To assess the community health workers’ (CHWs) knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) in type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) management. We thus also sought to assess the potential health system barriers for incorporating CHWs in T2D and HTN management. Mixed-method study comprised (1) a survey among 153 active CHWs to assess their KAP of T2D and HTN, and (2) semi-structured interviews with key informants to understand challenges of the health system and proposed solutions in incorporating CHWs in T2D and HTN management. The majority of CHWs correctly answered general knowledge questions on NCDs, risk factors, and prevention; however, only one-quarter correctly answered questions on smoking, family history, or tobacco use as risk factors. Most respondents appeared to have positive attitudes and have been practicing some activities related to T2D and HTN. Both financial and non-financial resource constraints were cited as challenges of the health system; therefore, re-structuring the role definition of CHWs and task of responsibilities, and assessment the need and workload have been proposed as ways forwards to effectively incorporate CHWs in T2D and HTN care. CHWs in Cambodia have shown their potential in T2D and HTN management; however, a well-designed strategy including technical training, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and strong supporting structure are important to maximize their potential in the health system.

Keywords: pelvic ultrasound, follicle number per ovary, FNPO, ovarian volume, PCOM, upper normal limits, referral population

Anxiety in older adults is a prevalent yet under-recognized condition associated with significant societal and individual burdens. This study used a machine learning approach to compare the relative importance of 57 risk and protective factors for anxiety symptoms in a population-representative sample of middle-aged and older European adults (N = 65,684; ages 45–103 years; 55.7% women; 15 countries represented). Results revealed loneliness and self-rated poor health as primary risk factors (Nagelkerke R2 = .272), with additional predictive contributions from country of residence, functional limitations, financial distress, and family care burden. Notably, follow-up analysis showed that none of 16 social network variables were associated with loneliness; rather, cohabitating with a partner/spouse was most strongly associated with reduced loneliness. Further research is needed to elucidate directional associations between loneliness and anxiety (both general and sub-types). These findings underscore the imperative of addressing loneliness for mitigating anxiety and related mental health conditions among aging populations.

The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of family physicians regarding testicular cancer and testicular self-examination. This study was conducted with 307 physicians, including family physician specialists, family physician residents, contracted family physician specialist assistants (SAHU), and general practitioners, who agreed to participate in the study. All participants were administered a 33-item questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions and questions about testicular cancer and testicular self-examination, developed through literature review. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software. 307 family physician specialists, family physician residents, SAHU residents and general practitioners participated in the study. 10.4% of the participants were working as family medicine specialists, 67.4% as family physician assistants, 13.7% as SAHU residents and 8.5% as general practitioners. The mean time spent in the profession was found to be 5.93±5.89. 65.8% of the participants thought that they had partially sufficient knowledge about testicular cancers. 57.7% of the participants stated that they did not know how testicular self-examination was performed. 49.7% of male participants stated that they had never done testicular self-exam before. While 95.8% of the participants thought that regular testicular self-examination was beneficial, 71.0% stated that they did not recommend testicular self-examination to their male patients. 53.4% of the participants thought that testicular self-examination was important; It was determined that 79.2% of them thought it was as important as breast self-examination. The rate of stating that all of the risk factors presented for testicular cancer are risks was found to be statistically significantly higher in specialist family physicians than in general practitioners and resident family physicians. The study revealed that family physicians lacked sufficient knowledge about testicular cancer and testicular self-examination, leading them not to recommend self-testicular examination to patients due to inadequate knowledge. In light of these findings, although self-testicular examination may not be recommended as a screening method, increasing awareness and knowledge among both family physicians and the public is crucial.

Introduction: Despite its high prevalence and impact on health, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is inadequately addressed in European primary care (PC), with a large proportion of cases going undiagnosed or diagnosed too late. A multi-country European re-search consortium led a project to design and evaluate a patient-centered, integrated model for MASLD screening, diagnosis and linkage to specialty care for European PC settings. Aim: Based on the lessons from this project, the latest research evidence and existing guidelines for the management of MASLD, we sought to develop a set of practice recommendations for screening, referral and management of MASLD in PC. Methods: The Rand/UCLA modified Delphi panel method, with two rounds, was used to reach consensus on practice recommendations. The international panel consisted of experts from six countries, representing family medicine, gastroenterology, hepatology, cardiology and public health. Initially, fifteen statements were drafted based on a synthesis of evidence from the literature and earlier findings from our consortium. Prior to the consensus meeting, the statements were rated by the experts in a first round. Then, in a hybrid meeting, the experts discussed findings of round one, adjusted the statements and reassessed the updated recommendations in a second round. Results: In round one, there was already a high level of consensus on 10 out of 15 statements. After round 2, there were fourteen statements with a high agreement (>90%). One statement was not endorsed. The approved recommendations addressed the following practice areas: risk screening and diagnosis, management of MASLD – Lifestyle interventions, pharmacological treatment of MASLD/MASH, pharmacological treatment for co-morbidity, integrated care, surgical management and other referrals to specialists. Conclusion: The final set of 14 recommendations focuses on increasing comprehensive care for MASLD in PC. The recommendations provide practical evidence-based guidance tailored to PC practitioners. We expect that these recommendations will contribute to the ongoing discussion on systematic approaches to tackle MASLD and support European PC providers by integrating the latest evidence into practice.

A screening questionnaire for autism symptoms is not yet available in Poland, and there are no recommendations regarding screening for developmental disorders in Polish primary health care. The aim of the study was to assess the opinions of parents and physicians on the legitimacy and ne-cessity of screening for autism spectrum disorders, potential barriers to the implementation of the screening program, and the evaluation and presenting the process of the online ASD screen-ing, which was part of the validation program of the Polish version of one of the screening tools. The study involved 418 parents whose children were screened online and 95 primary care physi-cians who expressed their opinions in prepared surveys. The results indicate that both parents and doctors perceive the need to screen children for ASD in general population without a clear preference as to the screening method (online or in-person). Online screening may prove to be at least a partial method of solving numerous indicated systemic difficulties - including: time con-straints, lack of experienced specialists in the field of developmental disorders or related to the organizational difficulties of health care.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) presents an enormous global healthcare challenge, especially among rural communities due to limited access. To overcome this, many low- and middle-income countries are resorting to task shifting, using community health workers (CHWs) for diabetes management. However, its successful implementation depends on the practice behaviours and knowledge of these workers. This cross-sectional study from rural South India aimed to evaluate the proficiency of 275 CHWs in diabetes screening and management. A customized questionnaire, developed through experts and government was used to evaluate the practice behaviours and knowledge. Analytical methodologies consisted of descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and mosaic plots for comprehensive data interpretation. Results showed significant deficiencies of mean correct practice behaviours at 48 and 50% respectively. The identified gaps included diabetes diagnosis, HbA1c testing, diet, self-management, complications screening and risk assessment. In several areas, correct practice behaviour was reported by a relatively large number of CHWs despite incorrect answers to the related knowledge questions such as referral to the health centres, self-management and calculation of diabetes risk assessment. Addressing these deficiencies requires a thorough needs assessment and tailored training for improved diabetes management by CHWs. Training of CHWs, should not only identify prior knowledge and/or behaviour but also their interrelationship to help create a robust and flexible set of practice behaviours.

The existence of multiple copies of genes is a well-known phenomenon. A gene family is a set of sufficiently similar genes, formed by gene duplication. In earlier works conducted on limited number of completely sequenced and annotated genomes it was found that size of gene family and size of genome are positively correlated. Additionally, it was found that several atypical microbes deviated from the observed general trend. In this study, we reexamined these associations on a larger dataset consisting of 1484 prokaryotic genomes and using several ranking approaches. We applied ranking methods in such a way that genomes with lower number of paralogs would have lower rank. Until now only simple ranking methods were used; we applied the Kemeny optimal aggregation approach as well. Regression and correlation analysis were utilized in order to accurately quantify and characterize the relationships between measures of paralog indices and genome size. In addition, boxplot analysis was employed as a method for outlier detection. We found that, in general, all paralog indexes positively correlate with an increase of genome size. As expected, different groups of atypical prokaryotic genomes were found for different types of paralog quantities.

Population-based data on hematologic malignancies (HM) are rare in Greece regarding adults (≥18 years old). The aim of this study was the assessment of the burden of these malignant neoplasms (MN) for adults in Crete. The study assessed temporal trends of incidence and mortality, depicted their spatial distribution and extracted net-survival curves of patients. Population-data on these MN were obtained from the database of the Cancer Registry of Crete, for a 22 year time period (1/1/1992-31/12/2013). All HM were classified into four main groups of diseases: (1) Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL); (2) Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs); (3) Multiple myeloma (MM); and (4) All chronic and acute leukemias. Annual, gender-specific, age standardized incidence and mortality rates were estimated (ASIR/100.000/year; ASMR/100.000/year). A total of 3,380 newly diagnosed cases were included in the final analyses; All ASIRs/100,000 increased significantly throughout the study period presenting differences in their geographical distribution of rates among municipalities of Crete. ASIRs for NHLs, HL, MM, leukemias and for all 4 MN were 13.1, 2.6, 4.7, 11.7 and 32.1, respectively, in 2013. Five-year net-survival for patients diagnosed with NHLs, HL, MM and leukemias were: 82%, 85%, 52% and 56%, respectively. This first research article studying a long period of time for adults in Greece generates hypotheses on the existence of risk factors that may partly explain this variation of rates.

Emphasis on primary health care (PHC) is the most efficient and economical approach to achieving universal health coverage. The aim of the study is to examine PHC publications from 2011 to 2023 in the Asian Pacific region (APR) using the Web of Science (WoS) database. Academic papers in the WoS PHC subject category published in the APR from 2011 to 2023 were retrieved and analyzed. A total of 4,283 papers were published in the WoS PHC category from APR onwards. The annual number of published papers and their citations increased from 2011 to 2023. Australia led PHC publications in APR with 3,049 publications (71.19% of APR regional output). New Zealand had the highest number of citations per paper (13.76) and the highest mean impact factor (3.23±1.80). Publications in the WoS PHC category also covered a wide range of topics, including Medicine General Internal (64.77%), Health Care Sciences Services (21.88%), Health Policy Services and Public Environmental Occupational Health (21.36%), demonstrating the breadth of PHC research. Australia dominates the output of PHC publications in the APR. Australian Family Physician and Australian Journal of Primary Health are the leading journals publishing PHC papers in the APR.

Being forced to live in an area following a catastrophic landslide may adversely impact people's mental well-being. Unprivileged communities such as Adivasis, Dalits, plantation workers, and people with low incomes in Kerala's hilly districts are forced to live in landslide-affected areas despite their fear. This paper examines the fears and concerns of landslide survivors from the marginalized sections of society from a broader framework of the political economy of mental health. This approach aligns with the assertion made by the World Health Organisation that individual factors do not solely determine mental health but are intricately linked to broader social, political, and economic circumstances. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with fatal landslide survivors and key informants [ ]. The study employed thematic data analysis from in-depth interviews of various fatal landslide survivors since 2018. The three major themes unveiled in the analysis are: 1. post-disaster fears, 2. The factors that triggered fear and concern and 3. Socio-economic marginality and mental health. The study asserts that individuals who are poor and unprivileged are highly susceptible to mental health issues associated with landslides.

Osteoarthritis and chronic pancreatitis comorbidity are insufficiently studied, and the reciprocal impact of these conditions remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate potential predictors for the development of osteoarthritis and chronic pancreatitis comorbidity, as well as complications associated with this comorbidity. A cohort of 150 patients was categorized into three groups: a control group (n=30), patients with osteoarthritis (n=68), and patients with comorbid osteoarthritis and chronic pancreatitis (n=52). Potential predictors for comorbidity development and associated complications were explored. The study revealed that concurrent osteoarthritis and chronic pancreatitis exacerbate each other's progression and contribute to malnutrition. Body Mass Index (BMI) emerged as a potential predictor for chronic pancreatitis development in osteoarthritis patients. In osteoarthritis patients, fecal elastase-1 levels were identified as potential predictors for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Factors such as WOMAC total score, fecal elastase-1, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, retinol, tocopherol, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, and BMI were found to influence comorbidity development between osteoarthritis and chronic pancreatitis. Additionally, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale-Diarrhea Syndrome (GSRS-DS), Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale-Constipation syndrome (GSRS-CS), Qualitative Assessment of the Symptoms and Impact of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency domain A (PEI-Q-A), retinol, tocopherol, and iron were identified as potential predictors for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in osteoarthritis patients. In conclusion, the comorbidity of osteoarthritis and chronic pancreatitis exacerbates disease progression and complications, necessitating further investigation.

