Sentinel eggs used to monitor field parasitism of stink bug pests (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) can only be deployed for a few days to avoid releasing the pest in the monitored area. Using sterile eggs removes the risk of accidental pest introduction and extends deployment time. Freezing the eggs before deployment is one common method for sterilizing sentinel eggs. However, some egg parasitoid species have lower to no parasitism on frozen eggs. In this study, x-ray irradiation was used to sterilize Bagrada hilaris sentinel eggs intended for monitoring parasitism by Gryon aetherium (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), the most promising biological control candidate. In this case, freezing sentinel eggs is not recommended because G. aetherium has low levels of parasitism on frozen eggs. Doses as low as 10 Gy induced 100% sterility. Irradiated eggs successfully sustained the development of G. aetherium and Ooencyrtus californicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), another egg parasitoid attacking B. hilaris, and parasitism levels were comparable to fresh eggs up to seven days. In addition, G. aetherium showed no preference for fresh non-irradiated over seven-day-old irradiated eggs. Our results indicate that x-ray irradiation is a suitable alternative to produce safe and reliable sentinel eggs to monitor egg parasitism of B. hilaris and possibly other species.

Prokaryotic genomes are dynamic tapestries that are strongly influenced by mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including transposons (Tn’s), plasmids, and bacteriophages. Of these, miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are undoubtedly the least studied MGEs in bacteria and archaea. This review explores the diversity and distribution of MITEs in prokaryotes and describes what is known about their functional roles in the host and involvement in genomic plasticity and evolution.

The genus Amomum encompasses six medicinal species that are extensively utilized and have a significant historical background. Due to their morphological similarities, however, the presence of counterfeit and substandard products remains a challenge. Accurate plant identification is therefore essential to address these issues. This study utilized 11 newly sequenced samples along with extensive data from NCBI to perform molecular identification of these six species. The plastomes of Amomum displayed a typical quadripartite structure with conserved gene content, yet showed independent variations in the SC/IR boundary shifts at both inter- and intra-specific levels. Our approach incorporated ITS, ITS1, ITS2, complete plastomes, matK, rbcL, and psbA-trnH sequences for molecular identification, which effectively differentiated the six medicinal species within the genus Amomum, as confirmed by distance-based and phylogenetic tree analyses. Among these, the ITS, ITS1, and complete plastomes sequences demonstrated the highest identification success rate (3/6), followed by ITS2, matK, and psbA-trnH (1/6). In contrast, rbcL failed to identify any species. This research successfully established a reliable molecular identification method for Amomum plants, to protect wild plant resources and promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants and restrict the exploitation of these resources.

During choriogenesis in insects, chorion (eggshell) is formed by surrounding follicular epithelial cells in ovarioles. However, the regulatory endocrine factor(s) activating choriogenesis and the chemical components on eggshell deserve further exploration. In two representative Coleopterans, a Coccinellid Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata and a Chrysomelid Leptinotarsa decemlineata, genes encoding the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) receptor heterodimer, ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP), and two chitin biosynthesis enzymes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (UAP) and chitin synthase (ChS1), were highly expressed in ovaries of the young females. RNA interference (RNAi)-aided knockdown of either HvEcR or Hvusp in H. vigintioctopunctata inhibited oviposition, suppressed the expression of HvChS1, and lessened the positive signal of Calcofluor staining on the chorions, which suggests the reduction of a chitin-like substance (CLS) deposited on eggshells. Similarly, RNAi of LdEcR or Ldusp in L. decemlineata constrained oviposition, decreased the expression of LdUAP1 and LdChS1, and declined CLS contents in the resultant ovaries. Knockdown of LdUAP1 or LdChS1 caused similar defective phenotypes, i.e., reduced oviposition and CLS contents in the L. decemlineata ovaries. These results, for the first time, indicate that 20E signaling activates choriogenesis in two Coleopteran species. Moreover, our findings propose the deposition of a CLS on the chorions.

Terrestrial orchid tubers are an important source of food in some parts of Africa and are traditionally included in the diets of most rural communities in Malawi. However, there is limited information on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the Malawian orchids to substantiate their traditional use. The present study evaluates the nutritional and phytochemical variation of four orchid species: Disa zombica, Satyrium buchananii, Satyrium carsonii, and Satyrium trinerve, collected from the same ecological zone of Malawi. The proximate content, minerals, phytochemicals, and functional properties were analysed using official procedures. Protein ranged from 2.19% to 4.65%, whereas carbohydrate ranged from 65.24% to 80.22%, with S. carsonii and S. trinerve registering the highest protein and carbohydrate contents, respectively. Iron and potassium were highest in D. zombica, while sodium and calcium were highest in S. buchananii. The total phenolics ranged from 228.56 to 500.00 mg GAE/100 g, with D. zombica registering the highest. The water absorption capacity ranged from 4.10 to 10.88 g/g. Albeit variable levels, the study provides evidence that orchid species contain essential nutrients and phytochemicals important for human nutrition and health. Furthermore, the functional properties can be utilised in the development of food products, such as baked products.

Candida albicans is present in oral health and has been linked with dental caries. So far, the behavior of the yeast in the presence of Streptococcus sanguinis has not been tested. The aim was to determine the effect of excess sugar as a cariogenic environment on the biological and physico-chemical parameters of single-species (C. albicans) and dual-species biofilms of C. albicans and S. sanguinis. An in vitro caries model was used. The biofilms were exposed to 10% sucrose or 0.9% NaCl for 5 min 3x/day/5 days. Viable cells, hyphal quantification, SEM, biofilm pH, H2O2 quantification and surface microhardness of enamel slabs were determined. Microbial viability and the number of hyphae were higher for sucrose exposure, in the dual-species biofilms induced by excess sugar and coexistence between the two microorganisms. Sucrose-exposed biofilms showed a progressive pH drop over the time course. H2O2 production was about 6 times higher for the dual-species biofilms. Enamel demineralization was higher in the single-species, suggesting an inhibitory effect due to S. sanguinis. Excess sugar increases the pathogenic potential of C. albicans biofilm. In dual-species biofilms, S. sanguinis prevents pronounced drops in pH, decreasing demineralization and stimulates the development of hyphae in the yeast.

The Akosombo Nile tilapia is the only approved local strain for aquaculture production in Ghana. In this study, an exotic red tilapia sample suspected to be cultured in a fish farm within the Lower Volta River Basin of the Lake Volta was collected for species identification. A molecular screening using DNA barcoding sequencing was performed on the samples targeting the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene (COX1). We confirmed the identity of the red tilapia fish to be a non-native Oreochromis sp. recently introduced into the country. The data obtained clearly demonstrates a breach of biosecurity that potentially threatens Ghana’s native tilapia genetic resources and aquaculture development.

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

Brain aging causes a wide variety of changes at molecular and cellular levels, leading to the decline of cognitive functions and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders. The research aimed at understanding the aging of the brain has made much progress in recent decades. Technological innovations such as single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), proteomic analyses, and spatial transcriptomic analyses have facilitated the research on the dynamic changes occurring within neurons, glia, and other cells along with their impacts on intercellular communication during aging. In this review, we introduce recent trends of how neurons and glia change during aging and discuss the impact of the brain microenvironment such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Cleomaceae is an important group that is medicinally and economically important. However, its systematic position has been controversial. In this study, we have obtained three chloroplast genomes sequencing results of Cleomaceae species. The genome sizes ranged from 157,073 bp (Sieruela rutidosperma) to 158,152 bp (Gynandropsis gynandra). These chloroplast genomes have a typical quadripartite formation with a large single-copy (LSC) region (86,422-87,242bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,485-18,548bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,083-26,184bp). The chloroplast genomes encoded 131-132 genes, comprising 8 rRNA genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 79-84 protein-coding genes. The overall GC contents of the three chloroplast genomes are almost identical (35.81%-36.02%). The phylogenetic trees concluding 8 Cleomaceae plants were constructed based on ML and BI methods. The results showed that Gynandropsis gynandra and Sieruela rutidosperma were in the same branch, with Corynandra viscosa as their sister. Six hypervariable areas were identified, containing clpP, matK, ndhF, atpH-atpI, atpF-atpH and petN-psbM which could be used in species identification and population genetics studies. This study provides valuable information for further species identification, evolutionary and genetic studies of Cleomaceae in the future.

Two new dimacrolide sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids (DMSPAs), dimacroregelines A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the stems of Tripterygium regelii. The structures of both compounds were characterized by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses, as well as HRESIMS data. Compounds 1 and 2 are two rare DMSPAs possessing unique 2-(3′-carboxybutyl)-3-furanoic acid units forming the second macrocyclic ring, representing the first example of DMSPAs bearing an extra furan ring in their second macrocyclic ring system. Compound 2 showed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblast cell (MH7A) at a concentration of 20 μM.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a global agricultural pest that poses a threat to crop production, characterized by its refractory polyphagous nature that makes it difficult to control and may lead to damage to woody plants. However, research on its adaptability to woody plants remains limited. This study compares the feeding adaptations (survival rate, pupation time, pupation rate, weight, length, and feeding volume), protective enzyme activities, and feeding preferences of S. frugiperda on leaves of six economically significant tree species (Areca catechu, Aquilaria sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Camellia oleifera, Dalbergia odorifera and Hevea brasiliensis) and maize as a control treatment. The results indicate that A. sinensis as the most vulnerable trees in high risk, H. brasiliensis and C. nucifera presented varying degrees of susceptibility, A. catechu, C. oleifera, and D. odorifera were unsuitability for S. frugiperda. In conclusion, this report extensively explores the feeding effects of S. frugiperda on six economically important tree species, and provides insights into the feeding preferences on these plants, thereby informing the potential threat posed by S. frugiperda to economically vital trees.

This study investigated the effect of partially replacing fish meal with krill and copepod meals in inert diets, co-fed with shrimp, on the growth and nutrient digestibility of long-snout seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus). A control diet (Diet 1) using raw starch and four experimental diets with similar protein (≈44.8%) and energy (≈15.1 MJ/kg) levels were tested. Diet 2 used fish meal as the sole protein source, while in Diets 3-5, krill and copepod meals replaced 44% of the fish meal. Seahorses fed Shrimp + Diets 2-5 showed significantly higher growth rates (P < 0.05) than those fed Shrimp + Diet 1, though there were no significant growth differences among Diets 2-5. Digestibility of dry matter (46.1% to 72.2%), lipids (73.3% to 85.5%), crude protein (89.8% to 95.8%), energy (82% to 92.2%), and phosphorus (28.7% to 64.4%) varied with diet, being consistently lower in seahorses fed Shrimp + Diet 1. As an agastric species, H. guttulatus did not exhibit impaired digestibility for any of the tested nutrients, minerals, or energy. This study suggests that crustacean meals can effectively substitute fish meal in inert diets for this species, contributing to the sustainability and optimization of captive seahorse husbandry practices.

Reviewed are recent efforts leading to chemo-enzymatic syntheses of strongly fluorescent ribosides of nucleobase analogs, potentially applicable in analytical biochemistry and cell biology. Described are syntheses and properties of fluorescent purine, 8-azapurine and etheno-purine ribosides, obtained using various types of the purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) as catalysts of ribosylation, and -ribose-1-phosphate (r1P) as a second substrate. In several instances, the ribosylation sites were different than the canonical purine N9. Some of the obtained ribosides show fluorescence yields close to 100%. Their main applications are assays of PNP, nucleoside hydrolases, and other enzyme activities both in vitro and, possibly, within the living cells, using fluorescence microscopy.

The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) was designated as an invasive alien species in South Korea in 2001. Although the prevention and control of invasive species have received considerable atten-tion worldwide, studies on the current status and effective management of T. scripta in South Korea are lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the status of domestic reuse of T. scripta and provide effective management suggestions. Analysis of the National Institute of Ecology's “Na-tionwide Survey of Non-native Species in Korea” conducted from 2015 to 2022 confirmed the habitats of 1,440 T. scripta individuals at 295 sites. T. scripta is the most frequently observed among invasive turtles identified in the Korean Peninsula. To determine the reuse of T. scripta, 13 tradi-tional markets were surveyed; five markets were confirmed to have T. scripta. Although the exact distribution route is unknown, individuals living or abandoned in the region might be resold in the market. T. scripta is mostly sold for ritual purposes. Moreover, T. scripta accounted for 31% of freshwater turtles abandoned between 2019 and 2022. Their continuous reuse has been confirmed 22 years after their designation as an invasive alien species. Therefore, effective and fundamental management measures for T. scripta are required.

