In the context of partial autonomy, where autonomous vehicles and humans share control of the vehicle, bringing out-of-the-loop drivers back into the loop is a significant challenge. While warning signal design guidelines are commonly used to provide alerts, few studies have examined each signal in depth with an emphasis on the autonomous environment. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli and modifying their sub-attributes to explore variations related to age, gender, and other individual backgrounds. A driving simulator was utilized to create a realistic driving environment and measure participants' reaction times in takeover request situations. Analysis of the data revealed correlations between age and reaction times for auditory and tactile signals, with interaction effects observed between age and sub-attribute intensity. Additionally, participants exhibited varying reaction time patterns in response to different sub-attribute intensities. By evaluating individual differences in perception based on modality characteristics, often overlooked in prior research, this study serves as a foundational contribution to future research in the field.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and osteoporosis are two of the most widespread metabolic disease in the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of DM among patients affected by osteoporosis and fragility fractures, and to search differences in clinical features. Methods: 713 patients belonging to CTO Bone Unit because of osteoporosis and fragility fractures were divided into two groups, according to the diagnosis of DM. The clinical and bone characteristics of patients were compared. Results: Prevalence of DM was 10.8%. When compared to patients without DM, the median age at the time of first fracture was similar (72 years ± 14 IQR vs 71 years ± 12 IQR); prevalence of combination of vertebral and hip fractures was higher (p=0.039), as well as prevalence of males, although not significantly (p=0.051). Bone mineral density (BMD) at all sites was higher in DM group; Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), instead, was significantly lower (p<0.001). Conclusions: Patients with fragility fractures and DM more frequently show combination of major fractures with higher BMD levels. In these patients, TBS could be a better indicator of bone health than BMD and therefore should be used as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice.

Background and Objectives To compare navigator-gated three-dimensional T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences (NG-3D T1W-GRE) with standard breath-hold T1W-GRE (BH T1W-GRE) for the detection of HCC nodules in patients with chronic viral hepatitis which undergo at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadoxetic acid. Methods and materials We evaluated 58 patients with hepatic nodules at least 1 cm in diameter detected by ultrasound who underwent liver MRI including NG-3D T1W-GRE sequences and breath hold T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences with different flip angles(FA) at 10-25-40° after contrast administration of gadoxetic acid at magnetic scanner operating at1.5 Tesla. Image quality and relative hepatic and nodular enhancement were evaluated by three blinded reviewers. Results In these patients, image quality of NG-3D T1W-GRE was assessed significantly better than quality of BHT1W- GRE (P < 0.005) and relative enhancement was significantly higher than that of BH- T1W-GRE ( P

Background: this interventional pilot study aimed to evaluate the short-term (3 years) efficacy of focal laser ablation (FLA) in treating the index lesion of low-intermediate risk prostate cancer, along with assessing the safety of the procedure (ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04045756). Methods: forty patients aged between 46 and 86 with histologically proven organ-confined prostate cancer and low to intermediate progression risk were included. FLA was performed under percutaneous fusion magnetic resonance/ultrasound guidance in a Day Hospital setting under local anesthesia. Patients underwent regular clinical assessments, PSA measurements, post-procedure MRI scans, and biopsies at 36 months or if positive findings were detected earlier. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess trends in PSA levels and cavity dimensions over time. Results: forty patients were initially included, with 15 lost to follow-up. At 36 months, a mean PSA reduction of 60% was observed, and 80% of MRI scans showed no signs of in-field clinically significant residual/recurrent cancer. Biopsies at 36 months revealed no malignant findings in 20 patients. No deterioration in sexual function or urinary symptoms was recorded. Conclusions: FLA appears to be safe, feasible and effective in the index lesion treatment of low-intermediate risk prostate cancer, with a high rate of tumor eradication and preservation of quality of life.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) represent a subset of mesenchymal stem cells in every adipose compartment throughout the body. ADSCs can differentiate into various cell types, including chondrocytes, osteocytes, myocytes, and adipocytes. Moreover, they exhibit a notable potential to differentiate in vitro into cells from other germinal lineages, including endothelial cells and neurons. ADSCs have a wide range of clinical applications, from breast surgery to chronic wounds. Furthermore, they are a promising cell population for future tissue-engineering uses. Accumulating evidence indicates decreased proliferation and differentiation potential of ADSCs with increasing age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, or exposure to radiotherapy. Therefore, recent literature thoroughly investigates this cell population's senescence mechanisms and how they can hinder their possible therapeutic applications. This review will discuss the biological mechanisms and the physio-pathological causes behind ADSC senescence and how they can impact cellular functionality. Moreover, we will examine the possible strategies to invert these processes, re-establishing the full regenerative potential of this progenitor population.

ABSTRACTCaffeine is known to impair both growth and development in the model social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulation in response to caffeine treatment in Dictyostelium. In yeast cells, caffeine mimics the effect of rapamycin in inhibiting mTORC1 activity. Here, we investigated whether changes in growth and development of Dictyostelium in the presence of caffeine or rapamycin are mediated by mTORC1 and/or mTORC2. Results: Treatment of wild type cells with caffeine or rapamycin resulted in severely impaired growth and in the formation of small aggregates in comparison to untreated cells. rip3‾ cells (lacking a mTORC2 component) and lst8‾cells (lacking a component of both mTOR complexes) showed higher and slower growth rates, respectively, in comparison to parental AX3 cells. Parental AX3 and rip3‾ cells displayed similar sensitivity to rapamycin and caffeine, while lst8‾ cells were more sensitive to these compounds. When developed in the presence of caffeine or rapamycin, AX3 cells formed aggregates after a long delay. Caffeine did not alter the morphology of small rip3‾ mounds and lst8‾ cells continued to remain solitary. However, in the presence of 1µM rapamycin rip3‾cells failed to form mounds while AX3 cells streamed and formed aggregates. Complementation of lst8‾ cells with the wild type lst8 gene rescued the aggregation phenotype. cDNA microarray analysis to uncover the spectrum of differentially regulated genes in response to caffeine treatment revealed 104 and 193 differentially expressed genes at 3-and 6-hours of development, respectively, in comparison to control cells. After 6 hours of starvation in the presence of caffeine, 25 genes encoding ribosomal proteins and 4 encoding elongation factors were up regulated. Furthermore, we identified that upon caffeine treatment at the 3- and 6-hours’ time points, 12 (10 up and 2 down) and 21 (13 up and 8 down) genes, respectively, encoding proteins involved in early development. Conclusion: We conclude that caffeine and rapamycin have similar effects in decreasing the growth rate and in reducing the aggregate size of D. discoideum. Studies with lst8‾ and rip3‾ cells suggest that these compounds affect cell growth and aggregation by acting on both mTOR complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Analysis of the differentially expressed genes after caffeine treatment suggests a key role of these genes in growth and aggregation.

Secondary prevention after SCA (acute coronary syndrome) is of paramount importance to reduce the incidence of MACE and improve prognosis in follow-up. The control of avoidable risk factors, lifestyle modifications, but especially careful control of cholesterolemia (with a target of LDL-C

Anonymous communications networks were born to protect the privacy of our communications, preventing censorship and traffic analysis. The most famous anonymous communication network is Tor. This anonymous communication network provides some interesting features, among them, we can mention user’s IP location or Tor Hidden Services (THS) as a mechanism to conceal the location of servers, mainly, web servers. THS is an important research field in Tor. However, there is a lack of reviews that sump up main findings and research challenges. In this article we present a systematic literature review that aims to offer a comprehensive view on the research made on Tor Hidden services presenting the state of the art and the different research challenges to be addressed. This review has been developed from a selection of 57 articles and present main findings and advances regarding Tor Hidden Services, limitations found, and future issues to be investigated.

For many engineering applications it is sufficient to use the concept of simple materials. However, higher gradients of the kinematic variables are taken into account to model materials with internal length scales as well as to describe localization effects using gradient theories in finite plasticity or fluid mechanics. In many approaches length scale parameter have been introduced that are related to a specific micro structure. An alternative approach is possible, if a thermodynamically consistent framework is used for material modelling as shown in the present contribution. However, even if sophisticated and thermodynamically consistent material models can be established there are still not yet standard experiments to determine higher order material constants. In order to contribute to this ongoing discussion system identification based on the method of self-adaptive filtering is proposed in this paper. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach it has been applied to second-order gradient materials considering longitudinal vibrations. Based on thermodynamically consistent models that have been solved numerically it has been possible to prove that system identification based on self-adaptive filtering can be used effectively for both narrow-band and broadband signals in the field of second-order gradient materials. It has also been found that the differences identified for simple materials and gradient materials allow for condition monitoring and detection of gradient effects in the material behavior.

Securing funding is a critical yet complex task for organizations and individuals. This study presents an innovative chatbot designed to streamline the process using advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques and, specifically, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline optimized for real-world applications. Our chatbot assists users in identifying suitable public tenders for financial support through natural language queries and a comprehensive public data database. The chatbot operates in a two-stage interaction model, initially providing summarized tender information for exploratory brainstorming, followed by detailed data upon user selection. A custom filtering mechanism ensures that the user interface elements responsible for swapping the interaction stages are consistent with the responses generated by the conversational agent. Human-evaluation tests demonstrated an average accuracy of 90.4% in document retrieval, with an average of 2.11 interactions required to find a specific tender. User satisfaction, rated on a scale of 1 to 5, averaged 3.14 (±1.73), indicating generally positive user experience with room for improvement. This approach addresses challenges of relevance, accuracy, and conversational flow, resulting in a reliable chatbot that simplifies the process of finding funding opportunities.

Plant life-long organogenesis involves sequential, time and tissue specific expression of developmental genes. This requires activities of Polycomb Group (PcG) and trithorax Group complexes, respectively responsible for repressive Histone 3 trimethylation at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) and activation-related H3K4me3. However, the genome-wide dynamics in histone modifications that occur during developmental processes have remained elusive. Here, we report the distributions of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 along with transcriptional changes, in a developmental series including Arabidopsis leaf and three stages of flower development. We found that chromatin mark levels are highly dynamic over the time series on nearly half of all Arabidopsis genes. Moreover, during early flower morphogenesis, changes in H3K4me3 prime over changes in H3K27me3 and quantitatively correlate with transcription changes, while H3K27me3 changes occur after prolonged expression changes. Notably, early activation of PcG target genes is dominated by increases in H3K4me3 while H3K27me3 remains present at the locus. Our results reveal H3K4me3 as greater predictor over H3K27me3 for transcription dynamics, unveil unexpected chromatin mechanisms at gene activation and underline the relevance of tissue-specific temporal epigenomics.

The effect of doublet state metalloradical complex in a solar cell inside the common active layer poly(3-hexylthiophene)/ [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PC60BM) is explored. In this work is demonstrated that the role of the Bis-[1,3-Bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dichloroimidazol-2-ylidene]palladium(I) hexafluoridophosphate dopant, [Pd(IPrCl)2][PF6], is crucial because, by having a stable unpaired electron in the molecule, it significantly improves the optoelectronic performance of the devices. We found the optimal concentration of this molecule in the active layer, and we demonstrated that the presence of this additive in the active layer helps to significantly improve the morphology of the device. The improvements in optoelectronic and morphological parameters are associated with a remarkable increase of photocurrent generation due to more favourable mechanisms of charge separation at the donor/acceptor (D/A) interfaces of the active layer and reduced recombinations. Moreover, the presence of this additive improves the stability of the unencapsulated solar cell against photochemical degradation produced by sunlight.

The wide circulation of conspiracy narratives and their frequent intertwining with populist rhetoric is both an element of concern and a topic of intense scientific and philosophical debate. The depth of the link between conspiracy theories and populism represents a crucial issue whose comprehension can facilitate understanding their specific nature and the factors behind their diffusion in public communication. To this end, it is necessary to cultivate an interdisciplinary approach and great critical attention, eschewing monocausal explanations. This paper addresses the question of the essentially political nature of conspiracism confronting the recent epistemological debate that, by putting the positivist paradigm aside, has sought to explore and understand the socio-cultural roots of conspiracy rhetoric, with its sceptical, antagonistic and hermetic traits. By integrating the reflections of epistemologists such as Cassam or Harris with the considerations of political scientists such as Taggart and with Schmitt's radical reflections on politics, it is perhaps possible to reintegrate the different approaches to populist conspiracism into an overall social genealogical perspective, thanks also to recent demographic elaborations. Thus, we could ascribe the spread of conspiracism to the prevalence in societies of a hyper-political discursive regime, i.e. founded on the principle of opposition, without the possibility of compromise, between different groups and interests. At the basis of such Manichaeism, it is plausible to place in the first place the growing inequalities and related social disintegration, which hinder the circulation of trust and recognition between individuals and groups, thus ending up undermining democracy at its roots, as a political system that legitimises and thus peacefully regulates conflict.