Background: Both hypertension and carotid atherosclerosis are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Understanding their combined impact could enhance risk assessment and management strategies. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the synergistic effects of hypertension and carotid plaques would increase the risk of both cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Methods: A follow-up study was conducted at the Preventive Cardiology department of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros klinikos between 2012 and 2021. The study recruited participants aged 40-60 who did not have overt CVD and were part of the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk primary preventive program. The study collected demographic and clinical data, including an ultrasound assessment of carotid plaque. The participants were monitored for 4-10 years for CVD events and all-cause mortality. Results: Among 6,138 participants, 954 (16%) experienced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The presence of carotid plaque on both sides was significantly associated with CVD events, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality. However, the combination of hypertension and carotid plaque did not significantly increase the risk for CVD events, stroke, or all-cause mortality. Conclusion: The combination of hypertension and carotid plaque did not significantly increase the risk of CVD events or all-cause mortality. CV events depend on the spread of the atherosclerosis process in the carotid vessels.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) responsibility fulfillment increasingly affects enterprise valuation. Although researchers debate about the precise effects, the prevailing view suggests a linear relationship between ESG performance and enterprise value. This study introduces a novel ESG responsibility performance metric through the Regulated Intermediary Model to delve into this relationship within the Chinese context. Our findings reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between ESG performance and enterprise value, with financing constraints having a significant moderating effect. These findings remain robust after employing instrumental variables to mitigate potential endogeneity. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that this inverted U-shaped relationship is particularly pronounced in non-polluting and non-state-owned enterprises. Moreover, a comparison between equity and debt financing mechanisms underscores that improved ESG performance is associated with lower cost of equity financing, thereby enhancing enterprise value. Financial institutions are encouraged to leverage innovative financial instruments to diversify enterprise financing channels and alleviate financing constraints of enterprises that fulfill their ESG responsibilities.

The vaccines have to undergo independent testing at National Control laboratory (NCL) for various quality control tests to ensure safety, purity, and potency before market authorization and surveillance testing. In this study, five different inactivated cell culture rabies vaccine preparations (Aluminum adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted) marketed in India were evaluated using compendial safety test of mouse inoculation test (MIT) for residual live virus. Investigations were done to see the interference of aluminum adjuvant in rabies vaccine preparation to ensure safety as per the in-vivo compendial test for virus inactivation. After intracerebral injections, mice received the aluminum phosphate adjuvanted inactivated rabies vaccine (ARV) had neurological complications that resulted in their deaths between days 4 and 10. Further investigations were carried out to find out the root cause for mice death including fluorescent antibody test (FAT), rabies virus amplification test. Additionally, alamar blue based cell cytoxicity assay was carried out using BHK-21 cells to estimate the cell toxicity of aluminum phosphate adjuvanted inactivated rabies vaccine. The present study highlighted the challenges in ensuring the safety of adjuvated inactivated rabies vaccine at level of NCL. Further, study demonstrated the toxicity of aluminum under both in vitro and in vivo settings, sparking controversy regarding the safety of aluminum adjuvants in vaccines at the suggested compendial limit of 1.25 mg/single human dosage.

Oligopeptide transporters (OPTs) are a group of membrane localized proteins that have a broad range of substrate transport capabilities and contribute to numerous biological processes. However, limited information has been reported on OPTs in higher plants. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the OPT gene family in Medicago truncatula was performed. A total of 26 OPT genes (MtOPT01-MtOPT26) have been identified in the Medicago truncatula genome. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that MtOPTs consisted of two distinct subgroups, 12 MtOPTs belonged to the peptide transport subgroup (PT-OPT) based on their predicted amino acid sequences containing the two highly conserved motifs (NPG and KIPPR) and 14 MtOPTs belonged to yellow stripe subgroup (YS-OPT). The MtOPTs distributed on each of 8 chromosomes in Medicago truncatula. Sequence analysis verified that MtOPTs significant similar to those in other plants. The copy number of MtOPTs was low and the multiply of MtOPTs was simple relatively. Gene structure analysis showed that most of the MtOPTs have various numbers of introns. The multiple of MtOPTs might play different biological roles which were supported by the fact that MtOPTs have a distinct tissue-specific expression pattern. The data obtained in this study will help to better understand the complexity of the MtOPTs gene family and provide new evidence for the function and evolution of the OPT gene family in higher plants.

The objective was to investigate associations of serum vitamin D concentration with depressive symptoms and assess the impact vitamin D concentration has on the occurrence of depressive symptoms in 20–44-year-old pregnant mothers, postpartum mothers, women (non-pregnant/postpartum women), and men, including a separate subgroup analysis of postpartum breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers. The study populations were selected from 2007-2018 NHANES public data. Subjective interview data and objective laboratory data, including depressive symptoms, serum vitamin D concentration, nutrient intake, and demographic information were utilized. Two diet patterns were created using principal component analysis and a Bayesian multinomial model was fit to predict depression outcomes for each subpopulation. The estimates for the log vitamin D slope parameter were negative for all cohorts; as vitamin D increased, the probability of having no depression increased, while the probability of depression decreased. The pregnant cohort had the steepest vitamin D slope, followed by postpartum, then other women and men. Higher vitamin D concentration had more impact on decreasing depression risk in pregnant and postpartum mothers compared to other women and men. Among postpartum mothers, higher vitamin D concentration had a greater influence on decreasing breastfeeding mothers' depression risk than non-breastfeeding mothers.

A good management of diabetes requires at the same time self-regulation behaviour and a balanced involvement of family components. This study’s aims were: understanding fear of injections and perceptions of family conflicts in preadolescents and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their mothers, comparing their perceptions, and identifying the risk factors impacting patients’ quality of life. Participants were one hundred and two patients (Mean age = 14.63, SD = 2.43; age range = 10-19 years; Females = 52) and their mothers (Mean age = 46.94, SD = 6.2, age range = 27-63 years), who filled in self and proxy-report questionnaires. Twenty % of patients and 14.7% of their mothers reported clinical score for fear of self-injection and blood testing. Mothers reported higher fear of injecting and family conflicts compared with the patients. Age, fear of injecting and family conflicts impacted significantly on patients’ quality of life perceptions. Clinical consideration and recommendations are given basing on the empirical results.

Introduction The prevalence of adolescent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased in most countries. This study determines the relation between the frequency of e-cigarette use and the frequency and intensity of cigarette smoking. Furthermore, it evaluates the association between the reasons for e-cigarette use and the frequency of its use. Materials and Methods Participants were 68,043 middle and high school students aged 13–18 years from the 2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey. Of the 68,043 participants, we analyzed 6,655 adolescents with an experience of e-cigarette use. Results The prevalence of ever using and current (past 30 days) use of e-cigarettes was 10.1% and 3.9%, respectively. Of the ever e-cigarette users, approximately 40% used e-cigarettes for ≥1/month and 8.1% used e-cigarettes daily. Daily e-cigarettes users were 10 times greater among daily cigarette smokers than among cigarette users for <1/month (18.1% vs. 1.8%) and 16 times more prevalent among those smoking ≥20 cigarettes/day than among those smoking <1 cigarette/month (38.9% vs. 2.4%). The most common reason for e-cigarette use was curiosity (22.9%), followed by less harmful than conventional cigarettes (18.9%), smoking cessation (13.1%), and indoor use (10.7%). Curiosity was the most common reason among less frequent e-cigarette users; however, smoking cessation and indoor use were the most common reasons among more frequent users. Conclusions Results showed a positive relation between frequency or intensity of conventional cigarette smoking and frequency of e-cigarette use among Korean adolescents, and frequency of e-cigarette use differed according to the reason for the use of e-cigarettes.

This study used secondary data from the 2017 Korean Community Health Survey to compare the associations of socio-physical environment, social support networks, and social activities with happiness among older adults with three different family types. As per the results, there was a significant difference in happiness index between the three groups (F = 86.688, p < .001). Older adults living alone (odds ratio (OR) = 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57–0.99) and those living with family (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65–0.99) showed greater happiness as the frequency of contact with family increased. Older adults living with only their spouse showed an increase in happiness when their contact with friends was higher (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.56–0.84). It was confirmed that there were differences in factors influencing happiness according to the family type of the older adults in this study. Therefore, the happiness of older adults needs to be adequately ensured, while considering their various circumstances, including family type.

We report diagnosis of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis Type 2 (CLN2), a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disease of childhood, in a four and a half year old girl, the first child of non-consanguineous parents with no family history. Despite extensive efforts by the parents, her clinical condition remained undiagnosed and without management, until recently. Our published “Bottom-up Approach”, based on comprehensive and multidisciplinary clinical, pathological, radiographical and genetic evaluations, played key role in diagnosis of the disease. Detailed analyses involving Next Generation Sequencing confirmed a missense variation NC_00011.10:g.6616374C>T (NP_000382.3:p.Arg339Gln; rs765380155) in exon 8 of TPP1 gene. In silico analyses predicted it to be highly pathogenic. Further family screening (including her both unaffected parents and asymptomatic, one year old younger sister) of the identified variation through Sanger Sequencing, revealed a perfect autosomal recessive segregation in the family. This study is the first case report on classic CLN2 from Jammu and Kashmir-India. This study is also indicating the effectiveness of our “Bottom-up Approach” in understanding rare disorders in low resource regions and the importance of timely diagnosis. Like in the proband, had diagnosis been established a bit early, the family might have benefitted at least with reference to their second child through counselling programmes.

Indocyanine Green (ICG) has significantly advanced minimally invasive surgery. It is widely recognized for its ability to visualize blood vessel patency in real-time across various surgical specialties. While its primary use in colorectal surgery is to evaluate anastomoses for leaks, nu-merous other applications have been documented in the literature. In this review, we aim to explore both established and emerging applications of ICG fluorescence in colorectal surgery, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. This includes preoperative tumor marking and the detection of metastatic disease. Some applications, such as lymphatic mapping, require further research to determine their impact on clinical practices. Conversely, oth-ers, like the intraoperative localizations of ureters, necessitate additional procedures and are not yet widely accepted by the surgical community. However, the development of alternative com-pounds could offer better solutions. Future research should focus on areas like quantitative ICG and protocol standardization in prospective multicenter studies.

Abstract Background: Diabetes mellitus is dramatically increasing in the wide world. The managing of diabetes care emphasized the self-management education and support into patients’ care and family care. Objective: to review and synthesizes the effectiveness of DSME strategies involving family as a key person to provide social support for diabetes mellitus self-management of glycemic uncontrolled patients Method: Three databases through PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus were reviewed to assess the relevant articles. The following search terms: “type 2 diabetes,” “self-management,” “family support,” and “glycemic uncontrolled.” We summarized details of family support on self-management among glycemic uncontrolled patients for 14 existing studies. Results: A total of 22 intervention studies were identified. Those studies have a heterogeneous of the education strategies, support perceived, follow-ups strategies and outcomes among type 2 DM. Family integration on diabetes self-management education (DSME) has a positive impact on several outcomes including, self-care behaviors, psychological outcomes, self-efficacy and clinical outcomes Conclusions: This systematic review found robust data related to the integration of family support on diabetes self-management among glycemic uncontrolled patients. Consequently, the improvement in outcomes was identified. Implications: The findings suggest model of family engagement is better and needed for sustaining the diabetes care in the long-term care

The spectrum, intensity and overlap of symptoms between FGIDs and other gastrointestinal disorders characterize patients with FIGDs, who are incredibly different in their backgrounds. An additional challenge with regard to the diagnosis and treatment's applicability is the ongoing expansion of the risk factors believed to be connected to these disorders. Many cytokines and inflammatory cells have been found causing the continuous existence of low-inflammation, which is thought to be a basic pathophysiological process. The idea of the gut-brain axis has been created to offer a basic framework for the complex interactions that occur between the nervous system and intestinal functions, including the involvement of the gut bacteria. In this review paper, we intend to promote a hypothesis that FGIDs, should be seen through the perspective of the network of the neuroendocrine, immunological, metabolic and microbiome pathways. Hypothesis arises from an increased understanding of chronic inflammation as a systemic disorder, being omnipresent in chronic health conditions. Better understanding of inflammation role in the pathogenesis of FGIDs can be achieved by clustering markers of inflammation with data indicating symptoms, comorbidities, and psycho-social factors. Finding subclasses among related entities of FGIDs, may reduce patient heterogeneity and help clarify pathophysiology for better treatment.

Background: Colorectal adenoma undergoes neoplastic progression via the normal epithelium-adenoma-adenocarcinoma sequence as reported in the Vogelgram. The risk of developing cancer is strongly associated with the number and size of adenoma and with the subtype. Currently, adenomatous polyps can be distinguished on the basis of histology: the prevalence are tubular, 5-15% are villous and tubular/villous. Considering the increased risk for malignant transformation described for tubular/villous adenomas, patients diagnosed with adenomatous polyposis are at increased risk of developing CRC. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a key role in the onset of colorectal adenoma, in particular intestinal cells first acquire loss-of-function mutations in APC gene that induce the formation of adenomas. Methods: Wnt/β-catenin pathway APC, Wnt3a, Wnt5a, LEF1, BCL9 genes and protein expression analyses were conducted by qRT-PCR and western blot in 68 colonic samples (polyps and adjacent mucosa) from 41 patients, of which 17 affected by FAP. Ten normal colonic mucosal samples were collected from 10 healthy donors. Results: In this study both APC gene and protein resulted less expressed in colon tumor compared to the adjacent colonic mucosa. Conversely, activated β-catenin was more expressed in polyps than in the adjacent mucosa. All results confirmed literature data on carcinomas. A statistically significant correlation between Wnt3a and BCL9 both in polyps and in the adjacent mucosa underlies that the canonical Wnt pathway is activated in early colon carcinogenesis and that the adjacent mucosa is already altered. Conclusion: This is the first study analyzing the difference in expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in human colorectal adenomas. Understanding the progression from adenomas to colorectal carcinomas is essential for the development of new therapeutic strategies and improving clinical outcomes.

