 studies, from which when removing studies that do not contain information regarding moulage, we found two papers, after referring to citations and cited articles of those papers, we ended up with six studies. Based on the selected articles and additional articles sourced from their reference list, a total of 11 studies were included in the review. Results: We understand that moulage is a technique that helps make simulations come alive, but the resources required to use it are at times, expensive, which is why we need to find methods to do low-cost moulage, and many studies address that it can be as simple as using homemade ingredients. Students from a previous study have talked about their opinions regarding the realistic component of moulage and whether if it is any different from other moulages. Most of the students agreed that the moulage ranked well in face and content validity. However, further innovations must be introduced in the field to be widely spread and lead to newer opportunities. Conclusion: Although the research done under moulage is limited, it is accepted that moulage is helpful for simulation-based studies and that low-cost moulage can help make medical studies a better experience for students studying it. Students have a favorable opinion on the realistic aspect of the low-cost moulage applied to them. Newer methods can be introduced to moulage, and it can be implemented in low-income countries.

Background: With its impressive natural language processing and comprehension skills, ChatGPT-4 (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) is a technology that shows great promise for use in a number of medical fields. This article provides a thorough description of the possible uses of OpenAI's state-of-the-art language model, ChatGPT-4, in musculoskeletal imaging. Purpose for review: MSK Radiologists need to evolve about their knowledge and understanding of the roles of ChatGPT and its implications in daily practice. We aim to emphasize the advantages of ChatGPT-4 on the musculoskeletal imaging field and its potential to enhance radiologist working checklist review items, and the overall productivity of radiology reports. Recent findings: The fact of that specialists in radiology, rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, and other fields are conversant with ChatGPT. Furthermore, opinions are generally well, despite the fact that many people have reservations about the new technology, which is still developing ^[1]. Compared to GPT-4V based ChatGPT, GPT-4 based ChatGPT showed noticeably better diagnostic accuracy. Although ChatGPT, which is based on GPT-4, performed diagnostically on par with radiology residents, however, it demonstrated lower performance than a musculoskeletal radiologist ^[2].

The objective of this research is to propose a utility function that calculates the possible level of satisfaction that a music consumer would achieve after listening to a song according to the emotional response obtained from a song. Assuming that the consumer's musical preferences are satisfied if the predominant emotions of his current emotional state increase; the probabilistic emotional-musical model (Lugos Abarca, 2023) is used to construct such a utility function. By posing a hypothetical scenario, realistic results were obtained, which guarantee, in principle, its use in theoretical practice. The originality of this research lies in proposing a mathematical tool to study, quantitatively, the decision making of a musical consumer influenced by his emotions. The main conclusion being its importance in the music industry, since the function could predict, theoretically, whether a song will be accepted or rejected by the consumer in comparison with the competition.

The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge on lymph node dissection (LND) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP). Despite a growing body of evidence, utility, therapeutic and prognostic value of such approach as well as optimal extent of LND, remain unsolved issues. Although LND is the most accurate staging procedure, the direct therapeutic effect is still not evident from the current literature which limits the possibility of establishing clear recommendations. This indicates the need for further robust and adequately designed high quality clinical trials.

Multichannel EEGs were obtained from healthy participants in the eyes-closed no-task condition (where the alpha component is typically abolished). EEG dynamics in the two conditions were quantified with two related binary Lempel-Ziv measures of the first principal component and with three measures of integrated information including the more recently proposed integrated synergy. Both integrated information and integrated synergy with model order p=1 had greater values in the eyes closed condition. If the model order of integrated synergy was determined with the Bayesian Information Criterion, this pattern was reversed, and in common with other measures, integrated synergy was greater in the eyes open condition. Eyes open versus eyes closed separation was quantified by calculation of the between-condition effect size. Lempel-Ziv complexity of the first principal component showed greater separation than the measures of integrated information. The performance of the integrated information measures investigated here when distinguishing between indisputably different physiological states encourages caution when advocating for their use as measures of consciousness.

The Aβ cascade and alternations of biomarkers in neuro-inflammation, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal injury followed by Aβ have progressed. But the question is how to use the biomarkers. Here, we examine the evidence and pathogenic implications of protein interactions and the time order of alternation. After the deposition of Aβ, the change of tau, NfL and NG is the main alternation and connection to others. The neuro-inflammation, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal injury function is exhibited prior the structural and metabolic changes in the brain following Aβ deposition. The time order of such biomarkers compared to the tau protein is not clear. Despite the close relationship between biomarkers and plaque Aβ deposition, several factors favor one or the other. There is an interaction between the proteins that CSF SNAP-25, VILIP-1 and YKL-40 can predict the brain amyloid burden. The Aβ cascade hypothesis could be the pathway, but not all subjects are converted to AD, even with very high elevated Aβ. The interaction of biomarkers and the time order of change require further research to identify the right subjects and right molecular target for precision medicine therapies.

With a data revolution underway for some time, there is an increasing demand for formal privacy protection mechanisms that are not so destructive. Hereof microaggregation is a popular high-utility approach designed to satisfy the popular k-anonymity criteria while applying low distortion to data. However, standard performance metrics are commonly based on mean square error, which will hardly capture the utility degradation related to a specific application domain of data. In this work, we evaluate the performance of k-anonymous microaggregation in terms of the loss in classification accuracy of the machine learned models built from perturbed data. Systematic experimentation is carried out on four microaggregation algorithms that are tested over four data sets. The empirical utility of the resulting microaggregated data is assessed using the learning algorithm that obtains the highest accuracy from original data. Validation tests are performed on a test set of non perturbed data. The results confirm k-anonymous microaggregation as a high-utility privacy mechanism in this context and distortion based on mean squared error as a poor predictor of practical utility. Finally, we corroborate the beneficial effects for empirical utility of exploiting the statistical properties of data when constructing privacy preserving algorithms.

The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 require community water systems in the United States to send consumers Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs). CCRs contain information on detected contaminants and required educational information about drinking water. The authors of this study developed a survey to evaluate how utilities track consumer feedback, understanding, and the role of the CCR in shaping consumer perceptions about water quality. Responses from this survey indicate it is common for utilities to indirectly track the effectiveness of their CCRs, but few utilities indicated directly evaluating consumer understanding or the effect of CCRs on consumer perceptions.

In this study we introduce the new classes $\mathcal{M}_{\alpha}(\sin)$ and $\mathcal{M}_{\alpha}(\cos)$ of $\alpha$-convex functions associated with sine and cosine functions. Also, we obtain the initial coefficient bounds for the first five coefficients of the functions that belong to these classes. Further, we determine the upper bound of Zalcman functional for the class $\mathcal{M}_{\alpha}(\cos)$ for the case $n=3$, showing that the Zalcman conjecture holds for this value. Moreover, the problem of the Fekete-Szeg\H{o} functional estimate for these classes is studied.

The high prevalence of thyroid nodules and increased availability of neck ultrasound have led to an increased incidence of diagnostic thyroid fine needle aspirations, with approximately 20% yielding indeterminate results. The recent availability of molecular tests has helped guide the clinical management of these cases. This paper aims to review and compare three main commercially available molecular cytology platforms in the U.S. – Afirma GSC, Thyroseq GC, and ThyGeNEXT+ThyraMIR. Sequential improvements of the Afirma GSC and Thyroseq GC tests have led to higher positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity, and specificity. Comparative studies revealed similar diagnostic performance between these tests, with considerations for factors such as cost and processing time. Thyroseq GC provides detailed genomic information and specific management recommendations. ThyGeNEXT+ThyraMIR, though less studied, presents promising results, particularly in miRNA analysis for weak driver mutations. Challenges in interpreting results include variations in reporting and the evolving nature of testing platforms. Questions persist regarding cost-effectiveness and the utility of ultrasound characteristics in selecting candidates for molecular testing. While molecular testing has primarily served diagnostic purposes, advancements in understanding genetic alterations now offer therapeutic implications. FDA-approved options target specific genetic alterations, signaling a promising future for tailored treatments.