In this article, we describe a simple procedure for evaluating the sterility of nutrient media using a shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) biosensor. We used the SH-SAW biosensor platform to monitor the time-dependent phase responses of the material for the media that binds to a monolayer of 3-mercaptopropanyl-N-hydroxy succinimide on the biosensor surface. Increases in the phase shift less than 50% of the starting phase shift recorded 180 minutes after the sterilization indicate a successful sterility test of the media. Our devices were then applied to sterility testing using a viable Escherichia coli (E. coli) K-12 solution to confirm our hypothesis. Filtered LB Broth was the negative control, and a 24-hour culture of E. coli was the positive control. Before testing, the cell solution was pelleted, the media decanted and then replaced with a 1x phosphate-buffered saline solution (1x PBS). Since we know that the N-hydroxysuccinimide residues will bind to amine groups, only in cases where microbial species are present will the surface binding increase greater than 50%. We confirmed our hypothesis using SH-SAW biosensors and overnight E. coli cultures. The sensitivity for our 250 MHz quartz SH-SAW sensors was calculated based on the response from the E. coli K-12 solution over the linear dynamic range, which appears to be 2x104 – 2x107 CFU per ml and has a sensitivity of S = 1.655x105 o m2 Kg-1. The limit of detection (LOD) for these sensors was calculated to be approximately 2x10-9 grams (g) which is estimated to be approximately 2,000 Escherichia coli (E. coli) K-12 cells. However, the sensitivity and insertion loss remained approximately unchanged before and after coating the sensor with 3,3'-Dithiobis(succinimidyl) Propionate (DSP).

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has not significantly benefited from advances in immunotherapy, mainly because of the lack of well-defined actionable antigen targets. Using proteogenomic analyses of primary EOC tumors, we previously identified 91 aberrantly expressed tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) originating from unmutated genomic sequences. Most of these TSAs derive from non-exonic regions, and their expression results from cancer-specific epigenetic changes. The present study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of 48 TSAs selected according to two criteria: presentation by highly prevalent HLA allotypes and expression in a significant fraction of EOC tumors. Using targeted mass spectrometry analyses, we found that pulsing with synthetic TSA peptides leads to a high-level presentation on dendritic cells. TSA abundance correlated with the predicted binding affinity to the HLA allotype. We stimulated naïve CD8 T cells from healthy blood donors with TSA-pulsed dendritic cells and assessed their expansion with two assays: MHC-peptide tetramer staining and TCR Vβ CDR3 sequencing. We report that these TSAs can expand sizeable populations of CD8 T cells and, therefore, represent attractive targets for EOC immunotherapy.

The shikimate pathway is crucial for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids in plants and represents a promising target for developing new herbicides. This work aimed to identify inhibitors of shikimate dehydrogenase (SDH), a key enzyme of the shikimate pathway that catalyzes the conversion of 3-dehydroshikimate to shikimate. Virtual screening and molecular docking were performed on the SDH active site of Arabidopsis thaliana (AtSDH), and 6-nitroquinazoline-2,4-diol (NQD) was identified as a potential inhibitor. In vitro assays showed that NQD decreased the activity of AtSDH by reducing Vmax while keeping KM unchanged, indicating noncompetitive inhibition. In vivo, hydroponic experiments revealed that NQD reduced the root length of soybean and maize. Additionally, NQD increased the total protein content and certain amino acids. Soybean roots uptake NQD more efficiently than maize roots. Furthermore, NQD reduced shikimate accumulation in glyphosate-treated soybean roots, suggesting its potential to restrict the flow of metabolites along the shikimate pathway in soybean. Simultaneous treatment of maize seedlings with glyphosate and NQD accumulated gallic acid in the roots, indicating that NQD inhibits SDH in vivo. Overall, the data indicate that NQD inhibits SDH both in vitro and in vivo, providing valuable insights into the potential development of herbicides targeting SDH.

As modern systems are becoming more complex their control strategy cannot longer relay only on measurement information that usually comes from probes but also from mathematical models. Those systems models can lead to unbearable computation times due to their own complexity, turning the control process non-viable, which leads to the implementation of surrogate models that enable to achieve estimates within acceptable time to take decisions. A control trained with Deep Reinforcement Learning algorithm, using a Physics-Informed Neural Network to obtain the temperature map on the following time step, replaces the need of running Direct Numerical Simulations. On this work we considered an 1D heat conduction problem, which temperature distribution feeds a control system to activate a heat source aiming to obtain a constant, previously defined, temperature value. With this approach, control training becomes much faster without the need of performing numerical simulations or laboratory measurements, as well the control is taken based on Neural Network enabling its implementation on simple processors to edge computing.

With the exponential growth of internet usage and mobile devices, the volume of user behavior data has surged, offering significant opportunities and challenges for businesses. This paper explores user behavior analysis in the context of big data, highlighting its pivotal role in driving innovation and strategic decision-making. We begin by discussing the importance of user behavior data and reviewing technological advancements such as machine learning, natural language processing, and data mining that enable deep insights into user behavior. Through a case study on linguistic analysis in livestreaming e-commerce, we demonstrate how text-mining techniques can correlate linguistic characteristics with sales performance, providing actionable marketing insights. We further explore the broader business applications, including personalized recommendations, user portraits, product design, and strategic decision-making. Technical and ethical challenges, such as data integration, privacy concerns, and algorithmic bias, are also addressed. The paper concludes with a discussion on future trends, such as AI and ML advancements, edge computing, IoT proliferation, and ethical AI frameworks, poised to shape user behavior analysis. Our findings underscore the transformative potential of user behavior data in enhancing business operations and user experiences, providing recommendations for future research focused on real-time analytics, privacy-preserving techniques, and ethical implications of data-driven decisions.

Living in extreme environments, marine organisms face constant exposure to a range of stressors, such as high radiation levels, fluctuations in temperature, and oxidative stress. Understanding extremophile fishes is crucial because it gives us valuable insights into the biochemical, physiological, and developmental processes that govern life, by observing how they operate under natural stressors. Among the most fascinating adaptations is the existence of specialised enzymes and compounds that function as potent antioxidants, successfully counteracting reactive oxygen species' deleterious effects. In this review, we analysed the findings from several studies on Antarctic and deep-sea fish species, while highlighting the environmental stressors effects toward the antioxidant system. The antioxidant defences of the considered extremophile fishes have been extensively studied, but there is still much to learn to fully understand this complex system, while the relative research is still ongoing. Consequently, we are properly anticipating further advancements over the next few years about our understanding of crucial physiological processes that support cell survival.

Water footprint has been widely used to illustrate the consumption of water in many situations; for instance, in products, processes or regions of interest. In this work, we analyzed – using a sensitivity analysis approach – the effect of some variables in the calculation of the water footprint in the viticulture in Brazilian Serra Gaúcha (the major producing region of Brazilian Wine).The classical Penman-Monteith model for evapotransporation was considered, with uncertainties in some parameters (dead mulch covering fraction in the vineyard, maximum temperatures for some months, altitudes and latitudes of the site). The sensitivity analysis was conducted using the SAFE toolbox under Octave framework. The results indicated that the the portion of the water footprint corresponding to the evapotranspiration is more sensitive to the values of mulch covering fraction and the altitude of the site in comparison with the latitude and the maximum temperatures.

The composition simplex (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) of the leaf is the main scores used by different approaches like the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System and Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis to study the nutrient interactions and balance in plant leaves. However, the application and validation of these concepts to grain composition remains unexplored. Contrary to foliar analysis's early intervention for nutrient deficiency detection and correction, applying this approach to seeds assesses diverse cultivars' potential, enabling anticipation of their adaptation to climate conditions and informed selection for future crops. In the present study, a collected database of more than 924 scores including the grain yield (kg ha-1) and the nutrient composition (mg kg-1) of different corn varieties is used to develop a novel nutrient-based diagnostic approach to identify reliable markers of nutrient imbalance. A 'nutrient signature' model is proposed based on the impact of the environ-mental conditions on the nutrient indices and composition (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) of the corn grains. The yield threshold used to differentiate between low and high-yielding subpopulations is established at 12.000 kg ha-1and the global nutrient imbalance index (GNII) of 2.2 is determined using the chi-square distribution function and vali-dated by the Cate-Nelson partitioning method, which correlated yield data distribution with the GNII. Therefore, the nutrient compositions were classified into highly balanced (GNII ≤ 1.6), balanced (1.6 < GNII ≤ 2.2), and imbalanced (GNII > 2.2). In addition, we found that the Xgboost model's predictive accuracy for GNII is signif-icantly affected by soil pH, organic matter, and rainfall. These results pave the way for adapted agricultural practices by providing insights into the nutrient dynamics of corn grains under varying environmental conditions.

Based on the need for real-time sag monitoring of Overhead Power Lines (OPL) for electricity transmission, this article presents the implementation of a hardware and software system for online monitoring of OPL cables and cable sag determination. The mathematical model based on differential equations and the methods of algorithmic calculation of OPL cable sag are presented. Considering that, based on the mathematical model presented, the calculation of OPL cable sag can be done in different ways depending on the sensors used, and the presented application uses a variety of sensors. Therefore, a direct calculation is made using one of the different methods. Subsequently, the verification relations are highlighted directly and, respectively, the calculation by the alternative method, which uses another group of sensors, to generate both a verification of the calculation and the functionality of the sensors, thus obtaining a defect observer of the sensors. The hardware architecture of the OPL cable online monitoring application is presented, together with the main characteristics of the sensors and communication equipment used. The configurations required to transmit data using the ModBUS and ZigBee protocols are also presented. The main software modules of the OPL cable condition monitoring application are described, which ensure the monitoring of the main parameters of the power line and the visualisation of the results both on the electricity provider's intranet using a web server and MySQL database, and on the Internet using an Internet of Things (IoT) server. This categorisation of the data visualisation mode is done in such a way as to ensure a high level of cyber security. Starting from the mathematical model of the OPL cable sag calculation, it goes through the stages of creating such a monitoring system, from the numerical simulations carried out using Matlab to the real-time implementation of this monitoring application. The main modules of the application software are: the software module for reading quantities from the sensor network through a ModBUS Input/Output (I/O) server, the software module for real-time calculation of the OPL cable sag, the software module for read/write operations based on MySQL type data, the software module for transferring data to the user's intranet through a web server, and the software module for viewing data by authorised users based on user and password through an IoT server. The development software environments used are Matlab and Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW).

Probiotic feed additives have attracted considerable research interest in recent years because the effectiveness of probiotics can differ across microbial strains and the supplemented macroorganisms. The present study was conducted on 16 lambs divided into two groups (C - control and E - experimental). The examined lambs were aged 11 days at the beginning of the experiment and 40 days at the end of the experiment. The diet of group E lambs was supplemented with a multi-strain probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus plantarum AMT14, Lactobacillus plantarum AMT4, Lactobacillus rhamnosus AMT15, and Bifidobacterium animalis AMT30), whereas group C lambs did not receive the probiotic additive. At the beginning of the experiment (day 0) and on experimental days 15 and 30, blood was sampled from the jugular vein to determine and compare: phagocytic activity (PHAGOTEST) and oxidative metabolism (PHAGOBURST) of peripheral blood granulocytes and monocytes by flow cytometry. An analysis of the phagocytic activity of granulocytes and monocytes revealed significantly higher levels of phagocytic activity (expressed as the percentage of phagocytic cells and mean fluorescence intensity) in lambs administered the multi-strain probiotic formulation than in the control group. The probiotic feed additive also exerted a positive effect on the oxidative metabolism of both granulocytes and monocytes (expressed as the percentage of oxidative metabolism and mean fluorescence intensity) after stimulation with Escherichia coli bacteria and with PMA (4-phorbol-12-β-myristate-13-acetate).

Multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) outbreaks have been steadilyincreasing in Intensive care units (ICUs). Still, healthcare institutions and workers (HCW) reached no unanimity on how and when implementing infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies. We aimed to provide a pragmatic, physician practice-oriented, resume of strategies towards different MRDOs outbreaks in ICU. We performed a narrative review on IPC in ICUs, investigating patient-to-staff ratios, education, isolation, decolonization, screening and hygiene practices, outbreak reporting, cost-effectiveness, reproduction-number(R0), and future perspectives. The most effective IPC strategy remains unknown. Most studies focus on a specific pathogen or disease, making the clinician losing the big picture. IPC strategies proved their cost-effectiveness regardless typology, country, or pathogen. A standardized, universal, pragmatic protocol for HCW education should be elaborated. Likewise, a rapid outbreak recognition tool elaboration (i.e., an easy-to-use mathematical model) would improve early diagnosis and spreading prevention. Further studies are needed to express in favor or against MDROs decolonization. New promising strategies are emerging and need to be tested in the field. The lack of IPC strategies application has made, and still makes ICUs a major MDROs reservoir into the community. In a not-too-distant future genetic engineering and phage therapies could represent a plot-twist in MDROs IPC strategies.