This paper concentrates on the general birth-death processes with two different types of catastrophes. The Laplace transform of transition probability function for birth-death processes with two-type catastrophes are is successfully expressed with the Laplace transform of transition probability function of the birth-death processes without catastrophe. The first effective catastrophe occurrence time is considered. The Laplace transform of its probability density function, expectation and variance are obtained.

Functional copy number alterations (fCNAs) are DNA copy number changes with concordant differential gene expression. These are less likely to be bystander genetic lesions and could serve as robust and reproducible tumor biomarkers. To identify candidate fCNAs in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), we integrated chromosomal microarray (CMA) and RNA-seq differential gene expression data from 31 pancreatic (pNET) and 33 small bowel neuroendocrine tumors (sbNET). Tumors were resected from 47 early disease progression (24 months) patients. Candidate fCNAs that accurately differentiated these groups in this discovery cohort were then replicated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues in a larger validation cohort of 60 pNETs and 82 sbNETs (52 early and 65 late disease progression samples). Logistic regression analysis determined the predictive ability of these biomarkers as well as the assay performance metrics of sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve. Our results indicate that copy number changes at chromosomal loci 4p16.3, 7q31.2, 9p21.3, 17q12, 18q21.2, and 19q12 may be used as diagnostic and prognostic NET biomarkers. This involves a rapid, cost-effective approach to determine primary tumor site for patients with metastatic liver NETs and to guide risk stratified therapeutic decisions.

In the contemporary world of science, continuous observation of specific fixed regions is required, awaiting the emergence of targets or phenomena within those areas to locate and identify them. Astronomy requires continuous monitoring of stars, swiftly pinpointing occurrences, such as flares, and acquiring their spectral data to aid identification. In military contexts, continuous observation of specific areas is essential for promptly locating enemy movements and obtaining target spectral data for deciphering enemy disguises. Additionally, continuous observation of experimental samples in biochemistry is mandatory to pinpoint localized changes and acquire spectral data from those areas. Hence, this paper develops a novel imaging spectrometer solution to monitor localized regions continuously. Specifically, this paper first elaborates on the developed instrument’s characteristics and optical structure, followed by optical design software simulations. The instrument has an F-number of 5, a focal length of 100mm, and a field of view covering the wavelength range from 400nm to 600nm. The optical path diagram indicates that the system’s dispersion and imaging images can be separated, meeting the system’s requirements. Besides, the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) graph confirms that the image quality meets the requirements. Furthermore, a region-monitoring type imaging spectrometer was constructed to assess the instrument’s capability for spectral observation of fixed regions. The instrument can detect a fixed area, with the target placed within the detection area. Spectral data were successfully obtained by conducting image processing on the acquired images. The correlation coefficient between this data and reference data was as high as 0.9226, indicating the instrument’s successful measurement of the target’s spectrum. Thus, the developed instrument demonstrated that it can image the observed areas and acquire spectral data from targets within those regions.

The additional sex combs-like (ASXL) family, a mammalian homolog of the additional sex combs (Asx) of Drosophila, has been implicated in transcriptional regulation via chromatin modifications. Abnormal expression of ASXL family genes leads to myelodysplastic syndromes and various types of leukemia. De novo mutation of these genes also causes developmental disorders. Genes in this family and neighbor genes are evolutionary conserved in humans and mice. This review provides a comprehensive summary of epigenetic regulations associated with ASXL family genes. Their expression is commonly regulated by DNA methylation at CpG islands preceding transcription starting sites. Their proteins primarily engage in histone tail modifications through interactions with chromatin regulators (PRC2, trithorax complex, PR-DUB, SRC1, HP1α, and BET proteins), and with transcription factors, including nuclear hormone receptors (RAR, PPAR, ER, and LXR). Recently, non-coding RNAs have been identified following mutations in the ASXL1 or ASXL3 gene, along with circular ASXLs and microRNAs that regulate ASXL1 expression. The diverse epigenetic regulations linked to ASXL family genes collectively contribute to tumor suppression and developmental processes. Our understanding of ASXL-regulated epigenetics may provide insights into the development of therapeutic epigenetic drugs.

The building envelope has the most significant contribution in the reduction of the building energy consumption. Application of new, alternative and improved materials and systems has an important impact on the buildings performances. This paper is focused on the thermal transmittance, as an indicator of the thermal conductance of the construction element. It includes comparisons of the U-values, calculated by software, with those measured in situ on three representative façade walls. The walls have been constructed with the new wall system Fragmat NZ-1, a new product in Macedonian buildings. This research provides basic information on the thermal transmittance of the system. The results of the analysis show that the in situ measuring is a useful tool in validation of the precision of analytically calculated values, since it was difficult to obtain precise results from the analytical calculations only, especially when the layers are with non-uniform thickness.

Children are inherently curious about everything they encounter, making the early years a perfect time for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) investigations. An outdoor learning environment can influence STEAM concept formation of preschoolers with intentional design that offer STEAM learning affordances. Despite the rising interest in early STEAM education, there is still limited literature on how the outdoor environment may influence STEAM learning behaviors of preschoolers (3-5 years old). This scoping review intends to evaluate the existing knowledge regarding the physical factors that contribute to STEAM learning affordances in an outdoor environment for children aged 3 to 5. The review included studies from the last twenty years. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). For this scoping review, 843 citations were discovered across four databases (JSTOR, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science), ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and 31 articles were considered eligible for inclusion. Through the synthesis of information from those 31 studies, a list of STEAM learning behaviors of children and STEAM activity-supportive settings were identified that may positively influence preschoolers' STEAM concept development.

The Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative ME Research Network (ICanCME), established in 2019, aims to foster research in Canada and contribute to finding the causes and possible treatments for myalgic encephalomyelitis /chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), thereby reducing the impact of ME/CFS on the health of Canadians. The main objectives of this paper are to suggest standards for ME/CFS research for the collection of data from participants (Recommended Data Elements) and to consider other factors, such as design, language, cultural issues, equity, and diversity. Consensus of the relevant contents of this research guideline was reached during the ICanCME working group meetings and were based on existing guidelines. Members of the working group contributed to guideline development based on their respective expertise. The proposed research guidelines could improve research quality and advance knowledge in the field of ME/CFS, and ultimately benefit ME/CFS patients.

Integrated photovoltaic-fuel cell (IPVFC) systems have the potential to contribute to sustainable energy production for grid and off-grid applications. While there are studies focusing on fundamental science and designs for IPVFC systems, there are scarcely studies that have focused on the manufacturability of IPVFC systems, which is certainly the pathway for commercialisation of the systems. This study explores manufacturing strategies that can be considered for exploiting a family of eleven IPVFC systems. A survey and systems thinking were used to investigate the potential modularisation and supply chain management to achieve optimal lean and agile manufacturing strategy. Results show that the Photovoltaic-Thermal-Separate Converter/Inverter-Battery System received 25% of the responses. The optimal manufacturing strategy depends on the overall business strategy of the firm. Although 17% preference for System 1 is significant compared to four members of the family of IPVFC systems (Systems 2, 6, 8 and 9) that received only 2% of the responses, it indicates that there is a likelihood that the demand for System 1 will be among the top 42% of the total demand. Overall, this study provides new insights on how the family of IPVFC systems can contribute to realising greater access to clean energy, by extension contributing to the net-zero efforts using solar energy and solar hydrogen.

Originating in the Mediterranean, B. oleracea is grown all over the world and is highly valued for its nutritional value and variety in cooking. Its susceptibility to pests, diseases, and environmental stressors, however, poses significant challenges to sustaining consistent crop quality and productivity. The BASIC PENTACYSTEINE gene significantly impacts plant growth and responses to abiotic stresses. Nevertheless, little is known about its precise role and the underlying biological processes in B. oleracea. Eleven BPC genes in B. oleracea were identified by a thorough genome-wide investigation and categorized into three categories according to their structural traits and gene motifs. There were eight different chromosomes on which these BoBPCs were located. Comparative synteny analysis was used to reveal the evolutionary traits of potatoes, Arabidopsis, and B. oleracea. The BoBPC family genes in B. oleracea were found to have specific cis-elements linked to growth, stress responses, and hormone regulation when their promoter regions were studied. Cuticular wax synthesis expression revealed that all BoBZR1 genes, from wild to mutant, expressed at varied amounts in distinct types. Moreover, distinctive BoBPC gene expression patterns were found in the seven distinct tissues that were studied. Our thorough analysis shows that the BoBPC family is widely involved in B. oleracea developmental processes. The present findings provide an established theoretical basis for further exploration into the composition and roles of BoBPC in B. oleracea.

The AREB/ABF (ABA response element binding) proteins in plants are vital for plant stress responses, but the understanding of AREB/ABFs in orchid species, an important traditional medicinal and ornamental plants, is limited. Here, twelve AREB/ABF genes were identified within three orchids’ complete genome and classified into three groups (groups I, II, and III) via a phylogenetic analysis, which was further supported by the analysis of their conserved motifs and gene structures. The cis-elements analysis showed that hormone response elements followed by light and stress responses were widely rich in AREB/ABFs. A prediction analysis of orchid ABRE/ABF-mediated regulatory network was further constructed through cis-regulatory elements (CREs) analysis of their promoter regions and revealed that several transcriptional factor (TF) gene family were abundant as the potential regulators for orchid AREB/ABFs. Expression profile analysis based on public transcriptomic data showed that most AREB/ABF genes have distinct tissue-specific expression patterns in orchid plants. Additionally, DcaABI5 as the homolog of ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) from Arabidopsis was selected for further analysis. The results showed that Arabidopsis transgenic overexpressing DcaABI5 could rescue the ABA insensitive phenotype in the mutant abi5. Collectively, these findings will provide valuable information on AREB/ABF genes in orchids.

To conduct high-precision and high-resolution numerical simulation of complex flow structures in turbomachinery, a high-order finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for the large eddy simulation (LES) is improved and embedded into the three-dimensional viscous unsteady CFD solver NUAA-Turbo. Firstly, the spectral characteristics and unsteady convergence of the improved WENO scheme are studied. Compared with the classical WENO scheme, the improved WENO scheme has better dissipation and dispersion characteristics and faster convergence speed. Then, the coefficient CW of the Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity (WALE) model is calibrated by decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence (DHIT) test case. Finally, the scheme is applied to conduct high-precision LES calculations of turbulent boundary layer flow, supersonic compression corner flow, and low-pressure turbine cascade separation flow. The numerical simulation results show that this WENO scheme has excellent shock wave capture ability and turbulence resolution and can capture more flow field details with less mesh size, greatly reducing the computational cost and laying a foundation for large-scale engineering application of LES.

Background: The importance of knowing the workload of family nurses lies essentially in the possibility of improving health outcomes, care processes and the nurse’s professional life. There is a lack of studies that fully describe nursing workload in primary care, particularly, in the context of family health nursing, and the ideal metrics to be used remains unknown, making it impossible to characterize and therefor provide the necessary insight to acknowledge the different contributions of several aspects that embodies the global workload of family nurses. The objective of this scoping review was to map the known evidence and characterize the instruments used to assess the workload of family nurses. Methods: Scoping review, according the Joanna Briggs Institute proposed methodology for scoping reviews, consisting of 3 research stages: 1) initial research in Medline and CINHAL; 2) extended search, using keywords and search terms, in the following databases: JBI, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Cochrane and Scopus; 3) Search the reference list of the selected articles. No time limit was defined. Results: Fourteen studies referring to ten as-sessment instruments were included. Nine of them analyze workload as a dimension of a broader instrument, and two studies refer to an instrument that focuses exclusively on workload. Con-clusions: The diversity of professional competencies and contexts, the conceptual complexity of workload and the absence of an theoretical framework, makes it difficult to identify consensual instruments to assess the workload of family nurses. This study was registered in Open Science Framework® with the following registration (https://osf.io/3k6vr).

In this paper, a new axial-type magnetic gear with auxiliary flux-enhancing structure (AFS-AMG) is proposed. Compared to conventional AFS-AMG, it has the higher torque density and higher permanent magnet (PM) utilization factor. Firstly, the design rules and operating principles of proposed AFS-AMG are elaborated. Then, the mapping relation between the radial-type magnetic gears (RMGs) and AMGs are elucidated. Compared to its counterpart in RMGs, AFS-AMGs achieve small size. Then, the geometrical parameters of AFS-AMGs are optimized to obtain the better electromagnetic performances, where the torque density per volume and per PM volume is adopted as the evaluation standard. Finally, three different AMG topologies are constructed in finite element analysis (FEA) software for comparison. It is proven that the AFS-AMG has the largest torque density per volume and per PM volume.