Cancer/testis (CT) antigens exhibit selective expression predominantly in immunoprivileged tissues in non-pathological contexts but are aberrantly expressed in diverse cancers. Because of their expression pattern, they have historically been attractive targets for immunotherapies. The investigation of mechanistic roles of CT antigens in promoting oncogenesis has historically been a prominent research question, and a growing number of studies implicate CT antigens in promoting almost all the hallmarks of cancer. This suggests that CT antigens may act as cancer drivers. CT antigens are expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, although their role in the pathogenesis, prognostication, and treatment for this family of cancers remains poorly studied. Given that CT antigens hold intriguing potential as therapeutic targets and as biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic response and that they can provide novel insights into oncogenic mechanisms, their further study in the context of head and squamous cell carcinoma is warranted.

Human activities (e.g., exploitation, utilization, and conservation) exert substantial impact on forest ecological functions (FEF). The human influence on FEF significantly varies across developmental stages, which are attributed to the temporal and spatial in nature. This study evaluates some notable FEF indices (FEFI) in the 448 counties within the Yellow River basin (YRB) using panel data from the Seventh to Ninth National Forest Inventory. Data analysis involves employing the residual trends, geographical and temporal weighted regression. Results indicate that, firstly, the overall forest ecological function in the YRB is moderate to inferior, with superior FEF in counties endowed with more natural forest resources. Afforestation demonstrates a short-term improvement, but its effectiveness diminishes over time. Secondly, the positive spatial correlation is stronger among counties, characterized by both high-high and low-low agglomeration effects. Scattered planting, simple stand structure, and concentrated harvesting of forests at the identical stand ages hinder the formation of complex and large-scale FEF agglomerations. Thirdly, significant spatial-temporal differences exist in the impact of human activities on FEF. In the upper reaches of the basin, increased vegetation coverage through agricultural and forestry production benefited FEF, however, some over-exploitation of forests and grasslands is observed there. In the middle reaches, the economic development, expanding population and the greening activities help to improve FEF effectively, but excessive water using in agricultural production brought more difficulties to FEF improvement. In the lower reaches of the basin, improved wastelands and forest protection positively influence FEF. This study recommends that county governments should prioritize forest management with multi-species and multi-layered complex forests. Each county should define its position in regional development and ecological protection, considering the potential impacts on neighboring regions. This holistic approach promotes more effective integrated regional management.

Through the use of machine learning algorithms like the Support Vector Machine, it has been show that burn extent can be accurately mapped from hyperspatial drone imagery in both grasslands and forests. Despite these successes, hyperspatial imagery must be acquired via drones, requiring large amounts of time and resources to capture areas much smaller than the large catastrophic fires which result in the majority of the lands burned each year by wildland fires. To overcome this difficulty, high spatial resolution satellite imagery from Worldview2 can be substituted for hyperspatial drone imagery, allowing for larger regions of images to be acquired more easily and efficiently. Additionally, Worldview2 trades spatial resolution for spectral resolution and extent, capturing images in 8 multispectral bands as opposed to 3 band imagery in the visible spectra. This research examines the utility of each of the 8 bands observed in Worldview2 imagery using an Iterative Dichotomiser 3 decision tree, then uses these bands to map burn extent and biomass consumption. Several classifications of burn extent and biomass consumption are produced and compared based on the bands used as inputs. The results show that using Worldview2 imagery to map burn extent and biomass consumption results in highly accurate maps, with slight improvements when additional bands are added.

Orthohepadnavirus causes chronic hepatitis in a broad range of mammals, including primates, cats, woodchucks, and bats. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein inhibits type-I interferon (IFN) signaling, promoting HBV escape from the innate immune system to establish persistent infection. However, whether X proteins of Orthohepadnavirus viruses in the other species have similar inhibitory activity remains unknown. Here, we investigated the anti-IFN activity of 17 Orthohepadnavirus X proteins derived from various hosts. We observed conserved activity of Orthohepadnavirus X proteins in inhibiting TIR-domain-containing adaptor protein inducing IFN-β (TRIF)-mediated IFN-β signaling pathway through TRIF degradation. X proteins from domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH), a novel member of Orthohepadnavirus, inhibited mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS)-mediated IFNβ signaling pathway comparable with HBV X. These results indicate that inhibition of IFN signaling is conserved in Orthohepadnavirus X proteins.

In this paper we give approximations to the Mittag-Leffler functions in terms of elementary functions using different methods. This allowed us to establish a practical method we called integerization principle. This principle states that many fractional nonlinear oscillators may be solved by means of the solution to some integer-order Duffing oscillator equation. The accuracy of the obtained results is illsutrated in concrete examples. Formulas for estimating the errors in the approximations are also provided.

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

The developmental phase of adolescence is characterized by a multitude of neurocognitive and psychosocial changes and is therefore considered one of the most critical developmental periods of life. Experimentation on the use of substances often begins in adolescence and so does the addiction process. Most research in human subjects shows that chronic cannabis abuse is the cause of the impairment of some cognitive functions, affecting the performance on divided attention, verbal memory and working memory. In this study, we wanted to investigate how the abuse of cannabis (chronic, occasional and absence use) can influence global cognitive functioning, also through executive functions. From the statistical analyzes of our study, it emerges that the group of subjects who use chronic cannabis (group 1) has a significant drop in working memory tasks compared to the group that does not use it (group 3). In addition, the goal of future studies by our group is to verify the permanent alteration of cognitive processes affected through revaluations with calendar follow-up (controlled).

We show that if $f$ is a non-negative superquadratic function, then $A\mapsto\mathrm{Tr}f(A)$ is a superquadratic function on the matrix algebra. In particular, \begin{align*} \tr f\left( {\frac{{A + B}}{2}} \right) +\tr f\left(\left| {\frac{{A - B}}{2}}\right|\right) \leq \frac{{\tr {f\left( A \right)} + \tr {f\left( B \right)} }}{2} \end{align*} holds for all positive matrices $A,B$. In addition, we present a Klein's inequality for superquadratic functions as $$ \mathrm{Tr}[f(A)-f(B)-(A-B)f'(B)]\geq \mathrm{Tr}[f(|A-B|)] $$ for all positive matrices $A,B$. It gives in particular improvement of Klein's inequality for non-negative convex function. As a consequence, some variants of the Jensen trace inequality for superquadratic functions have been presented.

Superantigens are unconventional antigens which recognise immune receptors outside the usual binding sites e.g. complementary determining regions (CDRs), to elicit a response within the target cell. T-cell superantigens crosslink T-cell receptors and MHC Class II molecules on antigen-presenting cells, leading to lymphocyte recruitment, induction of cytokine storms and T-cell anergy or apoptosis among many other effects. B-cell superantigens, on the other hand, bind immunoglobulin receptors on B-cells affecting opsonisation, IgG-mediated phagocytosis, and drive B-cells into apoptosis. Here, through a review of the structural basis for recognition of immune receptors by superantigens, we show that their binding interfaces share specific physicochemical characteristics when compared with other protein-protein interaction complexes. Given that antibody-binding superantigens have been exploited extensively in industrial antibody purification, these observations could facilitate further protein engineering to optimize the use of superantigens in this and other areas of biotechnology.