Composite membranes formed by sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) with embedded carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were used for detection and removal of heavy metal ions, such as lead and cadmium, from water. SPEEK is responsible for the capture of heavy metals based on the cation exchange mechanism, while CQDs detect their contamination by exhibiting changes in fluorescence. Water-insoluble “red” carbon quantum dots (rCQDs) were synthesized from p-phenylenediamine so that their photoluminescence was shifted from that of the polymer matrix. CQDs and the composites were characterized by several techniques: FTIR, Raman, UV/VIS, photoluminescence, XPS spectroscopies and AFM microscopy. The heavy metal ion concentration was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The concentration ranges were 10.8 - 0.1 mM for Pb2+ and 10.0 - 0.27 mM for Cd2+. The composite achieved 100% removal efficiency for lead and cadmium if the concentration was below a half of the ion exchange capacity of SPEEK. The regeneration of membranes in 1 M NaCl was also studied. SPEEK/rCQDs showed a turn-off effect more pronounced for lead. A second order law was effective to describe the kinetics of the process.

The Onion Route Network (also called TOR) is by far the most efficient and widely used anonymity platform with millions of users daily and an expanding size and capacities. Since its public deployment in 2002, the Onion Routing network (also known as TOR) has maintained its leading position and dozens of propositions aiming to improve its performance and enhance the security (anonymity and privacy) have been made. Given the significance of this research area, this work seek to contribute into the improvement of TOR by investigating and testing revolutionary cryptographic and routing mechanism. This work is justified by the current TOR vulnerability and observed weaknesses, and set the challenging aim of covering these security flaws by proposing the relevant security and performances improvement such as the authenticated-encryption for onion construction, the lightened onion encapsulation approach and the secured circuit selection and cell routing mechanisms. The obtained results from implementing the proposed improvements and testing them into a TOR-like simulation platform permit to validate not only, the performances and security contributions brought by the improvement, but also the suitability of their potential implementation into the real TOR network.

Dietary supplements are widely embraced by cancer patients seeking complementary and integrative approaches to their care. Unfortunately, many patients do not discuss supplement use with physicians, often due to perceptions of physician indifference or negativity toward supplements. This communication gap exposes patients to unreliable information sources and, potentially, unnecessary risk. As the healthcare landscape evolves, patients increasingly value physicians who recognize their pivotal role in shaping healthcare decisions. This patient-centered perspective emphasizes the provision of evidence-based information tailored to individual needs, open discussions on potential risks, and shared decision-making. It underscores the importance of respecting patient autonomy, offering alternative options, documenting preferences, and ensuring ongoing support while coordinating with the healthcare team. To address these needs, healthcare providers should transform their perspectives and become expert guides who embrace patients as informed, empowered participants. This approach prioritizes open dialogue that considers both facts and uncertainties regarding dietary supplement use, allowing for mutually informed decision-making. Here, we review the literature and present a practical approach emphasizing open discussions, transparency, and respect for patient autonomy. Following this approach, healthcare providers can empower patients to navigate the complexities of dietary supplement use in the context of cancer care, ultimately safeguarding patient safety and well-being.

In (Semigroup Forum 77: 325-338, 2008) Mahmoudi M. and Renshaw J. solved a study that covers of cyclic $S$-acts over monoids. This article is an attempt to initiate the covers of finitely generated $S$-acts. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for a monoid to have the properties that $n$-generated $S$-acts have strongly flat covers, Condition $(P)$ covers and projective covers. The main conclusions extend some known results. We show also that Condition $(P)$ covers of finitely generated $S$-acts are not unique, unlike the situation for strongly flat covers. Additionally, we demonstrate that the property of Enochs' $\mathcal{X}$-precover of $S$-act $A$, where $\mathcal{X}$ denotes a class of $S$-acts that are closed under isomorphisms.

This paper focuses on the highly radioactive, long-lasting nuclear waste produced by the currently operating fission reactors and on the way to deal with the sensitive issue of spent fuel reprocessing. The review includes a short description of the fission process and a detailed analysis of the more hazardous radioisotopes produced either by secondary reactions occurring in the nuclear installations or by decay of the fission fragments. Also outlined are the strategies presently adopted to minimize the harmfulness of the nuclear waste to be disposed and discussed advanced options and possible solutions proposed for the recycling of the used fuel and for the reusing of some technologicaly relevant radioisotopes.

In the brain, astrocytes regulate shape and functions of the synaptic and vascular compartments through a variety of released factors and membrane-bound proteins. An imbalanced astrocyte activity can therefore have drastic negative impacts on brain development, leading to the onset of severe pathologies. Clinical and pre-clinical studies show alterations in astrocyte cell number, morphology, molecular makeup and astrocyte-dependent processes in different affected brain regions in neurodevelopmental (ND) and neuropsychiatric (NP) disorders. Astrocytes proliferate, differentiate and mature during the critical period of early postnatal brain development, a time window of elevated glia-dependent regulation of a proper balance between synapse formation/elimination, which is pivotal in refining synaptic connectivity. Therefore, any intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors altering these processes during the critical period may result in an aberrant synaptic remodelling and onset of mental disorders. The peculiar bridging position of astrocytes between synaptic and vascular compartments further allows them to “compute” the brain state and consequently secrete factors in the bloodstream, which may serve as diagnostic biomarkers of distinct healthy or disease conditions.Here, we collect recent advancements regarding astrogenesis and astrocyte-mediated regulation of neuronal network remodelling during early postnatal critical periods of brain development, focusing on synapse elimination. We then propose alternative hypotheses for an involvement of aberrancies in these processes in the onset of ND and NP disorders. In light of the well-known differential prevalence of certain brain disorders between males and females, we also discuss putative sex-dependent influences on these neurodevelopmental events.From a translational perspective, understanding age- and sex-dependent astrocyte-specific molecular and functional changes may help to identify biomarkers of distinct cellular (dys)functions in health and disease, favouring the development of diagnostic tools or the selection of tailored treatment options for male/female patients.

The variability of ozone over Egypt has been studied in this work. Higher values of coefficient of variation (COV) at eight stations occur at winter while lowest values occur at summer. The COV is function of latitude in annual, winter and spring where it decreases gradually from the north to south of Egypt. The trend analysis of ozone over the eight stations indicates negative trends over northern stations for both annual and seasonal time series with the greatest one at winter. The horizontal distribution of ozone trend values is negative over all Egypt in winter while it positive over middle and south Egypt in the other seasons. The long-term variability of the behavior of the annual ozone shows positive trend values in ozone are the dominant features during the period 1979- 1989 at the most stations. Negative trend values in ozone are the dominant features during the period 1990- 2014 at all stations. The Mann–Kendall test confirms that there is an abrupt change towards decreasing of ozone occurs in 1981, 1984, 2012, 1999, 2000, 1998 and 2010, while a change towards increasing of ozone appears in 2006, 2014, 1993 and 1989.

Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometers (LPAS), which provide photoacoustic spectra for detecting food frauds or adulteration, and fluorescence-based systems for recognition of contamination by heavy metal ions in water are two important families of sensors for health and environmental purposes. Both sensor families require one or more low-frequency Lock-In Amplifiers (LIAs) to extract the signal of interest from background noise. In the cited applications, the required LIA frequency is quite low (up to 1kHz), and this leads to a simplification of the hardware with consequent good results in portability, economy, reduced size, weight and low-cost characteristics. The present system, called ENEA DSP Box Due, is based on a very inexpensive microcontroller proto-board and can replace four commercial LIAs, resulting in significant savings in both cost and space. Furthermore, it incorporates a dual-channel oscilloscope and a sinusoidal function generator. This article outlines the architecture of the ENEA DSP Box Due, its electrical characterization and its applications within a project concerning laser techniques for food and water safety.

As renewed interest in human space-exploration intensifies, a coherent and modernized strategy for mission-design and planning has become increasingly crucial. Biotechnology has emerged as a promising approach to increase mission resilience, flexibility, and efficiency by virtue of its ability to efficiently utilize in situ resources and reclaim resources from waste streams. Since its infancy during the Apollo years, biotechnology, and specifically biomanufacturing, have witnessed significant expansions of scope and scale. Here we outline four primary mission classes, on Luna and Mars, that drive a staged and accretive biomanufacturing strategy. Each class requires a unique approach to integrate biomanufacturing into the existing mission architecture and so faces unique challenges in technology development.These challenges stem directly from the resources available in a given mission class – the degree to which feedstocks are derived from cargo and in situ resources – and the degree to which loop-closure is necessary. We see that as mission duration and distance from Earth increase, the benefits of specialized sustainable biomanufacturing processes increases. Here we present a strategic approach, guided by technoeconomics, to development, testing, and deployment of these technologies serves to nucleate the larger effort of supporting a sustained human presence in space. The processes needed for each scenario spans the technical breadth of synthetic biology to design engineering, from sophisticated genetic tailoring of chassis-organisms to building scalable, automated, easily operable bioreactors and processing systems. As space-related technology development often does, these advancements are likely to have profound implications for the creation of a stable, resilient bioeconomy on Earth.

Recently, several research groups have reported on anomalous enhancement of the self-field critical currents, Ic(sf,T), at low temperatures in superconductor/Dirac-cone material/superconductor (S/DCM/S) junctions. Some papers attributed the enhancement to the low-energy Andreev bound states arising from winding of the electronic wave function around DCM. In this paper, Ic(sf,T) in S/DCM/S junctions have been analyzed by two approaches: modified Ambegaokar-Baratoff and ballistic Titov-Beenakker models. It is shown that the ballistic model is an inadequate tool to analyze experimental data from S/DCM/S junctions. The primary mechanism for limiting superconducting current in S/DCM/S junctions is different from the conventional view that the latter is the maximum value within the order parameter phase variation. Thus, there is a need to develop a new model for self-field critical currents in S/DCM/S systems.

Already more than 140 countries consider or have pledged to reach net-zero emission targets by 2050 or earlier and the share of global emissions falling into an emission pricing scheme has steeply increased over the past three years. Even where there are no direct implications for industry (yet), there is a series of subtle pressure points driving an increasing number of companies across the globe to work towards climate neutrality and pledging ambitious emission reduction goals. This article sheds light on the pressure points, the subtle triggers, the underlying considerations as well as the hoped-for benefits for industrial companies from achieving net-zero emissions. The observations and ideas presented in this paper are derived from quantitative data obtained via the Energy Efficiency Index of German Industry (EEI) and qualitative data. Not only societal, work force, supply chain and investor expectations play a large role, but also many strategic considerations which have the potential to make the company more resilient and profitable, particularly in time of crisis. Those companies that do not move towards decarbonisation, on the other hand, may face a costly late-mover disadvantage. This piece uncovers subtle interconnections, helping stakeholders from industry and beyond to grasp opportunities and challenges ahead.

We report a case of colloid carcinoma (CC) arising from an intestinal-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with high-grade dysplasia (IPMNHGD) of the pancreas, diagnosed with serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytological examination (SPACE). A rapidly growing intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in a 71-year-old Japanese man accelerated his hospitalization in our institute. Clinically, a large, ruptured pancreatic cyst was suspected. Cytologically, several mucin-positive signet-ring cells were scattered in the inflammatory, necrotic, or mucinous background. Signet-ring cells in cell block specimens were immunoreactive for MUC2, MUC5AC, maspin, S100P, and claudin-18. The final cytologic diagnosis was CC arising in an intestinal-type IPMNHGD with intraperitoneal penetration. The patient died two months postoperatively. The cytologic diagnosis was achieved through SPACE, and the presence of signet-ring cells was characteristic. Anti-claudin-18.2-specific monoclonal antibody therapy will likely be used to treat patients with IPMNHGD in the future. To our knowledge, this is the first report in English on mucin-positive signet-ring cells of CC arising in an intestinal-type IPMNHGD evaluated by SPACE cytology.

The gastrointestinal tract is inhabited by the gut microbiota. The main phyla are Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, now renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), an increase in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes abundance promotes its pathogenesis and evolution into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. For this reason, an early treatment is necessary to disfavor its progression. The aim of the present narrative review is to evaluate the different therapeutic approaches to MAFLD. The most important treatment for MAFLD is lifestyle changes. In this regard, the Mediterranean diet could be considered the gold standard in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD. In contrast, a Western diet should be discouraged. Probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation seem to be valid, safe, and effective alternatives for MAFLD treatment. However, more studies with a longer follow up and with a larger cohort of patients are needed to underline the more effective ap-proaches to contrasting MAFLD.