Fungal infections caused by Candida spp. are responsible for high hospital morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is a continuous search for new antifungal medicines, particularly ones with anti-Candida activity. This review analyzed articles published between 2002 and 2023 considering the anti-Candida activity of chemical compounds identified or isolated in plants of the Anacardiaceae family. In addition, the in-silico prediction of the isolated compounds described was performed. The analysis of 35 studies showed that extracts, essential oils, and compounds from the anti-Candida activity were frequently determined in vitro using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The most commonly tested species were Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. guilliermondii, respectively. Essential oils were the most used form (37% of the studies). The isolated compounds with antifungal effects include cardanol, estragole, trans-anethole, β-caryophyllene, myrcene, catechin-3-o-rhamnoside, β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, 24Z-isomasticadienolic acid, oleanolic acid, and oleanolic aldehyde. The in-silico evaluation of those isolated compounds revealed the compounds' drug-likeness and possible antifungal activity. However, some of them showed high toxicity. In conclusion, compounds from the Anacardiaceae family show promise for developing new therapeutic antifungal drugs, especially in combination with conventional antifungals.

To achieve n-type doping in diamond, extensive investigations employing first principles have been conducted on various models of phosphorus doping and boron-phosphorus co-doping. The primary focus of this study is to comprehensively analyze the formation energy, band structure, density of states, and ionization energy of these structures. It is observed that within a diamond structure solely composed of phosphorus atoms, the formation energy of an individual carbon atom is excessively high. However, the substitution of two carbon atoms leads to the conversion of diamond into a p-type semiconductor. Upon examining the P-B co-doping structure, it is revealed that the doped impurities exhibit a tendency to form more stable cluster configurations. As the separation between the freely doped atoms and the cluster impurity structure increases, the overall stability of the structure diminishes, consequently resulting in an elevation of the ionization energy. Analysis of the electronic density of states demonstrates that the electron orbit of the B atom makes negligible contributions to the impurity levels during P-B doping.

In this paper, we study the well-posedness and asymptotics of a one-dimensional thermoelastic laminated beam system either with or without structural damping, where the heat conduction is given by Fourier's law effective in the rotation angle displacements. We show that the system is well-posed by using Lumer-Philips theorem, and prove that the system is exponentially stable if and only if the wave speeds are equal, by using the perturbed energy method and Gearhart-Herbst-Prüss-Huang theorem. Furthermore, we show that the system with structural damping is polynomially stable provided that the wave speeds are not equal, by using the second-order energy method.

Chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), are difficult to manage because they demand continuous therapeutic review and monitoring. Beyond achieving the target HbA1c, new guidelines for the therapy of T2D have been introduced with the new groups of antidiabetics (GLP-1ra and SGLT2-in). Despite new guidelines, clinical inertia, that can be caused by physicians, patients or healthcare system, results in T2D not being effectively managed. This opinion paper explores the shift in T2D treatment, challenging assumptions and evidence-based recommendations, particularly for family physicians, considering the patient's overall situation in decision-making. We looked for the possible reasons of clinical inertia and poor application of guidelines in the management of T2D. Guidelines for antidiabetic drugs should be more precise, providing case studies and clinical examples to define clinical contexts and contraindications. Knowledge communication can improve confidence and should include clear statements on areas of decision-making not supported by evidence. Precision medicine initiative in diabetes aims to identify subcategories of T2D patients (including frail patients) using clustering techniques from data science applications, focusing on CV and poor treatment outcomes. Clear, unconditional recommendations for personalized T2D management may encourage drug prescription, especially for family physicians dealing with diverse patient contexts and clinical settings.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the impact of family-centered empowerment on Jordanian adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), focusing on their HbA1c levels, self-efficacy, and quality of life (QOL). Background: Poor glycemic management in adolescents with type 1 diabetes increases complications. Improved control is linked to various variables, but few studies focus on Middle Eastern populations. Methods: An experimental study involved 68 adolescents with T1DM visiting Jordanian Royal Medical Services' clinics. Two sets of participants were created: control (n = 34) and intervention (n = 34). Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and medical records. Results: The study found significant differences in self-efficacy scores between the intervention and control groups, with the intervention group experiencing a significant decrease in HbA1c readings and a significant difference in QOL between pre-program and post-program phases. Discussion: Family empowerment can significantly improve the lives of Jordanian teenagers with type 1 diabetes. This strategy leads to improved glycemic management, increased self-efficacy, and improved quality of life. Future treatments and health policies should recognize and value the critical role families play in the care of this population. Conclusion: The study suggests that patients with T1DM should receive continuous care education sessions, including self-care training, to improve their health. Nurses should also incorporate these training into treatment plans and educational programs for adolescents to enhance their QOL.

As the number of end-of-life vehicles continues to grow, the field of separation technology for broken copper and aluminium parts of end-of-life vehicles has emerged as a significant area of research. As a key technology for the separation of non-magnetic non-ferrous metals, such as copper and aluminium, eddy current separation can achieve efficient separation of non-magnetic non-ferrous metals according to their differing conductivity and density. Nevertheless, further research is required in the separation of large-scale broken copper and aluminium parts of end-of-life vehicles. This paper presents a novel magnetic roller model comprising circumferential and axial periodic arrangements of permanent magnets. A single permanent magnet was constructed as an equivalent current model, and the magnetic scalar potential equations were solved using simulation tools. This allowed the distribution of the magnetic field outside the magnetic roller to be studied. The results demonstrate that the novel permanent magnet array magnetic roller can enhance the magnetic field intensity and action distance of the external magnetic field, which is more conducive to the separation of large-scale broken copper and aluminium parts of scrap cars. The findings of this research provide a theoretical foundation for the separation of scrap car broken copper and aluminium parts.

The BET family of proteins is characterized by the presence of two tandem bromodomains and an extra-terminal domain. The mammalian BET family of proteins comprises Brd2, Brd3, Brd4, and Brdt, which are encoded by paralogous genes that may have been generated by repeated duplication of an ancestral gene during evolution. Bromodomains that can specifically bind acetylated lysine residues in histones serve as chromatin-targeting modules that decipher the histone acetylation code. BET proteins play a crucial role in regulating gene transcription through epigenetic interactions between bromodomains and acetylated histones during cellular proliferation and differentiation processes. On the other hand, BET proteins have been reported to mediate latent viral infection in host cells and be involved in oncogenesis. Human BRD4 is involved in multiple processes of the DNA virus life cycle, including viral replication, genome maintenance, and gene transcription through interaction with viral proteins. Aberrant BRD4 expression contributes to carcinogenesis by mediating hyperacetylation of the chromatin containing the cell proliferation-promoting genes. BET bromodomain blockade using small-molecule inhibitors gives rise to selective repression of the transcriptional network driven by c-Myc. These inhibitors are expected to be potential therapeutic drugs for a wide range of cancers. This review presents an overview of the basic roles of BET proteins and highlights the pathological functions of BET and the recent developments in cancer therapy targeting BET proteins in animal models.

Despite the effectiveness of insulin injections in managing hyperglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes, they fall short in addressing autoimmunity and regenerating damaged islets. This review aims to explore the potential of various treatment modalities for T1DM, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), MSC-derived exosomes, gene therapy, islet allotransplantation, and pancreatic islet cell transplantation. Results: MSCs demonstrate efficacy in T1DM treatment through immunomodulation and tissue regeneration, although further research is warranted to optimize their therapeutic potential. Gene therapy presents a promising approach despite challenges such as donor shortage and immune rejection. Pancreatic islet cell transplantation emerges as a viable option, albeit with associated risks including graft rejection and the need for immunosuppression. Teplizumab, an FDA-approved humanized monoclonal antibody, revolutionizes the treatment landscape of Type 1 Diabetes by significantly delaying its onset, offering a paradigm shift since the discovery of insulin Conclusion: Ongoing studies and technological advancements in T1DM management offer a promising outlook for improved treatments and possibly even eradication on a global scale. MSCs, MSC-derived exosomes, gene therapy, and pancreatic islet transplantation hold considerable potential.

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) is a lipid kinase that phosphorylates diacylglycerol (DAG) to generate phosphatidic acid (PA). Based on converting one important signaling molecule (DAG) to another (PA), DGK plays an important role in plant responses to abiotic stress including waterlogging stress. However, no studies have been reported on the characterization of the DGK gene family in the waterlogging-tolerant kiwifruit germplasm, Actinidia valvata Dunn. Here, we identified 18 AvDGK genes in the A. valvata genome. The phylogenetic analysis showed that AvDGKs can be classified into three clusters, and members within the same cluster have similar domain distribution, exon-intron structures and conserved motif compositions. Chromosome localization analysis revealed that all the AvDGK genes are located across 18 different chromosomes. There were 29 duplicated gene pairs in kiwifruit and all had undergone purifying selection during evolution. Promoter cis-element analysis revealed that the cis-elements within AvDGK genes are associated with multiple functions, including phytohormone signal transduction, stress response, and plant growth and development. The expression pattern analyses indicated that AvDGK play an important role in the fruit development and plant response to waterlogging stress. AvDGKs gene family in the tetraploid A. valvata genome might promote PA synthesis and subsequent signal transduction both under short-term and long-term waterlogging stress. These results provide information regarding the structural characteristics and potential function of DGK genes within kiwifruit and lay a fundamental basis for further research into breeding for enhancing the kiwifruit’s tolerance to waterlogging stress.

Abstract. Graphene family (GF)-Calcium phosphate (CaP) composites, holds great potential as components of bone regeneration materials. GF nanomaterials can be modified physically as well as chemically, which are to be biomimetic, mechanically to be hard due to their capability to support exceptional mechanical, thermal and electronic properties. These biocompatible GF composites coated on the calcium phosphate can enhance and tolerate stem cell growth and differentiation, proliferation into various lineages or interact with bioorganisms. The development in CF-CaP materials and their physicochemical/biointeractions and strategies towards osteoblasts is a great concern to promote faster healing and reconstructions of large bone imperfections or defects. In this review, we explain the influence of the CF-CaP and summarize recent developments on designing CF-CaP architectures as multifunctional bone regeneration platforms. We have also explored the typical biological applications concerning these CF-CaP based bioactive nanocomposites. Furthermore, the future viewpoints and evolving challenges will also be emphasized. Due to the shortage of full-length reviews in this emerging research field, this review would be caught great attention and encourage various new chances across a wider range of disciplines.

The assortment of low-cost 3D printers for “in-practice” use, e.g., for clear aligner therapies, is ever increasing. To address concerns about the accuracy of orthodontic models produced on such printers when cost efficient modes of 3D printing are employed, this study examined the effect of print model body type and print angulation on accuracy. Six printing-configuration groups were included: 2 model types (solid or hollow shell) combined with 3 print angles (0°, 70°, or 90°) with 10 models/group; all models were printed with 100-µm layer thickness using a digital light processing-based 3-dimensional printer. Eleven selected structures and distances were measured on the printed models with a digital microscope and compared to the same measures on a digitized master model. The clinically-acceptability range was set at ±0.25 mm difference from the master model for single tooth measurements (intra-tooth) and ±0.5 mm for cross-arch measurements (inter-tooth). For individual measurements across all models, 98% fell within clinical acceptability. For mean measurements within each model group, only canine height for the shell-0° model had a mean difference (0.26 mm ± 0.03) outside the clinically acceptable range for intra-tooth measurements. Standard deviations for all intra-tooth measurements were within 0.07 mm. While none of the mean inter-tooth measurements exceeded the acceptability range, the standard deviations were larger (0.04 to 0.30 mm). Accuracy of orthodontic models for clear aligner therapies was not impacted beyond the clinically acceptable range when altering model body type and print angulation to improve efficiency of 3D printing. These findings suggest greater flexibility of the practitioner to alter print settings to address time and cost efficiency in various clinical scenarios and still maintain clinically acceptable model accuracy.

There is a lack of studies on the level of stress and health of families of workers in road transport. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived stress level and Family Effectiveness of family members of road transport workers. A quantitative study was carried out with family members of road transport workers in the southern region of Brazil. For the data collection, a sociodemographic form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Evaluation of Family Effectiveness Strategies were used. The data were analyzed by simple frequency, Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) (p &lt; 0.05), and descriptive analysis from the perspective of the Systemic Organization. 49 family members of road transport workers were participants. Perceived stress was higher in family members who had more than nine years of schooling, the targets of Control and Growth were higher in the evaluation of Family Effectiveness. The Control target was also higher in families with more than three people. The Coherence dimension had higher levels in families with health problems and whose income was less than $792.00 US dollars per month. In the Individuation dimension, income over $792.00 had better results. The Maintenance dimension of the system was higher in families whose drivers’ activity was as an intercity driver, as well as in the Stability target. In conclusion, the social factors such as schooling, income, diseases, type of worker activity in road transport, and number of people in the family influenced perceived stress and Family Effectiveness, which demonstrates the need to increase the promotion of health care of the families of road transport workers.

