This review study explores and analyzes distributed database management systems (DDBMS), focusing on the important role of transparency methods in improving the functioning and interaction between users and systems. Transparency in DDBMS refers to several important factors, such as data, replication, performance, scaling, and network transparency. Each one of these components plays a role in concealing the intricate operations that underlie distributed systems from the end user. This not only speeds interactions but also enhances the reliability of the system. The article highlights the criticality of data independence as well as replication transparency in particular. Data independence enables adaptable modifications to the system's architecture and alterations to be made without causing any disruption to user activities. On the other hand, replication transparency ensures that the data remains consistently accurate across distributed nodes, even in the absence of user awareness. Moreover, the article investigates the progression of DDBMS through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies such as quantum computation and artificial intelligence, which are anticipated to significantly augment the capabilities of data processing. The text proposes potential avenues for further investigation, emphasizing how these advancements may enhance the fundamental resilience of database management systems (DBMS) and expand their applicability in intricate, data-rich settings.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The use of biomass for cooking carries significant health implications and can lead to adverse environmental issues such as deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and erosion. Despite these concerns, there is a lack of information about the nature and extent of cooking emissions in many developing countries. To address this gap, a study was conducted to assess cooking emission levels and their associated health effects among households in Dodoma City, Tanzania. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted, involving 285 households in the peri-urban area of Dodoma City, Tanzania. A combination of questionnaires, observational checklists, and sampling devices (Aeroqual series 500 for Carbon Monoxide and Temptop PMD 351 for Particulate Matters) were employed for data collection, adhering to established protocols. Additionally, lung function tests were conducted with consent from the primary household cooks. Collected data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA 17 software. FINDINGS: Out of 285 participants, 74.7% predominantly use charcoal for cooking, with 68.4% having outdoor kitchen setups. Significant differences in pollutant concentrations were observed across various fuel types (P=0.0001), with firewood emitting higher levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide concentrations during cooking were 6 times higher for firewood, 5 times higher for charcoal-gas, and 3 times higher for charcoal compared to WHO daily average limits. Additionally, a positive correlation between pollutant concentrations was noted (P-value = 0.0000). Lung problems 17.8% followed by eye irritation 15.7% were mentioned by those who claimed to know the health effects associated with cooking emissions. In addition, the spirometry test indicated that the majority of the participants had % predicted >80 while only 19% had % predicted below 50. CONCLUSION: Charcoal and firewood remain the primary cooking fuels in the study area despite their significant negative impacts. Our findings highlight a lack of awareness among community members regarding the health effects of biomass cooking emissions and insufficient guidance on constructing healthy kitchens. To address this, enforcing building standards, raising health awareness, and ensuring affordable access to modern fuels are crucial steps. These measures are essential for promoting healthier cooking practices and mitigating the adverse effects on households.

Introduction: Galectin-13 (Gal-13) is predominantly produced by the syncytiotrophoblast, while laeverin is expressed on the outgrowing extravillous trophoblast, and both are thought to be biomarkers of preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between concentrations of Gal-13 and laeverin measured in maternal serum and amniotic fluid at 16-22 weeks of gestation and the sonographic assessment of the fetoplacental measurements. Materials and methods: Fetal biometric data, and placental volume and perfusion indices were measured in 62 singleton pregnancies. Serum and amniotic levels of Gal-13 and laeverin levels were measured using a sandwich ELISA. Results: Both amniotic fluid and serum Gal-13 levels expressed a negative correlation to the plasma laeverin level in mid-pregnancy. Serum laeverin level correlated positively with the gestational length at delivery (β=0.39, p

Solar geoengineering (SG) solutions have many advantages compared to the difficulty of carbon removal (CR): SG produces fast results, is shown here to have much higher efficiency than CR, is not related to fossil fuel legislation, and is something we all can participate in brightening the Earth with cool roofs, and roads. SG requirements detailed previously to mitigate global warming (GW) have been concerning primarily because of overwhelming goals and climate circulation issues. In this paper, the advantages of annual solar geoengineering (ASG) to mitigate yearly global warming increases are explored and detailed as it provides higher feasibility in geoengineering applications. ASG area modification requirements found here are generally 50 to possibly higher than 150 times less compared to the challenge of full SG GW mitigation reducing circulation concerns. Results indicate that there are mixed technologies that can help meet annual mitigation Earth brightening goals. As well, results show much higher feasibility for L1 space shading compared to prior literature estimates for full GW mitigation. However, stratosphere injections appear challenging in the annual approach. Because ASG earth brightening area requirements are much smaller than those required for full mitigation, we have concerns that worldwide negative SG would interfere with making positive advances for several reasons. Negative SG currently dominates yearly practices with the application of dark asphalt roads and roofs. This issue is discussed.

Students studying dentistry and nursing experience anxiety daily, which affects both their general well-being and academic achievement. Anxiety is exacerbated by several circumstances, such as stressors in one's personal life, clinical environment exposure, and academic expectations. To effectively regulate anxiety and support students' achievement, treatments that take these elements into account must be designed. In this study, 271 students from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece's departments of dentistry and nursing were polled. Being the following resources, participants filled out an electronic questionnaire that was uploaded to Google Forms and assessed their levels of stress, anxiety, depression, resilience, hope, and spiritual well-being: a) the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), b) the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-12), c) the Adult Hope Scale (AHS), d) the Resilience Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ8), and e) the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Additionally, demographic data was gathered, such as gender, educational attainment, family income, and country of origin. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between the variables, including hierarchical multiple linear regression and t-tests. The sample consisted of 271 students from the Department of Nursing (n=126, 46.5%) and Dentistry (n=145, 53.5%), with 68.60% of them being female, 80.10% being undergraduate students, and 48.30% being from Athens, the country's capital. Comparatively speaking, 74.50 percent of nursing students were female, while 62.80% of dental students were. Compared to dental students (2.10%), nurses (40.50%) participated in postgraduate studies at a higher rate. Compared to dental students (44.80%), nursing students reported a household income of just 13.90%, which is much less than €35,000. Anxiety was reported by 51.30% of participants overall, with dental students reporting higher anxiety than nursing students. Higher family wealth was associated with reduced stress levels, while female undergraduate students reported higher levels of anxiety than their male counterparts. Hope was a strong predictor of resilience, but stress and worry had a negative correlation. Promoting students' well-being and academic success requires effective stress-reduction and resilience-building techniques aimed to not only improve student performance but also support future healthcare professionals' personal sustainability and holistic growth.

One of the possible mechanisms causing significant emissions of methane into the atmosphere within the Arctic shelf may be the decomposition of gas hydrates. Their accumulations within the Arctic shelf formed during Ice Age almost simultaneously with the formation of permafrost, which contributed to the emergence of a zone of stable existence of gas hydrates. The subsequent flooding of the Arctic shelf led to the degradation of the permafrost and the violation of the conditions for the existence of hydrates. To assess the state of the stability zone, methods of mathematical numerical modeling are used. Standard seismic methods are widely used to localize gas hydrates, but monitoring their physical state requires the development of fundamentally new approaches based on solving multiparameter inverse seismic problems. In particular, the degree of attenuation of seismic energy is one of the objective parameters for assessing the consolidation of gas hydrates: the closer they are to the beginning of decomposition, the higher the attenuation, and hence the lower the quality factor. Thus, the methods of seismic monitoring of the state of gas hydrates in order to predict the possibility of developing dangerous scenarios should be based on solving a multi-parameter inverse seismic problem. This publication is devoted to the presentation of this approach.