Four new zoonotic coronaviruses outbreak occurred in the past two decades. The first coronavirus outbreak happened in 2003 and was named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1), followed by Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2013, and by Swine Acute Diarrhoea Syndrome (SADS) in 2017. In late December 2019, a patient from Wuhan Seafood Wholesale Market, China, was admitted to Huang's hospital with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of apparently unknown etiology, which later was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2-induced coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 was identified from another clade within the subgenus Sarbecovirus of the genus Betacoronavirus. This new CoV variant showed 96.2% similarity at whole-genome level to bat coronavirus. Based on genetic studies, pangolin, bats, and snakes are suspected to be a possible intermediate host of this virus, but further research is in progress to determine how this virus appeared and what is the exact source of infection. The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has higher transmissibility, contagiosity and pathogenicity compared to that of SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. SARS-CoV-2 swiftly spread from continent to continent and is persistently causing a shocking global public health concern albeit the rate of infected cases and mortality is relatively decreasing over time. In this review, we provide an update on the origin, transmissibility, etiology, epidemiology, and evolution of COVID-19. We also highlight the current diagnostics, therapies, and prognostics for SARS-CoV-2. Eventually, we report and provide our humble opinion about the preventive strategies to control the ongoing related pandemic situation at global and individual levels, considering the international public health emergency and possible future epidemics and pandemics.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a representative malignant brain tumor characterized by a dismal prognosis, with survival rates of less than 2 years and high recurrence rates. Despite surgical resection and several alternative treatments, GBM remains a refractory disease due to its aggressive invasiveness and resistance to anticancer therapy. In this report, we explore the role of fibronectin type III domain containing 3B (FNDC3B) and its potential as a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker in GBM. GBM exhibited a significantly higher cancer-to-normal ratio compared to other organs, and patients with high FNDC3B expression had a poor prognosis (p < 0.01). In vitro studies revealed that silencing FNDC3B significantly reduced the expression of Survivin, an apoptosis inhibitor, and also reduced cell migration, invasion, extracellular matrix adhesion ability, and stem cell properties in GBM cells. Furthermore, we identified that FNDC3B regulates PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling in GBM cells using MetaCore integrated pathway bioinformatics analysis and a proteome profiler phospho-kinase array with sequential western blot analysis. Collectively, our findings suggest FNDC3B as a potential biomarker for predicting GBM patient survival and for the development of treatment strategies for GBM.

A comprehensive kinetic model of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is developed in a fixed bed reactor under operating conditions (temperature, 230–235°C, pressure, 20–25 bar, gas hourly space velocity, 4000–5000 cm³(STP)/h/g_catalyst ,H₂/CO feed molar ratio, 2.1) over a Co based catalyst. Reaction rate equations based on Eley-Rideal (ER) type model for initiation step and Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) type model for propagation and termination steps of the FTS reactions have been considered and the readsorption of olefins were taken into account. The model that was reported in the literature was modified in order to explain many significant deviations from the ASF distribution. Optimum parameters have been obtained by Genetic Algorithms (GA). The calculated activation energies to produce n-paraffins and 1-olefins were in the range of 82.24 to 90.68 kJ/mol and 100.66 to 105.24 kJ/mol, respectively. The hydrocarbon distribution in FTS reactions was satisfactorily predicted particularly for paraffins.

Demand for environmentally friendly types of energy is growing all over the world, which naturally increases the intensity of work on the production of hydrogen-containing fuel mixtures. Steam reforming of methanol is one of the most effective areas of research, as it is a process with low energy consumption. The results of steam reforming of methanol on the catalysts prepared by solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and impregnation by moisture capacity are presented. Investigation of the activity of Cu-Ce-Al catalysts of different composition was carried out for production of hydrogen and comparison of SCS with traditional impregnation method. Methanol conversion reaches 99%, while the selectivity of H2 was 88%, at 500 °C. It was found that CuAl2O4 spinel formation is due to substitution of Al3+ with Cu2+ Ce3+ cations. A consequence CuAl2O4 and CeAlO3 lattice parameters increase because of difference in ionic radius of Al3+ (0.53 Å) and Cu2+ (0.73 Å), Ce3+ (1.07 Å). Advantages of SCS catalysts in steam reforming of methanol were shown. The aim of this research is to develop a new catalyst for conversion of methanol into hydrogen containing fuel mixtures, which will further promote the organization of a new era of environmentally friendly energy-saving production methods.

Background The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship structure of quality of life (QOL) in survivors of breast cancer, including difficulty in daily life and negative experience as health-related indicators. Methods Participants were survivors of breast cancer for more than 2 years after primary breast cancer surgery and belonged to self-help groups. The assessment used FACT-B (QOL), HADS (anxiety and depression), SOC (sense of coherence), WHODAS 2.0 (difficulties in daily life), and CAOD (negative experiences). Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) was performed to analyze the hypothesized model. If the causal model was significant, multiplication of the path coefficient from anxiety and depression to QOL, and from SOC to anxiety and depression, was considered a direct effect on QOL, and from SOC to difficulty in daily life, from difficulty in daily life to negative experiences, and from negative experiences to anxiety and depression were considered indirect effects on QOL. Results Goodness of fit of the model in the BSEM was satisfactory. The direct effect was 0.274, and indirect effect was 0.163. Conclusions These direct and indirect approaches to difficulties in daily life are very significant because they can provide a basis for development of support strategies to increase QOL.

Dissimilar welds between ferritic and austenitic steels represent a good solution for exploiting the best performance of stainless steels at high and low temperatures and in aggressive environments, while minimizing costs. Therefore, they are widely used in nuclear and petrochemical plants, however, due to the different properties of the steels involved, the welding process can be challenging. Fusion welding can be specifically addressed to connect low-carbon, or low-alloy steels, with high-alloy steels, which have similar melting point. Welding of thick plates can be performed with electric arc in multiple passes or in a single pass by means of a laser beam equipment. Since microstructure and consequently mechanical properties of the weld are closely related to composition, the choice of the filler metal and processing parameters, which in turn affects the dilution rate, plays a fundamental role. Numerous technical solutions were proposed for welding dissimilar steels and much research was developed on the weldment metallurgy; therefore, this article is aimed at a review of the most recent scientific literature on the issues relating to the fusion welding of ferritic / austenitic steels. Two specific sections are dedicated respectively to electric arc and laser beam welding; finally, metallurgical issues, related to dilution and thermal field are debated in the discussion section.

Climate change is challenging the agricultural sector worldwide. The pressure exerted by the altered thermal conditions drives the zonal shift for various cultivations. This study presents the multiyear analysis of the Growing Degree Days (GDD) index over the Northern Mediterranean Basin (NMB), focused on the high-value vine cultivation derived from the E-OBS dataset. To handle this extensive environmental dataset, R-language scripts and packages were applied, along with the capabilities of the GIS software. The investigated time period spans from 1969 to 2018, and the performed analysis indicates a broad shift/expansion in areas of GDD exceeding 2000 heat units. The extracted results specify the viticultural areas where the GDD index surpasses the suitable values for vine cultivation, owing to the increase of the thermal stress risk. In addition to mapping areas with GDD ≥ 2000, spatial calculations of the surface of areas meeting this criterion per country in the study area were made. In the northern parts of the NMB, the rise of the GDD index values indicates the establishment of vine plantations in the future.

Thermaikos Gulf (TG) is a semi-enclosed, river-influenced, marine system situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, sustaining both urban coastal regions and ecologically preserved natural areas. Facing a plethora of environmental and anthropogenic pressures, the TG serves as a critical nexus where human activities intersect with marine ecosystems. The second largest city of Greece, Thessaloniki, is located in the northern part of the gulf, while a large environmentally protected zone with multiple river deltas is lying along its western coasts. The quality and health of the TG’s marine environment are tightly linked to the socioeconomic activities of the coastal communities comprising approximately 1.5 million inhabitants. The main features of TG’s environmental dynamics and ecological status have been scrutinized by dedicated research endeavours during the last 50 years. This review synthesizes the seminal findings of these investigations, offering an evaluation of their contribution to research, their present collective impact, and their trajectory toward the future. A severe deterioration of the TG’s environmental quality was detected in the 1970s and 1980s when treatment of urban wastewater was completely absent. A steady trend of recovery was observed after the 1990s, however without achieving, so far, the goal of a “good environmental state”, mandated by national legislation and European directives. The most important research gaps and uncertainties are also discussed and specific recommendations for the improvement of monitoring and understanding about the physical, biochemical, and ecological state of the gulf are provided. The most significant discrepancy is related to the fragmentary monitoring of the TG in both space (partial coverage) and time (temporal gaps), which has been intensified after 2010 due to the reduced funding for environmental research and protection under the severe Greek economic recession. This review aspires to highlight the importance of bolstering monitoring initiatives that can provide continuous observations and further understanding on the TG's ecological and physicochemical conditions. Targeted recommendations, aimed at ameliorating the fragmented monitoring processes, are also provided, advocating for a holistic approach that can safeguard the ecological integrity of the Thermaikos Gulf and uphold its role as a crucial link to marine biodiversity and sustainability in the Mediterranean basin.

Snow cover products are primarily derived from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) datasets. MODIS achieves both snow/non-snow discrimination and snow cover fractional retrieval, while early AVHRR-based snow cover products only focused on snow/non-snow discrimination. The AVHRR Climate Data Record (AVHRR -CDR) provides a nearly 40-year global dataset that has a potential to fill a gap in long term snow cover fractional monitoring. Our study selects the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as the experimental area, utilizing AVHRR-CDR surface reflectance data (AVH09C1) and calibrating with MODIS snow product MOD10A1. The snow cover percentage retrieval from the AVHRR dataset is performed using Surface reflectance at 0.64μm (SR1) and Surface reflectance at 0.86μm (SR2), along with a simulated Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) model. Also, in order to detect the effects of land cover type and topography on snow inversion, we tested the accuracy of the algorithm with and without these influences, respectively (vanilla algorithm & improved algorithm). The accuracy of the AVHRR snow cover percentage data product is evaluated using MOD10A1、 ground snow-depth measurements and ERA5. Results indicate that the logic model based on NDSI has the best fitting effect, with R-square and RMSE values of 0.83 and 0.10, respectively. Meanwhile, the accuracy was improved after taking into account the effects of land cover type and topography. The model is validated using MOD10A1 snow-covered areas, showing snow cover area differences of less than 4% across 6 temporal phases. Improved algorithm results in better consistency with MOD10A1 than vanilla algorithm. Moreover, the RMSE reaches greater levels when the elevation is below 2,000 meters or above 6,000 meters, and is lower when the slope is between 16° and 20°. Using ground snow-depth measurements as ground truth, the multi-year recall rates are mostly above 0.7, with an average recall rate of 0.81. Results also show a high degree of consistency with ERA5. The validation results demonstrate that the AVHRR snow cover percentage remote sensing product proposed in this study exhibits high accuracy in the Tibetan Plateau region, also demonstrating that land cover type and topographic factors are important to the algorithm. Our study lays the foundation for the global snow cover percentage product based on AVHRR-CDR，furthermore lays a basic work for generating a long-term AVHRR-MODIS fractional snow cover dataset.

The mortality of birds resulting from collisions and electrocutions with overhead lines, such as power lines, and phone line among others, has been implicated in the decline of various avian species globally. Specifically, overhead line collisions pose a significant threat to the conserva-tion of the Canarian houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae), an endangered sub-species endemic to the Canary Islands. This study centres on the postmortem findings of Canarian houbara bustards that have collided with overhead lines, providing insights into the post-collision outcomes for these birds. A com-plete standardized necropsy of nine Canarian houbara bustards revealed that polytrauma was the cause of death in all cases. The most notable gross lesions associated with trauma included bone fractures, soft tissue lacerations, haemorrhages, luxations, and hemocoelom, with certain body regions being more frequently affected. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and en-tomology analysis confirmed that numerous birds survived the initial trauma, exhibiting varia-ble survival intervals before succumbing to their injuries. We concluded that when a houbara bustard collide with an overhead line it frequently survives the initial trauma. The histopathology, immunohistochemistry, or entomologic analysis may be helpful to approximate the timing interval between trauma and death.

This article develops a multi-perspective view on motivations and methods for tobamovirus purification through the ages, and presents a novel efficient, easy-to-use approach that can be well-adapted to different species of native and functionalized virions. We survey the various driving forces prompting researchers to enrich tobamoviruses: from the search for the causative agents of mosaic diseases in plants to their increasing recognition as versatile nanocarriers in biomedical and engineering applications. Best practice and also rarely applied options for the serial processing steps required for successful isolation of tobamoviruses are then reviewed. Adaptations for distinct particle species, pitfalls and 'forgotten' or underrepresented technologies are considered as well. The article is topped off with our own development of a method for virion preparation, rooted in historical protocols. It combines selective re-solubilization of polyethylene glycol (PEG) virion raw precipitates with density step gradient centrifugation in biocompatible iodixanol formulations, yielding ready-to-use particle suspensions. This newly established protocol and some considerations for perhaps worthwile further developments could serve as putative stepping stones towards preparation procedures appropriate for routine practical uses of the multivalent soft-matter nanorods.