Microsporidia are intracellular parasites infecting a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. In bees, they cause a diarrheal disease called nosematosis, which represents a growing problem contributing to the decline of bee colonies. This parasitic disease infects the gastrointestinal tract of bees, disrupts their immune system, weakens them, and shortens their lifespan. There are two known species of this microsporidial parasite with a global distribution: Vairimorpha apis and Vairimorpha ceranae, with current research indicating that the species V. ceranae is gradually replacing V. apis. In this study, we focused on the detection and occurrence of Vairimorpha spp. in bee colonies kept in different environments, as well as on comparing the impact of hive location on its occurrence. The methods used included sampling from winter bee carcasses, microscopic examination of bee gut contents, and subsequent molecular duplex PCR analysis. Altogether, we examined 82 hives located at 4 different sites and focused on the impact of transportation as an abiotic factor disturbing bees leading to the development of Vairimorpha spp. disease. The results indicate an increased occurrence of this parasite in hives located in urban sites and hives situated in intravillage locations, which may be attributed to transportation and associated vibrations as an abiotic stress factor. Detection revealed that all samples were positive for Vairimorpha ceranae.

Brucellosis is a zoonoses caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which causes economic losses in livestock and threatens public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Brucella species and risk factors in smallholder dairy cattle in six regions of Tanzania from July 2019 to October 2020. Dairy cattle (n=2048) were sampled from 1371 farms. DNA ex-tracted from blood and vaginal swabs was tested for Brucella using qPCR targeting the IS711 gene and positives were tested for the alkB marker for B. abortus and BMEI1172 marker for B. melitensis. The molecular prevalence was 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8-4.4) with the highest prevalence 8.1% (95%CI: 4.6-13.0) in Njombe region. B. melitensis was the predominant species detected (66.2%). Logistic regression revealed PCR positivity in dairy cattle was higher in the animals with a history of abortion (OR: 3.17, 95%CI: 1.05-9.62) and farms without dogs around (OR: 2.68, 95%CI: 1.12-5.90). Further studies are recommended to understand the source of B. melitensis and the implications to veterinary public health. Livestock keepers should be informed of the risks and biosecurity practices to reduce introduction and control Brucella. Cattle and small ruminant vaccination pro-grams could be implemented to control brucellosis in high-risk populations in the country.

Despite the recognized influence of body mass on combat techniques, the relationship between body segment mass (BSM) and combat moves remains unexplored. This study aimed to examine the relationship between striking arm mass (SAM), kicking leg mass (KLM), and body mass (BM) with the dynamic forces of the direct punches (DP), palm strikes (PS), elbow strikes (ES), front kicks (FK), and countermovement jumps (CMJ) performance. Sixteen male military cadets (22.3 ± 1.8 years, 181.4 ± 7.0 cm, 82.1 ± 8.5 kg) performed combat techniques, with performance measured by using a force plate and body segment mass assessed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Spearman's correlation analysis, the Wilcoxon test, and Cohen's d were applied. Results indicated the relationship between KLM or BM and FK impulse (r = 0.64, p = 0.01; r = 0.52, p = 0.04, respectively) and CMJ impact force (r = 0.80, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.70, p ≤ 0.01, respectively). Moreover, FK peak and impact forces were moderately correlated with CMJ jump height (r = 0.74, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.77, p ≤ 0.01). The highest relationship was found between KLM and FK impulse; however, the difference in variability explained by KLM versus body mass is only 12%. This suggests that knowledge of BSM did not provide a significantly better estimate of the dynamic forces of the punches and FK than BM.

In recent years, the prevalence of tobacco and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among adolescents has raised significant public health concerns worldwide. This study aims to investigate respiratory symptoms among Polish adolescents. We conducted an online survey among Polish school students from all provinces, collecting data over two months in Spring 2021. Students voluntarily complete the anonymous survey, answering questions about respiratory symptoms, smoking habits (both traditional and electronic cigarettes), and demographic information. Analysis focused on four subgroups: non-tobacco users, traditional cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, and dual users, totaling 10,388 pupils aged 12-18 years, predominantly attending secondary technical and comprehensive schools. A total of 10388 pupils participated in the study, 55.6 % (5778) of whom were girls and 44.4 % (4610) boys. Adolescents, who admitted using both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes experienced more frequent episodes of cough during the day (39.70%) and at night (18.40%) compared to their peers in other groups. Chest discomfort, including pain and pressure, was also reported more often by adolescents, who used e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes concurrently (27.60%) compared to their peers in other groups. Chest pressure was experienced less commonly by non-smoking adolescents (14.40%) than by smokers (18.90%). Higher severity of cough during the day and at night was observed in the group of adolescents using traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes concurrently compared to the other groups. The adolescents in the dual user group experienced more severe dyspnoea and wheezing compared to the other groups included in the comparison. The results of this study confirm the correlation between the occurrence of respiratory symptoms in adolescents who smoke cigarettes, use e-cigarettes and in dual users. The respiratory symptoms occur most frequently and are the most severe in the group of adolescents who use e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes

In Brazil, Brazilian borreliosis (BB), characterized molecularly, exhibits symptoms akin to Lyme disease (LD) but presents unique epidemiological, clinical, and morphological features. This study explores the incidence, diagnostic challenges, and awareness initiatives regarding this disease in Brazil. Employing a narrative review methodology, data were sourced from Pubmed, Ebsco, Google Scholar, and Web of Science without temporal constraints. Results reveal diagnostic complexities in Brazil due to the low sensitivity of conventional tests and the use of North American B. burgdorferi antigens. Despite challenges, epidemiological studies indicate an upswing in cases in humans and animals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to define new biomarkers, molecular strategies, or new antigenic targets to advance the development of vaccines and diagnostics. Early and accurate pathogen identification is crucial for active surveillance to comprehend and manage this zoonosis.

(1) Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) accounts for 70% of dementia cases and with no effective pharmacological treatments, new rehabilitation methods are needed. Motor activities and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have shown promise in stabilizing and enhancing cognitive functions. Objective: We want to investigate the effects of combined motor or cognitive activity with tDCS on cognitive functions in AD patients. (2) Methods: Patients with mild or moderate AD were randomized into four groups: motor activity or cognitive activity associated with anodic or sham tDCS (MotA, MotS, CogA, CogS). They received two weeks of treatment (45 minutes, 5 days/week), with the first 15 minutes using 2mA tDCS on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Cognitive assessments were conducted pre-treatment (T0), post-treatment (T1), and one week after (T2). (3) Results: Twenty patients were included. Mann-Whitney test showed significant improvements in anodic groups (MotA+CogA) in the global cognitive status (p=.042), in selective attention (p=.012), and sustained attention (p=.012) at T1, but not at T2. In addition, MotA improved in the Picture Recognition Test (p=.027) and in sustained attention (p=.047) at T2. (4) Conclusion: Combined motor or cognitive activity with anodic tDCS could slow cognitive decline in AD patients, with notable improvements in global cognitive state and attention at T1.

Members of the genus Armillaria are widespread forest pathogens against which effective protection has not yet been developed. Due to their longevity and the creation of large-scale cloning of Armillaria individuals, the use of mycoviruses as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against these pathogens could be an effective alternative. This work describes the screening of double-stranded RNA banding patterns as a first approach for potential virus discovery and the use of stranded total RNA-seq for viral detection and characterization in Armillaria spp. collected in the Czech Republic. A total of five single-stranded RNA viruses were detected in Armillaria ostoyae and A. cepistipes, including the first virus of the family Tymoviridae found infecting a member the genus Armillaria and four viruses belonging to the recently described virus group "ambiviruses" with circular ambisense genome organization. Both hammerhead (HHRz) and hairpin (HpRz) ribozymes were detected in all the ambiviricot sequences. Armillaria viruses were compared by phylogenetic analysis and confirmed their specific host by direct RT-PCR, which showed the occurrence of interspecies transmission.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has the potential for sustainable development, enhancing business efficiency, reducing costs, and strengthening data security. Despite its potential, adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is low due to the need for significant changes in technology infrastructure and the challenge of interoperability. A cross-sectional survey was done with 226 Hong Kong SMEs. The PLS-SEM results highlighted favorable transformation conditions as the most critical factor for SMEs considering the adoption of BCT. These conditions address both internal and external readiness for adopting the disruptive strategy. Other contributing factors to BCT adoption include trust in BCT developers, perceived usefulness and ease of use, government support, and perceived security. The research results contributed to the literature on disruptive technology acceptance, adoption, transformation conditions, technology readiness, and SMEs’ technology adoption. Government-supported policies and initiatives can promote BCT adoption, including educational programs, case studies, and resources for readiness. Financial support and regulatory frameworks can further encourage adoption. BCT developers can demonstrate the value of their systems, effectively communicate potential ROI and cost savings, and provide user-friendly interfaces to increase SMEs’ intention to adopt BCT.

Steel surface protection with hard coatings is essential in the metalworking industry, yet developing high-performance hard coatings still remains a challenge. Quaternary nitride coatings, particularly TiAlSiN, have been extensively studied, but commercial TiAlSiN coatings vary widely, and there is a lack of consistent data. This study presents findings on the development and evaluation of TiAlSiN and TiAlSiN/TiN thin films, with an 800 nm thick TiAlSiN top coating and a 100 nm thick TiN mid-coating. The films were deposited on C120 tool steel discs via reactive DC magnetron sputtering. Ti and TiAlSi 75–20–5 (at.%) disc-shaped targets (50.8 mm diameter × 6.3 mm thickness), fabricated by our team through spark plasma sintering, were used for the sputtering process. Coatings were grown on smooth steel substrates heated to 300 °C, resulting in a uniform micro-structure with nanoparticles of globular (TiN) or pyramidal shape (TiAlSiN), as evidenced by SEM analysis. Nanoindentation tests showed superior mechanical properties for all coatings compared to the steel substrate. Micro-scratch tests indicated better scratch resistance for TiAlSiN/TiN bilayer (BL) coatings than for TiAlSiN single-layer (SL) coatings. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution revealed that the BL coatings demonstrated superior corrosion resistance compared to the SL coatings, even after thermal aging at 800 °C for 1 hour. The superior properties of the synthesized TiAlSiN/TiN films recommend them as protective coatings for tool steel surfaces.

Named Entity Recognition (NER) is a fundamental and pivotal stage in the development of various knowledge-based support systems, including knowledge retrieval and question-answering systems. In the domain of pig diseases, Chinese NER models encounter several challenges such as the scarcity of annotated data, domain-specific vocabulary, diverse entity categories, and ambiguous entity boundaries. To address these challenges, we propose PDCNER, a Pig Disease Chinese Named Entity Recognition method leveraging lexicon-enhanced BERT and contrastive learning. Firstly, we construct a domain-specific lexicon and pre-train word embeddings in the pig disease domain. Secondly, we integrate lexicon information of pig diseases into the lower layers of BERT using a Lexicon Adapter layer, which employs char-word pair sequences. Thirdly, to enhance feature representation, we propose a lexicon-enhanced contrastive loss layer on top of BERT. Finally, a Conditional Random Field (CRF) layer is employed as the model's decoder. Experimental results show that our proposed model demonstrates superior performance over several mainstream models, achieving a precision of 87.76%, a recall of 86.97%, and an F1-score of 87.36%. The proposed model outperforms BERT-BiLSTM-CRF and LEBERT by 14.05% and 6.8%, respectively, with only 10% of the samples available, showcasing its robustness in data scarcity scenarios. Furthermore, the model exhibits generalizability across publicly available datasets. Our work provides reliable technical support for the information extraction of pig diseases in Chinese and can be easily extended to other domains, thereby facilitating seamless adaptation for named entity identification across diverse contexts. The codes have been open-sourced at https://github.com/tufeifei923/pdcner.

Capsinoids (CAP) are potential antioxidant agents capable of reducing oxidative damage and the resulting complications triggered by obesity. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CAP on adiposity and biomarkers of cardiac oxidative stress in rats with obesity induced by a high-fat diet. Male Wistar rats were exposed to a high-fat diet for 27 consecutive weeks. After characterization of obesity (week 19), some of the obese (Ob) animals began to receive capsinoids (10 mg/kg/day) by orogastric gavage. Adiposity and comorbidities were assessed. In the heart, remodeling, injury and biomarkers of oxidative stress were determinated. The treatment did not reduce the adiposity induced d by obesity, but they were efficient in reducing cholesterol levels. CAP treatment did not cause a difference in heart and LV mass, despite having reduced troponin I concentrations. Furthermore, capisinoids did not reduce the increase in advanced oxidation of proteins products (AOPP) and carbonylated proteins (CBO) caused by obesity in cardiac tissue. Besides that, it was observed that ObCap rats presented high levels of malondialdehyde and greater activity of antioxidant enzymes compared to Ob. In conclusion, treatment with capsinoids did not lead to significant positive effects in reducing obesity-induced oxidative stress.