Time estimation was investigated in 24 healthy adults, 12 women and 12 men, before and after an exhaustive exercise. We compared the capability of estimating time intervals in the range from 1 to 5 s using tasks requiring mental count and tasks that did not allow the mental count. Time estimation and blood lactate levels were evaluated before and at the end of the exercise. We found that the perception of time intervals between 1 and 5 s was affected at the end of the exercise. The observed effects, associated with a significant increase in blood lactate levels, were different in the two types of time estimation used in the present study. In experimental conditions in which participants had to evaluate duration of the time interval by mental counting, at the end of exercise a significant reduction in the overestimation of time made at rest was observed. On the other hand, when participants had to assess the difference in duration between two events without the possibility to mentally count, at the end of the exercise a significant deterioration in performance was observed. In both cases, no gender differences were seen.

Australia’s avian species are unique and diverse. Due to the dramatic changed in distribution, physiology, and behaviour caused by both changing climatic conditions and human activities, Australian bird species becomes highly vulnerable to health-related factors such as impact injury and vehicle trauma, as well as environmental-related stressors such as animal attack and abnormal behaviours. This is reflected in increasing number of avian patients received by wildlife hospitals. The most common outcome of avian species in wildlife hospitals was euthanasia, only few of them were released back into their ecosystem. During the process of bird rescue and rehabilitation, stress can be caused by various stressors such as injury, infection, trauma, shock and stressful environment in wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Therefore, in order to better understand the causes of the high rates of mortality and improve the management and conservation strategies, it is important to study the species responses to environmental changes. Similar with other species, in birds, the HPA axis plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis by producing glucocorticoids (corticosterone in birds). In this study, we sampled a total of 30 individuals humanely euthanised at the Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Centre (AKWC), and noted their clinical information. Feather samples were collected from all 30 individuals, and then were processed and analysed for corticosterone levels using enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). The biological relevance of feather CORT assay was evaluated by comparing the absolute levels of CORT between birds. We also analysed the effects of different stressors by grouped the diagnosis into acute and chronic categories. Although results suggest that stress levels were variable between the diagnosis, no statistically significant difference was found between these two categories in this study due to the limited sample size. We also obtained patient records from the 2022-2023 period from AKWC for retrospective analysis. Records were categorized and analysed based on the diagnoses, species and admission dates. Retrospective analysis suggests that in 2022, the Rainbow Lorikeet had the highest admission rate (192/544, 35.29%), followed by Magpie (124/544, 22.79%). Most admissions occurred in Summer. Musculoskeletal injury was the most prevalent diagnosis across all species with Magpies having the highest rates (73.39%) across all diagnoses and Rainbow Lorikeets the second highest (36.46%). Beak and Feather disease (BFD) was another common diagnosis for lorikeets. Data collected at 2023 followed the similar trend. This is the first study that uses non-invasive method to determine stress levels of rescued Australian native avian species, aims at improving and implementing native avian species management and conservation initiatives. This research also provides a basis for future studies which allow for more detailed analyses of wild populations and a broader range of species.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a notable arbovirus with maternal, sexual, and TORCH-related transmission capabilities. After 2015, Brazil had the highest number of ZIVK-infected pregnant women who lost their babies or delivered them with Congenital ZIKV Syndrome (CZS). ZIKV infection has been linked to variations in endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and interleukins within the placenta. ERVs, remnants of ancient viral infections integrated into the genome, include syncytin receptors crucial for placental development. Interleukins, immune response regulators, aid immune tolerance and support syncytial structure development in the placenta, where syncytin receptors facilitate vital cell-to-cell fusion events. Since ZIKV can infect trophoblast cells, we investigated the relationship between ZIKV infections and ERV and interleukin modulations. Investigating the impact of ZIKV on trophoblast cells, we examined two cell types (BeWo and HTR8) infected with ZIKV-MR766 (African) and ZIKV-IEC-Paraíba (Asia-Brazilian) using Taqman and RT2 Profiler PCR Array assays. While early ZIKV infection (24-48 hours) did not induce differential ERV and interleukin expression, future studies involving additional trophoblastic cell lineages and extended infection timelines will illuminate the dynamic interplay between ZIKV, HERVs, interleukins, and cytokines essential for placental formation and function.

The UK Government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050. Buildings are responsible for 37% of the total GHG emissions in the UK and the need to reduce their emissions has resulted in more stringent building regulations in the recent past. The regulations, energy rating systems and voluntary guidelines — all are primarily aimed at reducing the need for heating and associated energy use by increasing insulation and air-tightness. However, future climates are projected to be warmer than the present day. Internal gains dominated non-domestic buildings will likely overheat, the adaptation to which will require energy-intensive cooling solutions, thus defeating the purpose of heating-focused regulations. This research investigated the effects of warming climate on overheating, and energy use and resulting emissions in representative urban office spaces in London in the present-day and future climates using hourly dynamic thermal simulations. Findings suggest that more airtight and highly—insulated office buildings designed for heating—dominated temperate UK climate will overheat in the 2050s. Heating demand reduces but electricity consumption increases by 121% when hybrid cooling is adopted to ameliorate overheating. Despite the rise, adopting a mixed-mode ventilation strategy was one of the ways of achieving overall energy efficiency while meeting benchmark overheating and carbon emissions target in present and future climatic contradictions. Current heating-focused legislations need to be urgently re-evaluated to account for the effects of climatic variability and overheating risks.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), particularly miR-16 and miR-21, play a crucial role in mul-tiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis by regulating gene expression. This study evalu-ated the prognostic significance of circulating miR-16 and miR-21 expression levels in 48 patients with MM at diagnosis treated with lenalidomide/dexamethasone (LD) compared with 15 healthy individuals (HI). All patients were treated with LD, 13 at first line and 35 at relapse, of whom 21 were tested twice at diagnosis and before LD initiation. The results revealed significantly lower levels of miR-16 and miR-21 in patients than in HIs, both at diagnosis and relapse, with decreased miR-16 levels at diagnosis, indicating improved overall survival (OS) (p value 0.024). Furthermore, miR-16 and miR-21 levels were associated with disease markers, while both corre-lated with the depth of response and mir-16 with sustained response to LD treatment. The ratios of both miR-16 and miR-21 expression levels (prior to LD treat-ment/diagnosis) below 2 predicted a shorter time to response (P = 0.027) and a longer time to next treatment (P = 0.042), respectively. These findings suggested a prognostic value for serum miR-16 and miR-21 levels in MM, as their expression levels corre-lated with disease variables and treatment outcomes.

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

The varved sediments of the Pyrenean Lake Montcortès (Pallars Sobirà, Lleida) embody a unique continuous high-resolution (annual) paleoarchive of the last 3000 years for the circum-Mediterranean region. A variety of paleoclimatic and paleoecological records have been retrieved from these uncommon sediments that have turned the lake into a regional reference. Present-day geographical, geological, ecological and limnological features of the lake and its surroundings are reasonably well known but the lack of a local weather station has prevented characterization of current climate, which is important to develop modern-analog studies for paleoclimatic reconstruction and to forecast the potential impacts of future global warming. Here, the local climate of the Montcortès area for the period 1955-2020 is characterized using a network of nearby stations situated along an elevational transect in the same river basin of the lake. The finding of statistically significant elevational gradients for annual and monthly average temperature and precipitation has enabled to estimate these parameters and their seasonal regime for the lake site. A representative climograph has been shaped with these data that can serve as a synthetic descriptive and comparative climatic tool. The same analysis has provided climatic data for modern-analog studies useful to improve the interpretation of sedimentary records in climatic and ecological terms. In addition, the seasonal slope shifting of the climatic elevational gradients has been useful to gain insights about possible future climatic trends under a warming scenario.