This paper introduces a three-layer system, proposing a comprehensive model of granular mixture transport over a mobile sloped bed in a steady flow. This system, consisting of the bottom, contact and upper zones, provides complete, continuous sediment velocity and concentration vertical profiles. The model considers gravity’s effect on sediment transport in the bottom (dense) layer, a crucial factor often overlooked in previous studies. The induced movement in the mobile sublayer of the dense layer causes an increase in velocity at the upper boundary of this layer, significantly affecting the vertical distributions of velocity and concentration above this layer. We described the interactions between fractions and an intensive sediment mixing and sorting process in the contact layer. The proposed shear variation, with an increase in its maximum value at the bed, adds to the novelty of our approach. The data sets used for the model’s validation cover various conditions, including slopes, grain diameters, densities and grain mobility conditions, from incipient motion to a fully mobilised bed. This extensive validation process instils confidence in the theoretical description and its applicability to real-world scenarios.

As a representative of Exponential Organizations, MI went from obscurity to the Fortune 500 in just ten years. Mi's success is inextricably linked to its outstanding business model. This paper summarizes the elements of MI's business model from four perspectives: value proposition, value creation, value delivery, and value capture, as well as its measures for developing into an exponential organization. Expecting to provide theoretical references for the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing organizations.

Ocean wave energy conversion as one of the renewable clean energy sources is attracting the research interests of many people. This review introduces different types of power take-off technology of wave energy converters. The main focus is the linear direct drive power take-off devices as they have the advantages for ocean wave energy conversion. The designs and optimizations of power take-off systems of ocean wave energy converters have been studied from reviewing the recently published literature. Also, the simple hydrodynamics of wave energy converters have been reviewed for design optimization of the wave energy converters at specific wave sites. The novel mechanical designs of the power take-off systems have been compared and investigated in order to increase the energy harvesting efficiency.

The use of optical fibers is increasing in modern aircraft because it helps solve challenges of size, weight, communication, and reliability in new aircraft generation. This work describes a video and power transmission system using optical fibers (PoF) for in-flight entertainment (IFE) system application. We present the benefits and the limitations of this application, and we perform two practical experiments to demonstrate their performance. It used off-the-shelf devices in the experiments, such as one 15-W semiconductor laser operating at 808 nm, GaAs photovoltaic converters, optical transmitters and receivers, and video monitors. The power and video signals were transmitted using two 50-m multimode fibers. In addition, we proposed and tested two types of energy transformation units (ETU), which are responsible for supplying electrical energy to the IFE video monitor and the optical fiber receiver.

Long term Precipitation and temperature variations are one of the main determinants of climate variability of one’s area. The aim of this study is to determine trends variation in climatic elements of temperature and precipitation in the southern zone of Tigray regional state, Ethiopia. The station is assumed for the study of climatic records over southern zone of the region in detection for probable trends. The daily, monthly and annual precipitation totals and temperature observed at korem meteorological station were used for the period of 1981-2010 for Precipitation and 1985 – 2010 for minimum and maximum temperature. Summary of descriptive statistics and Mann Kendall test methods were employed for the observed data analysis to demonstrate any existence of possible trends. The main findings of the study indicated that the mean and maximum temperature had a general increasing trend; however, minimum temperature showed decreasing trend. In general annual temperature from 1985 – 2010 of the area showed a warming trend. Moreover analysis of the 30 years (1981-2010) annual precipitation showed a coefficient of variation ranging from 33.77 – 233 %. It indicated that the precipitation dissemination is not normal with large year to year variances.

Following the first triple-drug MDA for lymphatic filariasis in Samoa in 2018, unexpected persistence of Mf-positivity in 18 (15%) of 121 antigen-positive persons was observed in a nationwide household survey 1-2 months later, raising concerns about MDA efficacy. In 2019, a monitored treatment study was done before and 7 days after directly observed weight-based treatment. Mf presence and density were evaluated using 1 mL membrane filtered venous blood, and 60uL thick blood films on slides prepared from venous or fingerprick blood. All 14 participants were still Mf positive on filters from venous blood pre-treatment samples, but two were negative by slide made from the same samples. Mf were cleared completely by day 7 in 12 of 13 participants followed up, and by day 30 in the remaining participant. Filtered blood using EDTA samples (to reduce clumping of Mf) is preferred over slides alone for improving the likelihood of detecting Mf and estimating their density. The triple-drug MDA strategy was effective at clearing Mf by day 30 when given and taken at the correct dose.

The accuracy of cosmic ray observation by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory Wide Field-of-view Cherenkov/fluorescence Telescope Array (LHAASO-WFCTA) is influenced by variations in aerosols in the atmosphere. The solar photometer (CE318-T) is extensively utilized within the Aerosol Robotic Network as a highly precise and reliable instrument for aerosol measurements. With this CE318-T 23, 254 sets of valid data samples in 394 days from October 2020 to October 2022 at the LHAASO site were obtained. Data analysis revealed that the baseline Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and A˚ngstro¨m Exponent (AE) at 440-870 nm (AE440−870nm) of the aerosols were calculated to be 0.03 and 1.07, respectively, suggesting that the LHAASO site is among the most pristine regions on Earth. The seasonality of the mean AOD are the order of spring &gt; summer &gt; autumn = winter. The monthly average maximum of AOD440nm occurred in April (0.11 ± 0.05) and the minimum was in December (0.03 ± 0.01). The monthly average of AE440−870nm exhibited slight variations. The seasonal characterization of aerosol types indicated that clean continental background aerosol predominated in autumn and winter, which is the optimal period for the absolute calibration of the WFCTA. Additionally, the diurnal daytime variations of AOD and AE across the four seasons are presented. Our analysis also indicates that the potential origins of aerosol over the LHAASO in four seasons were different and the atmospheric aerosols with higher AOD probably originate mainly from Northern Myanmar and Northeast India region. These results provide a baseline for comparison to the future on-site measurement of extinction coefficient profile and aerosol phase function by LHAASO-WFCTA, also enrich the valuable materials on aerosol observation in the Hengduan Mountains and Tibetan Plateau.

In view of the inability to directly and accurately obtain the athlete's aerodynamic force during take-off phase through wind tunnel test, the athlete's aerodynamic force and surrounding flow field form under different take-off postures are obtained through numerical simulation research, and the effects of different take-off modes on the aerodynamic characteristics during take-off in ski jumping are discussed. The multi-body system composed of the athlete and skis was selected as the research objects. By using partially averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) turbulence model and 3D numerical simulation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the aerodynamic characteristics of the athlete under different take-off postures were predicted. Take-off modes include knee-push-hip (KPH) mode and hip-drive-knee (HDK) mode, and the hip joint angle of HDK mode is significantly greater than KPH mode. First, the aerodynamic force ratio of the athlete’s torso and legs is obviously large. Although the aerodynamic force of arms themselves is not obvious, they have a great impact on the overall aerodynamic characteristics of the athlete, so the posture of arms cannot be ignored. Then, the total drag and moment of HDK mode are significantly higher than that of KPH mode, and the lift-to-drag ratio of HDK mode is significantly lower than that of KPH mode. At first the total lift of HDK mode is higher than that of KPH mode, but in the last attitude the total lift of HDK mode does not rise but fall, and finally the total lift of HDK mode is lower than KPH mode. The aerodynamic characteristics change dramatically during take-off phase, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the two take-off modes are quite different, and these changes and differences are difficult to be observed in real training and competition site. KPH mode has obvious aerodynamic advantage over HDK mode. During the take-off process, the athlete should increasethe force generated by the knee joint extension and appropriately reduce the speed of hip joint extension, and control the using force order of the lower limb joints, and push hip joint extension by knee joint extension, in order to avoid issues such as the hip joint angle is too large, the hip joint extension angle is too fast, the center of gravity is to back and other problems. Studying the aerodynamic characteristics during the take-off phase provides valuable insights for athletes to achieve favorable flight postures after take-off, offering scientific guidance to improve training strategies and enhance competitive performance.

Soils are an important COS sink. However they can also act as sources of COS to the atmosphere. Here we demonstrate that variability in the soil COS sink and source strength is strongly linked to available soil inorganic nitrogen (N) content across a diverse range of biomes in Europe. We revealed in controlled laboratory experiments that N fertilisation simultaneously decreases the COS sink strength of soils while increasing the COS production rate. Furthermore, we found strong links between variations in the two gross COS fluxes, microbial biomass and nitrate and ammonium contents, providing new insights into the mechanisms involved. Our findings provide evidence for how soil-atmosphere exchange of COS is likely to vary spatially and temporally, a necessary step for constraining the role of soils and land use in the COS mass budget.

The impact of interaction SS with MJO on rainfall along Java Island to East Nusa Tenggara has been studied using daily rainfall observation data from 2140 weather observation stations, which are also equipped with GSMaP, OLR, and ERA5 data. There were 61 SS events found, 17 during active MJO and 44 in inactive MJO. Rainfall increases more in the western study area when the active MJO and more in the eastern study area when the inactive MJO is due to SS. SS reduces rainfall in the Jakarta region, regardless of the activity or inactivity of the MJO. SS causes extreme rainfall to only occur in a small part of certain areas, so it tends to significantly reduce the possibility of extreme rainfall. In the southern part of the IMC, SS predominates over MJO in supporting increased water vapor transport. Large-scale synoptic circulations like the monsoon, SS, and MJO can interact with local land-sea wind circulation to produce spatiotemporal variability in rainfall on Java Island. Rainfall mostly increases in the afternoon and decreases in the morning when SS occurs, whether there is MJO or not. Convective instability analysis indicates that SS increases precipitation, most likely by lowering CIN and raising VIMFC.

Varunaivibrio sulfuroxidans type strain TC8T is a mesophilic, facultatively anaerobic, facultatively chemolithoautotrophic alphaproteobacterium, isolated from a sulfidic shallow-water marine gas vent located at Tor Caldara, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. V. sulfuroxidans belongs to the family Thalassospiraceae within the Alphaproteobacteria, with Magnetovibrio blakemorei as its closest relative. The genome of V. sulfuroxidans encodes the genes involved in sulfur, thiosulfate and sulfide oxidation, as well as nitrate and oxygen respiration. The genome encodes the genes involved in carbon fixation via Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, in addition to genes involved in glycolysis and TCA cycle, indicating a mixotrophic lifestyle. Genes involved in the detoxification of mercury and arsenate are also present. The genome also encodes a complete flagellar complex, one intact prophage and one CRISPR, as well as a putative DNA uptake mechanism mediated by the type IVc (aka Tad pilus) secretion system. Overall, the genome of Varunaivibrio sulfuroxidans indicates that the bacterium is metabolically versatile and well-adapted to the dynamic environmental conditions of sulfidic gas vents.

Observations of the X-ray binary system Her X-1 by the AstroSat Soft X-ray Telescope 1 (SXT) were carried out in 2020 through 2023 with the goals of measuring X-ray spectrum changes with the 35-day disk rotation phase and measuring eclipses at different 35-day phases. The four multi-day long observations were scheduled during: turn-on to Main High (MH) and MH rise; MH state; Short High (SH) state; and Low State (LS). 35-day phase was determined using monitoring observations with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). Nine eclipses were observed at a range of 35-day phases, with at least one eclipse during each observation. Data with dips were separated from data without dips. The variation of X-ray spectral parameters vs. 35-day phase shows the following: eclipse parameters are nearly constant, showing that the scattering corona does not change with 35-day phase; dips show an increase in covering fraction but not column density compared to non-dip data; the 1 keV line normalization indicates an origin in a small region near the continuum emission region, likely the magnetospheric accretion flow from the inner disk onto the neutron star; and the change in blackbody normalization (area) shows that the emission region is much larger than the 1 keV emission region, and consistent with the inner edge of the accretion disk.

Vaccines decrease morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, their benefits depend on public response. During COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy and refusal were rampant, threatening public health. A thorough understand-ing of opponents' arguments is required to address the diffusion of unreliable information on social media and prevent vaccine hesitancy from developing into vaccine refusal. Accordingly, the article examines vac-cine opponents' justifications on social media. Textual content analysis of reader comments on three health-related Israeli Facebook pages was conducted. Data collection encompassed the Israeli COVID-19 vaccination period from October 2020 to May 2022. The comments were analyzed according to the health beliefs model (HBM). We found that vaccine opponents were characterized by low perceptions of the severity of the disease combined with high perceptions of the damages of the vaccine; low perceived benefits of vac-cine compliance; vaccine hesitancy and fear along with public distrust as barriers to change; and call for ac-tion to resist the vaccine and spread related anti-establishment views on the web. As vaccination hesitancy was found to develop into public distrust in the state systems and escalate into conspiracy beliefs and an-ti-vaccination activism, its early detection may prevent future vaccine resistance.