Several tumor types have been efficiently treated with PARPis, which are now approved for the treatment of ovarian, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. The BRCA1/2 genes and mutations in many additional genes involved in the HR pathway may be responsible for the HRD phenomenon. In the present study, an NGS assay was used to analyze 513 genes associated with targeted and immuno-oncology therapies in 406 samples. In addition, the %gLOH values of 24 samples were also calculated using the Affymetrix technology to compare the results obtained by the two methodologies. HR variations occurred in 20.93% of the malignancies, while BRCA1/2 gene alterations in 5.17%. %LOH was highly correlated with alterations in the BRCA1/2 genes since 76.19% (16/21) of the BRCA1/2 positive tumors had a high %LOH value (p=0.007). Moreover, the LOH status was highly correlated with the TP53 and KRAS statuses, but there was no association with the TMB value. Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient for the 24 evaluable samples simultaneously examined by both assays was 0.87, indicating a nearly perfect agreement. In conclusion, the addition of gLOH analysis could assist the detection of additional patients eligible for PARPis

Suppose for n∈ ℕ, set A⊆ℝⁿ and function f∶A→ℝⁿ. If set A, using the Hausdorff outer measure, is measurable in the sense of Carathèodory; we want to find an extension of the expected value, w.r.t the Hausdorff measure, that's unique, finite and "natural" (defined on §2.3 & §2.4) for all f in a prevalent subset of ℝᴬ. The issue is current extensions of the expected value are finite for all functions in only a shy subset of ℝᴬ. The reason this issue wasn't resolved is mathematicians have not thought of the problem, focusing on application rather than generalization. Despite the lack of potential use, we'll attempt to solve the problem by defining a choice function---this shall choose a unique set of equivalent sequences of sets (Fₖ***) , where the set-theoretic limit of Fₖ*** is the graph of f; the measure Hʰ is the ℎ-Hausdorff measure, such for each k∈ℕ, 0 < Hʰ(Fₖ***) < +∞; and (fₖ*) is a sequence of functions where {(x,fₖ*(x))∶x∈ dom(Fₖ***)}=Fₖ***. Thus, the extended expected value of or E**[f,Fₖ***] is: ∀(ε>0)∃(N∈ℕ)∀(k∈N)(k≥N⇒1/Hʰ(dom(Fₖ***))∫dom(Fₖ*** )fₖ* dHʰ - E**[f,Fₖ***]<ε ) which should be unique, finite, and "natural" (defined on §2.3 & §2.4) for all f in a prevalent subset of ℝᴬ. Note we guessed the choice function using computer programming but we don’t use mathematical proofs due to the lack of expertise in the subject matter. Despite this, the biggest use of this research is the extension of the expected value is finite for "almost all" functions: this is easier to use in application when finding the "average" of functions covering an infinite expanse of space.

Executive functions comprise top-down cognitive processes that exert control over information processing, from acquiring information to issuing a behavioural response. These cognitive processes of inhibition, working memory and shifting underpin complex cognitive skills, such as episodic memory and planning, which have been repeatedly investigated in several bird species in recent decades. Until recently, avian executive functions were studied in relatively few bird species, but have gained traction in comparative cognitive research following MacLean and colleagues’ large-scale study (2014). Therefore, in this review paper, relevant previous findings are collected and organized to facilitate further investigations of these core cognitive processes in birds. This review can assist in integrating findings from avian and mammalian cognitive research and further current understanding of executive functions’ significance and evolution.

In the paper, by convolution theorem for the Laplace transforms and analytic techniques, the author finds necessary and sufficient conditions for complete monotonicity, monotonicity, and inequalities of several functions involving polygamma functions. By these results, the author derives a lower bound of a function related to the sectional curvature of the manifold of the beta distributions. Finally, the author poses several guesses and open problems related to monotonicity, complete monotonicity, and inequalities of several functions involving polygamma functions.

Background: Frailty assessment allows the identification of patients at risk of death, and it is a challenge in both emergency departments and support wards. The aim here was to study the ability of the Frail-VIG Index (FI-VIG) in order to discriminate frailty groups of older adults and garner its correlation with mortality in an emergency department short-stay unit (2) Methods: Our observational, single-center, prospective study consecutively included patients over 65-years-old admitted to the unit between March 1, 2021, and April 30, 2021. (3) Results: A total of 302 patients were included (56% women), with a mean age of 83 ± 8 years, and 39.1% of them had a functional disability whilst 16.5% of them had dementia. A total of 174 patients (58%) met the frailty criteria (FI-VIG ≥0.2): 111 (63.8%) had mild frailty (FI-VIG 0.2 - 0.36), 52 (29.9%) had moderate frailty (FI-VIG 0.36 - 0.55), and 11 (6.3%) had advanced frailty (FI-VIG >0.55). Mortality at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year was analyzed: no frailty was 6.3%, 10.8%, and 12.5%, respectively; mild frailty was 10.8%, 22.5%, and 22.5%, respectively; moderate frailty was 25%, 34.6%, and 42.3%, respectively; and advanced frailty was 36.4%, 54.5%, and 3.6%, respectively. This shows the significant differences between the groups (1-year mortality p<0.001). Mild frailty vs. non-frail HR was 2.47 (95%CI 1.12 - 5.46), moderate frailty vs. non-frail HR was 6.93 (95%CI 3.16 - 15.23), and advanced frailty vs. non-frail HR was 11.29 (95%CI 3.54 - 36.03). The mean test time was 7 minutes. (4) Conclusions: There was a strong correlation between frailty degree and mortality at 1, 6, and 12 months. FI-VIG Index is a fast and easy-to-use tool in this setting, and its routine implementation in SSUs could enable early risk stratification in order to detect vulnerable patients with specific needs.

Helicobacter pylori is the most common human gastric infection. H. pylori stool antigen lateral flow immunochromatography assay (HpSA-LFIA) is considered one of the most cost-effective and rapid non-invasive assays (active tests). The evaluation of this test is crucial for accuracy and utility assurance. This study aimed to evaluate the polyclonal antibody-based HpSA-LFIA in comparison to a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA kit. Methodology: Stool samples were collected from 200 gastric patients for HpSA-LFIA and semi-quantitative HpSA-ELISA. Statistical analysis of the diagnostic values was performed using MedCalc software. Chi-square tests were used to determine the effects of gender and age. Results: The obtained results found that HpSA-LFIA achieved promising sensitivity (93.75%) and NPV (98.00%). However, it had poor specificity, PPV, and accuracy, respectively, 59.76%, 31.25%, and 65.31%. LR+ & LR- were 2.33% & 0.1%, respectively. Gender had no significance on the di-agnostic parameters of HpSA-LFIA. Age groups had irrelevant sensitivity; however, specificity was significantly higher in patients over 45 years. Conclusion: It was concluded that HpSA-LFIA was not accurate enough to be the sole test for di-agnosis and needs other confirmatory tests in case of positive conditions

The main objective of this paper is to introduce a further extension of extended (p, q)-beta function by considering two Mittag-Leffler function in the kernel. We investigate various properties of this newly defined beta function such as integral representations, summation formulas and Mellin transform. We define extended beta distribution and its mean, variance and moment generating function with the help of extension of beta function. Also, we establish an extension of extended (p, q)-hypergeometric and (p, q)-confluent hypergeometric functions by using the extension of beta function. Various properties of newly defined extended hypergeometric and confluent hypergeometric functions such as integral representations, Mellin transformations, differentiation formulas, transformation and summation formulas are investigated.