Abstract: A large number of collecting expeditions were launched in regions of ‘centers of diversity’ and hundreds of thousands of sample have been collected and stored in gene banks as ‘genetic resources’. So far, only a small number of the samples have been evaluated for their biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Now, their time to become useful has come. A new global phenomenon has arisen – climate change. The crop genetic resources and their wild progenitors that have survived countless years of changing environment during the last 11,000 years could harbor genes that may be useful under the new growing conditions and environmental factors thrown up by climate change and global warming. With the deployment of modern bio-engineering techniques selected genes or gene fragments can be transferred from genetic resources to modern varieties of crop plants to make them well-prepared to mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change. The latter is the most serious issue facing plant breeders today. New pests and diseases could affect crop production. These review paper discusses various impacts and issues as a result of this phenomenon and suggest ways to safeguard our most important crops through better management of crop plant genetic resources in the near future.

Coaches are the main people who have an impact on the mental and psychological performance of athletes as well as their physical performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of perceived coaching behaviors on the anger and aggression levels of male athletes. This study was conducted with 748 male athletes with an active license who are over 18 years of age and participate in individual and team sports branches. In this study, the "Coaching Behavior Assessment Ques-tionnaire" and the “Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale" were used as data collection tools. The study results showed that athletes’ levels of evaluation of the coaching behaviors were high, while the levels of aggressiveness and anger in sports were low. It was determined that there is a negative low-level relationship between the athletes’ evaluation levels of the coaching be-haviors and the aggressiveness and anger levels in sports and that the coach’s behaviors predict the anger and aggressiveness levels of the athletes by 9% and 6%, respectively. The results of this study show that the attitudes and behaviors of coaches can affect the emotional states of male athletes and have the potential to increase or decrease their anger and aggressiveness levels. Coaches who exhibit positive, supportive, and modeling behaviors help create a healthy sports environment and help male athletes maintain emotional balance.

We investigated rainfall patterns in India over during the 60-year period from 1951 to 2010 and predicted changes for the next century (2051-2100) with an assumed 4K warming from large ensemble experiments (190 members). We focused on rainfall patterns during two periods of present-day climate (1951-1980 and 1981-2010) and their projected changes for the near and far future (2051-2080 and 2081-2110). Our analysis revealed that the northeastern region of India and some southern regions received higher rainfall during the period of 1951-2010. This finding is consistent with daily observations from the Asian Precipitation Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation (APHRODITE). In a warming climate, rainfall events in India are predicted to carry more precipitation, with the northeast and southern regions experiencing stronger rainfall events. The frequency and intensity of these events (with more than 20mm of rainfall per day, on average) are also expected to increase. Overall, our study suggests that water-related disasters such as flooding and landslides could be much worse in India in the future due to climate warming.

Objective: This study aims to examine CA-125 and miRNAs as biomarkers in endometriosis pathophysiology and their potential roles in clinical diagnostics and prognostics. Methods:We reviewed a variety of studies, including cross-sectional, case-control, and prospective designs, examining a broad spectrum of patient demographics, clinical features, and biomarker (CA-125 and miRNA) expression levels. Results: CA-125 has been reaffirmed as a valuable biomarker in diagnosing and monitoring endometriosis, with its utility enhanced when used alongside other markers. MiRNAs have emerged as promising molecular regulators, offering new avenues for non-invasive diagnostics and a deeper understanding of the disease's pathophysiology. The integration of these biomarkers presents a potential shift towards more personalized and effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Conclusion: Endometriosis presents a significant challenge in women's health, requiring innovative approaches for its management. The convergence of CA-125 and miRNA research represents a promising advance, potentially leading to more accurate diagnostics and personalized treatment. Future research should focus on standardizing methodologies, expanding study cohorts, and integrating findings into clinical practice to fully harness the potential of these biomarkers.

Global warming is one of the problems of human civilization and decarbonization policy is the main solution to this problem. In this work, we propose an alternative method of using the gravity-assist by the asteroids to increase the orbital distance of the Earth from the Sun. We can manipulate the orbit of asteroids in the asteroid belt by solar sailing and propulsion engines to guide them towards the Mars orbit and a gravitational scattering can put asteroids in a favorable direction to provide an energy loss scattering from the Earth. The result would be increasing the orbital distance of the earth and consequently cooling down the Earth’s temperature. We calculate the increase in the orbital distance of the earth for each scattering and investigate the feasibility of performing this project.

The planetary wave activity in the stratosphere–mesosphere during the Arctic major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) in February 2018 is discussed on the basis of the microwave radiometer (MWR) measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) above Kharkiv, Ukraine (50.0° N, 36.3° E) and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements of CO, temperature and geopotential heights. From the MLS data, eastward and westward migrations of wave 1/wave 2 spectral components were differentiated, to which less attention was paid in previous studies. Abrupt changes in zonal wave spectra occur with the zonal wind reversal near 10 February 2018. Eastward wave 1 and wave 2, observed before the SSW onset, disappear during the SSW event, when westward wave 1 becomes dominant. Wavelet power spectra of mesospheric CO variations show statistically significant periods in a band of 20–30 days using both MWR and MLS data. Approximately 10-day periods appear only after the SSW onset. Since the propagation of upward planetary waves is limited in the easterly zonal flow in the stratosphere after the zonal wind reversal during SSW, forced planetary waves in the mid-latitude mesosphere may exist due to the instability of the zonal flow.

The soil has lost organic matter in the past centuries. Adding organic matter to soils is one of the management practices applied to recover the levels of soil carbon of the past. Is it a good practice to reduce global warming? In fact, one of the practices promoted to combat climate change is increasing soil organic matter. However, the addition of organic residues to the soil could facilitate the liberation of CO2 and wastes could also have no positive effects on soil properties. In this sense, what it is important is: a) to know which is the expected effect of the organic matter added to the soil; b) how this application alters the soil processes; c) which are the management practices that should be applied; d) how much is the real amount of carbon sequester by the soil and; e) the balance at short and long period after the application of the organic matter. The adequate strategy should be to favour the increment of biologically stabilized soil organic matter considering medium and long time. However, it is necessary to adapt the strategies to the local environmental conditions.

Climate warming profoundly affect vegetative growth, flowering phenology and sexual reproduction of plants, therefore the ornamental value of wild flowers. Despite this, the extent and mechanism of the impact remain unclear. Here, we conducted warming experiment for two growing seasons (1.89 ℃ in 2017 and 2.37 ℃ in 2018 increases) with infrared heaters to examine the effects of warming on ornamental value of wild flower I. oxyanthera, endemic to China, in Mount Emei. We fitted generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and generalized linear model (GLM) to examine how warming affected plant morphology and floral traits. We evaluated comprehensive ornamental value based on plant morphology and flowering characteristics using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and disentangled the impact of the two traits on ornamental value using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) under the ambient and warming treatments. Warming decreased significantly plant height and crown width, while increased branch number and single leaf area. Warming also decreased vexillum length, corolla tube length, nectar spur length and pedicel length. In addition, warming shortened flowering duration per plant and reduced flower number, while there was no significant effect on flower longevity, flower color at full-bloom stage between the control and warming treatment. Therefore, comprehensive ornamental value under warming was lower than that under the control. Pedicel length, flower color, flower longevity and flowering duration per plant were the main factors of affecting comprehensive ornamental value. PLS-SEM showed that warming had an indirect negative effect on ornamental value via direct negative effects on flowering traits. Collectively, these results indicate that although promoting vegetative growth, short-term warming decreased significantly ornamental value of I. oxyanthera due to warming-caused smaller flowers and shorter flowering duration.

In recent decades, there have been significant problems worldwide related to global warming and the intensification of extreme temperature and rainfall events. This research evaluated daily temperature and rainfall indices trends to identify whether warming signals have occurred in South Australia over the past fifty years. Extreme cold, hot, and rainfall events were calculated using climatic data from 37 weather stations. A Mann-Kendall test was used for trend analysis with Sen's estimator. As a result, we determined that for the 1970-2021 period, the maximum and minimum temperatures increased by 1.1 and 0.7 °C, respectively, while precipitation had a negative trend (-52.2 mm/period). Since statistical significance was found in analysing extreme cold and hot events, we find that warming signals have several impacts on South Australia. In the case of rainfall events, we identified a heterogeneous pattern characterised by a reduction in the annual amount, and an increase in extreme rainfall events. The findings enable us to conclude that the area shows signs of global warming that could affect the intensity and magnitude of droughts. This information is essential for continuing with current management strategies to adapt and mitigate the effects of global warming in South Australia.