Bio-absorbable stents are a novel tool which relieve stenosis and then resorb as the patient grows, avoiding obligatory re-intervention. This case describes the novel use of an iron bio-absorbable stent in a child with surgically repaired Tetralogy of Fallot who post-operatively developed a severely stenotic right ventricular outflow tract.

The vacuolar proton translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) is a transmembrane multi-protein complex fundamental in maintaining a normal intracellular pH. In the tumoral contest, its role is crucial since the metabolism is mainly based on anaerobic glycolytic reactions. Moreover, the neoplastic cells use the V-ATPase to extrude chemotherapy drugs to the extra-cellular compartment, as a drug-resistance mechanism. In glioblastoma (GBM), the most malignant and incurable primary brain tumor, the expression of this pump is upregulated, making it a new possible therapeutic target. In this work, the bafilomycin A1 induced-inhibition of V-ATPase in patients-derived glioma stem cell (GSC) lines was evaluated together with temozolomide, the first-line line therapy against GBM. In contrast with previous published data, the proposed treatment did not overcome the resistance to the standard therapy. In addition, our data showed that nanomolar dosages of bafilomycin A1 lead to the blockage of the autophagy process and cellular necrosis, making the drug unusable in models that are more complex. Nevertheless, the increased expression of V-ATPase following bafilomycin A1 suggests a critical role of the proton pump in GBM stem component, encouraging the search for novel strategies to limit its activity in order to get around the resistance to the conventional therapy.

When profit-driven renewal is difficult to implement, many historic districts are “frozen protected” in China. In the social context of “building cities for the people” in recent years, the public value-oriented renewal of urban historic areas plays an important role in the transformation of cities. This study investigates the strategies of historic district regeneration in China by integrating spatial form, urban governance, and public value. We propose a novel framework to analyze the regeneration of historic districts, using Taiyuan Bell Tower Street as a case study. The framework distinguishes between two dimensions: spatial and economic-social. In the spatial dimension, we focus on the transformation of spatial form to regenerate public value, emphasizing the attribute of "publicness" as central to urban regeneration efforts. This involves a tiered approach of excavating and upgrading historic districts at macro, meso, and micro levels. In the economic-social dimension, we explore urban governance to strengthen public value, involving government, market, and societal actors in a collaborative renewal process. The analysis highlights that a public value-oriented approach to heritage regeneration offers greater sustainability and could serve as a model for other cities seeking similar outcomes.

The availability of multi-rotor UAVs with lifting capacities of several kilograms, allows for a new paradigm in atmospheric measurement techniques, i.e. the integration of research-grade sonic anemometers for airborne turbulence measurements. With their ability to hover and move very slowly, this approach yields an unrevealed flexibility compared to mast-based sonic anemometers, for a wide range of boundary layer investigations that require an accurate characterization of the turbulent flow. For an optimized sensor placement, potential disturbances by the propeller-induced flow (PIF), as well as the potential impact of the sensor weight and angular momentum on the flight performance in the case of a boom-mounted sensor, have to be considered.

Diagnosing cervical foraminal stenosis with intermittent arm radiculopathy is chal-lenging due to discrepancies between MRI findings and symptoms. This can be attributed to the fact that MRI images are often obtained in a relaxed supine position. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of the Dynamic MRI Compression System (DMRICS) and to assess possible changes in cervical foramina, with both quantitative measurements and qualitative grading systems, with MRI during a simulated Spurling test. Ten patients (5 women and 5 men, ages 29-45) with previously confirmed cervical foraminal stenosis underwent MRI scans using DMRICS. MRIs were acquired in both relaxed and provoked states. A radiologist assessed 30 foramina (C4-C7) on the symptomatic side in both patient positions. Quantitative and qualitative measures were performed including the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the Park and Kim grading systems. The provoked state induced concordant neck and arm pain in 9 of 10 patients. Significant shifts in Park and Kim fo-raminal gradings were noted: 13 of 27 Park gradings and 9 of 27 Kim gradings escalated post-provocation. No quantitative changes were observed. This pilot study indicates that the DMRICS device has potential to improve diagnostic accuracy for cervical radicu-lopathy, demonstrating induced cervical foraminal changes during a simulated Spurling test while performing MRI.

Landslide risk mitigation is limited by data scarcity. This could be improved using continuous landslide detection systems. In order to investigate which image types and machine learning (ML) models are most useful for landslide detection in a Norwegian setting, we compared the performance of five different ML models, for the Jølster case study (30-July-2019), in Western Norway. These included three globally pre-trained models; i) the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) algorithm, ii) a combined k-means clustering and Random Forest classification model, and iii) a convolutional neural network (CNN), and two locally-trained models, including; iv) Classification and Regression Trees and v) a U-net CNN model. Images used included Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, digital elevation model (DEM) and slope. The globally-trained models performed poorly in shadowed areas, and were all outperformed by the locally-trained models. A maximum Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC) score of 89% was achieved with model v, using combined Sentinel-1 and -2 images as input. This is one of the first attempts to apply deep-learning to detect landslides with both Sentinel-1 and -2 images. Using Sentinel-1 images only, the locally-trained deep-learning model significantly outperformed the conventional ML model. These findings contribute towards developing a national continuous monitoring system for landslides.

In order to achieve global climate goals, it is necessary to estimate greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes from ecosystems. To obtain a comprehensive assessment of CO2, СН4, N2O natural fluxes for the Russian Federation we used the "bottom-up" method according to [1]. We updated estimates for forest ecosystems based on State Forest Inventory data and satellite monitoring of forest disturbances. For grassland ecosystems, it was based on the correct distribution of areas between steppe and non-steppe zones. The estimated net uptake of natural ecosystems of Russia was 1.1 ± 1.8 billion tons of CO2-eq./year. The study shows that if only CO2 is taken into account, the net absorption of terrestrial ecosystems in Russia corresponds to more than -2.5 billion tons of CO2 (35% of forests’ contribution). However, given the emissions of non-CO2 GHGs, total net absorption in Russia’s natural ecosystems is reduced to about -1 billion tons of CO2-eq (with the forests’ contribution increasing to 80%). With regard to anthropogenic fluxes, the overall balance of GHGs in Russia corresponds to net-emissions of 1 billion tons of CO2-eq/year into the atmosphere. To improve reporting under the Paris Agreement, countries should aim to include only anthropogenic ("manageable") GHG fluxes on managed land.

The concept of a black hole is examined through a historical lens, emphasizing the distinctions between its mathematical definition and the observed phenomena in the cosmos. An essential point of contention is highlighted, the challenge of reconciling the ultimate state of gravitational collapse, conceptualized as a black hole with its associated future event horizon, with the vast age of the universe as measured in cosmic time. The work delves into the evolution of black hole theories, tracing their development from the early mathematical solutions, such as the Schwarzschild solution, to the contemporary understanding shaped by contributions from Hawking and Penrose. The complex interplay between mathematical descriptions and observational realities is explored, shedding light on the difficulties inherent in merging theoretical concepts with astrophysical observations. A particular focus is placed on the discrepancy between the theoretical formation of a black hole and the seemingly infinite cosmic time required for the collapse process according to the seminal work of Oppenheimer and Snyder. This apparent incongruity raises questions about the nature of objects labeled as black holes in astrophysics and prompts a critical examination of how observational data align with theoretical predictions. In essence, this exploration underscores the need for a nuanced and critical analysis of the concept of black holes, considering the intricate interplay between theoretical constructs and empirical observations within the framework of General Relativity.

Although South Africa is well known for its incredible biodiversity, targeted efforts are still re-quired to accelerate the discovery and description of the still-unknown species in this floristically mega-diverse country. In addition, new species discovery is a new opportunity for the devel-opment of ethnobotanical knowledge. In the present study, we collected data on current knowledge of plant richness in the country and expert taxonomists’ opinions and used statistical modelling technique to predict what might still be missing in South Africa’s flora. According to experts’ opinions and our modelling, we might be missing 1400-1575 plant species in the country. We predicted that we might take 40-45 years to identify and describe these species and that be-tween 64 and 315 taxonomists will be required. The pool of taxonomists who took part in this study have spent a total of R 680 670 000 (US $40 039 411) to describe 419 species. This implies that, in theory, R 1 624 510.74 (US $95 559) was spent, on average, to describe 1 species. At this rate, R 2 558 604 415.00 (US $150 506 142) would be required to describe the 1575 (modelling) or R 2 274 315 036.00 (US $133 783 237) for the 1400 remaining species (expert opinion) in the current context where both full- and part-time taxonomists are committed to biodiversity assessment in the country. It is important to highlight that this estimate does not correspond to what is required specifically for only species description but does integrate all connected activities, e.g., running cost, bursary, salaries, grants, etc. Furthermore, we must bear in mind that these estimates do not account for the possibility of taxonomic revision which, on its own, needs to be funded, nor do they account for molecular laboratory requirement. However, if we consider that 15% of the predicted funds are spent solely on taxonomic activities, this means that we would need ~R243 673 (US$ 14 334) on 1 species. Overall, our study provides an important figure that can inform policy development including funding and recruitment strategies of taxonomists to fuel efforts towards a comprehensive assessment of the unique South Africa’s biodiversity. The implication of new species discovery is that it opens windows for traditional knowledge development.

Acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) are heterogeneous hematologic cancers that occur prevalently in older patients as the result of a complex pathobiology. The clinical outcomes of older patients with AML, often unsuitable for intensive chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, are generally disappointing. However, recent advances in understanding molecular pathogenesis and other biological mechanisms recognized in AML development and progression have changed the treatment approach, especially for this particularly vulnerable category of patients. Indeed, non-intensive biologically tailored approaches, such as combining venetoclax with hypomethylating agents, have changed the therapeutic paradigm in this field. Moreover, other promising compounds and treatment strategies are currently under advanced clinical development. This article delves into the latest biological understanding and therapeutic advances in the clinical management of older AML patients into new conceptual frameworks that progressively transform the clinical practice in this challenging setting.

It is well established that the reaction cycles involving some halogenated alkanes (so-called ozone-depleting substances, ODS) contribute to the depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, thus causing the Montreal Protocol (initially signed in 1987) and later amendments. The Protocol called for the scheduled phase-out of ODS, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrochloro-fluorocarbons (HCFC), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), halon, methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3), me-thyl chloride (CH3Cl), and even hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). In view of the urgent importance of ozone layer protection to the globally ecological environment, the Taiwan government took regulatory actions on reducing ODS consumption since 1993 by the joint-venture of the central competent authorities. Under the regulatory requirements and the industry’s efforts by adopt-ing the alternatives to ODS and abatement technologies, the phase-out of some ODS (i.e., CFC, CCl4, halon, and CH3CCl3) have been achieved prior to 2010. The consumptions of HCFCs and methyl chloride have been significantly declined over the past three decades (1993-2022). However, HFC emission indicated a V-type variation during the period. Due to the local pro-duction and extensive use of HFC in Taiwan, its emissions increased from 663 kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) in 1993 to 2,330 kilotons of CO2eq in 2001, and then decreased to 373 kilotons of CO2eq in 2011. Since then, the emissions of HFC largely used as the alternatives to ODS showed an upward trend, increasing to 1,555 kilotons of CO2eq in 2022. To be in compliance with the Kigali Amendment (KA-2015) to the Montreal Protocol for mitigating global warming, the Taiwan government has taken regulatory actions in reducing the consumption of some HFC substances with high global warming potential (GWP) under the authorization of the Climate Change Response Act in 2023, aiming at the baseline consumption in 2024 by 80 % reduction by 2045.

Unquestionably the rapidly changing climate and, therefore, alterations in the associated bioclimate, constitute an alarming reality with implications in daily practice and natural capital management. In this research the present and projected bioclimate evolution over the phytogeographical regions of Greece is displayed. For this purpose, ultrahigh-resolution computation results on the spatial distribution of the Emberger index’s Q2 classes of bioclimatic characterisation are analysed and illustrated for the first time. The assessments are performed over the reference period (1970–2000) and two future time frames (2021–2040; 2041–2060) under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. By 2060 and under the extreme RCP8.5, intense xerothermic trends are demonstrated owing to the resulting significant spatial evolution mainly of the Arid-Hot, Semi-Arid-Very Hot, Semi-Arid-Hot and Semi-Arid-Temperate Q2 classes, respectively, over the phytogeographical regions of Kiklades (up to 29% occupation), Kriti and Karpathos (up to 30%), West Aegean Islands (up to 26%), North East (up to 56%)–North Central (up to 31%). The RCP8.5 long-term period exhibits the strongest impacts over approximately the right half of the Greek territory the bioclimate of which appears as more dry-thermal in the future.