Background This study aimed to identify the prominent risk factors that may trigger danger signals of early onset of vascular deregulation in T1D. The risk factors we have identified may serve as dual-purpose biomarkers of rapid diagnosis that offer prospective tailor-made resolution therapeutics. Methods The healthy control (HC) was compared with individuals diagnosed with T1D for the risk factors of vascular deregulation in published research studies from year 2013 to 2023. The PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1/1/2013 to 1/9/2023. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane (ROBINS-I ) tool, which is relevant to clinical subjects. A random effect model for continuous data was followed and analysed by RevMan 5.4 and GraphPad Prism software. Results 80 relevant case-control studies having 5293 HC and 7492 T1D patients were included. The age and sex-matched HC consisted of persons free of disease and not under any medication while clinical subjects of all age groups were included. 28 risk factors were grouped into six primary outcome models, all of which favoured the T1D synonymous with a high risk of CVD. Conclusions Our findings have strong implications for improving the quality of life and health economics related to vascular disease in T1D. HbA1c% is the most effective biomarker, followed by FBG, LDL-C, and AI% which the clinicians could evaluate using a simple blood test or non-invasive techniques. (Protocol registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ CRD42022384636).

Preschoolers with disabilities and their caregivers have been neglected in health and social service provision in most low-income countries and arguably too in low resourced areas of more affluent nations. Yet as this rapid review of published literature identifies, there are low-cost, evidence-based strategies to address their needs that can be implemented in communities by local people. Five key features of the necessary supports are examined. First the leadership functions required to create and implement the support services. Second, the family-centred, home-based support provided to caregivers and the personnel undertaking this form of support. Third, providing opportunities for peer support to flourish and encouraging the formation of advocacy groups across families. Fourth, mobilizing the support of significant groups within the community; notably traditional healers and leaders; health services and poverty alleviation initiatives. Fifth, devising ways in which preschool educational opportunities can be offered to children as a prelude to their inclusion in primary schools. The review serves a further purpose. It provides an example of how public health researchers and academics could achieve more rapid implementation of evidence-based knowledge into existing and new support services through dissemination to community practitioners.

In this paper, we present a full coverage path planning (CPP) algorithm for the marine surveys conducted in the convex polygon shaped search area. The survey is supposed to carry out by torpedo-type AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles). Due to their nonholonomic mechanical characteristics, these vehicles have nonzero minimum turning radius. For any given polygon shaped search area, it can always be partitioned into one or more convex polygons. With this in mind, this paper proposes a novel search algorithm called CbSPSA (Calculation based Shortest Path Search Algorithm) for full coverage of any given convex polygon shaped search area. By aligning the search inter-tracks alongside the edge with the minimum height, we can guarantee the minimum number of the vehicle’s turns. In addition, the proposed method can guarantee the planned path is strictly located inside the polygon area without overlapped or crossed path lines, and also has the total path length as short as possible. Considering the vehicle’s nonzero minimum turning radius, we also propose a sort of smoothing algorithm to smooth the waypoint path searched by CbSPSA so as for the vehicle to exactly follow it. The smoothed path is also guaranteed to be strictly located inside the polygon. Numerical simulation analyses are also carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.

Abstract: A. baumannii exhibits resilience in harsh environments and progressively develops resistance to diverse antibacterial agents over time. This adaptability poses a significant challenge in treating an infection caused by this bacterium within healthcare settings. The presence of peptidoglycan, a crucial precursor for cell wall synthesis, contributes to this challenge. Peptidoglycan serves not only as a structural support in bacterial cells but also provides protection against adverse environmental conditions. The synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer involves a group of substrates such as N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), within a three-partitioned process occurring in the membrane, periplasmic space, and cytoplasm of each bacterium. Initiated in the cytoplasm and extending to the inner cell membrane, this synthesis starts with the production of nucleotide precursors. The first step involves the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc, orchestrated by Glm (GlmS, GlmM, and GlmU) enzymes using fructose-6-phosphate. Subsequently, enzymes from the Mur family, namely MurB, MurA, MurD, MurC, MurI, MurF, and MurE, synthesize UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide (UDP-Mpp) from UDP-GlcNAc. Concurrently, on the cytosolic side, the production of membrane-surrounded undecaprenyl phosphate occurs, involving membrane-side proteins MraY and MurG in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan. This review emphasizes updated information on Mur family proteins, encompassing physicochemical properties, nature of binding site, number and type of binding site residues, functional domain details, three-dimensional structural aspects, and their functions within bacterial cells. Special attention is directed towards their enzymatic role in peptidoglycan biosynthesis due to the limited availability of precursors in the market. Additionally, the review provides a comprehensive summary of existing inhibitors and ongoing efforts in identifying new targeted inhibitors, recognizing these enzymes as potential candidates for antibacterial drug design and discovery.

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

Background and Objectives: Wilson disease (WD) is a disorder of copper metabolism caused by genetic muta-tions in the ATP7B gene which lead to the accumulation of copper in the body. The aim of the present study is to investigate the severity of WD in patients in Romania. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted us-ing an online questionnaire consisting of 32 questions in a group of patients suffering from Wilson disease. Results: The study included 67 people aged 7 to 56 with WD. The most common symptoms of the participants were hepatic and neurological in 22 cases (32.8%). The most common neurological symptom in the assessed cases was muscle stiffness (49.5%), followed by tremor (45%), and speech disorders (40.5%). The Kay-ser-Fleischer ring was present in 50.7% of the participants. The most commonly used drug treatment in the participants was D-penicillamine (77.61%). Conclusions: The severity of WD is based on many aspects, the most important being early diagnosis and access to treatment throughout the year. The prognosis is favorable with early diagnosis and treatment, but it is crucial to diagnose individuals before they develop major symp-toms. Therefore, advances in WD screening can lead to an earlier diagnosis and better results.

A previous report showed that the urine output of HPLBII-P in patients with diabetes mellitus and SARS-Cov-2 infection was increased as a sign of glomerular dysfunction. . The aim of this report was to investigate the relation of urine output of HPLBII-P to diabetes mellitus in two large community-based elderly populations i.e. the ULSAM and PIVUS cohorts. Methods HPLBII-P was measured by ELISA in the urine of a community-based cohort of 839 men (ULSAM) collected at 77 years of age and in urine of a community-based cohort of 75-year-old men, n=387, and women, n=401 (PIVUS). KIM-1, NGAL and Albumin were measured in urine and Cathepsin S and Cystatin C in serum. Results HPLBII-P was significantly raised among males with diabetes in the ULSAM (p

This paper aims to explore differences in personality traits, focusing on the levels of primary psychopathy, between formal leaders of family and non-family companies as well as assessing differences in the job satisfaction levels of their employees. Moreover, we assess the relationship between the employees' perception of their formal leader’s primary psychopathy levels and their job satisfaction levels in family firms. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 95 Portuguese employees, who responded to a questionnaire that included their perception of their formal leader’s primary psychopathy level and job satisfaction measures. All respondents work in small and medium-sized private companies with no management responsibilities and under formal hieratical supervision. The initial idea that family firms’ employees perceive lower levels of primary psychopathy in their formal leaders than non-family firms’ employees was confirmed. However, employees of family and non-family firms did not differ in their job satisfaction levels. The results also support the notion that perceived levels of primary psychopathy in formal leaders are negatively associated with the employees’ job satisfaction levels. These findings contribute to the research literature by addressing two aspects under-addressed in the comparison between family and non-family firms, while offering insights on the relationship between primary psychopathy in formal leaders and job satisfaction levels of employees working in family firms.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a multifactorial and complicated metabolic disorder, is a growing public health problems. Numerous studies indicated that bioactive compounds from herbal medicine have beneficial effects on T2DM prevention and treatment, owing to their numerous biological properties. Curcumin, the major curcuminoid of turmeric, is one of the most studied bioactive components of herbal supplements, which has a variety of biological activities. Clinical trials and preclinical research have recently produced compelling data to demonstrate the crucial functions of curcumin against T2DM via several routes. Accordingly, this review systematically summarizes the antidiabetic activity of curcumin, along with various mechanisms. Results showed that effectiveness of curcumin on T2DM is due to it being anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-apoptotic, anti-hyperlipidemia and other activities. In light of these results, curcumin may be a promising prevention/treatment choice for T2DM.

Concrete is more stable than filler as a false roof in a downward approach type infill quarry, but the mechanical model of a concrete false roof is not clear. As a result, there has been limited application. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the mechanical model of a concrete artificial false roof to enhance the stability of the downward approach infill quarry. This paper combines theoretical analysis, model derivation, finite element analysis and field application methods. Firstly, the basic assumptions of thin plate theory and elasticity mechanics are used as the premise to establish the differential equations of the deflection curve of the concrete thin plate false roof. Then, the three types of bending moment generation of the concrete thin plate false roof are explored. Secondly, the relationship between the location of dangerous surface and dangerous point in hard-supported weak-slab structure and soft-supported weak-slab structure is analyzed, and the type of uniform load and calculation model of concrete thin-slab false roof are improved. Finally, according to the established mechanical model of thin slab false roof, finite element analysis and field application were carried out. The results show that there are three types of deflection curve differential equations in the concrete thin slab false roof perpendicular to the strike, and three extreme points exist in the middle section of the thin slab and on both sides of the surrounding rock. The hazardous surface of the hard-supported weak-slab structure is present at the intersection of the encircling rock and the thin-slab fake ceiling, with the perilous point situated on the top of this surface. The hazardous surface of the soft-supported weak-slab structure can be found in the centre section of the thin-slab fake ceiling, with the perilous point being located at the bottom of this surface. Moreover, the damage mode for both structures is that of maximum tensile stress damage. Upon conducting a finite element analysis, the results indicate that the concrete's maximum tensile stress is significantly high.

Nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiOx:H) is a multipurpose material with its varied application in solar cells as a transparent front contact, intermediate reflector, back reflector layer and even tunnel layer for passivating contacts, owing to easy tailoring of its optical properties. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of gas mixture (SiH4, CO2, PH3 and H2), RF power and process pressure on the optical, structural and passivation properties of thin n-type nc-SiOx:H films prepared in an industrial, high throughput, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor. We provide a detailed description of the n-type nc-SiOx:H material develop-ment using various characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and spectro-scopic ellipsometry) with a focus on the relationship between the material properties and the pas-sivation they provide to n-type c-Si wafers characterized by their effective carrier lifetime (τeff). Further, we also outline the parameters to be kept in mind while developing different n-type nc-SiOx:H layers for different solar cell applications. We report a tunable optical gap (1.8 – 2.3 eV) for our n-type nc-SiOx:H films as well as excellent passivation properties with τeff up to 3.5 ms (iVoc ~ 715 mV) before annealing. Oxygen content plays an important role in determining the crystallinity and hence passivation quality of the deposited nanocrystalline silicon oxide films.

Limited understanding exists regarding the intricate dynamics between the levels of social inhi-bition exhibited by both wives and husbands concerning their perceived family support and de-pressive symptoms, particularly within couples who are parents of children diagnosed with au-tism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study used the actor-partner, interdependence mediation model to analyze data collected from 397 pairs of Chinese parents with children diagnosed with ASD. The findings of the study revealed significant indirect actor effects, indicating that the levels of social inhibition exhibited by both wives and husbands were associated with their own de-pressive symptoms through their respective perceptions of family support. In general, the study did not find significant partner effects, except for some indirect effect (IE) of wives on their hus-bands' depressive symptoms through the wives' perceived social support. This observation sug-gests that cultural norms and role expectations within the family context may influence these dy-namics. These results underscore the potential importance of interventions aimed at addressing social inhibition and enhancing perceived family support to alleviate depressive symptoms in this population. Additionally, interventions targeting fathers should emphasize the importance of their involvement in parenting and collaboration with their partners in caring for children with ASD. Such collaborative efforts may contribute to improved outcomes for both parents and chil-dren within families affected by ASD.

An active power dispatch method for a microgrid (MG) with multi-type loads, renewable energy sources (RESs) and distributed energy storage devices (DESDs) is the focus of this paper. The MG operates in a grid-connected model, and distributed power sources contribute to the service for load demands. The outputs of multiple DESDs are controlled to optimize the active power dispatch. Our goal with optimization is to reduce the economic cost under time-of-use (TOU) price, and to adjust the excessively high or low load rate of distributed transformers (DTs) caused by the peak-valley demand and load uncertainties. To simulate a practical environment, the stochastic characteristics of multi-type loads are formulated. The transition matrix of system state is provided. Then, a finite-horizon Markov decision process (FHMDP) model is established to describe the dispatch optimization problem. A learning-based technique is adopted to search the optimal joint control policy of multiple DESDs. Finally, simulation experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the fuzzification analysis of the method is presented.

In this paper, we establish the generalized Qi-type inequality involving conformable fractional integrals. The results presented here would provide extensions of those given in earlier works.