In this paper, we relate Poisson’s summation formula to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. They both express Fourier dualities within the space of tempered distributions and these dualities are furthermore the inverses of one another. While Poisson’s summation formula expresses a duality between discretization and periodization, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle expresses a duality between regularization and localization. We define regularization and localization on generalized functions and show that the Fourier transform of regular functions are local functions and, vice versa, the Fourier transform of local functions are regular functions.

Background: Autonomic balance measurement (ABM) is a valuable tool in clinical practice for assessing the functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls involuntary bodily functions. Here we summarize the current understanding of the utility of autonomic balance measurement in clinical practice. Methods: A narrative review of relevant literature was conducted, focusing on studies investigating the use of autonomic balance measures in various clinical settings. Results: ABM holds potential benefits in clinical practice, including aiding in diagnosing autonomic dysfunction, monitoring treatment efficacy, and predicting potential health complications. ABM can be crucial for diagnosing various conditions, including cardiovascular diseases (Heart failure, arrhythmias, and hypertension), neurological disorders (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetic neuropathy), in sports medicine athletes can undergo ABM to optimize training regimens, enhance performance, assessing the impact of training stress, preventing overtraining, and promoting overall well-being and probably to assess potential health risks, in metabolic syndromes ABM can aid in the early detection of autonomic neuropathy, a diabetes-related complication, allowing for timely intervention and better management of the disease, and psychiatric disorders (Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder). In addition, ABM can be helpful in monitoring of treatment efficacy, by tracking changes in autonomic balance, clinicians can assess if treatments for conditions impacting the autonomic nervous system are effective. ABM can also be helpful in predicting outcomes by facilitating early recognition of future health complications in certain populations. However, limitations exist, including non-specificity, variability in measurements, and limited evidence for routine use in specific clinical settings. Conclusion: Incorporating autonomic balance measurement into routine clinical assessments provides a more comprehensive understanding of a patient's health. It complements traditional diagnostic methods, offering additional insights into the body's regulatory mechanisms. While autonomic balance measurement offers potential benefits, careful interpretation and consideration of its limitations are crucial for its effective use in clinical practice. ABM remains a valuable and versatile tool in clinical practice for a deeper understanding of the autonomic nervous system, enabling early detection, targeted interventions, and improved management of various medical conditions across different specialties.

Wind energy is a rapidly expanding renewable energy technique. Wind farm developers need to understand the interaction between wind farms and the atmospheric flow over complex terrain. Large-eddy simulations provide valuable data for gaining further insight into the impact of rough topography on wind-farm performance. In this research, we investigate the influence of spatial heterogeneity on wind turbine performance. We conducted numerical simulations of a 12×5 wind-turbine array on various rough topographies. First, we evaluated our LES method through mesh convergence analysis, using mean vertical profiles, vertical friction velocity, and resolved and subgrid-scale kinetic energy. Next, we analyze the effects of surface roughness and dispersive stresses on the performance of fully developed large wind farms. Our results demonstrate that the ground roughness element’s flow resistance boosts large wind-farm power production by almost 68% in fully aerodynamic rough surface compared to flat terrain. Dispersive stress analysis revealed that the primary degree of spatial heterogeneity in the wind farm is in the streamwise direction, which is the “wake-occupied” region, and the relative contribution of dispersive shear stress is almost 45% to the overall drag. We also observed that the power performance of the wind farm in complex terrain outperforms the drag. Our study has implications for improving the design of wind turbines and wind farms in complex terrain to increase their efficiency and energy output.

Animals’ facial expressions have been widely used as a readout for emotion. Scientific interest in the facial expressions of laboratory animals has centered primarily on negative experiences, such as pain, experienced as a result of scientific research procedures. Recent attempts to standardize evaluation of facial expressions associated with pain in laboratory animals has culminated in the development of “grimace scales”. In the context of laboratory animals, these have been developed and evaluated for mice, rats, rabbits, sheep, and ferrets. The prevention or relief of pain in laboratory animals is a fundamental requirement for in vivo research to satisfy community expectations. However, to date it appears that the grimace scales have not seen widespread implementation as clinical pain assessment techniques in biomedical research. In this review, we discuss some of the barriers to implementation of the scales in clinical laboratory animal medicine, progress made in automation of collection, and suggest avenues for future research.

Rapid technological advancements in information communication technologies have enabled water resource data collection at greater spatial and temporal scale. However, this water data is often limited to the purposes of its primary collection, and limits decisions made by stakeholders towards sustainable urban water management. This empirically focused research paper examines how water practitioners involved in strategic planning can capture additional values from integrating different water data. Furthermore, the perception of 22 urban water practitioners across Australia are presented, regarding the importance of and difficulty in using water data for strategic planning, and the necessary steps for achieving integrated water management practices. Interviewees perception revealed gaps in available water resource data (i.e. water quality, ground water, stormwater, and urban water use), and limitations of industry guidelines for operating within existing governance frameworks. Overall, the research highlights the Australian urban water sector’s perception of water data’s crucial role in representing stakeholders interest; however, changes made in water data’s collection are required for an integrated water management approach. Implications for future open water data standard are discussed.

Abstract: Remarkably, the p53 transcription factor, referred to as “the guardian of the genome”, is not essential for mammalian development. Moreover, efforts to identify p53‑dependent developmental events have produced contradictory conclusions. Given the importance of pluripotent stem cells as models of mammalian development, and their applications in regenerative medicine and disease, resolving these conflicts is essential. Here we attempt to reconcile disparate data into justifiable conclusions predicated on reports that p53‑dependent transcription is first detected in late mouse blastocysts, that p53 activity first becomes potentially lethal during gastrulation, and that apoptosis does not depend on p53. Furthermore, p53 does not regulate expression of genes required for pluripotency in embryonic stem cells (ESCs); it contributes to ESC genomic stability and differentiation. Depending on conditions, p53 accelerates initiation of apoptosis in ESCs in response to DNA damage, but cell cycle arrest as well as the rate and extent of apoptosis in ESCs are p53-independent. In embryonic fibroblasts, p53 induces cell cycle arrest to allow repair of DNA damage, and cell senescence to prevent proliferation of cells with extensive damage.

The power sectors in most African countries face an enduring problem of utility performance – electricity utilities have failed to deliver adequate, reliable and competitively priced electricity to support economic growth and improve the welfare of their populations. Despite more than two decades of power sector re-forms, outcomes have been varied and often disappointing. Using a case study de-sign, we explore the five key enduring power challenges. The research utilizes a more powerful analytical framework that combines power sector reform theory and principal-agent theoretical lens to explore the experience of power sector reforms in Kenya and provides a deeper understanding of drivers of utility performance and reform impacts. Empirical findings show that the structural, governance and regulatory reforms that previously created incentives for improved utility performance are increasingly threatened by political influence. Kenya Power’s financial viability has deteriorated in recent years and the regulator has been undermined. One of our major conclusions is that when the relationship between the principal (government) and agent (utility) is well understood and the agent is properly incentivized, performance improvements are possible. However, when the government undermines or muddies those incentives through conflicting political interventions, performance improvements can be reversed.