With increasing air and sea temperatures, the thermodynamic environments over the oceans become more favourable for the development of intense tropical cyclones (TCs) with rapid intensification (RI). In fact, the number of TCs undergoing RI is rising (Zhao, et al., 2018; Bhatia, et al., 2019; Song, et al., 2020; Hong & Wu, 2021; Liu, et al., 2022). RI over coastal sea areas before landfalling is particularly impactful and threatening to coastal lives and properties. There have been studies showing that offshore areas within 400 km of the coastline have experienced a significant increase in RI events with the count tripling from 1980 to 2020 (Li et al., 2023). The south China coastal region consists of highly densely populated cities especially the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Intense TCs maintaining its strength or RI of TCs close to the coastal region presents substantial forecasting challenges. This study investigates the effect of sea surface and subsurface temperature and salinity on the intensification of five TCs, namely Super Typhoons Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018, Typhoon Talim, Super Typhoon Saola and Severe Typhoon Koinu in 2023, which significantly affected the south China coastal region and triggered high TC warning signals in Hong Kong. The analysis utilized the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) TC track and intensity data, along with the sea temperature and salinity profiles generated using the China Ocean ReAnalysis version 2 (CORA2) of the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS) of China. While high sea surface temperature (SST) of 30°C or above, low surface sea surface salinity (SSS) of 34 psu or below, and strong salinity stratification of at least 0.8 psu per 100 m depth may offer useful hints for predicting RI, they are part of a broader set of contributing factors. This study represents the initial documentation of sub-surface salinity's impact on intense TCs over the South China Sea (SCS) in recent years and will encourage further research to refine forecasting RI of TCs before making landfall near PRD taking into account the effect of freshwater from the Pearl River.

Introduction: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical disc herniation (CDH) is commonly performed. Specific postoperative complications include dysphagia, dysphonia, cervicalgia, adjacent segment disorder, cage subsidence, and infections. However, interscapular pain is commonly reported by these patients after surgery, although its mechanisms have been not clarified yet. Methods: This retrospective series of 31 patients undergoing ACDF for CDH at a single Academic Hospital. Baseline and postoperative clinical, radiological, and surgical data were analyzed. The linear regression analysis was conducted to identify any factor independently influencing the occurrence rate of postoperative interscapular pain. Results: The mean age was 57.6±10.8 years, and the M:F ratio was 2.1. The preoperative mean VAS-arm was 7.15±0.81 among the 20 patients reporting brachialgia, and the mean VAS-neck was 4.36±1.43 among those 9 patients reporting cervicalgia. At 1 month interscapular pain was still reported by 8 out of the 17 patients who experienced it postoperatively, and it was recovered in all patients after 2 months. The regression analysis showed how the interscapular pain was not directly associated to age(p=0,74), gender(p=0,46), smoking status(p=0,44), diabetes(0,42), preoperative brachialgia(p=0,21) or cervicalgia(p=0,48), symptoms duration(p=0,13), baseline VAS-arm(p=0,11), VAS-neck(p=0,93), or mJOA(p=0,63) scores, or disc height modification(p=0,90). However, the postoperative increase of the mean zygapophyseal joint rims distance was identified as an independent factor in determining interscapular pain (p=0,02). Conclusions: Our study revealed that the onset of interscapular pain following ACDF may be determined by over-distraction of the zygapophyseal joints rim. Then, proper sizing of prosthetic implants could reduce this painful complication.

The comparison of three types of ionosonde data from Europe during an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection (ICME) and a Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs) / Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) -driven geomagnetic storm event is detailed in this study. The selected events are 16-20 March 2015 for the ICME-driven and 30 May to 04 June 2013 for the SIR/CIR-driven one. Ionospheric data from three European ionosonde stations, namely Pruhonice (PQ), Sopron (SO) and Rome (RO), are investigated. The ionospheric F2-layer responses to these geomagnetic events are analyzed with the ionospheric foF2 and h’F2 parameter, the calculated deltafoF2 and deltahF2 values, ratio of Total Electron Content (rTEC) and Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) thermospheric [O]/[N2] measurement data. The storm-time and the quiet day mean values are also compared, and it can be concluded that the quiet day curves are similar at all stations while the storm-time ones showed the latitudinal dependence during the development of the storm. As a result of the electron density comparison, during the two events it can be concluded that SSC that characterized the ICME induced a Travelling Atmospheric Disturbance (TAD) seen in the European stations, while this is not in the SIR/CIR-driven ionospheric storm, which showed a stronger and more prolonged negative effect in all stations probably due to the season.

Physical inactivity, highly dependent on community and environmental conditions, is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. The objective of Every Walk You Take initiative was to co-design and test a mHealth intervention prototype (mobile app) to promote active living, and to identify barriers and facilitators for active living in individuals older than 55 years. Community stakeholders that included citizen scientists, teachers, researchers, health professionals and policy makers, familiar with the social and economic burden of aging in developed societies, codesigned the prototype. The app functionalities included recommendations on healthy routes in the city (parks, pedestrian lanes and streets) according to environmental variables (air quality and climate) and personal preferences (route difficulty, distance and geolocalization); and the collection of ecological momentary assessments (pictures and voice notes) to identify the barriers and facilitators to perform the routes. The prototype was tested in a pilot study in two deprived neighbourhoods of Barcelona. A total of 21 citizen scientists [mean age=67 (standard deviation=7)], 86% of them female collected, during two 7-day cycles, 112 comments and 48 pictures describing the barriers and facilitators for active living. The negative impact of dirty or damaged roads on citizen scientists’ motivation to engage in physical activity was highly reported as a barrier indicating that city infrastructure directly influences the public's inclination towards adopting active lifestyles. However, citizen scientists highlighted murals and urban green spaces they encountered, which made their walks more enjoyable and stimulating, as facilitators for active living. Every Walk You Take initiative constitutes the foundation for the development of novel models of health surveillance to address gaps in the current research landscape of active living. Moreover, the increased health literacy of the individuals ensures that they are more conscious about the role of physical activity in healthy ageing.

Social media has become a powerful tool for spreading information and awareness campaigns on environmental issues, especially as they pertain to the conservation of wild animals. It is a double-edged sword, however, since it also facilitates the legal and illegal trade of wild animal species as well as the propagation of ‘wild animal selfies.’ This review presents some key literature to date which concerns the impact of social media on public perceptions of animals (such as through ‘viral’ videos), changing trends in animal encounters at wildlife tourism destinations, and the wildlife trade as it is facilitated by social media. Finally, avenues for future research are suggested with urgency, since the impact of social media on the welfare and conservation of wild animal species is most likely underestimated yet bears serious consequences.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the field of medicine, announcing a new era of innovation and efficiency. Among AI programs designed for general use ChatGPT holds a prom-inent position using an innovative language model developed by OpenAI. Thanks to the use of deep learning techniques, ChatGPT stands out as an exceptionally viable tool, renowned for gen-erating human-like responses to queries. Various medical specialties, including rheumatology, oncology, psychiatry, internal medicine, and ophthalmology, have been explored for ChatGPT in-tegration, with pilot studies and trials revealing each field's potential benefits and challenges. However, the field of genetics and genetic counseling, as well as that of rare disorders, represents an area suitable for exploration, with its complex data sets and the need for personalized patient care. In this review, we synthesize the wide range of potential applications for ChatGPT in the medical field, highlighting its benefits and limitations. We pay special attention to rare and genetic disorders, aiming to shed light on the future roles of AI-driven chatbots in healthcare. Our goal is to pave the way for a healthcare system that is more knowledgeable, efficient, and centered around patient needs.

Arthropods, the most abundant group in ecosystems, play crucial roles in human production. Soil physicochemical properties reflect soil health and are linked to arthropods through cascading effects. Gravel-sand mulching, commonly practiced in dry farming regions, initially aids in water retention and temperature regulation. However, long-term cultivation can lead to land degradation and habitat fragmentation. This study aimed to investigate field systems using multiple comparison, linear, and nonlinear correlation analyses to explore the effects of different tillage durations on soil properties and arthropod diversity under gravel-sand mulching. Results indicate that arthro-pod diversity was lower while the fields maintained better soil fertility than the desert steppe. Both soil fertility and arthropod diversity declined significantly with increased years of cultivation. Mantel tests revealed no significant response of desert steppe arthropods to the altered soil properties of gravel-sand mulched fields. However, the Generalized Additive Model analysis indicated significant linear correlations between arthropod occurrence and total nitrogen (positive), available phosphorus, and water content (negative). Arthropod abundance showed significant nonlinear correlations with total potassium, alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen, and organic matter (OM), with OM changes having the most pronounced impact. Thus, gravel-sand mulching can maintain soil fertility over time but at the expense of local arthropod diversity.

Immunosenescence refers to age-related alterations of the immune system function affecting both the humoral and cellular arm of immunity. Understanding immunosenescence and its impact on vaccination of older adults is essential since primary vaccine responses in older individuals can fail to generate complete protection, especially vaccines targeting infections with increased incidence among the elderly, such as the respiratory syncytial virus. Here, we review the clinical trials of both candidate and approved vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which include adults aged ≥50 years, with an emphasis on the evaluation of immunogenicity parameters. Currently, there are 10 vaccine candidates and 2 vaccines approved for the prevention of RSV in the older adult population. The number of registered clinical trials for this age group amounts to 32. Our preliminary evaluation of published results and interim analyses of the RSV vaccine clinical trials indicates efficacy in older adult participants, demonstrating immunity levels that closely resemble those of younger adult participants.

In this paper, we give explicit asymptotic formulas for some sums over primes involving generalized alternating hyperharmonic numbers of types I, II and III. Analogous results for numbers with $k$-prime factors will also be considered.

The study examines projected changes in dry- and wet-spell probabilities in West Africa using a Markov chain approach. Four simulations of regional climate models from the CORDEX-Africa program were used to analyze projected changes in intraseasonal variability. The results show an increase in the probability of having a dry day, a dry day preceding a wet day and a dry day preceding a dry day, and a decrease in the probability of wet days in the Sahel region under anthropogenic forcing scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The decrease in wet days is stronger in the far future and under the RCP8.5 scenario (up to -30%). The study also finds that the probability of consecutive dry days (lasting at least 7 days and 10 days) is expected to increase in the Western Sahel, the Central Sahel, and the Sudanian Area under both scenarios, with stronger increases in the RCP8.5 scenario. In contrast, the decrease is expected over the Guinea Coast, with the changes more important under the RCP4.5. These changes in dry- and wet-spell probabilities are important for water management decisions and risk reduction in the energy and agricultural sectors. The study also highlights the need for decision-makers to implement mitigation and adaptation policies to minimize the adverse effects of climate change.

Deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on AlGaN crystals have low light-emission efficiency; therefore, there is a need to improve this light-emission efficiency for a wide range of applications such as water and air sterilizations. UV-light-transparent device structures are considered one of the many solutions toward increasing light output power. To this end, the present study focused on developing a transparent AlGaN-based tunnel junction (TJ) as the anode of a deep-UV LED. Deep-UV LEDs composed of n+/p+-type AlGaN TJs were fabricated under the growth condition that reduced the carrier compensation in the n+-type AlGaN layers. The operating voltage was 10.8 V under the direct current (DC) operation of 63 A/cm2. In addition, magnesium zinc oxide (MgZnO)/Al reflective electrodes were fabricated to enhance the output power of the AlGaN homoepitaxial TJ LED. The output power was 57.3 mW under a DC operation of 63 A/cm2, and it was 1.7 times higher than that realized using the conventional Ti/Al electrodes. The combination of the AlGaN-based TJ and MgZnO/Al reflective contact allows further improvement of the light output power. This study confirms that the AlGaN TJ is a promising UV-transmittance structure that can obtain a high light-extraction efficiency.

The development of hybrid unmanned aerial underwater vehicles (HAUVs) compatible with the advantages of the aerial vehicles and the underwater vehicles is of great significance. This paper presents the first study on a new HAUV layout using four rotors to realize the medium crossing motion of a transverse slender body similar to the fuselage of a missile or a submarine, that is the hybrid aerial underwater quadrotor (HAUQ). Then a robust control strategy is proposed for the take-off HAUQ on the water in the presence of unknown disturbances and complex model dynamic uncertainties. As a semi-submersible HAUQ rises straightly from the water, the inside of the slender fuselage placed horizontally is filled with water. The center of the mass, the moment of inertia, and the arm of force of the HAUQ will change rapidly in the takeoff phase from the water since the rapid non-uniform change of mass caused by the passive fast drainage. It is difficult to establish a accurate mathematical model of the complex dynamic changes caused by the multi-media dynamics, the fast changing buoyancy, and the added mass crossing air–water surface. Therefore, an uncertain kinematic and dynamic model is established through the passive fast nonuniform change and the complex dynamics are considered as the unknown terms, and the external disturbances of gust and other factors are assumed as the bounded disturbance input. A robust design approach is introduced to deal with the fast time-varying mass disturbance based on the input-to-state stability (ISS) theorem. The complex dynamics are estimated using the basis function and the unknown weight parameters, and the adaptive laws are adopted for the on-line estimation of the unknown weight parameters. Consider the residual disturbance of the uncertain nonlinear system as a total disturbance term, a disturbance observer is introduced for disturbance observation. The numerical simulation shows the feasibility and robustness of the proposed algorithm.