The extensive use of polypropylene (PP) in various industries has heightened interest in devel-oping efficient methods for recycling and optimising its mixtures. This study focuses on formu-lating predictive models for the Melt Flow Rate (MFR) and shear viscosity of PP blends. The in-vestigation involved characterising various grades, including virgin homopolymers, copolymers, and post-consumer recyclates, in accordance with ISO 1133 standards. The research examined both binary and ternary blends, utilising traditional mixing rules and symbolic regression to predict rheological properties. High accuracy was achieved with the Arrhenius and Cragoe models, at-taining R² values over 0.99. Symbolic regression further enhanced these models, offering signif-icant improvements. To mitigate overfitting, empirical noise and variable swapping were in-troduced, increasing the models' robustness and generalisability. The results demonstrated that the developed models could reliably predict MFR and shear viscosity, providing a valuable tool for improving the quality and consistency of PP mixtures. These advancements support the de-velopment of recycling technologies and sustainable practices in the polymer industry by opti-mising processing and enhancing the use of recycled materials.

The medicinal herb Centaurium erythraea is well-known for its natural ability to treat digestive issues like dyspepsia and liver insufficiency by promoting the secretions of the liver and esophagus. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of Centaurium erythraea extracts in treating diabetes. Decoction and Soxhlet procedures were used to examine the extracts, with water serving as the solvent. The extracts were tested for antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial effects, and inhibitory effects on alpha-amylase activity. In comparison to the aqueous extract, the decocted extract had higher levels of polyphenols, total tannins, and anthocyanins, as well as more effective antioxidant capacities. Due to its reduction of alpha-amylase activity and enteric absorption of glucose, Centaurium erythraea has also shown considerable anti-hyperglycemic action.

Populational aging is marked by chronic non-communicable diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS). IL-10 and IL-1β are pleiotropic cytokines with multiple biological effects linked to metabolic disorders. This cross-sectional study assessed 193 participants' IL-10 and IL-1β serum levels regarding their role in developing MetS, clinical characteristics, and their IL1B rs1143627 and IL10 rs1800890 variants' genotype frequencies in a population over 60. IL-10 levels correlated weakly with HDL levels and fat mass and inversely with triglycerides, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and estimated average blood glucose levels. IL-10 levels were also indirectly influenced by the patient's T2DM duration, lean mass amount, and bone mineral content. Participants with altered HDL, elevated serum glucose, raised HbA1c levels, or those over 80 had reduced serum IL-10 levels compared to those with normal levels or other age groups, respectively. Women also had higher serum IL-10 levels than men. Dissimilarity, IL-1β levels correlated directly only with the number of total leukocytes and segmented neutrophils, showing only significant variations with self-reported alcohol consumption. Our study also found that those with the IL10 AA genotype (lower IL-10 levels) had a significantly higher risk of developing MetS. These findings may help direct future research and more targeted therapeutic approaches in older adults.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with abdominal obesity, but this association has not yet been investigated in individuals on hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study, developed with 1014 individuals, aimed to analyze the prevalence of abdominal obesity and its association with the consumption of ultra-processed foods in individuals on hemodialysis. Consumption of ultra-processed foods was measured using a questionnaire, whose list of foods was based on the Surveillance System of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases through Telephone Enquiry. Waist circumference was used to determine the presence of abdominal obesity. The difference in proportions between the independent variables and the outcome was verified using Pearson's chi-square test. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to determine the association between the outcome and the independent variables. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 77.22%. In the final model, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, be male and an adult, have between 8 and 11 years of schooling and practice physical activity below the recommended level increased the chances of having abdominal obesity. The research provides a basis for the creation and improvement of public policies that promote improvements in these health determinants.

This study explores the implementation of the ANSI/373: Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone standard within the North American dimension stone industry to identify driving forces behind the initiative and consider potential outcomes as it advances. The method involves a thorough review of ANSI/373, comparing it with voluntary sustainability initiatives (VSIs) in the forest industry to assess its effectiveness and challenges, and semi-structured interviews with contacts in the dimension stone field. Key drivers such as corporate social responsibility and market pressures influence the adoption of sustainability standards. The results highlight the embedded environmental considerations within the emerging dimension stone standards and their implications for sustainable practices in the industry. While the ANSI/373 standard promotes sustainable awareness and practices, it faces challenges in certification credibility and industry acceptance, particularly due to inconsistency among firms in their response, rigorous certification demands, and skepticism about certification credibility. The research advocates for enhanced collaborative frameworks to increase the standard’s adoption and impact, suggesting that industry stakeholders prioritize showcasing dimension stone as a practical, environmentally considerate material.

Cancer treatment is a significant focus in medicine owing to the increasing global incidence. Patients with advanced cancers that do not respond to conventional therapies have limited options and an unfavorable prognosis. Consequently, researchers are investigating complementary approaches to conventional treatments. One such approach is alkalization therapy, which aims to neutralize the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) by increasing its pH level. The acidic TME promotes inflammation, tumor progression, and drug resistance. Alkalization therapy has been demonstrated to be effective for various cancers. In addition, natural products, such as triterpenoids, parthenolides, fulvic acid, Taxus yunnanensis, and apple pectin have the potential to alleviate symptoms, maintain physical fitness, and improve treatment outcomes of cancer patients through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. In this review, we focus on the effects of alkalization therapy and natural products on cancer. Furthermore, we present a case series of advanced cancer patients who received alkalization therapy and natural products alongside standard treatments, resulting in long-term survival. We posit that alkalization therapy together with the supplementation of natural products may confer benefits to cancer patients by mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy and complementing standard treatments. However, further research is warranted to validate these clinical findings.

Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), which contained cellulose tri-acetate used as a polymer base, a plasticizer in the form of o-NPOE, and meso-tetra methyl tetrakis-[methyl-2-(4-acetlphenoxy)] calix[4]pyrrole (KP) used as a carrier, were prepared and tested for the effective purification of aqueous solutions of methylene blue dye. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) were used to define the microstructure and surface of PIMs. Experimental results showed that with the increased concentration of methylene blue in an aqueous solution, the removal percentage also increased. Further observation also showed that the flux increased with the rise of the source phase pH values from 3 to 10. The carrier and plasticizer content in the membrane significantly influenced the membrane’s transport properties. The optimal composition of the membrane in per cent by weight was for KP: 74% plasticizer; 18% support; 8% carrier. It was shown that the membrane with optimal composition showed good reusability and enabled the easy and spontaneous separation of methylene blue from aqueous solutions.

Diarrhea is a common occurrence following vascular organ transplantation, including kidney transplants. It can be induced by non-infectious factors, adverse effects of immunosuppressive drugs, or infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Intestinal protozoan parasites, include Cryptosporidium spp., are causes of infectious diarrhea particularly in immunocompromised patients. This review aims to summarize reports on epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in adult patients, particularly following kidney transplantation.

A comprehensive multi-jet physics program is anticipated for experiments at future colliders. Key physics processes necessitate detectors that can distinguish signals from W and Z bosons and the recently discovered Higgs boson. Typical examples include channels with W^{+}W^{-} or Z^{o}Z^{o} pairs and processes involving New Physics, in those cases where neutral particles must be disentangled from charged ones due to the presence of W or Z bosons in their final states. Such a physics program demands calorimetric energy resolution at or beyond the limits of traditional calorimetric techniques. Multiple-readout calorimetry, which aims to reduce fluctuations in energy measurements of hadronic showers, is a promising approach. The first part of this article reviews dual and triple readout calorimetry within a mathematical framework describing the underlying compensating mechanism. The second part proposes a potential implementation using an integrally active and total absorption detector. This model serves as the basis for several Monte Carlo studies, illustrating how the response of a multiple-readout calorimeter depends on construction parameters. Among the layouts considered, one configuration operating in triple-readout mode shows the potential to achieve an energy resolution approaching 20\%/\sqrt{E}.

Diabetes is a major health concern that the next-generation of on-demand insulin releasing implants may overcome for personalized therapy. Therein, 3D-printed phenylboronic acid-containing subcutaneous implants with on-demand glucose-triggered drug release abilities are produced using high resolution stereolithography technology. To that end, the methacrylation of phenylboronic acid is targeted following a two-step reaction. The resulting photocurable phenylboronic acid derivative is accordingly incorporated within bioinert polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate-based hydrogels at varying loadings. The end result are sub-centimeter scaled 3D-printed bionert implants that can be remotely activated with 1,2-diols and 1,3-diols such as glucose for on-demand drug administration such as insulin. As a proof of concept, varying glucose concentration from hypoglycemia to hyperglycemia levels readily allow the release of pinacol, i.e. a model molecule with similar release properties than insulin, at respectively low and high rates. In addition, the results demonstrated that adjusting the geometry and size of the 3D-printed part is a simple and suitable method for tailoring the release behavior and dosage.

Cybercrime Threat Intelligence (CTI) allows us to change our actions from reactive to proactive in the fight against threat actors, and to make more informed, data-driven security decisions. Thus this study proposes the practical implementation of CTI in the Arab world. This study focuses on strengthening CTI by integrating Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) and collecting realistic security alerts from honeypot systems and open source intelligence. The collected data is stored in the Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), an open source platform that allows users to create and share IoCs with other organizations while staying informed about new threats. It features an intuitive interface for data analysis and threat identification, facilitating sharing, storage, and correlation of IoCs. Therefore, we leveraged MISP to generate IoCs based on the collected data and analyzed the results to identify potential cyber threats. The implemented platform aims to provide organizations with actionable information to prevent, detect and respond to cybercrime. This study presents a practical approach to strengthening CTI in the Arab world and provides an opportunity to strengthen the region’s security posture.

IgE-mediated wheat allergy is a gluten-related disorder. Wheat is one of the five most common food allergens in children. However, the natural history of IgE-mediated wheat allergy has seldom been described in the research literature. This study presents the current state of knowledge about the IgE-mediated wheat allergy in children.

In order to apply RAP fine aggregate to High Modulus Asphalt Concrete(HMAC), this study first extracts aged asphalt from RAP fine aggregate through extraction and distillation, and adds it to high modulus modified asphalt in proportions of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%. The performance changes of the recycled asphalt were investigated using conventional performance tests and dynamic shear rheological tests (DSR). Microscopic techniques such as four‐component analysis and infrared spectroscopy were employed to explain macroscopic performance changes in terms of component and functional group changes in the asphalt. Using HMAC‐20 gradation as an example, uniaxial compression dynamic modulus tests, rutting tests, freeze‐thaw splitting tests, and low‐temperature bending tests were conducted to evaluate the performance changes of recycled asphalt mixture with different RAP fine aggregate contents through four indices: dynamic modulus, dynamic stability, tensile strength ratio (TSR), and maximum bending strain. The results indicate that for every 20% increase in aged asphalt, the penetration at 25°C, ductility at 25°C, and dynamic viscosity at 60°C decrease by approximately 6.2%, 15.4%, and 3.9%, respectively, while the softening point increases by approximately 13.3%. It is concluded that the addition of aged asphalt significantly affects the ductility at 25°C and the softening point. As the aged content increases, the complex shear modulus (G*) and phase angle (δ) of the recycled asphalt decrease, while the rutting factor increases. The four‐component analysis and infrared spectroscopy of the asphalt demonstrate that the incorporation of aged asphalt is merely a physical blending phenomenon, involving changes in the content of the four components without the formation of new functional groups (new peaks). When RAP fine aggregate is applied to high modulus recycled asphalt mixture, compared to high modulus modified asphalt mixture, the recycled mixtures exhibit higher dynamic modulus and dynamic stability, but significantly reduced water stability and low‐temperature performance.

Background: Obesity remains a widely debated issue, often criticized for the limitations in its identification and classification. This study aims to compare two distinct systems for classifying obesity: Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) as assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). By examining these measures, the study seeks to clarify how different metrics of body composition influence the identification of obesity-related risk factors. Methods: The study enrolled 1255 adults, comprising 471 males and 784 females, with a mean age of 36 ± 11.90 years. Participants exhibited varying degrees of weight status, including optimal weight, overweight, and obesity. Body composition analysis was conducted using the TANITA Body Composition Analyzer BC-418 MA III device (T5896, Tokyo, Japan), evaluating the following parameters: current weight, basal metabolic rate (BMR), adipose tissue (%), muscle mass (%), and hydration status (%). Results: Age and psychological factors like cravings, fatigue, stress, and compulsive eating were significant predictors of obesity in the BMI model but not in the BFP model. Additionally, having a family history of diabetes was protective in the BMI model (OR: 0.33) but increased risk in the BFP model (OR: 1.66). The BMI model demonstrates exceptional predictive ability (AUC=0.998). In contrast, the BFP model, while still performing well, exhibits a lower AUC (0.975), indicating slightly reduced discriminative power compared to the BMI model. Conclusions:BMI classification demonstrates superior predictive accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity. This suggests that BMI remains a more reliable measure for identifying obesity-related risk factors compared to the BFP model.