An experiment was conducted in 2016 & 2017 for development of novel rice hybrids for aerobic ecology with lesser yield penalties in comparison to irrigated ecosystem, further with added advantage of reduced methane emissions and water budget as witnessed in irrigated system. Based on the restorer / maintainer reaction and spikelet fertility (%), 10 restorer lines were selected to cross with 3 CMS lines in the line by tester fashion in Yasangi (summer) season 2016-17. Resulting 30 experimental hybrids besides 13 parental lines (10 Restorer lines and 3 B - lines of akin CMS lines) and checks (GK 5022, CR Dhan 201) assessed during Vankalam (rainy) season 2017 at three different places/locations viz., Rajendranagar, Warangal and Kampasagar. The outcome of experiment were two experimental hybrids viz., APMS-6A × HRSV – 7 and IR-79156A × ATR – 372, were categorized as stable hybrids with desirable sca effects, heterosis (ranging from 7% to 13%) over best check GK 5022 along with an in-essence performance for yield and other yield attributing characters.

In this study, we develop a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) model to assess the regional severity of temperature increases due to global warming. The model incorporates various stochastic processes to account for uncertainties such as solar explosions, economic upheavals, rising emissions, and irreversible changes in the climate system. Our base temperature model, influenced by latitude, is enhanced by these random factors to simulate realistic and diverse outcomes of climate change. Numerical simulations on a global grid provide a heatmap representing potential temperature increase severity across different regions. The results highlight the significant impact on tropical and polar regions, demonstrating the utility of SPDE models in understanding and predicting the complex dynamics of climate change. This approach offers valuable insights for policymakers and researchers aiming to develop adaptive strategies for mitigating the adverse effects of global warming.

Natural montane peatlands generally are not a significant source of nitrous oxide (N₂O) due to environment limitation including phosphorus (P) scarcity and temperature lowness. Phosphorus enrichment and warming caused by global change are altering this limitation, likely to increase the source function of N₂O. However, the combined effects of P addition and warming on N₂O fluxes and biotic/abiotic factor in peatlands are still uncertain. To address this, we investigated the long-term (12 yrs) effects of P addition (5 and 10 kg ha^-1 yr^-1) and its interaction with warming on N₂O fluxes in a peatland. The results showed that although long-term P addition did not significantly affect the source/sink function of N₂O in the peatland, it stimulated enzyme activities, promoted peat decomposition. However, warming amplified the effect of P addition to increase N₂O emissions by stimulating enzyme activities and changing soil stoichiometry, even turned the peatland into a significant source of N₂O with an emission of approximate 100 g m^-2 during the growing season. Our study suggests that P enrichment under the current background of global warming will enhance the possibility of strong N₂O emissions in montane peatlands, which may increase the risk to further aggravate global warming.

This paper presents an analysis of future precipitation patterns over the Lake Victoria Basin using bias-corrected CMIP6 model projections. A mean increase of about 5% in mean annual (ANN) and seasonal [March-May (MAM), June-August (JJA), and October-December (OND)] precipitation climatology is expected over the domain by mid-century (2040-2069). The changes intensify towards the end of the century (2070-2099) with an increase in mean precipitation of about 16% (ANN), 10% (MAM), and 18% (OND) expected, relative to the 1985-2014 baseline period. Additionally, the mean daily precipitation intensity (SDII), the maximum 5-day precipitation values (RX5Day), and the heavy precipitation events, represented by the width of the right tail distribution of precipitation (99p-90p) show an increase of 16%, 29%, and 47%, respectively, by the end of the century. The projected changes have a substantial implication for the region - which is already experiencing conflicts over water and water-related resources.

Ecosystems are not merely vulnerable to climate change but, if sustainably restored and protected, are a major source of human resilience. Not only is the science evidence-base for this perspective growing rapidly, but ecosystems are featuring with increasing prominence in global climate change policy. Of 167 climate pledges submitted by the signatories of the Paris Climate Change Agreement (representing 194 nations), 103 include commitments to the restoration, management or protection of natural habitats in their adaptation strategies (of which 70 are aimed at protecting human communities from climate change hazards, i.e. ecosystem-based adaptation). A further 27 describe similar actions in their mitigation plans. In total, 65% of Paris Agreement signatories commit to restoring and/or protecting natural ecosystems. However, commitments rarely translate into robust science-based targets. As the world takes stock of the Agreement in 2018 and climate pledges are revised, we urge the science community to work closely with policy makers to identify meaningful adaptation targets that benefit both people and the ecosystems on which they depend.

Study Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, a marker of Vitamin D status, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), expressed as increased scores of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), in a group of prospectively enrolled patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with OSA, divided into two groups, those with EDS (ESS>10) and those without EDS (ESS

The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples from two depths (0–5 cm and 5–30 cm), as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analysis, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity and CaCO3 content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.270–383.100 mg kg-1), Cu (17.110–68.151 mg kg-1), Ni (30.157–55.656 mg kg-1), and F (319–544 mg kg-1) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. The pollution indices (Igeo, EF, PI, PERI) indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni and Cu, while CSI and mERMQ indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The concentrations of elements in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) show the soil-plant relation and health risk, but also the elemental selectivity of vegetal compartments. Thus, the results showed that wheat plants tend to exclude the bioaccumulation of certain elements in their tissues, while for Zn and Cu, the bioaccumulation pattern is different. In the case of corn, most BFs were below 1, indicating limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu. Sunflower BFs indicate higher bioconcentration of Cu, Cd, and Zn in both the leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, with children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with a highly variable expression of phenotypes (restricted interest or activity and repetitive behavior in communication and social interactions), genes (mutation), markers (alteration of transcription) and pathways. Loss of function of the CC2D1A gene appears to primarily affect the brain, leading to a range of behavioral problems in humans. In our study published in 2020; we found that the expressions of miR-19a-3p, miR-361-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-3613-3p, miR-126-3p and miR-499a-5p were downregulated in the serum samples of autistic patients and their families. Here, acquired non-Mendelian hereditary character in a genetically defined mouse model of autism (Cc2d1a +/-) correlates with the transcriptional alteration of five miRNAs. We seek to test the hypothesis that miRNA levels are varying by changes in RNA/DNA structure during development, thereby creating transcription alteration. Behavioral tests were conducted on the offspring of Cc2d1a +/- mutant and control mice, such as novel object, social interaction, marble burying and tail suspension behavior. Two RNA fractions were isolated from mouse hippocampal tissues and sperm cells by standard TRIzol extraction: total RNA and fraction of RNA bound to DNA in the form of a DNA/RNA hybrid (R-loop). The expression levels of miR-19a-3p, miR-361-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-126-3p and miR-499a-5p were investigated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. We report differences in the distribution of five miRNAs in the hippocampus between male and female mice in RNA fractions, particularly in colonies of Cc2d1a +/- mice. Furthermore, the number of miRNAs engaged in the DNA/RNA hybrid fraction is generally higher in the mutant pedigree than in the control group. On the other hand, in sperm both fractions are at lower levels than in controls. R-loops contribute to the physiology and pathology of organisms including human disease. Here we report a variation in five miRNA levels between gender and tissue. Our results suggest that the transcription levels of these five miRNAs are directly regulated by their RNA.