The climate crisis is developing to a life-changing event on a global level. Health promotion with the aim to increase the health status of individuals, independent from the present health status has been developed on scientific basis at least for the last eight decades and follows. There are some basic principles, which are prerequisites for both, health promotion and climate protection. Those principles include (1) sustainability, (2) orientation on determinants, and (3) requirement of in-dividual as well as community approaches. People are generally aiming to protect their lifestyle habits (e.g. traveling, consumer habits) and personal properties (e.g. car, house) by easy solution with as little effort as possible, and this can affect both, health and climate. To reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to protect our environment, changes towards a sustainable lifestyle have to be embed into everybody’s mind. Examples for domains, that need to be addressed in health promotion as well as in climate protection include education/ knowledge/ (health) literacy, physical activity, nutrition and dietary habits, mental health, and social capital. If health promo-tion fails to tackle those domains, this will continue to drive climate crisis. And climate change, in turn, will affect health. On the other hand, developing and promoting health resources in the domains mentioned could again help to mitigate the health-damaging effects of climate change.

Few studies have paid attention to the industrial lands along the Chinese Grand Canal from a cultural per-spective, but cities along the route like Hangzhou have relied on the Canal system to promote industrializa-tion over the past hundred years, and relocated, transformed, or demolished the factories to construct cul-tural space or products mostly after industrial recession at the beginning of 21st century. To deeply analyze this process is quite helpful to understand the typical cultural change and its gain and loss along the Canal especially after cultural and creative industries have been established as the pillar industries of China's na-tional economy. Therefore, along the Hangzhou section of the Canal, we dynamically monitored the land use of the selected 10 industrial lands, with the analysis of high-resolution satellite imageries and the in-dustrial past, the areas of different uses in 2022 were compared. Meanwhile, along with archival data, fieldwork, and experts’ consultation, we designed a mark sheet with factors and scores to comprehensively assess cultural changes over those lands, and its reasons and influence also have been argued, and the prob-lems and suggestions have been offered. This study can contribute to a better understanding of public poli-cy choices in China regarding cities along the Grand Canal after the industrial decline, and provide new perspectives for cultural research, heritage conservation, and urban planning of canals or waterfront spaces.

Ferroelectric materials are crucial for today’s technological society, and nanostructured ferroelectric materials are important for downscaling of devices. Controlled and reproducible synthesis of these materials are therefore of immense importance. Hydrothermal synthesis is a well-established synthesis route, with a large parameter space for optimization, but a better understanding of nucleation and growth mechanisms is needed for full utilization and control. Here we use in situ X-ray diffraction to follow the nucleation and growth of BaTiO₃ formed by hydrothermal synthesis using two different titanium precursors, an amorphous titania precipitate slurry and a Ti-citric acid complex solution. Sequential Rietveld refinement was used to extract the time dependency of lattice parameters, crystallite size, strain and atomic displacement parameters. Phase pure BaTiO₃ nanoparticles 10 - 15 nm in size were successfully synthesized at different temperatures (100, 125, and 150 °C) from both precursors after reaction times ranging from a few seconds, to several hours. The two precursors resulted in phase pure BaTiO₃ with similar final crystallite size. Finally, two different growth mechanisms were revealed, where the effect of surfactants present during hydrothermal synthesis is discussed as one of the key parameters.

In this study is considered the design and implementation of pilots in desalination plants, in a systematic way, to evaluate energy improvements in water desalination processes. Pilot tests with the latest generation of reverse osmosis membranes in large desalination plants are becoming increasingly common, as small-scale experiments are carried out on the operation of new generation membranes with better salt rejection and lower energy consumption, to achieve the best water quality required for each case at the lowest possible cost. In this way, pilot tests are being carried out before the decision is made whether or not to change the reverse osmosis membranes, as this represents a significant investment and we minimize the risk of making a mistake in order to ensure the best results in terms of energy consumption, operating costs and reducing the environmental impact while complying with the required water quality. In this case, the Pareto analysis is used to highlight the 2 or 3 most significant causes whose treatment affects more than 80% of the possible energy improvement to be implemented. In this sense, figure 3 below shows the Pareto diagram for the energy improvement of N plants in a given territory. A series of factors that can affect this energy improvement have been numbered from 1 to 7, such as the seawater intake, the decision on the membranes, the energy recuperators, the high-pressure pump, the decisions on the pre-treatment, the feed pump or the post-treatment. The Pareto diagram has been studied at territorial level with a total of 180 seawater desalination plants. The novelty of this article is to apply Pareto diagram to a study of a total of 180 seawater desali-nation plants at territorial level in Canary Islands.

Objective. To test the hypothesis that a session of unilateral tSMS over the dominant primary motor cortex (M1) in healthy subjects produces a transient decrease in manual dexterity. Methods. A triple-blinded randomized control trial was conducted in 40 healthy participants who were allocated to real- or sham-tSMS group. Each participant underwent one session of tSMS and were assessed before, immediately after, 15 minutes, and 40 minutes after stimulation. Outcome measures were Finger Tapping Test (FTT), 5-seconds FTT, nine Hole Peg Test, and the hand grip assessment. Results: Significant differences were found between groups 15 minutes after stimulation in favor of the tSMS group in the FTT (2.2 ± 0.99; CI= .18-4.22; d= .84p=.034), and 5-second FTT (4.2 ± 1.98; CI= .199-8.2, d= .68; p=.04). In the intragroup analysis, a significantly lower number of taps 15 minutes after stimulation was observed in sham group (3.3 ± 1.01; CI= .47-6.13; d= .42; p=.015), but not in the real stimulation group. Conclusion: A unilateral session of tSMS in the M1 of the dominant hemisphere of healthy individuals does not reduce manual dexterity or grip strength. This technique could have benefits on the motor performance of the arm contralateral to the stimulated motor cortex

Equine hepacivirus (EqHV, Flaviviridae, Hepacivirus) is a small, enveloped, RNA virus generally causing sub-clinical hepatitis with occasional fatalities. EqHV is reported in equids worldwide, but for Italy data are limited. To address this, a survey study was set up to estimate prevalence at national level and among different production categories (equestrian, competition, work and meat and reproduction) and national macro-regions (North, Central, South and Islands). Data obtained testing 1801 horse serum samples by Real-Time RT PCR were compared within the categories and regions. The NS3 fragment of the PCR-positive samples was sequenced by Sanger protocol for phylogenetic and mutational analysis. The tertiary structure of the NS3 protein was also assessed. The estimated national prevalence was 4.27% [1.97-6.59, 95%CI] and no statistical differences were detected among production categories and macro-regions. The phylogenesis confirmed the distribution in Italy of the three known EqHV subtypes, suggesting also a possible fourth sub-type that however requires further confirmation. Mutational profiles that could also affect the NS3 binding affinity to the viral RNA were detected. The present paper demonstrates that EqHV should be included in diagnostic protocols when investigating causes of hepatitis and in quality control protocols for blood derived products, due to its parental transmission.

The scattering pattern from a narrow absorbing/amplifying grating is investigated. A simple model of a narrow amplifying grating is solved exactly numerically and approximately analytically for the regime where the beam’s wavelength is much shorter than the grating’s wavelength. The main results are: The incident angle divides the scattering pattern into two regimes: below and above the incident angles. The former regime has a weak dependence on the incident angle but has a strong dependence on the scattering one. In this regime, a new grating formula is derived. The opposite occurs in the latter regime, which is very sensitive to the incident angle, but has only weak dependence on the scattering angle. Consequently, at certain incident angles, all the scattering is concentrated in the first regime, i.e., all scattering angles are lower than the incident angle.

Background: Swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (SS-AS- OCT) is a suitable examination for the vitreolenticular interface. Methods: In a prospective study using Anterion (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) 102 eyes of 102 patients were examined, in pupil dilation, preoperatively and 6 times over 1-year follow-up. Preoperatively anterior hyaloid membrane (AHM) visibility was determined with Imaging App with high reliability. Postoperatively capsular bag–AHM distance was measured on six points by using Metrics App. Results: The AHM was visible in 18.6% preoperatively and postoperatively as well (Group 1), 49% of the preoperatively adherent AHMs became visible (Group 2A), 32.4% remained attached (Group 2B). Group 1: the average deepest point first day was 782.5 ± 324.1 microns, and it significantly differed from the later follow-up values. Group 2A: the average deepest value was 184.1 ± 220.1 microns, and there was no statistically significant difference between the postoperative visit values. The difference between the groups was statistically significant at every location and at each time points. Conclusions: AS-SS-OCT can be used to check BS both preoperatively(with limitations) and postoperatively.

Transit-oriented development (TOD), such as metro depot and over-track building complexes, has expanded rapidly in China. Over-track building construction has the advantage of comprehensive utilization of land resources, ease of commuting to work, and provide funds for subway construction. However, there still has a pending problem, disturbance of railway vibration, for TOD. Excessive noise and vibration seriously affect people’s life. To address this challenge, field measurements are used to obtain the vibration source characteristics and vibration propagation of the ground and the superstructure in this study. And the typical metro depot with over-track building in Wuhan was selected. The effects of vibration on the surrounding ground and adjacent buildings caused by the operation of trains have been measured, and the propagation law of train-induced ground vibration acceleration in the time and frequency domains has been analyzed. The distribution and propagation laws of vibration noise, structural noise and secondary structure noise in sensitive areas such as the throat area, depot area, test section and access section of the over-track buildings and their impact laws on the over-track buildings are obtained. And the effectiveness of the vibration and noise reduction methods used were evaluated. Results show that within 43 m from the train running track, the train running induced vertical vibration acceleration level in the high-rise building peak size of 58.8 dB, the average value of 55.62 dB; vibration frequency components are mainly 40-60 Hz. The findings might provide useful insight for designing vibration mitigation systems in new metro depots with over-track buildings.

Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between poor vitamin D status and respiratory infections and diarrhea among young children. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and diarrhea are among the two most important causes of death in under-5 children. In this analysis, we examine the extent to which vitamin-D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) predicts these outcomes using data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily folic acid and/ or vitamin B12 supplementation for six months in 6 to 30 months old children conducted in Delhi, India. Of the 960 subjects who had vitamin-D concentrations measured, 331(34.5%) were vitamin-D deficient. We found, after controlling for relevant potential confounders (age, sex, breastfeeding status, wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia status at base line and season), the risk of ALRI was significantly higher among vitamin-D deficient (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.55) compared to vitamin-D-replete children in the six months follow-up period. Vitamin-D status was not significantly associated with episodes of diarrhea and clinical pneumonia. The extent of causal relationship of vitamin-D status and ALRI needs to be explored in further studies.

Machine learning methods have been a standard approach to select features that are associated with an outcome and build a prediction model when the number of candidate features is large. LASSO has been one of the most popular approaches to this end. LASSO approach selects features with large regression estimates, rather than based on statistical significance, associating the outcome, by imposing L1-norm penalty to overcome the high dimensionality of the candidate features. As a result, LASSO may select insignificant features while possibly missing significant ones. Furthermore, from our experience, LASSO has been found to select too many features. By selecting features that are not associated with the outcome, we may have to spend more cost to collect and manage them in the future use of a fitted prediction model. Using the combination of L1- and L2-norm penalties, elastic net (EN) tends to select more features than LASSO. The overly selected features that are not associated with the outcome act like white noise, so that the fitted prediction model loses the prediction accuracy. In this paper, we propose to use the standard regression methods (without any penalizing approach) with stepwise variable selection procedure to overcome these issues. Unlike LASSO and EN, this method selects features based on statistical significance. Through extensive simulations, we show that this maximum likelihood estimation based method selects very small number of features while maintaining a high prediction power, while LASSO and EN make a large number of false selections to result in loss of prediction accuracy. Contrary to LASSO and EN, the regression methods combined with a stepwise variable selection method is a standard statistical method, so that any biostatistician can use it to analyze high dimensional data even without advanced bioinformatics knowledge.