The problem of Yukawa couplings being arbitrary parameters in the Standard Model Higgs mechanism is a long standing one due to their formulaic dependence on the Higgs Vacuum Expectation Value. We will attempt to solve this problem and provide a strong argument that the Yukawa couplings of charged leptons and down type quarks are not arbitrary parameters in the SM. A new methodology for predicting the Yukawa couplings will be presented by using Compton wavelengths, the Rydberg Constant and g-factors of charged leptons instead of relying on the Higgs VEV. We will then proceed to rewrite this new method in terms of an empirical formula that depends on the running of the fine-structure constant on the Q scale, charge and lepton quantum numbers and g-factors to predict the values of the Yukawa couplings for all three generations of charged leptons and d-type quarks. We will also touch on the subject of neutrinos both as Majorana and Dirac fermions respectively and make a prediction for the lightest possible Majorana neutrino and the differences between Dirac neutrinos and anti-neutrinos. We conclude that the Yukawa couplings are not arbitrary parameters in the SM and that this new formula provides very accurate results.

Motivated by empirical observations, we propose a possible extension of Gibrat's law. By applying it into the random growth theory of income distribution (Gabaix, 2009), we find that the income distribution is described by a generalized Pareto-type distribution (GPD) with three parameters. We observe that there is a parameter /elta in the GPD that plays a key role in determining the shape of income distribution. By using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, we empirically show that, for typical market-economy countries, /elta is close to 0 significantly, such that the income distribution is characterized by a two-class pattern in which the bottom 90% of the population is approximated by an exponential distribution and the richest 1%~3% is approximated by an asymptotic power law. However, we empirically find that, for China both in planned economy period and in early stages of market reformation (from 1978 to 1990), /elta is significantly deviated from 0, such that the bottom of the population no longer conforms to an exponential distribution.

Addressing the significant challenge in high-speed cotton dibbling operations in Xinjiang—specifically, the duck bill’s ("Duck bill" is a type of duck-billed bunch planting mechanism or component). shortened opening duration leading to seed throwing and floating—a new crawler-type delayed hole-forming mechanism has been designed. This mechanism extends the duck bill horizontally, thereby prolonging its opening time, enabling cotton sowing speeds of up to 6 km/h. Following agronomic principles for cotton planting, the overall layout of the crawler-type hole-forming mechanism, the structural parameters of the key components and the trajectory of the hole-forming are determined. We use the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and multi-body dynamics coupling method to simulate and analyze the motion process of the device. The fixed the tilt angle of the duck bill α(A), the depth of the duck bill hole-forming into the soil h(B), and the angle of rotation of the moving duck bill β(C) were taken as the experimental factors, with the longitudinal length of cotton seed hole (Y1) and the hole-forming depth of cotton seed hole (Y2) as the response values. The parameter range of each factor and the preliminary influence on the response value were determined through pre-experiments and single-factor simulation test. Based on RecurDyn-EDEM coupling, a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination simulation test was carried out. The results show that the order of the primary and secondary factors affecting the Y1 of the time-lapse hole-forming device was: A > C > B. The order of primary and secondary factors affecting the Y2 of the delayed hole forming device was: B > C > A. When the A was 2.4 °, the B was 42.4 mm, and the C was 30.5 °, the performance of the hole-forming was the best, and the Y1 was 26.4 mm, and the Y2 was 25.0 mm. The bench verification test results show that under the optimized combination of operating parameters, the average Y1 was 29.1 mm, and the average Y2 was 23.2 mm. Compared with the results of the previous coupled simulation model, the average relative errors of the two are 7.23 % and 4.36 %, respectively, indicating the accuracy and effectiveness of the established DEM simulation model and virtual test analysis. The hole-forming area and the opening time of the duck bill after the stable operation of the machine were recorded and measured. The calculated hole dislocation rate Hc was 4.33 %, which did not exceed the national standard requirement of 6 %. The qualified rate of hole distance Hx was 94.33 %, which was much higher than the national standard requirement of 80 %. The average opening time of the duck bill at a speed of 6 km/h is 0.45 s, which is much longer than the time required for cotton seeds to fall from the duck bill 0.11 s. It meets the requirements of high-speed cotton planting in China and facilitating advancements in future high-speed planter technology.

Nutrient profiling (NP) models that assess nutrient density of foods can help remedy micronutrient deficiencies. We used NP methods to identify the most nutrient-rich foods in the 2019 FAO/INFOODS Western Africa Food Composition Table (WAFCT). The WAFCT had complete data for 909 foods. Three versions of the well-established Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) model were used: 1) the original NRF9.3; 2) a new NRF6.3 based on 6 priority micronutrients (iron, zinc, calcium, folate, vitamin A, vitamin B12); and 3) NRF 15.3, based on 15 nutrients to encourage (NRF6.3 nutrients + vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, copper, and magnesium). Data analyses used one-way ANOVAs and independent t-tests, with significance at α=0.05. Animal-source foods were rated higher by NRF6.3 priority micronutrient and NRF15.3 NP models than by the NRF9.3 model. African indigenous vegetables had higher protein content and higher nutrient density compared to non-indigenous vegetables. African indigenous grains had higher nutrient density compared to non-indigenous grains. Though animal-source foods received some of the highest scores, NP models adapted to the West African context showed that African indigenous vegetables and grains were also nutrient rich. Indigenous foods could be important sources of priority micronutrients for the region.

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

The sexual reproduction of ascomycetes is controlled by the mating-type(MAT) locus. (Pseudo)homothallic reproduction has been hypothesized based on genetic data from Hirsutella sinensis (Genotype #1 of Ophiocordyceps sinensis). In this study, the differential occurrence of the mating-type genes in the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs, which constitute the genetic control of O. sinensis reproduction, was analyzed in 237 strains and 5 genomes of H. sinensis. The mating-type genes were differentially transcribed in H. sinensis Strain L0106, and the MAT1-2-1 transcript in H. sinensis Strain 1229 was alternatively spliced, with an unspliced intron I containing stop codons; these findings constitute O. sinensis reproduction controls at the transcriptional and coupled transcriptional-translational levels. The occurrence of the mating-type genes and a-/α-pheromone receptor genes differed among the 5 H. sinensis genomes. The differential occurrence and transcription of these genes are inconsistent with self-fertilization under (pseudo)homothallism but suggest self-sterility of H. sinensis, which therefore needs a mating partner to achieve sexual outcrossing under heterothallism or hybridization. Consistent occurrence and transcription of the mating-type genes of both the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs have been reported in natural and cultivated Cordyceps sinensis, but these findings are insufficient to determine the reproduction mode(s) because of the co-occurrence of >90 fungal species and multiple genomically independent genotypes of O. sinensis. The mutant MAT1-1-1 and α-pheromone receptor transcripts in natural C. sinensis result in the N-terminus or middle-truncated proteins, with changes in hydrophobicity and secondary structures of the proteins, suggesting heterogeneous fungal source(s) of the proteins and hybridization reproduction.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the disease gene ATXN3, leading to prolonged polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts in the respective protein ataxin-3. The polyQ-expanded protein forms polyQ-containing aggregates in several brain regions which leads to neuronal cell loss. Autophagy is thought to play a significant role in clearing these polyQ-containing protein aggregates. Therefore, the autophagy mechanism was investigated in SCA3 with focus on the autophagic protein p62/sequestosome-1. Human and mouse RNA sequencing data were analyzed to determine RNA expression level of autophagic genes. Additionally, autophagy was studied in the SCA3 304Q knock-in mouse model and through several cell culture experiments using HEK-293T cells transfected with ATXN3 of differ-ent polyQ lengths. For cell culture experiments, autophagy was induced with rapamycin treat-ment, proteasomal degradation was blocked with MG132 and degradation of autophagic pro-teins was investigated using cycloheximide treatment. Here, we report an increased autophagy impairment with SCA3 disease progression seen in HEK-293T cells transfected with ATXN3 plasmid with expanded polyQ tracts, higher aged 304Q-knock-in mice, or human post-mortem brain material. Furthermore, co-localized aggregation of the autophagic protein p62 and the dis-ease protein ATXN3 was observed in the course of SCA3 disease. Therefore, we suggest a signifi-cant role for p62 in aggregate formation seen in the neurodegenerative disease SCA3.

Background and Objectives Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1 MIM # 162200), also known as von Recklinghausen disease, is among the most common autosomal dominantly transmitted disorders characterized mainly by neurocutaneous manifestations such as café au lait spots, intertriginous freckling, various types of neurofibromas (cutaneous neurofibromas or plexiform tumors), neurological manifestations, and bone abnormalities. It occurs with an incidence of 1:3000–1:4000 cases. Cone-rod dystrophies belong to the large group of retinal dystrophies, a highly heterogeneous group of disorders clinically manifested mainly by damage to cone and rod cells and have a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Many genes are involved in their etiology, with more than 100 currently identified, including the CRX gene responsible for the autosomal dominant form of cone-rod dystrophy (ad CORD). Materials and Methods: The authors present an intriguing case of a patient diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) as an infant and ocular involvement (myopia and astigmatism onset at age 15), which yielded a surprising molecular testing result. Results: Molecular DNA analysis identified a rare occurrence of two mutational variants, including a pathogenic variant in the NF1 gene, c.3871-2A, and a likely pathogenic variant in the CRX gene c.119G>A. Conclusions: The authors present this case to highlight the surprises offered by molecular testing in a condition where the diagnosis is usually based on clinical criteria, thus providing patients with competent genetic advice.

Magnesium (Mg) is a vital element, which involves in various key cellular processes in plants. Mg transporter (MGT) genes play an important role in magnesium distribution and ionic balance maintenance. Here, MGT family members were identified and characterized in three species of the plant family Malvaceae, including Theobroma cacao, Corchorus capsularis, and Gossypium hirsutum to improve our understanding of their structure, regulatory systems, functions, and possible interactions. We identified 18, 41, and 16 putative non-redundant MGT genes from the genome of T. cacao, G. hirsutum, and C. capsularis, respectively, which were clustered into five groups within maximum likelihood tree. Several segmental/tandem duplication events were determined between MGTs genes. It seems that MGTs were slowly evolving and have been evolved under a purifying selection. Analysis of gene promoter regions showed that MGTs have a high potential to respond to biotic/abiotic stresses as well as hormones. The expression patterns of MGT genes revealed their possible T. cacaorole in response to P. megakarya fungi in T. cacao, whereas MGT genes showed differential expression in various tissues and respond to several abiotic stresses, including cold, salt, drought, and heat stress in G. hirsutum. Besides, the co-expressions network of MGTs indicated that genes involved in auxin responsive, lipid metabolism, cell wall organization, and photoprotection can interact with MGTs.

Human milk (HM) feedings are associated with reduced risks of neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive delays and systemic inflammatory diseases in infants born prematurely and/or at a low birth weight. Utilizing a neonatal piglet model, HM feedings were compared to bovine milk-derived infant formula (IF)-feedings with the aim of understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in reducing these risks. Six male piglets at postnatal-day (PD)2 were randomized into two feeding groups: HM-fed (n = 3) or IF-fed (n = 3) for 28 days. At 3- and 4-weeks-old, piglet memory and learning performance were assessed using novel object recognition (NOR). At PD30 piglets were euthanized, and whole brains were excised, weighed, and preserved for further analyses, and brain microglial morphology, and systemic inflammatory cytokines were quantified. During NOR, HM-fed piglets had significantly more non-novel revisits at both 3- and 4-weeks-old compared to IF-fed piglets. Microglia of HM-fed piglets had longer processes, more branch points, more endpoints, and a larger territorial volume compared to IF-fed piglets at PD30. In a neonatal piglet model, HM-feedings may improve cognition and reduce brain inflammatory response compared to IF-feedings.

Existing research indicates that mineralization of Carlin-type gold deposit is related to geological structures, but current studies mostly focus on the qualitative association, and lack quantitative analysis of the relationship between mineralization and structural features, which limits the potential for predictive mineral exploration. In this study, the Nibao Carlin-type gold deposit was selected as the research area to conduct three-dimensional geological modeling, spatial analysis, and three-dimensional prospectivity modeling. Spatial analysis revealed that the majority of gold ore bodies are situated near the main fault, with gold mineralization primarily occurring within a spatial range of approximately -80 meters to 20 meters from the main fault plane. This spatial distribution predominantly aligns in a SW-NE direction. Spatial characteristic extraction of fault slope indicators suggests that the slope angles are conducive to the migration and accumulation of ore-forming hydrothermal fluids, with ore body metal content rapidly increasing within an angle range of approximately 20° to 60°. The shape analysis of the mainfault indicates that the principal spaces of mineralization enrichment are within -10m to 20m of the fault plane undulations, where gold resources are concentrated in a relatively flat area. However, the degree of mineralization is more pronounced in the protruding sections than in the depressed areas. The areas with significant dip changes in faults display higher variations in orebody attitudes, with mineralization noticeably weaker in areas where the fault steepness changes markedly. Ore-bearing units exhibit significantly higher grades within the -17° to 3° interval of fault steepness transition. This interval also sees a rapid accumulation of gold resources. The Nibao gold mine's mineralization is derived from deep, ore-bearing hydrothermal fluids ascending along major fractures, precipitating, and accumulating in favorable ore-hosting spaces (faults, anticline cores) and lithological combinations (sedimentary tuffs, tuffs). Three deep potential gold targets were identified, highlighting the deep western edge of the F1 fault and the deep southeast-trending lower plate as prospective areas for future exploration. This study underscores the effectiveness of 3D prospective modeling as an indispensable tool for elucidating the spatial distribution of fault-controlled Carlin-type gold deposits and their tectonic determinants.