Background/Objectives: An age-associated increase in serum levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is considered to be one of the factors leading to the development of male hy-pogonadism. Aim of the study: to study the relationship between the concentration of sex hor-mone-binding globulin in the blood serum and the age of the man, the level of total and free testosterone. A single-center retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The results of laboratory tests of 162 male patients aged from 18 to 56 years (median - 34 years) were analyzed. Methods: The level of total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was deter-mined by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The level of free testosterone was determined by the calculation method according to Vermeullen. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Sta-tistics v23. Results: Correlation analysis did not reveal a significant relationship between age and SHBG levels, as well as between age and total testosterone levels. Serum SHBG concentration showed a significant (p

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world's most important staple food crop providing 20% global energy and dietary proteins. It is widely grown in sub-tropical and tropical areas and as such exposed to heat-stress especially at grain filling period (GFP). Global warming has further affected its production and productivity in these heat-stressed environments. We examined the effect of heat-stress on 18 morpho-physiological and yield-related traits in 96 bread wheat accessions. Heat susceptibility index (HSI <0.60) and yield stability (i <0.55) used as criteria for selecting the tolerant accessions. Heat-stress, imposed by delayed sowing, decreased crop growth and GFP, and as a result reduced morphological and yield-related traits, namely days to 50% anthesis, plant height, peduncle length, flag-leaf area, spike length, spikelets per spike, grain length and width, thousand grain weight (TGW), harvest index and yield. The reduction in the trait values was severe in susceptible accessions (48.2% yield reduction in IC277741) than the tolerant. Physiological traits like chlorophyll content, canopy temperature depression (CTD), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), plant waxiness and leaf rolling showed higher expression in the tolerant accessions under heat-stress. Scanning electron microscopy of matured wheat grains revealed ultrastructural changes in endosperm and aleurone cells caused due to heat-stress. The reduction of size and density of large starch granules is the major cause of yield and TGW decrease in the heat-stress susceptible lines. The most stable and high-yielding accessions namely IC566223, IC128454, IC335792, EC576707, IC535176, IC529207, IC446713 and IC416019 were identified as the climate-smart germplasm lines. Germplasm lines possessing desirable traits were selected as po-tential parents for the development of bi-parental and multi-parental populations.

Objectives: Treatment of aortic pathologies involving the distal ascending aorta, aortic arch, and descending aorta remains a complex and challenging procedure. Appropriate management is important to achieve satisfactory outcome. Surgical management aims to reduce the time of circulatory arrest. The optimal level of hypothermia is still a matter of debate. The present meta-analysis shows the influence of different temperature levels on mortality and morbidity following aortic arch surgery. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of published data between January 2000 and March 2020 based on a literature research. 120 studies were included with a total of 32 323 patients divided into three different groups of systemic hypothermia (temperature group 1: ≥ 25 °C, temperature group 2: 25-20°C, temperature group 3: ≤ 20°C) were used for statistical analysis. Results: Early mortality was lowest in temperature group 1 compared to group 2 (OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09-1.85; p=0.01) and group 3 (OR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.20–2.52; p=0.003). Perioperative stroke appeared to be less frequently in temperature group 1 versus group 2 (OR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.20-1.82; p=0.0002) and group 3 (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.19 - 2.18; p=0.002). Similar results are obtained concerning new renal insufficiency (group 1 versus group 2: OR = 1.20; 95% CI, 0.91-1.57, p=0.19; group 1 versus 3: OR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.67 - 1.32, p=0.73) and re-exploration for bleeding (group 1 versus group 2: OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.80-1.53, p=0.55; group 1 versus group 3: OR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.26 - 2.94, p=0,0025). Conclusions: We observed that moderate level of hypothermia during circulatory arrest reduced the incidence of early mortality. Most dreaded neurologic complications occurred less frequently in TG 1. In contrast there was no difference with regards with new onset of renal failure which is commonly accepted as a reliable marker of the quality of visceral organ protection.

Myiasis is a medical condition in humans caused by the larvae and worms of certain types of flies, specifically the Sarcophagidea species. If this parasitic infection occurs in the external part of the eye, it is known as external ophthalmomyiasis. This condition is more commonly found in the Mediterranean and the Near East and is rare in North America. Objective: This report and review aim to describe and compare the risk factors, clinical course, and parasitologic features of external ophthalmomyiasis. We also discuss the different preventive measures in a large case series reported from January 2000 to December 2022. Methods: We report the first case of external ophthalmomyiasis in Mexico caused by Lucilia sericata in an adolescent with no clinical risk factors. Additionally, we perform a literature review of reported cases of external ophthalmomyiasis to determine the clinical characteristics, therapeutic management, and information on the organisms that most commonly cause external ophthalmomyiasis. Results: A total of 312 cases of external ophthalmomyiasis were recorded, with 208 cases in males (66.7%) and 102 cases in females (32.7%). In two cases, the gender and species responsible for the ophthalmomyiasis were not reported (0.6%). The mean age of those affected was 32.1 ± 18.5 years, ranging from newborns to 91 years old. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. The most common causative organism was Oestrus ovis, accounting for 72.1% of cases, followed by Dermatobia hominis at 5.4%, Lucilia sericata at 0.96%, and Chrysomyia bezziana at 0.96%. Before experiencing symptoms, 43.6% of cases reported having direct contact with flies or being hit in the eye, 33% reported no associated risk factors, 9.3% reported living with sheep and goats, and 7.7% reported a history of foreign objects entering the eye. The most common symptoms for those affected by Oestrus ovis were sudden onset, including a foreign body sensation and movement, redness, tearing, itching, swelling, irritation, photophobia, burning, and ocular secretion. In cases caused by Dermatobia hominis, symptoms included eyelid edema, pain, redness, itching, movement within the lesion, ocular irritation, and discharge. Regarding occupational or recreational activity, agriculture and livestock had the highest incidence, followed by trades and technical activities, being a student, and having traveled to an endemic region for work or recreation. Conclusion: Patients with red eyes may suffer from external ophthalmomyiasis, which requires a thorough examination to diagnose and treat it early. Moreover, as the temperature increases due to climate change, it is essential to consider how this will affect the spread of different pathogens. Specifically, the life cycle of Oestrus ovis is greatly influenced by temperature, which suggests that the incidence of ophthalmomyiasis will rise with warmer temperatures.

Elevated immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels are commonly associated with allergies. However, high IgE levels are also found in several other infectious and non-infectious disorders. Elevated IgE levels typically suggest allergies, eczema, or recurrent skin infections. Very high IgE levels are uncommon in patients with active eczema but typically reflect a monogenic atopic condition or inborn immune defects with an atopic phenotype. The aim of our research is to identify if the possible cause of high IgE levels is also dependent on external factors, age, or associated recurrent pathologies such as infections. To answer this question, we performed a one-year retrospective study that included 200 hospitalized children who had at least two viral or bacterial infections in the six months preceding hospitalization. Measurements of IgE and allergen panels (respiratory and digestive) using blood samples revealed that individuals who tested positive for the body’s synthesis of hyperimmunoglobulin E were not observably allergic to any potential allergens despite having higher total serum IgE. According to the results, there was a strong correlation between elevated IgE serum levels and a history of infectious diseases among the patients.

We investigated the response of leaf photosynthetic capacity to climate warming and its variation among provenances of Larix gmelinii (Dahurian larch). Seedlings of 11 L. gmelinii provenances were transplanted into two common gardens with different climate conditions (control and warming climate). We measured the leaf photosynthetic capacity and explored its influencing factors. The warming treatment significantly increased the maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax-a), photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), triose phosphate utilization rate (TPU), mesophyll conductance (gm), leaf nitrogen content (Narea), and chlorophyll content (Chlm). The Pmax-a was significantly positively associated with Vcmax, Jmax, TPU, gm, and Narea, and the slope of the correlations between Pmax-a and Vcmax, Jmax, and TPU was steeper in the warming treatment. The responses of Pmax-a, PNUE, Vcmax, Jmax, TPU, Narea, and Chlm to warming differed among provenances. The effects of warming on Pmax-a, Vcmax, Jmax, and TPU increased and then decreased as the aridity index of the original site increased. Overall, the warming treatment improved the photosynthetic capacity of L. gmelinii, but the extent of the improvement varied among provenances. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the responses of L. gmelinii to climate warming.