Named Entity Recognition (NER) serves as a fundamental and pivotal stage in the development of various knowledge-based support systems, including knowledge retrieval and question answering systems. In the domain of pig diseases, Chinese NER models encounter several challenges such as the scarcity of annotated data, domain-specific vocabulary, diverse entity categories, and ambiguous entity boundaries.To address these challenges, a corpus, labeled datasets and a lexicon specific to pig diseases for Chinese named entity recognition were constructed. Subsequently, a Pig Disease Chinese Named Entity Recognition (PDCNER) model was proposed. The model integrates external lexicon knowledge of pig disease by employing Lexicon-enhanced BERT and enhance feature representation by incorporating contrastive learning. Experimental results show that the model achieved the best recognition results, with a precision of 86.92%, a recall of 85.08%, and an F1-score of 85.99% respectively. Furthermore, the model exhibits robustness and generalizability across few-shot and publicly available datasets. Experimental results illustrate the proposed model could effectively identify Chinese named entities of pig diseases, outperforming several existing baseline methods. Moreover, the proposed model can be extended to other animal disease domains, such as chicken and cattle, thereby facilitating seamless adaptation for named entity identification across diverse contexts.

Walls-like structured monoclinic WO3 thin films were obtained by spray deposition method for further integration in gas sensors. For sensing applications, it is very important to achieve a high surface-to-volume ratio surface together with a proper thin films structure. The present communication reports on the effect of the sprayed solution volume variation (as a thickness variation element) on the detailed Raman spectroscopy for WO3 thin films with different thicknesses grown from precursor solutions with two different concentrations. Detailed analysis of the two series of samples shows that the growing thickness strongly affects the films morphology while their crystalline structure is only slightly affected. The Raman analysis contribute to refining the structural features clarifications. It was observed that, for both concentrations, the increase in thickness seems to slightly affect the stoichiometry of material and, in association with surface morphology variations, provide new possibilities for fine tuning of films properties towards enhanced as sensing applications. Further studies are ongoing.

Obesity has increasingly become a worldwide epidemic, as demonstrated by epidemiological and clinical studies. Obesity may lead to development of a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, heart failure (HF), cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). In addition to hypertension, there are other cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) such as visceral adiposity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, elevated levels of fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein and others, all of which increase the risk of CVD events. Mechanisms involved between obesity and CVD mainly include insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and adipokines dysregulation, which cause maladaptive structural and functional alterations of the heart, particularly left ventricular (LV) remodeling and diastolic dysfunction. Natural products of plants, provide a diversity of nutrients and different bioactive compounds, including phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and others, which possess a wide range of biological activities including antihypertensive, antilipidemic, antidiabetic, and other activities, thus conferring cardiometabolic benefits. In this review, we discussed the main therapeutic interventions using extracts from herbs and plants in preclinical and clinical trials with protective properties targeting CRFs. Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of herbs and plants extracts for the prevention and treatment of CRFs are also reviewed.

Introduction: This review explores the literature and presents institutional cases of concurrent robotic multisite surgery—in particular, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for synchronous prostate and kidney cancers. We highlight dual-console synchronous robotic procedures, emphasizing the unique docking tech-nique developed. Aim: The aims of the study were to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of concurrent RARP and RAPN for synchronous prostate cancer and small renal tumors, as well as other concurrent robotic multisite surgeries, and to compare institutional findings with the existing literature. Materials and Methods: We describe the unique docking technique used in our procedures, which facilitates atraumatic transitions between surgeries using the same port sites. Additionally, eligible studies on concurrent robotic multisite surgery that were published in English were retrieved from the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Data on operative time, blood loss, complications, and postoperative outcomes were extracted. Results: Eight cases from our institution demonstrated the feasibility and safety of the proposed approach, which is consistent with previous reports. The unique docking technique and dual-console setup enhance surgical precision, offering significant benefits in patient outcomes. As part of the litera-ture review, nine retrospective studies involving 40 cases of concurrent RARP and RAPN were reviewed. Additionally, eleven retrospective studies involving 392 cases of concomitant RARP and robotic transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (RTAPPIHR) were analyzed. Conclusions: Concurrent RARP and RAPN for synchronous prostate and kidney tumors is a viable and effective approach. Our early experience suggests that this and other combined procedures can optimize patient care and reduce costs. Prospective trials are needed to validate these findings and further refine the techniques.

The mutation in NF2 is the most common alteration associated with meningioma oncogenesis, and it is related to the loss of a suppressing protein called merlin. At the same time, alterations in energy production are visible in cancer cells where increased demand for energy is observed. Fatty acid oxidation could be one of the ways cancer cells obtain energy. This metabolic pathway uses the acylcarnitine shuttle system, which is responsible for the acylation of fatty acids and their transport through mitochondria. Therefore, this study aimed to profile acylcarnitines with short-, medium- and long-acyl chain length in meningiomas to assess their changes in tumors with different NF2 mutation statuses. For the analysis, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was used. The presented sampling method enables low invasive and easy collection of the analytes from the studied lesions, which can be crucial for future analysis of potential biomarkers in the surgery room. It was observed that higher levels of these analytes characterized meningiomas with NF2 mutation. Moreover, increased energy consumption and elevated levels of acylcarnitines show that these analytes can be considered as a marker of increased fatty acid oxidation in NF2 mutated cells.

Lake sediment records are of great importance for understanding the evolution of watershed environments. Various studies have been carried out to constrain the depositional ages of lake sediments and examine their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, aiming to construct historical vegetation, environment and climate patterns in Chinese lake watersheds. In this study, we obtained relevant literature on lake sediment records by searching the key word 'age-depth' from the databases – Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, the largest Chinese academic database). We analyzed the literature based on its type (published in a Chinese/English journal or as a Master’s/PhD thesis), period of publication, journal (if published in a journal), key authors, study area, dating scale, and main aims. The results suggest that the lakes in the plateau regions are the most popular research topic typically covering 100–200 years (short-term) and 500–30,000 years (long-term). The literature focuses on a wide range of topics, from past environmental evolution in the watershed to lake ecology, and provides a solid foundation for better understanding regional climate change and the preservation of lake environments and ecosystems. In the future, resulting data from environmental reconstruction with lake sediments will be needed to integrate with emerging information processing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and meta-analysis), to disentangle the complex interplay between Earth surface processes and global climate change; furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration will deepen our comprehension of man-land relationship and promote the sustainable management of lake ecosystems in the context of global climate change.

This work presents a novel compact CMOS potentiostat designed circuit for electrochemical cell. The proposed topology functions as a circuit interface, controlling the polarization of voltage signals at the sensor electrodes and facilitating current measurement during the oxidation-reduction process of a analyzed solution. The potentiostat, designed for CMOS technology, comprises a two-stage amplifier, two current mirror blocks coupled to this amplifier, and a CMOS push-pull output stage. It employs the electrochemical method of cyclic voltammetry, operating within voltage range of ±0.8 V and scan rates of 10mV/s, 25mV/s, 100mV/s and 250 mV/s. The circuit is capable of reading currents ranging from 10 µA to 500 µA. Experimental results were obtained using a potassium ferrocyanide (K3(FeCN)6) redox solution with concentrations of 10, 15 and 20 mmol/L, and their corresponding voltammograms were evaluated. The experimental results from a discrete circuit demonstrate that the proposed potentiostat topology produces outcomes consistent with those of classical topologies presented in the literature and industrial equipment.

In this paper, we proposed the fusion of two projection based face recognition algorithms: local binary Patterns in DCT domain and singular value decomposition (SVD) characterized by its simplicity and efficiently. Standard databases ORL are used to test the experimental results which prove that proposed system achieves more accurate face recognition as compared to individual method.

Poultry farming in Slovakia has a tradition and an irreplaceable position to ensure rational nutrition for the population. In terms of a nutritional value, poultrymeat (Galliformes) contains a high amount of proteins, essential amino acids, essential unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and a low fat content. Poultrymeat production has a relatively short reproductive cycle and thus allows regulating the demand and supply. The poultry market also influences the development of domestic consumption. According to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, the consumption of meat has witnessed a persistent increase over the last 10 years. [1] According to the 2023 AVEC (The Voice of European Meat Sector) annual report, the consumption of poultrymeat in Slovakia was 20.0 kg per person per year. The average consumption in the EU-27 (2021) was 23.4 kg, with the countries with the highest consumption being Portugal (37.8 kg), Ireland (36.0 kg), Hungary (33.5 kg) and Spain (29.9 kg). On the other hand, the countries with the lowest consumption of poultrymeat, apart from Slovakia, also include Austria and Greece with a consumption of 21.5, resp. 21.0 kg [2]. The breeding of broiler chickens, as well as the production and placing on the market of poultrymeat must comply with the requirements laid down by legislation, while the compliance is regularly checked by the competent authorities.

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.

Background - Compared to the da Vinci platform, there is limited experience with the Hugo RAS platform for colorectal surgery in Europe. This difference is especially notable when considering a single complex procedure, such as total colectomy. Aim - To demonstrate the feasibility and safety of using the Hugo RAS for assisted total colectomy. Clinical case- Female patient: eighteen-year-old with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). Her IBM was 19. She underwent a total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis using the Hugo RAS platform. The procedure took 230 minutes and had no complications. The postoperative period was uneventful. She was discharged from the hospital on the third postoperative day. Conclusion - The Hugo RAS platform is one of the emergent minimally invasive robotic platforms that can be used even in total colectomy if the proper patient selection is made. The placement choice of arms and trocars was crucial to obtain a similar operative time of the single laparoscopic approach. The certification of Hugo’s new instruments, such as energy devices and staplers, will make this platform even more competitive.

Despite the recognized influence of maximum or acceleration strength on combat techniques and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, the relationship between body segment weights and combat techniques remains unexplored. This study aimed to examine the impact of body segment weights, including striking arm weight (SAW), kicking leg weight (KLW), and trunk weight (TW), on the dynamics of direct punches (DP), palm strikes (PS), elbow strikes (ES), front kicks (FK), and CMJ performance. Sixteen male military cadets (22.3±1.8 years, 181.4±7.0 cm, 83.0±8.1 kg) performed combat techniques, with performance measured by using a force plate and body segment weights assessed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Spearman's correlation analysis was applied. Results indicated a strong correlation between KLW and FK impulse (r = 0.64, p ≤ 0.01) and CMJ impact force (r = 0.80, p ≤ 0.01). SAW showed moderate correlations with DP impulse (r = 0.53, p ≤ 0.05) and ES impulse (r = 0.54, p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, FK peak and impact forces were strongly correlated with CMJ jump height (r = 0.74, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.77, p ≤ 0.01), and FK peak force moderately correlated with CMJ peak velocity (r = 0.63, p ≤ 0.05). These findings suggest targeted arm strength training could enhance striking abilities, while improvements in leg acceleration strength may directly boost kicking performance and vertical jump capabilities, which are crucial in combat scenarios.

Although a growing number of evidence emphasizes superior of VATS over conventional thoracotomy, still is little known about early postoperative diaphragm muscle function after lobectomy via these two approahces. To fill the gap in existing literature, we conducted comparative study between VATS and conventional thoracotomy in terms of postoperative diaphragm muscle function, assessing its contractility, strength, magnitude of effort and potential risk of dysfunction such as: atrophy and paralysis. A total of 59 patients (30 after VATS), who underwent anatomical pulmonary resection at our institution, were enrolled into this study. The control group was consisted of 28 health subjects without medical condition could contribute to diaphragm dysfunction. Diaphragm muscle was assessed before and after surgery using ultrasonography. We found that both surgical approaches were associated with postoperative impairment of diaphragm muscle function - compared to baseline data. Postoperative reduction of diaphragm contraction was demonstrated in all of 59 patients. In case of control group, the differences between measurements were no observed. We noted that lobectomy via thoracotomy was linked with greater percentage of patients with diaphragm paralysis or/and atrophy that VATS. Similar findings were observed in refer to diaphragm magnitude effort, as well as, diaphragm contraction strength, where minimal invasive surgery was associated with better diaphragm function parameters - in comparison to thoracotomy. Disturbance of diaphragm work was reported both at operated and non-operated side. Upper right and left lobectomy was connected with greater diaphragm function impairment than other segments. In conclusion, VATS technique seems to be less invasive than conventional thoracotomy providing a better postoperative function of a main respiratory muscle.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during cellular metabolism and in response to environmental stress. While low levels of ROS play essential physiological roles, excess ROS can damage cellular components, leading to cell death or transformation. ROS can also regulate protein interactions in cancer cells, thereby affecting processes such as cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis. Dysregulated interactions occur via various mechanisms, including amino acid modifications, conformational changes, and alterations in complex stability. Understanding ROS-mediated changes in protein interactions is crucial for targeted cancer therapies. In this review, we examine the role that ROS mechanisms in regulating pathways through protein-protein interactions.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, with its highly sensitive olfactory system, has emerged as a promising tool for testing chemotaxis. In the field of cancer diagnostics, there is a growing interest in the development of non-invasive screening methods for the detection of volatile organic compounds in a patient's urine. The objective of this study was to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by evaluating the ability of a Caenorhabditis elegans-based chemotaxis assay to discriminate between urine samples from healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with breast or colon cancer. Following synchronization of the developmental stages of C. elegans, nematodes were exposed to the urine of cancer patients and healthy individuals. Subsequently, chemotactic indices were calculated for each urine sample. Our results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the chemotactic response of C. elegans to urine samples from cancer patients compared to healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). Moreover, the test exhibited promising diagnostic utility, with a sensitivity of 98%, a specificity of 62%, and a detection rate of 78%. Our findings expand on previous observations, confirming the remarkable sensitivity of C. elegans hermaphrodites to discriminating cancer-related volatile organic compounds in urine samples.