Metastases cause high mortality in several cancers and immunotherapies are expected to be effective in the prevention and treatment of metastatic disease. However, only a minority of patients benefit from immunotherapies. This creates a need for novel therapies that are efficacious regardless of the cancer types and metastatic environments they are growing in. Preclinical immuno-oncology models for studying metastases have long been limited to syngeneic or carcinogenesis-inducible models that have murine cancer and immune cells. However, the translational power of these models has been questioned. Interactions between tumor and immune cells are often species-specific and regulated by different cytokines in mice and humans. For increased translational power, mice engrafted with functional parts of human immune system have been developed. These humanized mice are utilized to advance understanding the role of immune cells in the metastatic process, but increasingly also to study the efficacy and safety of novel immunotherapies. From these aspects, this review will discuss the role of immune cells in the metastatic process and the utility of humanized mouse models in immuno-oncology research for metastatic cancers, covering several models from the perspective of efficacy and safety of immunotherapies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded globally and caused serious consequence in both health system and the economy. MPV is one of two oral antivirals for COVID-19 with mild-to-moderate symptoms that have received FDA approval so far. This study aims to evaluate the cost-utility of using MPV in COVID-19 treatment. To compare the utility costs of MPV and non-MPV treatments for COVID-19 patients, we used a decision tree model. Data on clinical efficacy, cost, and quality of life were gathered from previous studies. The incremental effective cost ratio (ICER) calculated based on costs incurred and quality-adjusted life years (QALY), was considered as primary out-come. The total cost of MPV treatment and not using MPV was 15,362,516 VND (618 USD) and 15,771,262 VND (634 USD), respectively. The estimated QALY with using-MPV was 28.33, while without MPV was 19.72. The ICER was dominant, resulting in savings of 47,453 VND/QALY (1.9 USD). MPV is a cost-effective medication used to treat COVID-19. In mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients, MPV considerably lowers costs and improves quality of life. However, several clinical factors of the drug still need to be taken into account.

This paper deals with the analysis of the cognitive functions of the cerebral cortex or cortex in the evolutionary context. The triune brain model is presented given its notorious popularity in fields that are not strictly neuroscientific, and its limitations and inaccuracies are also shown. Although it is an outdated theory, this one represented the passage to a new era, because it really was the model of the movement towards understanding the brain in evolutionary terms. Next, the paper illustrates the different areas of the cortex and their functions, as well as the evolution of the brain and the cortex in vertebrates. To date, the expansion of the cortex with the amniotes was placed 300 million years ago, although recent studies place it in the lampreys more than 500 million years ago. Evolutionary changes in mammalian brain and cortex size are discussed, showing the evolution from three to six cell layers and trends in different groups of mammals. Finally, the most recent contributions in the field of research are illustrated, such as the role of neurogenesis and the evolution of the connectivity of the cortex.

TThis paper delves into the extension and characterization of radial positive definite functions into non-integer dimensions. We provide a thorough investigation by employing the Riemann-Liouville fractional integral and fractional Caputo derivatives, enabling a comprehensive understanding of these functions. Additionally, we introduce a secondary characterization based on the Bernstein characterization of completely monotone functions. The practical significance of our study is showcased through an examination of the positivity of the fundamental solution of the space-fractional Bessel diffusion equation, highlighting the real-world applicability of the developed concepts. Through this work, we contribute to the broader understanding of radial positive definite functions and their utility in diverse mathematical and applied contexts.

Natural cycles underpin the very stuff of life. In this commentary we consider unnatural cycles: that is, anthropogenic activities which have a circularity, but whose nature is to have a detrimental effect on human health, exacerbating existing problems. Natural cycles have feedback loops, some of which have recently come to light, with an understanding that everything is connected in some way. In health, feedback loops are imperative in homeostatic mechanisms. However, in the unnatural cycle the feedback loops serve to reinforce (and in some cases amplify) negative problems. We offer a commentary on an unnatural cycle moving from air quality to lung function and back to air quality; we call this the lung disease unnatural cycle. We suggest where links occur, and where wider consideration of interactions between various disciplines can lead to breaking this unnatural (or vicious) cycle, changing it to a healthy cycle where individual health can be improved, along with better global scale outcomes. We suggest that many activities within this unnatural cycle occur within silos. However, the improved cycle incorporates joint activities at geological, health, and financial levels, to the mutual benefit of all, breaking the unnatural cycle, and improving health, life and financial costs.

In this review we summarize the recent development in understanding the role of PIP2 in cellular function and signaling. We first discuss the effect of PIP2 on actin binding proteins addressing the mechanism of the actin cytoskeletal dynamics such as polymerization or depolymerization of the filamentous network or the coupling to membrane to generate forces. Next, we outline the role of PIP2 in membrane dynamics. We summarized how the membrane organization depends upon PIP2 in the presence of ions or transmembrane proteins that are sensitive to membrane curvature. We discuss how clathrin coated pits interact with adaptor proteins during the endocytosis process, which is facilitated by PIP2. Finally, we discuss the role of PIP2 in cell signaling and diseases.

In numerous instances, the fate of a single cell not only represents its peculiar outcome but also contributes to the overall status of an organism. In turn, cell division cycle and its control strongly influence cell destiny playing a critical role in targeting it towards a specific phenotype. Several factors participate to the control of growth and among them p27 and p57, two proteins modulating various transitions of cell cycle, appear to play key functions. In this review, the major features of p27 and p57 will be described, focusing in particular on their recently identified roles not directly correlated to cell cycle modulation. Then, their possible role as molecular effectors of polyphenols activities are discussed. Polyphenols represent a large family of natural bioactive molecules that have been demonstrated to play promising protective activities against several human diseases. Their use has also been proposed in association with classical therapies for ameliorating their clinical effects and for diminishing their negative side activities. The importance of p27 and p57 in polyphenol cellular effects will be discussed with the aim of identifying novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of important human diseases, such as cancers, characterized by an altered control of growth.

The comparison of group means in latent variable models plays a vital role in empirical research in the social sciences. The present article discusses extensions of invariance alignment and Haberman linking concerning the choice of linking functions for comparisons of many groups. Robust linking functions are proposed for invariance alignment and robust Haberman linking that are particularly suited to item response data under partial invariance. In a simulation study, it is shown that both linking approaches have comparable performance, and in some conditions, the newly proposed robust Haberman linking outperforms invariance alignment.

A new generalization of extended beta function and its various properties, integral representations and distribution are given in this paper. In addition, we establish the generalization of extended hypergeometric and con uent hypergeometric functions using the newly extended beta function. The properties these extended and con uent hypergeometric functions such as integral representations, Mellin transformations, dif- ferentiation formulas, transformation and summation formulas are also investigated.

In a recent paper, Sarikaya et al. introduced a new analogue of the classical Gamma function which they called, the conformable Gamma function. Motivated by their results, this paper seeks to establish some inequalities for the conformable Gamma and Polygamma functions. Among other analytical tools, the procedure relies on the generalized forms of some classical inequalities.

The emergence of acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs is almost inevitable even after a remarkable clinical response. Secondary mutations such as T790M and C797S are responsible for the resistance to 1st/2nd generation (1/2G) TKIs and 3G TKIs, respectively. To overcome both the T790M and C797S mutations, novel 4G EGFR-TKIs are now under early clinical development. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a 4G EGFR-TKI in the treatment of lung cancer with EGFR mutation as well as explored resistance mechanisms to a 4G TKI. First, we compared the efficacies of seven TKIs including a 4G TKI, BI4020, against Ba/F3 cell models that simulate resistant tumors after frontline osimertinib treatment failure because of a secondary mutation. We also established acquired re-sistant cells to BI4020 by chronic drug exposure. Ba/F3 cells with an osimertinib-resistant secondary mutation were refractory to all 3G TKIs tested (alflutinib, lazertinib, rezivertinib, almonertinib, and befotertinib). BI4020 inhibited the growth of C797S-positive cells; however it was not effective against L718Q-positive cells. Erlotinib was active against all Ba/F3 cells tested. In the analysis of resistance mechanisms of BI4020 resistant (BIR) cells, none harbored secondary EGFR mutations. HCC827BIR cells had MET gene amplification and were sensitive to a combination of capmatinib (MET-TKI) and BI4020. HCC4006BIR and H1975BIR cells exhibited epithelial to mesenchymal transition. This study suggests that erlotinib may be more suitable than 4G TKIs to overcome sec-ondary mutations after front-line osimertinib. We found that off-target mechanisms that cause re-sistance to earlier generation TKIs will also cause resistance to 4G TKIs.