This article presents and discusses analytical data on the scientific publication record from 1910 to 2020 on two topics: "climate" and "climate change/global warming/climate emergency". The goal is to visualize how the publication record on these two topics has evolved over time, from different classification perspectives (year, country, source and organization). Three hypotheses are tested using data collected from Web of Science and various graphical representations of the data. It is found that research output related to the Earth’s contemporary changing climate overtook that of general climate research in 2011, and the publication ratio has been expanding in the last decade. There are significant differences in the publication countries and sources between the two topics, and conversely less significant differences in terms of organizations publishing these works. Differentiation factors that affect the level of research output and engagement on the climate challenge include: island versus landlocked nations, specialized versus general scientific journals, academic versus institutional organizations. The future of the publication records is discussed, such as the emergence of new terms to refer to the climate challenge, such as “climate emergency”.

Global warming, as well as europhication are predicted to promote cyanobacterial blooms, but how tropical phytoplankton communities from different trophic state systems respond to temperature variation is less known. To further explore the effect of temperature changes and nutrient addition on phytoplankton communities and to get insight in possible resistance to these effects, we tested the hypothesis that temperature variation will have a stronger effect on cyanobacteria dominance in eutrophic water than in oligo-mesotrophic. Hereto, we conducted an experiment with phytoplankton communities from two aquatic ecosystems differing in trophic state. Water samples from a eutrophic and an oligo-mesotrophic system were collected and incubated in 25 and 30ºC. Also, treatments that received additional surplus N and P were included that served as eutrophication treatments. Temperature variation itself did not promote cyanobacteria in either water from the oligo-mesotrophic or the eutrophic system. However, nutrient enrichment of water from the eutrophic system significantly boosted cyanobacteria, and biomass increased 10 times in both 25ºC and 30ºC treatments. In contrast, eutrophication of water from the oligo-mesotrophic system did not change the relative contribution of phytoplankton groups and response ratios were much lower than those for water from the eutrophic system. Although using a very simple experimental design, the results suggest that in eutrophic systems cyanobacteria dominance can be favoured by further addition of nutrients, independently of a direct temperature effect and that more pristine environments possess some resistance against eutrophication. Since global warming is assumed to intensify eutrophication symptoms indirectly, our study underscores the importance of nutrient control.

The assessment of soil contamination in the vicinity of integrated siderurgical plants is of outmost importance for agroecosystems and human health, and sensitive techniques should be employed for accurate assessment of chemical elements (metals, potential toxic elements, rare earths, radioelements) in soil and further evaluation of potential ecological and safety risk. In this paper a total of 45 major, minor and trace elements (Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr) were quantified in soils located around a large siderurgical works (Galati, SE Romania) using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in combination with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The statistical analysis results and vertical distribution patterns for three depths (0-5 cm, 5-20 cm, 20-30 cm) indicate inputs of toxic elements in the sites close to the ironmaking and steelmaking facilities and industrial wastes dumping site. For selected elements, a comparison with historical, legislated and world reported concentration values in soil was performed and depth migration, contamination and toxic risk indices were assessed. The distribution of major, rock forming elements was closer to the Upper Continental Crust (UCC), and to the Dobrogea loess, finding confirmed by the ternary diagram of the incompatible trace elements Sc, La and Th, as well as by the La to Th rate. At the same time, the La/Th vs. Sc and Th/Sc vs. Zr/Sc bi-plots suggested a felsic origin and a weak recycling of soils mineral components.

Previously reported atomic data (spectral lines, wavelengths, energy levels, and transition probabilities) have been collected and systematically analyzed for the Cs VI. The present theoretical analysis is supported by extensive calculations made for Cs VI with a pseudo-relativistic Hartree--Fock (HFR) method together with the superposition of configuration interactions implemented in Cowan's codes. In this critical evaluation, we provided several possibly observable lines with Ritz-wavelengths, computed from the optimized energy levels, and theoretical transition probabilities with their estimated uncertainties. In addition, we provided the radiative transition parameters for several forbidden lines within the ground configuration $5s^25p^2$ of Cs VI.

Background: given the various clinical manifestations that characterize coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the scientific community is constantly searching for biomarkers with prognostic value. Surfactant protein A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) play a crucial role in ensuring proper alveolar function and an alteration of their serum levels have been reported in several pulmonary diseases characterized by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Consid-ering that such clinical manifestations can also occur during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we wondered if these collectins could act as prognostic markers. Methods: in this regard, serum levels of SP-A and SP-D were measured by enzyme immunoassay in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=51) at admission (T0) and after 7 days (T1) and compared with healthy donors (n=11). Results: SP-D increased in COVID-19 patients com-pared to healthy controls during the early phases of infection, while a significant reduction was observed at T1. Stratifying SARS-CoV-2 patients according to disease severity, increased serum SP-D levels were observed in severe compared to mild patients. Conclusions: In the light of these results SP-D, but not SP-A, seems to be an eligible marker of COVID-19 pneumonia and the early detection of SP-D serum levels could be crucial for a preventive clinical management.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postprandial glycemic levels based on flash-monitoring and the production of intestinal hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) gases based on measurement of the amount of these gases in exhaled air. We studied 14 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 10 individuals without diabetes (control) with 3 food-load tests with simultaneous determination of gases in exhaled air and assessment of glucose levels. In 15.4% of patients with T2DM, there was a non-significant increase in exhaled H2. How-ever, all subjects in the control group had significant increase in exhaled H2. Moreover, the level of H2 in exhaled breathafter food load in patients with T2DM was lower than in normoglycemic subjects. Also, in normoglycemic subjects there was an inverse correlation between maximum glucose rise and maximum H2 in exhaled air after food load. At the same time in patients with T2DM the level of CH4 in exhaled air directly correlated with the parameters of postprandial glycemia in the test with lactulose. Confirmation of a causal relationship between decreased H2 production, increased intestinal CH4 production, and more severe postprandial glycemia may identify new therapeutic targets in the correction of postprandial glycemia in patients with T2DM.

The outcomes of the 2015 Paris Agreement triggered a number of climate impact assessments, such as for floods and droughts, to focus on future time frames corresponding to the years of reaching specific levels of global warming. Yet, the links between the timing of the warming levels and the corresponding greenhouse gas concentration pathways to reach them, remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we compare projected changes of annual mean, extreme high and extreme low river discharges in Europe at 1.5°C and 2°C under scenarios RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 from an ensemble of Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations. The statistical significance of the difference between the two scenarios for both warming levels is then evaluated. Results show that in the majority of Europe (>95% of the surface area for the annual mean discharge, >98% for high and low extremes), the changes projected in the two pathways are statistically indistinguishable. These results suggest that in studies of changes at specific warming levels the projections of the two pathways can be merged into a single ensemble without major loss of information. With regard to the uncertainty of the unified ensemble, findings show that the projected changes of annual mean, extreme high and extreme low river discharge are statistically significant in large portions of Europe.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macro nutrient for crop growth; therefore, N deficit can greatly limit crop growth and production. In the North China Plain (NCP), winter wheat is one of the main food crops, and its yield has increased from approximately 4000 kg ha-1 to 6000 kg ha-1 in the last two decades. Determining the proper N application rates at different growth stages and in all seasons is very important for the sustainable and high production of wheat in the NCP. A field experiment with five N application rates (250, 200, 150, 100, and 40 kgN·ha-1, designated as N250, N200, N150, N100, and N40, respectively) was conducted during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 winter wheat seasons to investigate the effects of the N application rate on water- and fertiliz-er-utilization efficiency, and on the crop growth and yield of winter wheat under sprinkler fer-tigation conditions. The results showed that, in the N application range of 40-200 kg ha-1, crop yield and water- and fertilizer-use efficiencies increased as the N application rate increased; however, further increases in the N application rate did not have additional benefits. The N up-take after regreening of winter wheat linearly increased with crop growth. Considering the wheat yield and N-use efficiency, the optimal N application range was 200 kg ha-1, and the best top-dressing strategy was equal amounts of N applied at the regreening, jointing, and grain-filling stages. The results of this study will be useful for optimizing field N management to achieve high wheat yield production in the NCP and in regions with similar climatic and soil environment conditions.