Primary themes in intergenerational justice are a healthy environment, the perpetuation of Earth’s biodiversity, and the sustainable management of the biosphere. However, the current rate of species declines globally, ecosystem collapses driven by accelerating and catastrophic global heating and a plethora of other threats, preclude the ability of habitat protection alone to prevent a cascade of amphibian and other species mass extinctions. Reproduction biotechnologies, biobanking, and conservation breeding programs (RBCs), enabling species restoration, offer a critical transformative change that can economically and reliably perpetuate species irrespective of environmental targets. These capacities extend indefinitely into the future and satisfy humanities needs as the biosphere expands into space. Currently applied RBCs include the hormonal stimulation of reproduction, the collection and refrigerated storage of sperm and oocytes, sperm cryopreservation, in vitro fertilisation, along biobanking. Advanced biotechnologies such as assisted evolution and cloning for species adaptation or restoration have yet to be fully realised. We broaden our discussion to include genetic management, broad political and cultural engagement, and future applications. The development and application of RBCs, and particularly assisted evolution and species restoration, raise intriguing ethical, theological, and philosophical issues. We address these themes with amphibian models to introduce the MDPI Special Issue, The Sixth Mass Extinction and Species Sustainability through Reproduction Biotechnologies, Biobanking, and Conservation Breeding Programs.

The importance of conflict analysis and safety considerations during work zone intervals at signalized intersections cannot be overstated, as these periods pose unique challenges and safety risks for both motorists and pedestrians. Work zones introduce temporary changes to traffic patterns, lane configurations, and signal timings, which can disrupt the flow of traffic and increase the likelihood of conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. By conducting comprehensive conflict analysis, it is possible to identify potential conflict points, such as merging areas, pedestrian crossings, and lane transitions, and implement targeted safety measures to mitigate risks. Additionally, considering safety considerations during work zone intervals is paramount to safeguarding the well-being of road users and minimizing the occurrence of conflicts or collisions. Measures such as enhanced signage, temporary traffic control devices, and increased enforcement efforts can help promote compliance with traffic regulations and ensure the safe passage of vehicles and pedestrians through work zones. This study investigates the dynamics of traffic behavior and safety implications within work zones at signalized intersections, aiming to address key challenges and enhance intersection management strategies. Through comprehensive analysis, varying frequencies of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) conflicts were observed across different movement directions, with significant occurrences identified in specific phases of the traffic signal cycle. Specifically, 69 V2V conflicts in phase #1, 181 in phase #2, 31 in phase #3, 207 in phase #4, 1 in phase #5, 274 in phase #6, 93 in phase #7, and 186 in phase #8 were recorded. Furthermore, the examination of Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) conflicts underscored the importance of prioritizing pedestrian safety, with notable occurrences observed in phases associated with pedestrian crossing movements. Meanwhile, despite the closure of left-turn movements, instances of red light running persisted, with 69 red light running events in phase #1, 181 in phase #2, 31 in phase #3, 207 in phase #4, 1 in phase #5, 274 in phase #6, 93 in phase #7, and 186 in phase #8.To mitigate these safety concerns during work zone intervals, proactive measures are essential. Strategies include improving communication through clear signage and advanced warning systems, enhancing enforcement efforts with red light cameras and increased police presence, and investing in infrastructure improvements such as temporary pedestrian facilities. Integration of real-time data from sensors, particularly LiDAR technology, offers significant advantages in detecting conflicts and red light runners during work zone intervals. LiDAR's precise, real-time data on vehicle and pedestrian movements, combined with its 360-degree coverage and high spatial resolution, facilitates accurate detection and tracking of potential conflict scenarios, contributing to enhanced intersection safety and traffic management efficiency. This study endeavored to conduct a traffic safety analysis during work zone intervals at a signalized intersection in Baltimore City, known for its high rate of traffic crashes, utilizing LiDAR sensor technology.

With the ongoing amendment of the EU legislation on the treatment of urban wastewater, stricter requirements for the removal of pollutants are expected, which calls for the need for innovative wastewater treatment technologies. Biological systems are still the first choice. The survey of typical bioreactors applied in wastewater treatment is presented. Wastewater treatment objective, bio-chemical environment and microbial growth are selected as a main criterion for classification of these bioreactors. Hydraulic and kinetic aspects are considered, advantages and drawbacks of these bioreactors regarding the selection of appropriate type of the reactor as well as regarding operation of reactors are mentioned. The aim of this paper is to provide operators and designers with a brief overview of selected traditional and advanced processes, reactors, and technologies for nutrient removal from municipal wastewater. Another goal is to discuss the possibilities and limitations to comply with more strict effluent standards. From the evaluation of the published papers, it follows that the currently applied traditional methods of nutrients removal have the potential to convey also with the expected stricter limits.

Latin America and the Caribbean offer the most favorable natural and social conditions for the emergence of cattle ranching that regenerate and maintains the ecosystem services on which life on Earth depends, that is energy efficient and that contributes to meeting fundamental human food needs. Unlike other major global producers, cattle farming in Latin America and the Caribbean is fundamentally based on pasture. Therein lies both its strength (due to the regenerative potential of well-managed pastures) and its vulnerability (due to the pervasive link between deforestation and pasture formation, especially in the Amazon, where 40% of the Brazilian herd is concentrated). The diversification of pastures (today marked by impressive monotony, with brachiaria accounting for 85% of the species in Brazil), the introduction of legumes and tree plantations within them, and the proper management of herds, open the way to the possibility of drastically reducing the area currently occupied by the activity (especially in the Amazon) while maintaining the supply of its products. Agricultural research has disseminated forms of moderate intensification of cattle ranching, which represent a low opportunity cost of animal feed and, at the same time, regeneration of ecosystem services that have so far been destroyed by the prevailing methods of farming.

Understanding HCPs COVID-19 vaccine concerns can provide critical insights to optimize success of the vaccine rollout program as they are a trusted source of health information to patients and the general population. We sought to understand reasons for health care providers’ COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Kenyatta National teaching and referral Hospital. From April to July 2021, we interviewed 60 HCPs purposively sampled from the Infectious Disease Unit (IDU) (n=20) and other departments (n=40). We analyzed data using inductive and deductive approaches to understand reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The HCPs had a median age of 37 years, (Interquartile range: [IQR 20.0-58.0]), 57% were female, 30% nurses among other cadres. Most HCPs cited low confidence in the vaccine such as mistrust in healthcare system and government, vaccine safety and efficacy concerns. Constraints such as uncertainty about the second vaccine dose availability, and misinformation caused hesitancy. Further, few were reluctant receiving the vaccine because of perceived herd immunity from a recent COVID-19 infection, and the need for more information before deciding. The study highlights the need to address any misinformation about vaccines safety and efficacy, and ensure accurate information is easily accessible to HCPs which can translate to higher vaccine uptake.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive and potentially fatal complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) affecting 6-10% of adult SCD patients. Various mechanisms and theories have been evaluated to explain the pathophysiology of the disease. However, questions remain, particularly regarding the clinical heterogeneity of the disease in terms of symptoms, complications, and survival. Beyond the classical mechanisms that have been thoroughly investigated and include hemolysis, nitric oxide availability, endothelial disorders, thrombosis, and left heart failure, attention is focused nowadays on the potential role of the genes involved in such processes. Potential candidate genes are investigated through next-generation sequencing, with the TGF-β pathway being the initial target. This field of research may also provide novel targets for pharmacologic agents in the future as is already the case with idiopathic PH. The collection and processing of data and samples from multiple centers can yield safe results that will allow a better understanding of SCD-related PH as a part of the disease’s clinical spectrum. The following review attempts to capture the most recent findings of studies on gene polymorphisms that have been associated with PH in SCD patients.

Livestock farming plays a crucial role in agriculture and is important in meeting people's needs for a better life in the new era. However, due to China's "double carbon" target, the development of animal husbandry has been affected by the level of carbon emissions. To study the spatial dis-tribution and dynamic evolution of livestock carbon emissions in Shandong Province, we used panel data from 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province from 2001 to 2022 to determine the spatial differentiation of livestock carbon emissions in Shandong Province and their dynamic evolution by combining spatial and non-parametric estimation methods based on livestock carbon emissions and livestock emission intensity measured by city. The results of the study show that the distribution of carbon emissions from animal husbandry in Shandong Province is in a "dis-persed-aggregated" pattern, and the intensity of carbon emissions shows a gradual downward trend, with a ladder-like distribution characterized by high in the west and low in the east. Through the analysis of the dynamic evolution of nuclear density, we observe that the regional differences of animal husbandry carbon emissions in Shandong Province are expanding, showing the characteristics of polarization. The difference of carbon emissions in the peninsula is gradually narrowing, and the phenomenon of polarization is weakening. The carbon emissions of animal husbandry in the central and western regions of Shandong are polarized.

In Germany, the phloem sucking planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) currently represents the epidemiological driver for the spread of the syndrome “Basses Richesses” in sugar beet, which results in a reduced sugar content and an economic loss for the farmers. This disease is associated with the γ-proteobacterium ‘Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ and the Stolbur phytoplasma ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’. Recently, P. leporinus was found in potato fields in Germany associated with Stolbur-like symptoms in this crop. In this study, we confirmed that the vector completes its lifecycle on sugar beet as well as on potato when reared under controlled conditions. Transmission experiments with adults of this vector combined with molecular analyses showed for the first time that both pathogens are transmitted by this vector to potato. For an accurate assessment of the Ca. P. solani and Ca. A. phytopathogenicus titers in the vector and host plants, gBlocks derived from the hsp20- and 16S rRNA gene were employed, respectively. For Ca. P. solani the limit of detection was determined in potato and sugar beet material. The results of this study will further research on the epidemiology of the syndrome “Basses Richesses” and “Stolbur” diseases and the response of host plants and vector insects to both pathogens.

Fingerprints are essential for human identification and are valuable tools in criminal investigations. The pursuit of new materials for digital printing is expanding, with increasing interest in natural compounds such as bixin, sourced from annatto seeds. Despite its traditional use as a natural dye with medicinal properties, the potential of bixin in papilloscopy remains largely untapped. In this study, we meticulously extracted bixin from annatto seeds and meticulously developed composites incorporating zinc carbonate (bixin/ZnCO3) and kaolinite (bixin/kaolinite). UV-visible spectroscopy was used for characterization, and the extracted bixin showed absorption peaks at 429, 453, and 481 nm, which were very similar to standard peaks at 429, 457, and 487 nm. The two samples also had the same retention times (7.07 min) according to further liquid chromatography analysis. Sweat pores were easier to detect thanks to the effectiveness of the bixin/ZnCO3 and bixin/kaolinite composites in creating high contrast sebaceous and natural latent fingerprints. These results highlight the composites’ potential as novel and fascinating instruments for papilloscopy applications, which might also improve forensic investigations.

The ascidian fauna of the Bahamas remains grossly understudied. Here, we examined specimens of the genus Clavelina collected from four Bahamian islands using morphological observations and genetic barcoding. Only 3 species of Clavelina have been previously reported in the Caribbean: C. picta, C. oblonga, and C. puertosecensis. Here, we report C. picta (Verrill, 1900) and three new species in the Bahamas: C. rochae; C. pawliki; and C. erwinorum. C. picta and C. pawliki were found in the northernmost island surveyed, while C. rochae and C. erwinorum were particularly prevalent on the southeastern Bahamian islands. A complete review of genetic barcoding data and morphological characters of accepted Clavelina species was performed. The unique combination of in vivo coloration, morphological characteristics, haplotypes, and species distribution all supported the establishment of three new species, significantly adding to the diversity of the genus Clavelina in the Caribbean.