This paper is devoted to the study of multi-dimensional integral transform with Fox H-function in the kernel in weighted spaces integrable functions in the domain R+n with positive coordinates. Mapping properties such as the boundedness, the range, the representations of the considered transformation are established.

In July 2017, a family of three members; a 46-year-old male, a 45-year-old female and their 8-year-old daughter, returned to South Africa from Thailand. They presented symptoms consistent with mosquito-borne diseases, including fever, headaches, severe body aches and nausea. Mosquito bites in all family members suggested recent exposure to arthropod-borne viruses. Dengue virus 1 (Genus Orthoflavivirus) was isolated (isolate no. SA397) from the serum of the 45-year-old female via intracerebral injection in neonatal mice and subsequent passage in VeroE6 cells. Phylogenetic analysis of this strain indicated close genetic identity with cosmopolitan genotype 1 DENV1 strains from Southeast Asia, assigned to major lineage K, minor lineage 1 (DENV1I_K.1), such as GZ8H (99.92%) collected in November 2018 from China and DV1I-TM19-74 isolate (99.72%) identified in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2019. Serum samples from the 46-year-old male yielded a virus isolate that could not be confirmed as DENV1, prompting unbiased metagenomic sequencing for virus identification and characterization. Illumina sequencing identified multiple segments of a Mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV), designated Human/SA395/SA/2017. Genomic and phylogenetic analysis classified Human/SA395/SA/2017 as MRV-3 and assigned a tentative genotype MRV-3d based on the S1 segment. Genomic analyses suggested Human/SA395/SA/2017 may have originated from reassortments of segments among swine, bat, and human MRVs. The closest identity of the viral attachment protein σ1 (S1) was related to a human isolate identified from Tahiti, French Polynesia, in 1960. This indicates ongoing circulation and cocirculation of Southeast Asian and Polynesian strains, but detailed knowledge is hampered by limited availability of genomic surveillance. This case represents a rare concurrent importation of two distinct viruses with different transmission routes in the same family with similar clinical presentations. It highlights the complexities of diagnosing diseases with similar sequelae in travellers returning from tropical areas.

Nutritional status problems in school-age children are a crucial public health problem worldwide. This research explored the relationships between family factors, food consumption behaviors, and the nutritional status of Muslim school-age children in Thasala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. This descriptive research was conducted among 228 children aged 9-12 years. Data were collected using demographic data, nutritional status, and food consumption behaviors assessment. Data were analyzed using descriptive, chi-square, and binary logistic regression statistics. The results revealed that most samples reported having moderately healthy food consumption behaviors (M = 2.01, SD = 0.56). The samples had a normal weight (72.4%), while 15.8% were classified as overweight and obese. The number of siblings and food consumption behaviors had a significant relationship with nutritional status (p &lt; 0.05). Confirmation with binary logistic regression results also revealed that the likelihood of normal nutritional status was 2.40 times higher in children who had 3 or 4 siblings compared to those with 1 or 2 siblings (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.299-4.459). Additionally, children with healthy food consumption behaviors were 2.34 times more likely to have normal nutritional status compared to those with unhealthy dietary consumption (AOR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.183-4.631). Conclusion: Since the number of siblings and healthy food consumption behaviors were associated with nutritional status, healthcare providers must consider these 2 factors when establishing health education and behavior modification care plans to promote healthy food consumption and nutritional status among this group.

This overview of extant Siphonaptera lists 19 families with major hosts and general distribution, estimated numbers of genera, species, and subspecies, with a brief taxonomic and phylogenetic review. With around 10 new species described annually, global flea fauna has an estimated extant 249 genera, 2215 species, and 714 subspecies, mostly mammal parasites but 5% of species are on birds. Host specificity varies from euryxenous (i.e. infesting two or more host orders)(e.g. cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis) to monoxenous (e.g. rabbit fleas, Spilopsyllus cuniculi) . The largest family is the paraphyletic Hystrichopsyllidae, making up a third of all flea species. The largest monophyletic family, Ceratophyllidae (rodent and bird fleas), comprise another 20%, and has dispersed to every continent including Antarctica. Fleas descend from scorpionflies (Mecoptera), possibly snow scorpionflies (Boreidae) or Nannochoristidae, and even giant fossils found from the Mesozoic could be Siphonaptera. Flea diversification shows evidence of taxon cycles: "Relict" families such as helmet fleas (Stephanocircidae) have a disjunct distribution reflecting the breakup of Gondwanaland, 70 million years ago. "Niche specialists" include nest fleas (Anomiopsyllus), bat fleas (Ischnopsyllidae), and burrowing fleas, the chigoes (Tungidae). By contrast, Ceratophyllidae fleas could be considered "great speciators". Cat fleas and several other synanthropic flea species are invasive "supertramps". Although those species are intensively studied, many flea species and their hosts require urgent surveys and conservation.

The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest - pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. Still, in the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because to date no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces.

The present study seeks to assess the Brand Equity in the network of new fashion designers in the Canary Islands. To this end, we have adapted the Brand Equity model to an online context and proposed a set of metrics for four dimensions: estimate, relevance, awareness, and differen-tiation. The multidimensional approach to online Brand Equity was employed to measure the online Brand Equity of 129 fashion designers from the Canary Islands. The study's findings re-vealed that the number of social media profiles significantly impacts brand awareness and dif-ferentiation. Moreover, the digital maturity level influences brand relevance and overall Brand Equity . Our study highlights the practical value of web data-driven metrics for measuring online Brand Equity , which can be utilised for diagnostic, evaluative, or predictive purposes. The study's outcomes have substantial implications for marketers in the fashion industry aimed at improving online Brand Equity

The prevalence of autism has been increasing at an alarming rate. Even accounting for the expansion of autism spectrum disorder diagnostic (ASD) criteria throughout the 1990’s, there has been an over 300% increase in ASD prevalence since the year 2000. The often debilitating personal, familial, and societal sequelae of autism are generally believed to be lifelong. However, there have been several encouraging case reports demonstrating reversal of autism diagnoses with a therapeutic focus on addressing the environmental and modifiable lifestyle factors believed to be largely underlying the condition. This case report describes the reversal of autism among dizygotic, female twin toddlers and provides a review of related literature describing associations between modifiable lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, and various clinical approaches to treating autism. The twins were diagnosed with Level 3 severity ASD “requiring very substantial support” at approximately 20 months of age following concerns of limited verbal and non-verbal communication, repetitive behaviors, rigidity around transitions, and extensive gastrointestinal symptoms, among other common symptoms. A parent-driven, multidisciplinary, therapeutic intervention involving a variety of licensed clinicians focusing primarily on addressing environmental and modifiable lifestyle factors was personalized to each of the twin’s symptoms, labs, and other outcome measures. Dramatic improvements were noted within several months in most domains of the twins’ symptoms, which was manifested in reductions of Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) scores from 76 to 32 in one of the twins and from 43 to 4 in the other twin. The improvement in symptoms and ATEC scores has remained relatively stable for six months at last assessment. While prospective studies are required, this case offers further encouraging evidence of ASD reversal through a personalized, multidisciplinary approach focusing predominantly on addressing environmental and lifestyle risk factors.

Preschoolers with disabilities and their family caregivers are missed out in many public health initiatives especially in low-income countries. Yet they can benefit from early intervention to promote their development from soon after birth and to provide a better quality of life for their families. In this paper, we describe how a community-based approach has been implemented with minimal funding in two areas in Zimbabwe: a township in Harare and in rural areas of Manicaland Province. Our aim in sharing this information – allied with references to research studies recently undertaken in Africa – is that it will enable similar supports to be replicated in other communities by local personnel. A logic model is used to describe the situation in which the two projects work, the various inputs they have provided to their community and the different forms of support they have offered to the children and their caregivers. The project outputs are listed in terms of the number of beneficiaries helped and activities undertaken. The outcomes achieved for the children, the family and communities are reported. The sustainability and extensions of community-based projects to address unmet needs are discussed. The main conclusion is that disadvantaged communities can be energized to address the needs of their most marginalized residents.

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) is a mitochondrial enzyme involved in the catabolism of the neurotransmitter γ-amino butyric acid. Pathogenic variants in the gene encoding this enzyme cause SSADH deficiency, a developmental disease manifesting as hypotonia, autism and epilepsy. SSADH deficiency patients usually have family-specific gene variants. Here, we describe a family exhibiting four different SSADH variants, Val90Ala, Cys93Phe, and His180Tyr/Asn255Asp (a double variant). We provide a structural and functional characterization of these variants and show that Cys93Phe and Asn255Asp are pathogenic variants that affect the stability of the SSADH protein. Due to impairment of the cofactor NAD+ binding, these variants show a highly reduced enzyme activity. However, Val90Ala and His180Tyr exhibit normal activity and expression. The His180Tyr/Asn255Asp variant exhibits a highly reduced activity as a recombinant species, is inactive and shows a very low expression in eukaryotic cells. A treatment with substances that support protein folding by either increasing chaperone protein expression or by chemical means was not capable of increasing the expression of the pathogenic variants of the SSADH deficiency patient. However, stabilization of the folding of pathogenic SSADH variants by other substances may provide a treatment option for this disease.

The sustainability of agricultural commodities produced in the Southern U.S. under irrigation is increasingly at risk due to erratic rainfall patterns, inadequate water supplies and compromised water quality. This study assessed the needs of crop growers in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Southern Region. The purpose was to identify growers’ critical water resource management concerns to identify research priorities from the perspective of growers in this region. To obtain this information, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to growers throughout the Southern Region in 2020. The final sample included 112 crop (row and specialty) production growers from the Southern Region. Overall, respondents named the water available to irrigate as the greatest water resource management priority. Within all the water availability priorities asked, respondents’ first choice was declining water supply in the future. Declining water supply and the cost of irrigating presently were the next most frequently named water availability priorities. Growers named both increasing the efficiency of irrigation and development of farming practices to improve soil moisture retention as the first and second focus of future irrigation research, respectively. These results will aid in strengthening existing and developing new initiatives for water research and Extension in this region.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type E (PTPRE) is a member of the “classical” protein tyrosine phosphatase subfamily and regulates a variety of cellular processes in a tissue-specific manner by antagonizing the function of protein tyrosine kinases. PTPRE plays a tumorigenic role in different human cancer cells, but its role in retinoblastoma (RB), the most common malignant eye cancer in children, remains to be elucidated. Etoposide resistant RB cell lines and RB patients display significant higher PTPRE expression levels compared to chemosensitive counterparts and the healthy human retina, respectively. PTPRE promotor methylation analyses revealed that PTPRE expression in RB is not regulated via this mechanism. Lentiviral PTPRE knockdown (KD) induced a significant decrease in growth kinetics, cell viability, and anchorage independent growth of etoposide resistant Y79 and WERI RB cells. Caspase-dependent apoptosis rates were significantly increased and a re-sensitization for etoposide could be observed after PTPRE depletion. In vivo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays revealed decreased tumor formation capacity as well as reduced tumor size and weight following PTPRE KD. Expression levels of miR631 were significantly downregulated in etoposide resistant RB cells and patients. Transient miR631 overexpression resulted in significantly decreased PTPRE levels and concomitantly decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis levels in etoposide resistant RB cells, impacts mirroring PTPRE KD effects and indicating PTPRE regulation via this miR. Additionally, PTPRE KD led to altered phosphorylation of protein kinase SGK3 and - dependent on the cell line - also AKT and ERK1/2, suggesting potential PTPRE downstream signaling pathways. In summary, these results indicate an oncogenic role of PTPRE in chemoresistant retinoblastoma.

In the paper, the authors present an explicit form for a family of inhomogeneous linear ordinary differential equations, find a more significant expression for all derivatives of a function related to the solution to the family of inhomogeneous linear ordinary differential equations in terms of the Lerch transcendent, establish an explicit formula for computing all derivatives of the solution to the family of inhomogeneous linear ordinary differential equations, acquire the absolute monotonicity, complete monotonicity, the Bernstein function property of several functions related to the solution to the family of inhomogeneous linear ordinary differential equations, discover a diagonal recurrence relation of the Stirling numbers of the first kind, and derive an inequality for bounding the logarithmic function.