Tree resin, which in addition to its widespread use in industry is also a macroergic component which has not yet been used for energy purposes. The main goal of this work is to determine the energy content of the resin of spruce, pine and larch and wood components – pulp and turpentine. The combustion heats of resin (MJ/kg) from each timber was determined calorimetrically. The energy values of tree resin (&gt;38.0 MJ.kg-1) were 2.2 and 2.4 times higher than that of bleached and unbleached cellulose, the highest value was recorded for the turpentine (&gt;39.0 MJ.kg-1). The best way of resin tapping is the America method, providing 5 kg resin ha-1 yr-1. The resin quantity tapped was raised at least 3 times applying stimulant, its production cost compared to other feedstocks was the cheapest. The tree resin can be applied as a good means to mitigate global warming and consequently dampen climate change. One tonne of tree resin burned instead of coal spares the atmosphere by 5.0 Mt CO2 since it is environmentally neutral. As resin heating values approach to the lower end of ones of liquid hydrocarbon fuels, greater efforts are needed to examine the most efficient energy use of resin.

In Ghana, about 73% of households rely on solid fuels for cooking. Over 13,000 annual deaths are attributed to exposure to indoor air pollution from inefficient combustion. In this study, assessment of thermal efficiency, emissions and total global warming impact of three cookstoves commonly used in Ghana was completed using IWA water boiling test (WBT) protocol. Statistical averages of three replicate tests for each cookstove were computed. Thermal efficiency results were: wood-burning cookstove 12.2% (Tier 0), traditional charcoal cookstove 23.3% (Tier 1-2) and improved charcoal cookstove 30% (Tier 2-3). The wood-burning cookstove emitted more CO, CO2 and PM2.5 than charcoal cookstove (coalpot) and improved cookstove. Emission factor for PM2.5 and emission rate for the wood-burning cookstove (Tier 0) were over four times higher than the traditional charcoal cookstove (Tier 3) and improved cookstove (Tier 2). On the basis of WBT, annual global warming impact potential for emissions are estimated at 4 tonnes of CO2e for the wood-burning cookstove, 1.5 tonnes of CO2e for charcoal cookstove (coalpot) and 1 tonne of CO2e for improved cookstove. We conclude that there is the need for awareness, policy and incentives to enable end-users switch to improved cookstoves for increased efficiency, reduced emissions/global warming impact.

This study measures the noise levels in a baseball stadium and analyzes baseball fans’ attitude of effect of recreational noise exposure on their hearing. In the baseball stadium, noise levels were measured in four seating sections using a sound level meter during the games. The LAeq average of the 16 measures produced 91.7 dBA, showing a significantly high noise level in the red and navy sections. As a function of frequency by LZeq analysis, the noise levels were significantly higher in low frequencies than other frequencies. For the survey sample, 688 randomly selected participants completed a 16-question survey on their noise exposure during the game and on the potential risk of hearing loss. Despite the very high noise levels, 70% of the respondents preferred sitting in either the red or the navy section to be closer to the cheerleaders and to obtain a good view. Most respondents reported that they did not consider wearing earplugs, and one-third experienced hearing muffled speech after the game. We conclude that the noise levels in baseball stadiums are high enough to cause hearing damage and/or tinnitus later, but expect these results to improve public education regarding safe noise exposure during popular sports activities.

Introduction: The trophoblast derived angiogenic factors are considered to play an important role in the pathophysiology of various complications of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to establish relationship between concentrations of soluble Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (sHLA-G) in maternal serum and amniotic fluid at 16-22 weeks of gestation and the sonographic measurements of the fetal and placental growth. Materials and methods: sHLA-G in serum and amniotic fluid, as well as fetal biometric data and placental volume and perfusion indices were determined in 41 uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. Results: The sHLA-G levels were unchanged both in amniotic fluid and in serum during mid-pregnancy. The sHLA-G level in serum correlated positively with amniotic sHLA-G level (β=0.63, p<0.01). Significant correlation was found between serum sHLA-G level and abdominal measurement (β=0.41, p<0.05) and estimated fetal weight (β=0.41, p<0.05). The amniotic sHLA-G level and placental perfusion (VI: β = -0.34, p<0.01 and VFI: β = -0.44, p<0.01, respectively) were negatively interrelated. A low amniotic sHLA-G level was significantly associated with nuchal translucency (r = -0.102, p<0.05). Conclusions: sHLA-G assayed in amniotic fluid might be a potential indicator for placental function, whereas the sHLA-G level in serum can be a prognostic modality for feto-placental insufficiency.

Abstract: Our goal is to create point-of-care (POC) strategies that accelerate decision making, increase efficiency, improve outcomes, and enhance standards of care in island communities faced with global warming, rising oceans, population migration, and intensifying weather disasters. We assessed needs in the Bantayan Archipelago and mainland Cebu Province, Visayas Islands, Philippines, to map POC diagnostics, rescue times, and spatial care paths. Significant deficiencies were lack of cardiac troponin testing for rapid diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, absence of blood gas and pH testing for support of critically ill patients, and geographic gaps prolonging patient transfers and delaying treatment. Strengths comprised primary care that can be facilitated by POC testing, logical inter-island transfers for which decision making and triage could be accelerated with onboard diagnostic testing, and healthcare small-world networks amenable to POC advances, such as pre-hospital testing, that avoid overloading emergency rooms. Healthcare resources must be distributed to archipelago islands, not concentrated in large metropolitan areas inaccessible for emergency interventions. We conclude that a point-of-need focus will help improve public health, decrease disparities in mortality among rural islanders versus urban dwellers, and pave the way for heightened resilience in anticipation of the adverse impact of global warming on vulnerable coastal areas.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) displays clinical heterogeneity, but little information is available for patients with mild or very early disease. We aimed to characterize biomarkers that are useful in discriminating the hospitalization risk in a COVID-19 cohort from Northern Italy during the first pandemic wave. We enrolled and followed for four weeks 76 symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and age/sex-matched healthy controls. Patients with mild disease were discharged (n.42), and the remaining were hospitalized (n.34). Blood was collected before any anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive therapy and assessed for soluble C5b-9/C5a, H3-neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), calprotectin, DNase plasma levels by ELISA, and a panel of pro-inflammatory cytokines by ELLA. Calprotectin and NET levels discriminate between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients, while DNase negatively correlates with NET levels; there are positive correlations between calprotectin and both NET and neopterin levels. Neopterin levels increase in patients at the beginning of the disease and more in hospitalized than non-hospitalized ones. C5a and sC5b-9, and other acute phase proteins correlate with neopterin, calprotectin, and DNase. Both NET and neopterin levels negatively correlate with platelet count. We show that calprotectin, NET, and neopterin are important proinflammatory parameters potentially useful in discriminating between COVID-19 patients at risk for hospitalization.