L-asparaginase (ASNase) is an aminohydrolase currently used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Enzyme immobilization is an exciting option for both applications, allowing a more straightforward recovery and increased stability. High surface area and customizable porosity make carbon xerogels (CXs) promising materials for ASNase immobilization. This work describes the influence of contact time, pH, and ASNase concentration on the immobilization yield (IY) and relative recovered activity (RRA) using Central Composite Design methodology. The most promising results were obtained using CX with an average pore size of 4 nm (CX-4), reaching IY and RRA of 100%. At the optimal conditions, the ASNase-CXs biocomposite was characterized and evaluated in terms of kinetic properties and operational, thermal and pH stabilities. The immobilized ASNase onto CX-4 retained 71% of its original activity after six continuous reaction cycles, showed a good thermal stability at 37 °C (RRA of 91% after 90 min) and was able to adapt to both acidic and alkaline environments. Finally, the results indicated a 3.9-fold increase in the immobilized ASNase affinity for the substrate, confirming the potential of CXs as a support for ASNase and as a cost-effective tool for subsequent use in the therapeutic and food sectors.

The Source Region of the Yellow River (SRYR), renowned as the "Water Tower of the Yellow River", serves as an important water conservation domain in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, significantly influencing water resources within the basin. Based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model Hydrological modeling system (WRF-Hydro) model, the key variables of the atmosphere-land-hydrology coupling processes over the SRYR during the 2013 rainy season are analyzed. The investigation involves a comparative analysis between the coupled WRF-Hydro and the standalone WRF simulations, focusing on the hydrological response to the atmosphere. The results reveal that the WRF-Hydro model's proficiency in depicting streamflow variations over the SRYR, yielding a Nash Efficiency Coefficient (NSE) of 0.44 and of  0.61 during the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Compared to the standalone WRF simulations, the coupled WRF-Hydro model demonstrates enhanced performance in soil heat fluxes simulations, reducing the mean Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of surface soil temperature by 0.96 K and soil moisture by 0.01 m\textsuperscript{\textsuperscript{3}}/m\textsuperscript{\textsuperscript{3}}. Furthermore, the coupled model adeptly captures the streamflow variation characteristics with the NSE of 0.33. This underscores the significant potential of the coupled WRF-Hydro model for delineating coupled atmosphere-land-hydrology processes in regions characterized by cold climates and intricate topography.

Auger electrons (AEs) represent an intriguing topic in the field of radionuclide therapy. They are emitted by several radionuclides commonly used in nuclear medicine (indium-111, iodine-123, iodine-125), allowing for highly localized energy deposition and thus exerting a radiotoxic effect on specific cellular and sub-cellular targets. However, due to their short range in matter, AEs have had limited use in therapeutic applications so far. In recent years, the synthesis of various radiopharmaceuticals capable of binding to the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 has reignited interest in this type of therapy, laying the groundwork for a theranostic approach based on radionuclides emitting AEs. The enzyme PARP-1 operates enzymatically in close proximity to DNA that represents the prime target of radionuclide therapies. Following this trend, several PARP-targeted radiopharmaceuticals for AE-based theranostics have been developed. We provide an updated overview of preclinical studies focused on the applications of this new theranostic approach in glioblastoma, breast, prostate and ovarian carcinoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

(1) Background Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the primary cause of poor vision in young adults. Screening for DR is important but many patients do not attend; (2) Methods: We validated an algorithm for predicting DR and its progression by conducting a retrospective study of 11 children in a population of 120,389 T2DM (3) Results: By applying the algorithm to the population showed an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.92–0.94) for any-DR and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.89–0.91) for referable-DR(4) Conclusions: The algorithm is useful for predicting patients who could develop referable forms of DR and also for any-DR. This would allow a personalized screening plan to be drawn up for each patient.

The world has changed. New technologies, new trends, new protocols, new efficient algorithms, and systems have been used widely by civilized countries to have better and more convenient living. In this research, there have been introduced many new terms, technologies, and mechanisms. Moreover, threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities have been studied and a novel scenario has been proposed in order to overcome all these violations that have been presented in this paper. The scenario is based on a security model that has been proposed for critical sectors, such as hospitals, industries, etc., which need efficient solutions to go one step further and improve the secure and efficient living and treatment of people. The aim of this research has been to understand through research the IoT security issues and propose the appropriate solutions based on the most suitable security algorithms. The results, which have been based on the complexity, the throughput, the power consumption, the strength, and the memory usage of the algorithms studied, have been hopeful and helpful for future research and experimentation.

Consciousness results from comprehending the living creature from its existence in time and space. Thought and consciousness are distinguishing factors between humans and machines having artificial intelligence. No algorithm has been offered for artificial self-awareness based on Thinking. Previous studies have not studied the relationship between consciousness, thinking and time. In this study, the relationship between consciousness, thinking, memories and speech over time has been studied. A deep logical connection exists between consciousness, thinking, and time. An algorithm can be designed for artificial consciousness based on this research findings.

The anomaly detection task is very important in computer science. And there are a lot of anomaly detection methods. Different from some thresholding methods, some unsupervised methods could make us get more accurate and faster result, which is the object of the project. In this paper, I tried to use EWMA and some other methods in two datasets: Webank time consuming indicators dataset and AIOps Challenge dataset. The paper consists nine parts: background of the project, related work, description of algorithms, implementation details, experimental setup and data sets used, experimental results and discussion, future directions, reference and meeting notes.

Rainfall variability has resulted in extreme events like devastating floods and droughts which is the main cause of human vulnerability to precipitation in West Africa. Attempts have been made by previous studies to understand rainfall variability over Ghana but these have mostly focused on the major rainy season of April-July, leaving a gap in our understanding of the variability in the September-November season which is a very important aspect of the Ghanaian climate system. The current study seeks to close this knowledge gap by employing statistical tools to quantify variabilities in rainfall amounts, rain days, and extreme precipitation indices in the minor rainfall season over Ghana. We find extremely high variability in rainfall with a Coefficient of variation (CV) between 25.3% and 70.8%, and moderate to high variability in rain days (CV=14.0% - 48.8%). Rainfall amount was found to be higher over the middle sector (262.7 mm – 400.2 mm) but lowest over the east coast (125.2 mm – 181.8 mm). Analysis of the second rainfall season using the Mankandell Test presents a non-significant trend of rainfall amount and extreme indices (R10, R20, R99p, and R99p) for many places in southern Ghana. Rainfall Anomaly Indices show that the middle sector recorded above normal precipitation which is the opposite for areas in the transition zone. The result of this work provides a good understanding of rainfall in the minor rainfall season and may be used for planning purposes.

Indolizidines have long been recognized for their valuable bioactivities, their common feature being a bicyclic structure connected via a nitrogen atom. Traditionally, plants have been identified as the primary producers. However, recent discoveries have revealed that certain bacterial strains belonging to the genus of actinomycetes also possess the ability to synthesize various indolizidine-based compounds. Among these strains, Streptomyces sp. HNA39, Saccharopolyspora sp. RL78, and Streptomyces NCIB 11649 have been identified as producers of cyclizidines, characterized by their distinctive cyclopropyl moiety. Additionally, Streptomyces griseus OS-3601 synthesizes a unique class of indolizidine derivatives known as iminimycines, distinguished by their rare imine-cation structure. Protoplast fusion of a Streptomyces griseus strain with Streptomyces tenjimariensis resulted in a new indolizidine named in-dolizomycin. This review aims to provide an overview of known bacterial indolizidine producers, summarize current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis of cyclizidines and iminimycines, and assess their bioactivities.

A new discrete distribution for count data called extended biparametric Waring (EBW) distribution is developed. Its name is related to the fact that, in a specific configuration of its parameters, it can be seen as a biparametric version of the univariate generalized Waring (UGW) distribution, a well-known model for the variance decomposition into three components: randomness, liability and proneness. Unlike the UGW distribution, the EBW can model both overdispersed and underdispersed data sets. In fact, the EBW distribution is a particular case of a UWG distribution when its first parameter is positive; otherwise, it is a particular case of a Complex Triparametric Pearson (CTP) distribution. Hence, this new model inherits most of their properties and, moreover, it helps to solve the identification problem in the variance components of the UGW model. We compare the EBW with the UGW by a simulation study, but also with other over and underdispersed distributions through the Kullback-Leibler divergence. Additionally, we have carried out a simulation study in order to analyse the properties of the maximum likelihood parameter estimates. Finally, some application examples are included which show that the proposed model provides similar or even better results than other models, but with fewer parameters.

The protection of electronics against environmental influences and mechanical loads is important for integration of conventional electronics in textile conductive tapes. For this purpose, the sensors on the tapes are molded with plastic locally. This process step is recognized in the injection molding process. The molding compound is then later selected depending on: The field of application, the parameters of the manufacturing process and the textile tape properties. We have designed a mould for liquid silicone (LSR) as well as for the textile and electronic insertions. The cavities are sealed by a local compression of the textile and the two inserts are positioned with position pins representing the main aspect of the mould design. The sampling tool and the process parameter optimization are mainly based on the material properties of the silicone and the mechanical sensitivity of the inserts. To reduce the deformation of the circuit boards by the melt front and ensuring the functionality of the electronics a low-pressure process is used.

Distributed Energy Resources might have a severe influence on Power Line Communications, as they can generate interfering signals and high frequency emissions or supraharmonics that may cause loss of metering and control data. In this paper, the influence of various energy resources on Narrowband Power Line Communications is described and analyzed through several test measurements performed in a real microgrid. Accordingly, the paper describes the effects on smart metering communications through MAC layer analysis. Results show that the commutation frequency of inverters and the presence of battery chargers are remarkable sources of disturbance in low voltage distribution networks. In this sense, the results presented can contribute to efforts towards standardization and normative of emissions at higher frequencies higher, such as CENELEC EN 50160 and IEC/TS 62749.

In this pilot study, 84 subjects with a history of poor oral hygiene were enrolled in an interventional, randomized, prospective, open-label controlled trial. The aim was to provide preliminary clinical data on the products, the recruitment monthly rate, and patient satisfaction to estimate resources for the main study, as well as descriptive data on oral microbiota rebalancing. The population was divided into five groups: 20 participants received delicate mint toothpaste, 12 mint toothpaste, 20 mint mouthwash, and 20 delicate mint toothpaste and mint mouthwash using a specifically custom-designed toothbrush. The 12 subjects in the control group continued to use their oral care products without changing their normal routine. The study duration was 28 days.All subjects tolerated the products well, and there were no adverse events. Recruitment capability and procedures allowed a realistic estimation for the future main trial. The products did not cause any changes in tooth color. The participants who completed the treatment consisting of delicate mint toothpaste, mint mouthwash, and the specifically custom-designed toothbrush showed the gingival sensitivity best results (p≤0.000). The products induced a statistically significant decrease in plaque in all treated groups (p≤0.000) and an improvement of gingival sensitivity (delicate mint toothpaste, p≤0.005; mint toothpaste, p≤0.015; and mint mouthwash, p≤0.015). All the products were effective in stabilizing the oral microbiota.The tested products showed an optimal safety profile. They also stabilized the biodiversity of the oral microbiota, making it less susceptible to microbial fluctuations than the control group.

Water electrolysis provides efficient and cost-effective production of hydrogen from renewable energy. Currently, the oxidation half-cell reaction relies on noble-metal catalysts, impeding widespread application. In order to adopt water electrolyzers as the main hydrogen production systems, it is critical to develop inexpensive and earth-abundant catalysts. This review discusses the proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis (WE) and the progress in replacing the noble-metal catalysts with earth-abundant ones. Researchers within this field are aiming to improve the efficiency and stability of earth-abundant catalysts (EACs), as well as to discover new ones. The latter is particularly important for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under acidic media, where the only stable and efficient catalysts are noble-metal oxides, such as IrO_x and RuO_x. On the other hand, there is significant progress on EACs for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic conditions, but how many of these EACs have been used in PEM WEs and tested under realistic conditions? What is the current status on the development of EACs for the OER? These are the two main questions this review addresses.

Abstract Most Asian countries like South Korea have transformed themselves from poor agrarian nations into one of the fastest-growing industrialized economies in the world. Rural transformation poses great challenges to rural people and areas, but also it also provides great opportunities for sustainable rural development. The evolution of South Korea's rural policies is embedded through the different national institutions with different sectors. Diversification of rural economic opportunities may further extend to the industries for economic development in rural regions alongside efforts to improve living. Examining the rural transformation in South Korea, mainly the rural development with land, agriculture, truism, politic,s and strategy they used that shaped the structure of the rural transformation and its activities over time and Ethiopia takes lessons is the objective of the study. Document analysis is a tool for achieving information. Ethiopia takes lessons from South Korea from the general sector of rural development to the particular agricultural development sector, rural truism development, land reform which is the core asset for the world people, health care reform, and market and trade transformation (indicates that the base for developed country development was trade reform from import to export), rural job employment transformation (which have the multidimensional impact to the development of nation) and rural political transformation are the basic areas of rural transformation in which Ethiopia focused to do. The country can grow with the integrated/ collaborative work of the stakeholders. The government of Ethiopia applying a functional regional strategy to shape the socio-economic and cultural changes of the rural people and working with civil societies and other non-governmental stakeholders must be the primary tasks