Background: Migraine is the commonest complex neurological disorder affecting over a billion people worldwide. Neuroinflammation has long been considered to play an important role in the pathophysiology of migraine. The main aim of this single-centre, proof of concept, retrospective study was to determine the possible clinical utility of systemic immune-inflammatory response in migraine with and without aura in a hospitalized cohort. We measured the role of universally available serial white blood cell counts to calculate the serial systemic immune-inflammatory indices (SSIIi) and the potential association between aura and SSIIi changes in a cohort of migraine patients admitted to tertiary care center in Melbourne Australia.Main body: We retrospectively assessed patients' medical records presenting to Western Health with migraine over an 18 month period. Patients were classified as either having migraine with aura (MA) or without aura (MO) based on ICHD-3 criteria. Baseline demographics and brain imaging findings in each group were evaluated. Patients with two sets of white blood cell counts during the admission were included in the analysis. SSIIi were calculated as, neutrophil counts x platelet counts / lymphocyte counts. Correlation between SSIIi and MA and MO were assessed using SPSS27.Conclusion: SSIIi were elevated in MA and MO followed by a downward trend in both groups, with MA being statistically significant. This proof-of-concept study suggests the potential role of systemic inflammation in pathobiology of migraine. SSIIi appear to show clinical utility. Further comprehensive ,controlled , multicenter studies are required to clarify the exact role of systemic inflammatory response and the clinical utility of SSIIi in a subset of migraine in the Emergency department setting.

Advances in DNA sequencing technology are facilitating genomic analyses of unprecedented scope and scale, widening the gap between our abilities to generate and fully exploit biological sequence data. Comparable analytical challenges are encountered in other data-intensive fields involving sequential data, such as signal processing, in which dimensionality reduction (i.e., compression) methods are routinely used to lessen the computational burden of analyses. In this work we explore the application of dimensionality reduction methods to numerically represent high-throughput sequence data for three important biological applications of virus sequence data: reference-based mapping, short sequence classification and de novo assembly. Despite using highly compressed sequence transformations to accelerate the processes, our sequence processing approach yielded comparable accuracy to existing approaches, and are ideally suited for sequences originating from highly diverse virus populations. We demonstrate the application of our methodology to both synthetic and real viral pathogen sequence data. Our results show that the use of highly compressed sequence approximations can provide accurate results and that useful analytical performance can be retained and even enhanced through appropriate dimensionality reduction of sequence data.

A general methodology for loan amortization under arbitrary discount functions is discussed. It is shown that it is always possible to uniquely define a scheme for constructing the loan amortization schedule with an arbitrary assigned discount function. It is also shown that even if the loan amortization is carried out from the sequence of principal payments and the sequence of accrued interest, the underlying discount function can be uniquely determined at the maturities corresponding to the installment payment dates. As a special case of the proposed approach, we derive the amortization method according to the law of simple interest.

A system to evaluate several facets of hand function for neuroprostheses-mediated tasks is proposed. It includes a platform that serves as a test bench, sensors for dynamometry, electromyography, sensorized glove, and interactive objects. The system methodically locates and assesses the motor points along the forearm, evaluates stimulation-induced fatigue, measures digit motion and forces exerted during ADL grasps, and evaluates nerve excitability to advance electrode designs. While the system is exclusively designed for neuroprostheses-mediated grasp, it can also be extended to generic grasp and object manipulation-based research.

CX3CL1, also named fractalkine or neurotactin, the only known member of the CX3C chemokine family that can chemoattract several immune cells. CX3CL1 exists in both membrane-anchored and soluble forms, each mediating distinct biological activities. CX3CL1 signals are transmitted through its unique receptor, CX3CR1, primarily expressed in microglia of central nervous system (CNS). In the CNS, CX3CL1 acts as a regulator of microglia activation in response to brain disorders or inflammation. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the roles of CX3CL1 in regulating cell adhesion, chemotaxis, and host immune response in viral infection. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the changes and function of CX3CL1 in various viral infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, to highlight the emerging roles of CX3CL1 in viral infection and the associated diseases.

Cognitive functions are based on neuronal plasticity, which is provided by various mechanisms involving numerous bioactive molecules, the most important of which are endocannabinoids (eCBs). Over the past three decades, a lot of data have been accumulated on the involvement of eCBs in the mechanisms of memory and other cognitive functions. These functions are impaired in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The main pathological feature of neurons in AD and TLE is increased excitability; therefore, an activation of the endocannabinoid system, which controls cellular excitation, may be a promising approach in their therapy. The available information about the effect of (endo)cannabinoids on cognitive functions is contradictory, which may depend on the drugs used, their dose, and the experimental conditions. There is an extensive literature indicating a protective effect of cannabinoids in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in humans and in animal models of cognitive deficits. This review, focusing on the recent researches, is devoted to the analysis of the effects of endocannabinoid system activation on cognitive functions in norm and in the brain with neurodegeneration that occurs in AD and TLE diseases. Possible reasons for inconsistencies in the available data are discussed.

In the paper, we prove a joint limit theorem in terms of weak convergence of probability measures on $\mathbb{C}^2$ defined by means of the Epstein ζ(s;Q) and Hurwitz ζ(s,α) zeta-functions. The limit measure in the theorem is explicitly given. For this, some restrictions on the matrix Q and parameter α are required. The theorem obtained extends and generalizes Bohr-Jessen’s results characterising asymptotic behaviour of the Riemann zeta-function.

NSD3 is a member of the NSD histone methyltransferase family of proteins. In recent years, it has been identified as a potential oncogene in certain types of cancer. NSD3 gene encodes three isoforms, the full length, a short (NSD3S) and WHISTLE isoforms. Importantly, NSD3S isoform corresponds to the N-terminal of the full-length protein, lacking the methyltransferase domain. The chromosomal location of NSD3 is frequently amplified across cancer types, such as breast, lung, colon, among others. Recently, this amplification has been correlated to a chromothripsis event, that could explain the different NSD3 alterations found in cancer. Fusion proteins containing NSD3 have also been reported, such as leukemia NSD3-NUP98, and in NUT midline carcinoma (NMC), NSD3-NUT fusion. Its role as an oncogene has been described by modulating different cancer pathways through its methyltransferase activity, or the short isoform of the protein, through protein interactions. Specifically, in this review we will focus on stating the functions that have been characterized as methyltransferase dependent, and those that have been correlated with the expression of the NSD3S isoform. Altogether, there is evidence that both isoforms of NSD3 are relevant for cancer progression, establishing NSD3 as a therapeutic target. However, further functional studies are needed to differentiate NSD3 oncogenic activity as dependent or independent of the catalytic domain of the protein, as well as the contribution of each isoform and its clinical significance in cancer progression.