We consider Pisot family substitution tilings in $\R^d$ whose dynamical spectrum is pure point. There are two cut-and-project schemes(CPS) which arise naturally: one from the Pisot family property and the other from the pure point spectrum respectively. The first CPS has an internal space $\R^m$ for some integer $m \in \N$ defined from the Pisot family property, and the second CPS has an internal space $H$ which is an abstract space defined from the property of the pure point spectrum. However it is not known how these two CPS's are related. Here we provide a sufficient condition to make a connection between the two CPS's. In the case of Pisot unimodular substitution tiling in $\R$, the two CPS's turn out to be same due to [5, Remark 18.5].

This paper aims to explore differences between the perception of dark traits in formal leaders and levels of workplace stress among employees working in family and non-family businesses. Furthermore, we assess if the company nature (family-owned versus non-family-owned) moderates the relationship between the employees' perception of dark triad traits in their formal leaders and their workplace stress levels. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 220 Portuguese employees who responded to a questionnaire that included their perceptions of their formal leaders’ dark triad traits and workplace stress measures. All respondents work in small and medium-sized private companies with no management responsibilities and under formal hieratical supervision. The initial ideas that family firms’ employees perceive higher levels of dark triad traits in their formal leaders than non-family firms’ employees and that they also show higher levels of workplace stress than non-family firms’ employees were confirmed. The results also support the notion that higher perceptions of dark triad traits in formal leaders are related with higher levels of workplace stress of employees and that the company nature significantly moderates this relationship. These findings contribute to the research literature by addressing two aspects under-addressed in the comparison between family and non-family firms, while offering insights on the relationship between dark triad traits in formal leaders and workplace stress levels of employees.

Objective: Subclinical left ventricular disfunction (LVD) is common in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Many patients with diabetes have an impaired diastolic and systolic function. With preserved ejection fraction LV (EFLV), the latter is defined as reduced global longitudinal strain (GLS), detected using the speckle-tracking echocardiography. This study is aimed to define the long-term structural and functional disorders of the LV myocardium in patients with T2D without CVD. Methods: Of the 120 patients with and without T2D of both sexes aged from 45 to 75 years (57.11±7.9 years), included in the study in 2012-2013, only 57 responded to the follow-up study. The patients were divided into two groups: one with T2D (n=29), the other without it, control (n=28). All patients underwent transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography with assessment of standard indicators of systolic and diastolic cardiac function, as well as GLS. In addition, all participants underwent laboratory diagnostics of carbohydrate metabolism disorders markers, NT-proBNP and CRP. The median follow-up duration was 7.2 [7.0-7.8] years. Results: During the follow-up, a statistically significant increase in the incidence of diastolic dysfunction (DD) in the type 2 diabetes group was found from 53% to 61% (p = 0.004); no significant dynamics were noted in the control group (p = 0.48). The presence of T2D significantly increases the risk of developing DD (p=0.04). The presence of T2D, increased fasting glucose levels, and an increased HOMA index were independent predictors of the development of DD. Impairment of LVEF was not observed in both groups. At the same time, the proportion of patients with reduced GLS (< -18%) increased in the T2D group (p = 0.036). A significant difference in the frequency of decreased GLS depending on T2D was demonstrated. The presence of obesity, an increase in the HOMA index and an increase in CRP levels are independent predictors of impaired GLS. Conclusions: T2D is an independent risk factor for the worsening of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in asymptomatic patients with T2D without CVD over 7-year follow-up. Diastolic dysfunction is represented by delayed relaxation of the LV myocardium; with preserved LVEF, reduced 2D GLS identifies systolic dysfunction. The tight control of glycemia, lipidemia, blood pressure and body weight is associated with the absence of poor clinical outcomes.

Background: Pharmacists need up-to-date knowledge and decision-making support in HIV care. We aim to develop MARVIN-Pharma, an adapted artificial intelligence-based chatbot initially for people with HIV, to assist pharmacists, considering evidence-based needs. Methods: From Dec 2022 to Dec 2023, an online needs-assessment survey evaluated Québec pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, involvement, and barriers relative to HIV care, alongside perceptions relevant to the usability of MARVIN-Pharma. Recruitment involved convenience and snowball sampling, targeting National HIV and Hepatitis Mentoring Program affiliates. Results: Forty-one pharmacists (28 community, 13 hospital-based) across 15 Québec municipalities participated. Participants perceived their HIV knowledge as moderate (M=3.74/6). They held largely favorable attitudes towards providing HIV care (M=4.02/6). They reported a “little” involvement in the delivery of HIV care services (M=2.08/5), most often ART adherence counseling, refilling, and monitoring. The most common barriers reported to HIV care delivery were a lack of time, staff resources, clinical tools, and HIV information/training, with pharmacists at least somewhat agreeing that they experienced each (M≥4.00/6). On average, MARVIN-Pharma's acceptability and compatibility were in the ‘undecided’ range (M=4.34, M=4.13/7, respectively), while pharmacists agreed to their self-efficacy to use online health services (M=5.6/7). Conclusion: MARVIN-Pharma might help address pharmacists' knowledge gaps and barriers to HIV treatment and care, but pharmacist engagement in the chatbot’s development seems vital for its future uptake and usability.

The three-pronged sliding universal coupling is a new kind of three-pronged coupling. To study its kinematic and dynamic characteristics, directional cosine matrices are utilized as tools to analyze the coordinate systems by establishing simplified geometric models and corresponding motions. Through the analysis of the motions of the input and output shafts and employing the method of single-force element, a set of equilibrium equations for the forces acting on the output shaft and the input shaft are formulated for solution analysis. The research indicates that during the rotation process, there exists a small angular difference between the input shaft and the intermediate shaft, demonstrating the quasi-constant angular velocity characteristics of the new tripod sliding universal coupling. The curves of the forces and torques acting on each component of the coupling approximate sinusoidal curves. The optimal operating angle range for the new tripod universal coupling is at angle , during which the system exhibits good transmission and mechanical performance.

The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to rise worldwide and one of the most serious microvascular complications is diabetic kidney disease (DKD), which is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Current bi-omarkers such as urinary albumin excretion rate have limitation for early detection of DKD. In our study we used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-ESI+-MS) techniques to quantify previously analyzed metabolites, such as tryptophan, kynurenic acid, taurine, l-acetylcarnitine, glycine, and tiglylglycine. We performed the targeted analy-sis of metabolites from urine and serum samples, collected from 110 subjects. Of these, 90 patients with type 2 DM (T2DM) were divided according to the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) into normoalbuminuria 300 mg/g groups, respectively, while 20 subjects were rep-resented by healthy controls. Through various validation methods, we identified several metabolites as potential biomarkers, such as kynurenic acid, glycine, and l-tryptophan in serum and l-acetylcarnitine, tiglylglycine, and tau-rine in urine.

We primarily investigate the existence of solutions for fractional neutral integro-differential equations subjected to Neumann-type boundary conditions, which is crucial for understanding natural phenomena. Taking into account factors such as neutral type, fractional-order integrals, and fractional-order derivatives, we employ probability density functions, Laplace transforms, and resolvent operators to formulate a well-defined concept of a mild solution for the specified equation. Following this, by integrating fixed point theorems, we establish the existence of mild solutions under more relaxed conditions.

2019-n-CoV is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans and cause serious illness, and due to its lethality there was a worldwide mobilization for the development of new drugs and new vaccines for Covid-19. Therefore, the present work aims to carry out a virtual screening of terpenes with potential anti SARS-CoV-2 activity. To perform the ligand-based virtual, a model was constructed regarding the compounds which already showed inhibitory activity of the SARS-CoV-2. The test series corresponded to terpenes isolated in the Fabaceae Family. The compounds that were most likely to activity were subjected to Molecular Docking and the best poses obtained were subjected to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations carried. The molecules under study were submitted to in vitro evaluation to assess inhibitory activity of compounds against SARS-CoV-2 in a phenotypic screening model of the virus. The compounds selected by in silico screening corresponded to triterpenoids from the lupane series. In the in vitro test, both demonstrated activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virtual screening performed managed to identify the compounds with the highest probability of activity, as well as the most stable compounds, and the method used was validated by the in vitro study carried out.

Collaborative action between families and health professionals, in this case nurses, doctors, nutritionists, pharmacies in forming harmonious support is the philosophy of family centered nursing care which aims to involve families as the main focus in care. The aim of this literature review is to identify family-centered family member care: a literatu review. This language method uses literature reviews which are summaries of 10 articles in the publication years of 2020-2021 on search 4 databased electronic searches containing namely Scopus, ProQuest, Pubmed, and Scient Direct. This review used prisms. The eligibility of these studies were from its title, abstract, research methodology, results and discussion. The results of the review were presented in narrative form. The results of a review of 10 articles found that the form family centered care Conclusion: The family is considered a partner in the care of other family members. The concept of family centered care is a philosophy in nursing where the role of the family is very important in caring for family members who are sick.

PHA synthases (PhaC) are grouped into four classes based on the kinetics and mechanisms of reaction. The grouping of PhaC enzymes into four classes is dependent on substrate specificity, according to the preference in forming short chain length (scl) or medium chain length (mcl) polymers: class I, class III, and class IV produce scl-PHAs depending on propionate, butyrate, valerate and hexanoate precursors, while class II phaC synthesize mcl-PHAs based on the alkane (C6 to C14) precursors. PHA synthases of class I, in particular PhaC_Cs from Chromobacterium USM2 and PhaC_Cn/RePhaC1 from Cupriavidus necator/R. eutropha, have been analysed and the crystal structures of the C-domains have been determined. PhaC_Cn/RePhaC1 was also studied by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis. Models have been proposed for dimerization, catalysis mechanism, substrate recognition and affinity, product formation and product egress route. The assays based on amino acid substitution by mutagenesis have been useful to validate the hypothesis on the role of amino acids in catalysis and in accommodation of bulky substrates, for the synthesis of PHB co-polymers and medium chain length-PHA polymers with optimized chemical properties.

Molecular markers, including Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR), Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), and Intron Length Polymorphism (ILP), are widely utilized in crop improvement and population genetics studies. However, these marker resources remain insufficient for Musa species. In this study, we developed genome-wide SSR, SNP, and ILP markers from Musa and its sister species, creating a comprehensive molecular marker repository for the improvement of Musa species. This database contains 2115474 SSR, 63588 SNP, and 91547 ILP markers developed from thirteen Musa species and two of its relative species. We found that 77% of the SSR loci are suitable for marker development; 38% of SNP markers originated from the genic region, and transition mutations (C↔T; A↔G) were more frequent than transversion. The database is freely accessible and follows a ‘three-tier architecture,’ organizing marker information in MySQL tables. It has a user-friendly interface, written in JavaScript, PHP, and HTML code. Users can employ flexible search parameters, including marker location in the chromosome, transferability, polymorphism, and functional annotation, among others. These distinctive features distinguish the Musa Marker Database (MMdb) from existing marker databases by offering a novel approach that is tailored to the precise needs of the Musa research community. Despite being an in silico method, searching for markers based on various attributes holds promise for Musa research. These markers serve various purposes, including germplasm characterization, gene discovery, population structure analysis, and QTL mapping.

Objective: We tested a model of individual health literacy information sharing with family members, personal preventive behaviours and family well-being during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong. Methods: We analysed data of 1501 randomly selected Chinese adults from a cross-sectional survey in Hong Kong from 9 to 23 April, 2020. Individual health literacy about COVID-19 with the items extracted from the questionnaire in World Health Organization Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Action Plan Guidance for COVID-19 preparedness and response, COVID-19 information sharing with family members, preventive behaviours against COVID-19 and family well-being were measured. Structural equation modelling analysis tested the proposed model. Findings: COVID-19 information sharing with family members partially mediated the association between individual health literacy and personal preventive behaviours. The direct effect of 0.24 was shown, and the indirect effect through COVID-19 information sharing with family members was small at 0.03 (Z = 3.66, p < 0.001). Family well-being was associated with personal preventive behaviours against COVID-19. The model was adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status factors and had good fit with RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.96, and SRMR = 0.02. Conclusion: COVID-19 information sharing with family members was a partial mediator between individual health literacy and personal preventive behaviours against COVID-19. Strategies for enhancing health literacy and preventive measures against COVID-19 are needed to promote family well-being in the pandemic.

Hereditary cancer syndromes caused by germline mutations account for 5-10% of all cancers. The finding of a genetic mutation could have far-reaching consequences for pharmaceutical therapy, personalized prevention strategies, and cascade testing. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) and the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) guidelines, unaffected family members should be tested only if the affected one is unavailable. This article explores whether germline genetic testing may be offered to high-risk families for hereditary cancer even if a living affected relative is missing. A retrospective study was carried out on 103 healthy subjects tested from 2017 to 2023. We enrolled all subjects with at least two first or second-degree relatives affected by breast, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric, prostate, or colorectal cancer. All subjects were tested by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) multi-gene panel of 27 cancer-associated genes. In the study population, 5 (about 5%) pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) were found while 40 (42%) had a Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS). This study highlights the importance of genetic testing for individuals with a strong family history of hereditary malignancies. This approach would allow women who tested positive to receive tailored treatment and prevention strategies based on their personal mutation status.