Listeria monocytogenes is an emerging pathogen responsible for the serious foodborne disease, listeriosis. The commensal gut microbiota is the first line of defense against pathogen internalization. The gut microbiome can be modified by prebiotic substrates, which are frequently added to food products and dietary supplements. Prebiotics should selectively support the growth of beneficial microbes and thus improve host health. Nevertheless, little is known about their effect on the growth of L. monocytogenes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth ability of four L. monocytogenes strains, representing the most common serotypes, on prebiotic oligosaccharides (beta-(1,3)-D-glucan, inulin, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, lactulose, raffinose, stachyose, and 2´-fucosyllactose and a mixture of human milk oligosaccharides) as a sole carbon source. The results showed that only beta-(1,3)-D-glucan was metabolized by L. monocytogenes. Therefore, the safety of beta-(1,3)-D-glucan with respect to listeriosis development should be further studied.

Biomaterials are the basis for the development of medicine because they allow safe contact with a living organism. The aim of this work was to produce innovative oxide layers with a porous microstructure on the surface of commercially pure titanium Grade 4 (CpTi G4), and to characterize their properties as drug carriers. Anodization of the CpTi G4 subjected to mechanical grinding and electrochemical polishing was carried out in a solution of 1M ethylene glycol with the addition of 40 g of ammonium fluoride at a voltage of 20 V for 2, 18, 24 and 48 hours at room temperature. It was found that the longer anodization time, the greater the number of pores formed on the CpTi G4 surface as revealed by FE-SEM method, and the greater the surface roughness determined in profilometric tests. As the anodizing time increases, the amount of the drug in the form of gentamicin sulfate incorporated into the resulting pores decreases. The most favorable drug release kinetics profile determined by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy was found for the CpTi G4 anodized for 2 h making them the best choice when it comes to the drug carrier allowing full use of the therapeutic dose of the drug.

Over the past decade and a half, dynamic functional imaging has revolutionized the neuroimaging field. Since 2009, it has revealed low dimensional brain connectivity measures, has identified potential common human spatial connectivity states, has tracked the transition patterns of these states, and has demonstrated meaningful alterations in these transition and spatial patterns in neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, and over the course of development. Recently, researchers have begun to analyze this data from the perspective of dynamic system and information theory in the hopes of understanding how these dynamics support less easily quantified processes, such as information processing, cortical hierarchy, and consciousness. Consciousness, in particular, appears to be strongly linked to entropy production in the brain. Little attention has been paid to the effects of psychiatric disease on entropy production in the human brain, however. Even disorders characterized by substantial changes in conscious experience have not been widely analyzed from this perspective. We begin to rectify this by examining the complexity of subject trajectories in state space through the lens of information theory. Specifically, we identify a basis for the dynamic functional connectivity state space and track subject trajectories through this space over the course of the scan. The dynamic complexity of these trajectories is assessed along each dimension of the proposed basis space. Using these estimates, we demonstrate that schizophrenia patients display substantially simpler trajectories than demographically matched healthy controls, and that this drop in complexity concentrates along specific dimensions. We also demonstrate that entropy generation in at least one of these dimensions is linked to cognitive performance. Overall, results suggest great value in applying dynamic systems theory to problems of neuroimaging and reveal a substantial drop in the complexity of schizophrenia patients’ brain function.

In the quest for more sustainable urban landscape development, the concept of ‘green infrastructure’ (GI) has become central in policy documents and as a multifunctional general planning tool. GI is not however a simple and unambiguous solution. While there in policy documents are claims for more and connected GI, actual urban development takes another direction. The densifying imperative is hard to combine with an increased and more connected GI. This paper argues for a critical and diversified approach to the concept of GI, to facilitate its implementation in urban planning and management. While GI most often is seen as a common asset and a public good, the actual land use negotiations and management responsibilities cannot be limited to a public service discourse, but should address more clearly a variety of actors. Linguistic as well as spatial definitions of the two relevant dichotomies of ‘green-grey’ and ‘public-private’ are crucial in GI location, design, construction and management, it is argued. Overarching representations of GI will be needed, but also – and linked to it – a spatial storm water plan and an overall plan for public space. The development over time will need an intersectorial implementation and management program. Thus some of the GI intentions may be implemented in planning processes, some through reorganisation and redesign of public space, and some by agreements with landowners.

In this paper, based on our previous expertise on ceramic artifacts, several archaeometric methods applied to some samples collected from the Dudești archaeological site (Oltenia region, Romania) are reported for the first time in the literature. The chemical composition and microstructural and morphological characterization of these samples offer important conclusions about the processing conditions. Some specific techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), wave-length-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), Optical microscopy (OM), stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, provide composition information about pigments and their decay processes. Additionally, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method helps to estimate pore sizes and specific surface areas. Thermal analysis (TGA) was used to establish details regarding the production technology and the raw materials source used to make the ceramics, too. The obtained results indicated that the ceramics are based on a paste of muscovite, feldspar, with high plasticity, quartz, melanterite, and calcite, the latter in very low concentrations. According to the obtained results, we could assume that non-calcareous clays are present in the investigated samples because calcium exists in low concentrations. Gypsum is present, too, in very low concentration, identified by the presence of sulfate group in WDXRF. In the same context, iron oxides significantly impact the firing atmosphere of iron-rich clay, resulting in blackening under reducing conditions and reddish coloration under oxidative conditions. Using hematite and gypsum as pigments further contributes to the color variations in the pottery. The consistent firing temperature range of 200-600 °C in Dudești pottery implies a standardized production process, the variation in color being dependent on the specific reducing/oxidative regime conditions. This relationship between clay composition and local sources suggests a connection to Neolithic pottery production in the region and their color depending on the reducing/oxidative regime conditions.

In this paper, a new way to obtain photoactive cements was presented. In this method amorphous TiO2 is added to cooler during the cooling of the cement clinker (Górażdże company) during cement production. Amorphous TiO2 was taken from the installation for obtaining titanium dioxide using the sulphate method. During the studies amorphous TiO2 was added to clinker at different temperature 300, 600, 700 and 800 °C. The properties of the obtained cement were tested during the bending and compressive strength and beginning and the end of bending setting time measurements. The adhesion of the obtained materials to concrete block, ceramic brick and plasterboard were also evaluated. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained materials was studied during NO and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-,m-,o-xylenes decomposition) decomposition. Cement with 5 wt.% TiO2 added to clinker at 700 C had the highest photocatalytic activity and the best mechanical properties.

A total of 27 microsatellites markers , scattered all over the genom of barley, were used for characterization,and diversity analysis in 33 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions and cultivars of Algeria.Over the 27 genetic loci studied, 110 alleles were identified with a mean of 4.1 alleles per locus and the average polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.46,the marker Ebma0806 showed the greatest value of PIC with 0.83.Genetic diversity at 27 microsatellite loci varied from 0 to 0.84 (Mean=0.50) for 33 Algerian cultivars. The genetic distance among the cultivars ranged from 0.2 to 0.85. Cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on the SSR data clearly differentiate the all genotypes studied.

Ice formation on aircraft surfaces poses significant safety risks, and current detection systems often struggle to provide accurate, real-time predictions. This paper presents the development and comprehensive evaluation of a smart ice control system using a suite of machine learning models. The system utilizes various sensors to detect temperature anomalies and signal potential ice formation. We trained and tested supervised learning models (Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest), unsupervised learning models (K-means clustering), and neural networks (Multi-Layer Perceptron) to predict and identify ice formation patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that our smart system, driven by machine learning, accurately predicts ice formation in real-time, optimizes de-icing processes, and enhances safety while reducing power consumption. This solution holds the potential for improving ice detection accuracy in aviation and other critical industries requiring robust predictive maintenance.

The marine region of the Zhongjieshan Islands is an essential component and location for enhancement and release in Zhoushan Fishing Ground. The scientific assessment of the target species' ecological carrying capacity serves as the foundation for augmentation and release efforts. Based on data from the 2021-2022 survey of biological resources in the waters of Zhongjieshan islands, the Ecopath model was built to analyze the trophic structure, energy flow, and overall characteristics of the ecosystem, as well as the ecological carrying capacity of the main enhancement and releasing species, Larimichthys crocea and Sepiella maindroni. The ecosystem's functional groups had trophic levels ranging from 1 to 3.48, with an average energy transfer efficiency of 8.11% and total flow of 2125.905 t·km-2. The ratio of total primary output to total respiration is 1.713. Zhongjieshan Islands' ecosystem was currently at an embryonic stage. The ecological carrying capacity of Larimichthys crocea and Sepiella maindroni was calculated to be 0.2325 t·km-2 and 0.1617 t·km-2, separately or individually. Larimichthys crocea and Sepiella maindroni showed enormous potential for development and release. The findings offered essential data for ecological studies on the waters of Zhongjieshan Islands, as well as a reference for enhancement and release efforts in this area.

Mushroom cultivation vastly improves the yield of mushrooms under optimized, controlled conditions, but may be susceptible to opportunistic colonization by pest species that can establish themselves, as well as the pathogens and pests they may transmit. Here we describe our investigation into the bacterial communities of adult Lycoriella ingenua (Diptera: Sciaridae) and Megaselia halterata (Diptera: Phoridae) collected from button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) production houses in Pennsylvania. We collected adult flies and sequenced the hypervariable v4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA using the Illumina MiSeq. The most abundant bacterial genus detected in both species was Wolbachia, but phylogenetic analysis revealed that the infections are from different clades. Future studies include the characterization of Wolbachia infections on fly behavior and biology, comparison of microbial diversity of fly species colonizing wild mushrooms, and other microbiota that may contribute to the success of certain pest fly species.

Introduction: Although aging is a natural phenomenon, in recent years it has accelerated. One key factor implicated in the aging process is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress play also role in frailty (frail) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: 66 elderly persons (65 years old and older) with no acute or severe chronic disorders were assessed: waist circumference (WC), arterial blood pressure, glycemia, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), plasma lipids and activity of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD-1). Patients were classified as NonMetS-Nonfrail (n=19), NonMetS-frail (n=20), MetS-Nonfrail (n=17), and MetS-frail (n=10). Results: There were no significant differences in superoxide dismutase activity among investigated elderly groups. However, the data suggests that MetS individuals, both frail and nonfrail, have higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease compared to NonMetS individuals. The correlations analyses of SOD-1 and other metabolic indices suggest that SOD-1 levels may be influenced by age, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and fasting glucose levels in certain groups of seniors. Conclusions: Aging is associated with decreased antioxidant enzyme SOD-1 activity with glucose alteration in frailty syndrome as well as with lipids disturbances in metabolic syndrome.

Pea shoots is a popular vegetable in certain regions of the world due to their unique taste and abundance of health-promoting phytochemicals. The perishable nature and susceptibility of root rot of pea shoots necessitate a new soilless production system located close to the market. This study compared the growth of pea shoots using various cultivation methods in LED plant factory. The results showed that early topping (4 days after transplanting, ET) promoted early harvest compared to later topping (20 days after transplanting, LT) and increased the number of harvested shoots by extending the harvest time to 2.8 times, ultimately resulting in a substantial yield improvement. Moreover, the yield of ET with lower planting density (72 plants m-2, ET-LD) was 8.7% higher than ET with higher planting density (126 plants m-2, ET-HD). Particularly, the average fresh weight of individual pea shoots under ET-LD exceeded that of ET-HD by 48.9%. It is advisable to consider adopting ET-LD for the cultivation of pea shoots in LED plant factory. Based on ET-LD, the yield, nutritional quality, and light use efficiency of pea shoots were further explored at different stages under three levels of light intensity (50, 100, 150 μmol m-2 s-1). Contrasted against the light intensity of 50 μmol m-2 s-1, the average fresh weight per pea shoots, number of harvested, and total fresh yield under light intensity of 150 μmol m-2 s-1 treatment increased by 60.2%, 62.8%, and 165.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, the fresh weight per pea shoots, photosynthetic capacity, soluble sugar and vitamin C levels in leaves, as well as light use efficiency and photon yield, initially increased and then decreased with the extension of the planting period. Among these, soluble sugar, LUE, and PY started to decrease after reaching the maximum value at 60-70 days after transplanting. In conclusion, light intensity of 150 μmol m-2 s-1 with a photoperiod of 16 h d-1 using LEDs, combined with early topping within a planting period of 60-70 days, proves to be suitable for the hydroponic production of pea shoots in LED plant factory.