In this paper we consider the congruence problem that arises in the post-analysis of Bayesian network models reconstructed from different datasets. Apart from the structure, a typical network numerically encodes relationship intensities, assigning numerical score to network edges via the scoring criterion used in the reconstruction process. This scoring is rarely a directly interpretable quantity with proper units of measure and an absolute scale, and often comes short in desirable characteristics of a true metric. This leads to poor portability of edge magnitude considerations between similar networks, originating from different sources. In this work, we address this problem by estimating the effect that data-specific resolution limit has on conditional independence, as reflected by information-theoretic entropy, and by the appropriate modification of MDL score, which removes the inconsistency between the score components in both the meaning and units. We also numerically validate our findings and expose additional performance advantages obtained via this modification.

Current therapeutic strategies targeting cancer cells within solid tumors have displayed limited success owing to the presence of non-cancer components referred to as the tumor stroma within the tumor microenvironment (TM). These stromal cells, extracellular matrix and blood vessels influence cancer cell response to therapy and play key roles in tumor relapse and resistance. Of the stromal cells present in the TM, a lot of attention has been given to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as they are the most abundant and are important in cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance. In this updated review I emphasize the role of CAFs in the regulation of tumor cell behaviour and reveal how CAF-derived factors and signaling influence tumor cell heterogeneity and development of novel strategies to combat cancer. To investigate the expression of CAF markers in tumor tissues versus normal tissues, transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases was used. Bioinformatic analysis reveals differential expression of CAF markers in several cancer types, underscoring the need for further multiomics and biochemical studies on CAFs, CAF subsets and markers. Differences in CAF markers’ expression could be due to different cellular origins as well as the effect of cancer-specific tumor microenvironmental effect on CAFs. Lastly, I present recent advances in therapeutic targeting of CAFs and the success of such endeavours or its lack thereof. It is recommended that for patients’ outcomes to improve, cancer treatment be combinatorial in nature, targeting both cancer cells and stromal cells and interactions.

The aim of this paper is to identify and document some functions and contextsof traditional pottery within northern Ghana. The descriptive approach of the qualitative research methodology was employed. Interview and observation methods were employed as the data collection methods. They were used to ascertain reasons why some potteryare engaged in certain contexts andfor certainfunctions. The data was tabulated to include the traditional name of the pot, the function and the context. The data were then analyzed and the indications were that, the potters make interesting forms of traditional pottery for different purposes; and the local name given to each pot perfectly defines their functions and contexts within northern Ghana. On the flipside of the coin, the function and context of every pot can also be dictated by its end user. Base on this, the researchers were able to discover some functions and contexts of the indigenous pottery which were put into some groups. On the first hand, the researchers classified the functions into five groups of purpose. These included: domestic purposes, religious purposes, agricultural purposes, rites of passage purposes and traditional herbal medicinal purposes. On other hand, seven groups of contexts were also discovered at the time of the study. These included: courtyards, bedrooms, bathrooms, graveyards, kitchens, shrines, and hencoops as places where these pots can be found among the people of the Northern Ghana.

SCARED-C instrument (the child version, 41 items) is used for screening anxiety in children between 8 to 18 years old and has been first introduced by Birmaher & collab. in 1995, with good psychometric data - internal consistency from α =.74 to .93 - and good discriminative validity indices in the original versions (1997, 1999). Since then, many countries have adopted the scale, for its utility in identifying five subsets of anxiety disorders (subscales): somatic/panic disorder, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, social phobia, and school avoidance. The present study contains the first Romanian translated and adapted version of the SCARED-C instrument on a community sample of 477 children (8-18 years old) from Mureș county schools. The instrument showed moderate to good internal consistency (α Cronbach from to .63 to .91 for the total scale) and good test-retest reliability (.70) on a subset of 85 children sample. A confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the factor structure of the Romanian version of SCARED-C; results showed that SCARED-C has good psychometric properties to be used for screening anxiety in Romanian children and adolescents. The implications for using SCARED-C in dental practice are discussed. Future studies need to be conducted for exploring convergent and discriminative validity of the instrument and the sensitivity to current DSM-V criteria. Application on a dental pediatric sample is also required.

In this article, we present two topics related to mathematical economics. We offer an intriguing proposal for securing cost and production functions in the face of uncertainty and risk. We discuss the relationship between individual and social preferences. This is important because traditional revealed preference theory does not account for such factors.

Individuals and their leadership competencies have been the sole focus of project leadership research, rather than the project leadership's behaviour and functions in project and organizational settings. As a result, this study investigates the project leadership functions and behaviours required for various project and organizational situations in order to propose a project leadership model that will be effective in all project and organizational situations. The model that was developed and tested in this study theorized on the project leadership function that project leaders are expected to perform as a result of their positions. It also described how project leaders could tailor their leadership functions and behaviours to address issues related to positions, organizational situations, and project situations. Three hypotheses were developed and tested using structural equation modelling to validate the model. The model's perceptive power demonstrates adequate validity. The model's validity implies that there are appropriate project leadership functions for different leadership levels and circumstances. The model's validity also implies that each project leadership behaviour has its own value, as conditions and necessities dictate. The study assumes that a project leader can embrace project leadership by combining a few different project leadership functions and behaviours.

This paper introduces extensions H4,p and X8,p of Horn’s double hypergeometric function H4 and Exton’s triple hypergeometric function X8, taking into account recent extensions of Euler’s beta function, hypergeometric function, and confluent hypergeometric function. Among the numerous extended hypergeometric functions, the primary rationale for choosing H4 and X8 is their comparable extension type. Next, we present various integral representations of Euler and Laplace type, Mellin and inverse Mellin transforms, Laguerre polynomial representation, transformation formulae and a recurrence relation for the extended functions. In particular, we provide a generating function for the X8,p and several bounding inequalities for the H4,p and X8,p.

Keywords: renal replacement therapy. Point-of-Care Ultrasound; intensive care; acute kidney injury; nephrologist.Point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) is gaining heightened significance in critical care settings as it allows for quick decision making at the bedside. While computerized to-mography is still considered the standard imaging modality for many diseases, the risks and delays associated with transferring a critically ill patient out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have prompted physicians to explore alternative tools. Ultrasound guidance has increased safety of invasive procedures in the ICU, such as the placement of vascular catheters and drainage of collections. Ultrasonography is now seen as an extension of the clinical examination, providing quick answers for rapidly deteriorating patients in the ICU. The field of nephrology is increasingly acknowledging the value of diagnostic Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS). By employing multi-organ POCUS, nephrologists can address specific queries arising during the diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute kidney injury. This approach aids in ruling out hydronephrosis and offering immediate information on hemodynamics, thereby consolidating patient data and facilitating the development of personalized treatment strategies.

Background: Parathyroid imaging techniques are used in patients with biochemically confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) to detect the localization of enlarged parathyroid gland(s) (PTG) and thereby to allow more focused, unilateral or minimally invasive parathyreoidectomy (PTX), instead of classical bilateral neck exploration (BNE). Although the preferred sequence of imaging continues to evolve, ultrasonography (US) is usually the first line modality, followed by 99mTc sestamibi parathyroid scan (SPS). However, both tests may have suboptimal localizing accuracy with considerable rate of non-localized cases. Therefore, more accurate four-dimensional computed tomography scan (4D-CT) has been employed for PTG imaging. Currently, there is a paucity of data evaluating the utility of 4D-CT in low case-load settings. Aim: To evaluate the impact of PTG imaging, using 4D-CT in conjunction with it’s intraoperatively displayed results, on the outcomes of surgical PTX. Our primary outcome was sensitivity of 4D-CT in comparison to US and SPS for preoperative PTG adenoma localization. The secondary outcomes were the need for redo surgery and morbidity. Additionally, the characteristics of surgical PTX, i.e. operative time, number of removed parathyroid glands, and rate of simultaneous thyroid surgery, were assessed. Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis of surgically treated patients with pHPT from 01/2010 to 01/2021 was conducted. Evaluation of impact of the preoperative imaging modalities on the results of surgical treatment was carried out. Results: During the study period 290 PTX were performed, 45 cases were excluded due to surgery for secondary, tertiary or recurrent HPT, or due to use of alternative imaging techniques; the remaining 245 patients were included in the study. US was carried out for PTG imaging in 236 (96.3%), SPS in 93 (38.0%), and 4D-CT in 52 patients (21.2%). The use of 4D-CT was associated with a significantly higher rate of successful localization of enlarged PTG (49 cases, 94.2%) compared to US and SPS (74 cases, 31.4%, and 54 cases, 58.1%, respectively). We distinguished between three groups of patients based on preoperative imaging: 1) PTG lateralization via US or SPS in 106 (43.3%) cases, 2) precise localization of PTG via 4D-CT in 49 (20.0%) patients, and 3) in 90 cases (36.7%) PTG imaging failed to localize enlarged gland. The group of 4D-CT localization had significantly shorter operative time, lower rate of simultaneous thyroid resections, as well as lower rate of removal of ≥2 PTG, compared to the other groups. The 4D-CT imaging was also associated with the lowest perioperative morbidity and with the lowest median PTH in one month follow-up; however, compared to the other groups, these differences were statistically not significant. Implementation of 4D-CT (since 01/2018) decreased the need for redo surgery (from 11.5% to 7.3%), and significantly increased the annual case load of PTX at our institution (from 15.3 to 41.0), compared to the period before 4D-CT diagnostics. Conclusions: 4D-CT imaging enabled to precisely locate almost 95% of enlarged PTG in patients with pHPT. Accurate localization and intraoperatively displayed imaging results are useful guides for surgeons in making PTX a faster and safer procedure in a low volume center.

Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) can help predict the neurologic outcome of patients with post-cardiac arrest (CA) return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). We aimed to investigate the effect of ONSD changes before and after CA on neurologic outcomes in patients with ROSC after CA using brain computed tomography (CT). The study included patients hospitalized after CA, who had undergone pre- and post-CA brain CT from January 2001 to September 2020. The patients were divided into good and poor neurologic outcome (GNO and PNO, respectively) groups based on the neurologic outcome at hospital discharge. We performed between-group comparisons of the amount and rate of ONSD changes on brain CT and calculated the area under the curve (AUC) to determine their predictive value for neurologic outcomes. Among the 96 enrolled patients, 25 had GNO. Compared to the GNO group, the PNO group showed significantly higher amount (0.30 vs. 0.63 mm; p=0.030) and rate of change (5.26 vs. 12.29 %; p=0.041). The AUC for predicting PNO was 0.64 (95% CI=0.53–0.73; p=0.04) and patients with a rate of ONSD change &gt;27.2% had PNO with 100% specificity and positive predictive value. Hence, ONSD changes may predict neurologic outcomes in patients with post-CA ROSC.

The paper proposes a universal algorithm for parallelizing calculations that arise when using highly-optimized minimization functions available in many computing packages. The main idea of the proposed algorithm is based on the fact that although the “inner workings” of the minimization function used may not be known to the user, it inevitably uses in its work auxiliary functions that implement the calculation of the minimized functional and its gradient, which are usually implemented by the user, which means that in most cases they can be parallelized relatively easily. The paper discusses in detail both the parallelization algorithm and its software implementation using MPI parallel programming technology. Examples of the software implementation of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated using the Python programming language, but can be easily rewritten using the C/C++/Fortran programming languages.

The fractional Hilbert transform, a generalization of the Hilbert transform, has been extensively studied in the literature because of its extensive use in optics, engineering, and signal processing. In the present work, we aimed to expand the fractional Hilbert transform to a space of generalized functions known as Boehmians. We introduce a new fractional convolution operator for the fractional Hilbert transform to prove a convolution theorem similar to the classical Hilbert transform and also to extend the fractional Hilbert transform to Boehmians. We also construct a suitable Boehmian space on which the fractional Hilbert transform exists. Further, we investigate convergence of the fractional Hilbert transform for the class of Boehmians and discuss the continuity of the extended fractional Hilbert transform.

In this paper, we examine the weak abc conjecture and the strong abc conjecture using some functions. we attempt to discuss the possibilty that the negative consequence of the weak abc conjecture. Namely, we derive that the weak abc conjecture is not true. Additionally, we show that the strong abc conjecture is not true.

Three-dimensional transfer functions (3D TFs) are generally assumed to fully describe the transfer behavior of optical topography measuring instruments such as coherence scanning interferometers in the spatial frequency domain. Therefore, 3D TFs are supposed to be independent of the surface under investigation resulting in a clear separation of surface properties and transfer characteristics. In this paper we show that the 3D TF of an interference microscope differs depending on whether the object is specularly reflecting or consists of point scatterers. In addition to the 3D TF of a point scatterer, we will derive an analytical expression for the 3D TF corresponding to specular surfaces and demonstrate this as being most relevant in practical applications of coherence scanning interferometry (CSI). We additionally study the effects of temporal coherence and disclose, that in conventional CSI temporal coherence effects dominate. However, narrowband light sources are advantageous if high spatial frequency components of weak phase objects are to be resolved, whereas for low-frequency phase objects of higher amplitude the temporal coherence is less affecting. Finally, we present an approach that explains the different transfer characteristics of coherence peak and phase detection in CSI signal analysis.

GIGANTEA (GI) is a gene involved in multiple biological functions, which were analysed and are partially conserved in a series of mono- and dicotyledonous plant species. The identified biological functions include control over the circadian rhythm, light signalling, cold tolerance, hormone signalling and photoperiodic flowering. The latter function is a central role of GI, as it involves a multitude of pathways, both dependent and independent of the gene CONSTANS(CO) as well as on the basis of interaction with miRNA. The complexity of gene function of GI increases due to the existence of paralogs showing changes in genome structure as well as incidences of sub- and neofunctionalization. We present an updated report of the biological function of GI, integrating late insights into its role in floral initiation, flower development and flower volatile production.

Many complex behaviours in biological systems emerge from large populations of interacting molecules or cells, generating functions that go beyond the capabilities of the individual parts. Such collective phenomena are of great interest to bioengineers due to their robustness and scalability. However, engineering emergent collective functions is difficult because they arise as a consequence of complex multi-level feedback, which often spans multiple length-scales. Here, we present a perspective on how some of these challenges could be overcome by using multi-agent modelling as a design framework within synthetic biology. Using case studies covering the construction of synthetic ecologies to biological computation and synthetic cellularity, we show how multi-agent modelling can capture the core features of complex multi-scale systems and provide novel insights into the underlying mechanisms which guide emergent functionalities across scales. The ability to unravel design rules underpinning these behaviours offers a means to take synthetic biology beyond single molecules or cells and towards the creation of systems with functions that can only emerge from collectives at multiple scales.

In this work, an operator superquadratic function (in operator sense) for positive Hilbert space operators is defined. Several examples with some important properties together with some observations which are related to the operator convexity are pointed out. Equivalent statements of a non-commutative version of Jensen's inequality for operator superquadratic function are established. A generalization of the main result to any positive unital linear map is also provided.

Some refinements and reverses of the Fejer's inequality for convex functions are given.

Partial sums of analytic univalent functions and partial sums of starlike have been investigated extensively by several researchers. In this paper, we investigate a partial sums of convex harmonic functions that are univalent and sense preserving in the open unit disk.