This paper investigates pseudo-polymorphism in 2-pyridylmethoxy derivatives of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (PyC4), p-tert-butyldihomooxa-calix[4]arenes (PyHOC4), and p-tert-butylhexahomotrioxacalix[3]arenes (PyHO3C3), presenting 11 crystal structures with 15 crystallographically independent molecules. The macrocycle of PyC4 is smaller and less flexible with respect to those of PyHOC4 and PyHO3C3 and in solution, the cone conformation of these three molecules exhibit different point symmetries: C4, Cs and C3, respectively. A correlation is observed between the macrocycle's structural rigidity and the number of pseudo-polymorphs formed. The more rigid PyC4 displays a higher number (6) of pseudo-polymorphs compared to PyHOC4 and PyHO3C3, which exhibit a smaller number of crystalline forms (3 and 2, respectively). The X-ray structures obtained show that the conformation of the macrorings is primarily influenced by the presence of an acetonitrile guest molecule within the cavity, with limited impact from crystal packing and intermolecular cocrystallized solvent molecules. Notably, both calix[4]arene derivatives produce host-guest complex with acetonitrile, while the most flexible and less aromatic PyHO3C3 do not give crystals with acetonitrile as guest. Intertwined 1D and 2D solvent channel networks were observed in the PyHOC4-hexane and in the PyHO3C3-H2O-MeOH crystal structures, respectively, while the other pseudopolymorphs of PyHOC4 and PyHO3C3 and all PyC4 crystal forms exhibit a closely packed crystal structures without open channels.

Glass and ceramics have a fundamental and crucial role in our lives due to their properties and aesthetic decoration. However, they create serious environmental problems, mainly due to their high occupation of landfills and harmful emissions. Both wastes could be utilized to reduce the natural resources' adverse environmental effects and exhaustion. With increasing environmental concerns to reduce solid waste as much as possible, the concrete industry has adopted several methods to achieve this goal. Hence this study examines the performance of self-compacted concrete (SCC) utilizing various percentages of recycled waste materials such as those deposited from glass and ceramic industries. The idea of utilizing recycled waste materials in concrete manufacturing has gained massive attention due to their impressive results in rheological and mechanical state. Recycled glass (RG) and ceramic waste powder (CWP) were utilized to replace fine aggregate and cement, respectively. Five mixes were designed, including the control mix, and the other four mixes with different dosages of RG and CWP as fine aggregate and cement replacement ranging between 5 to 25%. Mixes were tested for both rheological and mechanical properties to evaluate their compilment with SCC requirements as per codes and guidelines. The results revealed that 20%CWP or less as cement replacement and 10% or less of RG as fine aggregate replacement would provide suitable rheological properties along with mechanical ones. Utilizing recycled glass and ceramic waste powder provides strength like the mix designed with natural resources, which helps us structure economically and environmentally friendly.

This study aimed to explore the sociocultural determinants of family planning (FP) utilization among women in pastoralist areas of Ethiopia. A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 682 re-productive aged women selected from three regions in pastoralist districts. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with women who did not use FP. This study revealed that 47% of women did not use FP. Women who did not use FP were more likely to shorter spaces between births, lack of partners’ support, when only a husband or someone else decides on large household purchases, and low use of household expenditure were some of the factors associated with not using FP. Overall, the prevalence of not using FP is significantly high in pastoralist communities of Ethiopia. The authors recommend that investment in women’s health and FP be targeted at educational campaigns to raise awareness about FP and its importance. Engaging men and community leaders, promoting their support for FP and contraceptive use, and providing financial assistance to address financial barriers such as transportation costs and healthcare fees, are important aspects that can increase the utilization of FP methods.

Nocardia is an emerging bacterial disease that often affects patients with compromised immune systems. As survival increases, more and more patients are receiving solid organ transplantations, and more patients are cancer survivors and receiving long-term immune system modifying agents or corticotherapy and immunosuppressive agents, organisms that are not harmful in usual circumstances become a public health problem. Carbapenems are usually a second-line therapy in the setting of Nocardia infections. We present the case of a patient who had an immunocompromised status and was diagnosed with Nocardia farcinica, which showed in vitro resistance to carbapenems. The symptoms were non-specific and had a common presentation, although the infection was disseminated and had severe CNS and ocular involvement. The clinical course was more severe when the carbapenem was withdrawn based on the provided antibiogram and markedly improved when clinical judgment considered it might be beneficial. The first case in our region to describe an „in vitro” carbapenem-resistant Nocardia species, that responded „in vivo” differently and we believe it is important to remind clinicians of this potentially severe disease in difficult cases.

Background: To compare photodynamic therapy 41 and the use of probiotics in reducing halitosis assessed through gas chromatography and microbiome analysis. Methods: Participants aged from 18 to 25 years, showing sulfide (SH2) ≥ 112 ppb on gas chromatography, were selected. They were divided into 4 treatment groups: Group 1 - Tongue Scraping; Group 2- Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT); Group 3- Probiotics; Group 4- Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) and Probiotics. The halimetry process was performed before, immediately after the treatments, 7 days, 14 days and 30 days after the initial collection. The collections for later microbiological analysis were made along with the halimetry, for the microbiome analysis. Results: Treatment with aPDT or probiotics under these experimental conditions was not able to change the bacteria present in the biofilm of the tongue. Conclusions: More research is needed to know the behavior of the oral microbiome in the presence of halitosis and the effectiveness of new treatments.

Recently, neglected and underutilized species (NUS) have deservedly come to the forefront of scientific interest because they can contribute to the human nutrition, due to the content of bio-active substances such as antioxidants. Despite the great diversity and rich tradition in use of Philippine NUS, the nutritional properties of many edible plants remain unexplored. The main objective of this study was to evaluate various parts of eleven NUS fruits and vegetables traditionally consumed in the Philippines, namely Allaeanthus luzonicus, Canarium ovatum, Dillenia philippinensis, Ficus pseudopalma, Flacourtia indica, Flacourtia inermis, Garcinia intermedia, Heliotropium arboreum, Posoqueria latifolia, Stelechocarpus burahol and Sterculia quadrifida for their total phenolic content (TPC) and in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH and ORAC assays). The strongest antioxidant activity obtained in both assays were inflorescence of A. luzonicus (DPPH IC50 = 91.0 μg/mL, ORAC IC50 = 37.9 μg/mL) and fruit of S. burahol (DPPH IC50 = 253.7 μg/mL, ORAC IC50 = 32.2 μg/mL). These two species also had the highest TPC (202.1 and 133.0 µg GAE/mg extract, respectively). For all samples tested, the strong correlation was found between TPC and antioxidant activity. Based on our results, A. luzonicus and S. burahol have a promising potential as novel antioxidant rich food.

: Tunnel instability and lining integrity are intimately tied to the creep properties of the surrounding rock. The acquisition of rock mass creep parameters is critical in ascertaining the appropriate timing for lining construction. Nevertheless, creep tests on rock specimens conducted in a controlled setting cannot be straightforwardly extrapolated to rock mass creep analysis. This study performs laboratory-based creep tests on mudstone samples and establishes the corresponding creep constitutive model. Integration of a Mohr-Coulomb element with the Burgers model in series serves to characterise the yield creep behaviour of the rock mass. Additionally, the research outlines a series of 100 orthogonal experiments utilising randomised creep parameters, and formulates a GA-BP neural network inversion model. Employing long-term deformation measurements from the crown and sidewalls of the project site, this study deduces the creep parameters of the mudstone in the investigated tunnel section and examines the prolonged deformation traits of the surrounding rock. Drawing on the deformation traits of the surrounding rock and the forces impacting the primary support and lining structures, this paper evaluates the earliest and latest viable lining casting periods and pinpoints an optimal timing interval for lining implementation. The methodologies employed herein can serve as a benchmark for analogous endeavors internationally.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive skin cancer characterized by two etiologies: the first one, observed in most cases, is attributed to Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), a DNA tumor virus, while the second one is due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. Currently, there are limited diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers available for MCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but regulate various cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The dysregulation of miRNAs has been associated with a wide range of cancers since they can act as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes. This paper aims to collect, summarize and re-organize the recent discoveries concerning miRNAs, whose dysregulation in the pathogenesis and progression of MCC is slowly emerging. Furthermore, the potential clinical applications of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers, possible differentiation between MCPyV-related and unrelated MCC, predictors of response to therapy and prognostics are also discussed. From this review, it emerges that miRNAs may have, in the near future, the potential to become clinically significant in improving the diagnostic accuracy, prognostic evaluation, and therapeutic options of MCCs. Finally, the new perspectives on the poorly explored field of artificial intelligence in MCC are provided.

The Ylistrum japonicum is a commercially valuable scallop known for its long-distance swimming abilities. Despite its economic importance, genetic and genomic research on this species is limited. This study presents the first complete mitochondrial genome of Y. japonicum. The mitochondrial genome is 19,475 bp long and encompasses 13 protein-coding genes, 3 ribosomal RNA genes, and 23 transfer RNA genes. By selecting 15 Pectinidae species and additional outgroup taxa, we have constructed phylogenetic trees to elucidate the evolutionary placement of Ylistrum within the family Pectinidae. Our analysis reveals that Ylistrum is a basal lineage to the Pectininae clade, distinct from its previously assigned tribe, Amusiini. This study offers critical insights into the genetic makeup and evolutionary history of Y. japonicum, enhancing our knowledge of this economically vital species.

Fusarium species are agriculturally important fungi with a broad host range and can be found as endophytic, pathogenic, or opportunistic parasites in many crop plants. This study aimed to identify Fusarium species in bare-rooted, dormant plants in Turkish grapevine nurseries using molecular identification methods and assess their pathogenicity. Asymptomatic dormant plants were sampled from grapevine nurseries (43) in different regions of the country, and fungi were isolated from plant roots and internal basal tissues. The Fusarium isolates were identified by performing gene sequencing (TEF1-α, RPB2) and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests were carried out by inoculating mycelial agar pieces of isolates onto the stem or conidial suspensions into the rhizosphere of vines (1103 Paulsen rootstock). Laboratory tests revealed that Fusarium species were highly prevalent in Turkish grapevine nurseries (41 out of 43). Gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses unraveled that 12 Fusarium species (F. annulatum, F. brachygibbosum, F. clavum, F. curvatum, F. falciforme, F. fredkrugeri, F. glycines, F. nanum, F. nematophilum, F. nirenbergiae, F. solani, and Fusarium spp.) existed in the ready-to-sale plants. Some of these species (F. annulatum, F. curvatum and F. nirenbergiae) consistently caused wood necrosis of seedling stems, rotting of the basal zone and roots, and reduced root biomass. Although the other nine species also caused some root rot and root reduction, their virulence was not as severe as the pathogenic ones, and they were considered opportunistic parasites or endophytic species. This study is the first detailed investigation of Fusarium species in grapevine nurseries in Türkiye and emphasizes the need to consider pathogenic species in producing healthy grapevine seedlings.

For several years, commercial banks in Poland have been reporting activities related to the impact on the environment, society, and corporate governance (ESG). However, only new guidelines, mandatory for many entities, including banks, will allow for comparing these reports, which will be of great importance mainly for investors. The forms of these reports were and still are different, difficult to compare in individual years, and difficult to compare between banks. The article aims to present the banks' preparation for the new reporting rules based on the latest ESG reports. The research was conducted in 4 groups of commercial banks operating in Poland, which are the largest companies listed in the WIG Banks sub-index of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Gaps in the preparation of these banks for non-financial reporting were identified. The non-financial reports of the banks studied have significant information potential that can be used by various stakeholder groups, including investors, customers, employees, regulators, and local communities. However, the comparability of ESG reports is one of the key challenges faced by both reporting banks and users of these reports. The research results can be used both in scientific works and by bank representatives to improve non-financial reports.

Nose mask is a fomite and its usage was mandatory during the COVID-19 outbreak. Its effectiveness has been established; however, as a fomite, it can harbor opportunistic respiratory pathogens such as Streptococcus spp., which could complicate COVID-19 infections. This study profiled Streptococcus species resident on nose masks obtained from consenting participants. Phenotypic assays and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to identify Streptococcus spp. resident on the interior and exterior of 100 nose masks analyzed. Antibiotic resistance (AMR) was determined with disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. AMR and virulence makers were profiled with primer-specific PCR amplification. 23% of the analyzed samples had Streptococcus isolates. The isolates were highly resistant to the antimicrobials, including conventional, last-resort antibiotics, disinfectants and antiseptics. All the isolates are multidrug resistant with 80-100% levels of AMR to the 16 antibiotics tested with a Multiple-Antibiotic Resistance index greater than 0.2, indicative of potential pathogens. The isolates harbored tetB, ermB, pbp2B, pbp2b1 (resistance) and lytA, lytA1, ply1, cbpA, lytA, pavA (virulence) markers, which might constitute a serious public health risk. Overall, the study emphasizes the need to assess mask usage and the risks associated with opportunistic pathogens that are resident on frequently used nose masks in the COVID-19 era.