Saprotrophic fungi are key in global carbon cycling, capable of decomposing lignocellulose in wood. This study, for the first time, explores the influence of oxygen (O2) and temperature on methane (CH4) production by two fungi, Laetiporus sulphureus and Pleurotus sapidus. We examined CH4 formation under varying O2 levels (0 to 98%) and temperatures (17, 27, and 40 °C) when the fungi grew on pine wood, beech wood, and grass under sterile conditions. Our findings reveal a strong dependency of fungal CH4 production on O2 mixing ratios. Methane formation was highest when O2 levels exceeded 5%, whilst no CH4 formation was observed after complete O2 consumption by the fungi. Reintroducing O2 immediately resumed fungal CH4 production. When CH4 formation was normalized to O2 consumption (CH4_norm) a different pattern between species was observed. L. sulphureus showed higher CH4_norm rates with higher O2 levels, whereas P. sapidus showed elevated rates between 0-5% O2. Temperature also significantly influenced CH4 and CH4_norm rates, with the highest production at 27 °C, and comparatively lower rates at 17 and 40 °C. These results demonstrate that O2 levels and temperature are critical in controlling fungal CH4 emissions, a consideration necessary for future CH4 source predictions.

The impact of warming on the phenology of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in conditions of Central Europe was evaluated at the locality of Dolné Plachtince in the Slovakian wine region. In Welschriesling and Pinot Blanc model varieties there was observed onset of phenophases as defined in BBCH scale over 1985–2018 period. Based on the data obtained there was evaluated the influence of average and average maximum temperature and GDD on the onset of phenophases. The results observed indicate earlier budburst by 5–7 days, earlier beginning of flowering by 7–10 days, and earlier berry softening by 18 days, and harvest dates advanced by 8–10 days on average. In both varieties there was found the highest influence of the average monthly temperature in March on budburst, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature and the average maximum temperature in May on the beginning of flowering, and the highest, statistically significant influence of the average maximum temperature in June on grape veraison. The warming observed in moderate climate conditions of northern wine regions in Central Europe (Slovakia) has not caused yet the changes in the grapevine phenology stable enough to require serious adaptation measures.

The most important prognostic factors in curatively treated prostate cancer at the initial diagnosis are T and N stage, histological subtype, Gleason score, initial PSA, PSA density and percentage of core biopsy positivity. Newer, but non-standard prognostic factors are urine PCA3 and genetic markers of prostate cancer. A simple, but seemingly underestimated standard test is serum Calcium (Ca) level, which has been shown by a previous study group to be a good predictor of lethal prostate cancer, but there is scarce evidence regarding the prognostic value of calcium levels at diagnosis. We aimed to determine whether a Ca level in the upper part of normal values has a prognostic value in curatively treated prostate cancer. We have retrospectively included 84 consecutive patients with prostate cancer, who underwent curative radiotherapy (primary or adjuvant; external beam RT with or without brachytherapy). We have performed statistical analysis of available prognostic factors. Ca level at diagnosis was found to be a statistically significant predictor of disease-free survival.

Thyroid hormones have a catabolic effect on bone homeostasis. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate and bone marker levels and bone mineral density (BMD) among patients with different thyroid diseases. This cross-sectional study included patients with underlying thyroid diseases (n=64, hyperthyroid; n=53 euthyroid; and n=18, hypothyroid) and healthy controls (n=64). BMD was assessed using z-score and left hip and lumbar bone density (g/cm2). Results showed that the mean serum vitamin D Levels of all groups was low (<50 nmol/L). Thyroid patients had higher serum vitamin D levels than healthy controls. All groups had normal serum calcium and phosphate levels. The bone marker levels were significantly high in the hyperthyroid group and low in the hypothyroid group. The z-score for hip and spine did not significantly differ between thyroid patients and control groups. The hip bone density was remarkably low in the hyperthyroid group. In all groups, the serum vitamin D levels were below the cutoff value. However, thyroid patients had a higher serum vitamin D level than healthy controls. The carboxy terminal collagen crosslink and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide levels were high in hyperthyroid patients and low in hypothyroid patients. Further, hyperthyroid patients had a low hip BMD.

The European Green Deal poses a two-pronged challenge for the automotive industry: migrating to solutions based in light structures, requiring light weight concepts and light materials, while at the same time avoiding dependence towards the importation of these advanced materials. Aluminium alloys are lightweight and cost-effective materials that can successfully cover the requirements of many structural applications, however their production requires from bauxite and other Critical Raw Materials (CRM), such as Si and Mg. Aluminium alloys are fully recyclable, but scrap is usually contaminated and its use is related to an increment of impurities, tramp element and undesired inclusions. Traditionally, the use of secondary alloys has been restricted to low performance applications. The present work analyses the effect that the use of scrap has in the quantity of inclusions present in the alloy and in other properties relevant for the material processing. The study was carried out for common alloys belonging to 3 of the most common aluminium processes used in the car manufacturing industry: High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) (EN AC-43500), extrusion (6063) and sheet metal forming (5754 and 6181). Reference alloy were mixed with different level of scrap (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) trying to keep the chemical composition as unaffected as possible. The inclusions level of the alloy was characterized with the Prefil Foot-printer® test. In addition, the obtained materials, after being cast in an open mould, were subjected to metallographic characterization. Relevant properties to assess the formability quality of the alloys for the corresponding transforming process, were obtained: flowability test for HPDC alloy and high temperature compression for extrusion alloys. The results obtained suggest that the number of inclusions present in the melt highly increase with the amount of scrap used to produce the alloy. These inclusions are also related with an important lost of flowability, but do not have a noticeable impact on microstructure.

A method of geoengineering/solar radiation management is proposed as global warming countermeasure. The idea is to decrease surface temperature by increasing stratospheric ozone. One-dimensional (vertical) radiative-convective equilibrium temperature calculations show that surface temperature can be lowered by increasing the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. It was the increase in altitude above about 25 km that reduced surface temperatures. The method of increasing the amount of ozone (O3 injection), the rate of decrease of surface temperature after the ozone increase, and the rate of decrease of ozone concentration by photochemical reaction and diffusion/transport after the ozone increase are discussed.

Alzheimer’s disease is a prominent neurological disorder, which leads to progressive dementia. The microtubule-associated protein Tau is been considered as one of the major causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Physiologically Tau assists in the stabilization of microtubules, contrary to this the pathological state of Tau results in the formation of neurotoxic tangles of Tau. The posttranslational modifications, such as GSK-3β-mediated Tau phosphorylation results in the generation of Tau pathology. Neuroinflammation generated in Alzheimer’s disease, contributes to elevated body temperature. The aim of present work is to study the effect of high temperature on Tau phosphorylation. The neuroblastoma cells were exposed to heat stress for 40 minutes. The immunofluorescence and western blot studies suggested that high temperature increases the levels of GSK-3β in cells. Heat stressed cells was also observed to have elevated levels of phosphorylated Tau. Additionally, heat stressed cells found to have modulated nuclear transport as the level of Ran was reduced. The results of present work suggested that increased temperature could be considered as a risk factor in Alzheimer’s disease as it elevated the GSK-3β levels in cells thus, resulting in increased Tau phosphorylation.

A total of 779 samples of edible nuts (melon seeds, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cantaloupe seeds) from southern cities of Punjab, Pakistan were collected from the summer and the winter seasons. The natural occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) and vitamin E (tocopherols) levels were investigated using HPLC. The results have shown that 180 (43.4%) samples from the winter season and 122 (33.4%) samples from the summer season were found positive with AFs. The elevated average levels of total AFs (20.9±3.10 µg/kg) were observed in watermelon seeds without shell and the lowest average amount (15.9±3.60 µg/kg) were documented in melon seeds without shell samples from the winter season. The elevated average amount of total AFs 17.3±1.50 µg/kg were found in pumpkin seeds available as without shell. The results have documented a significant difference in total AFs levels in edible seeds available as shells versus without shells (α = 0.05 & 0.01). The highest dietary intake of 6.30 µg/kg/day was found in female individuals from pumpkin seeds (without shell) in the winter season and the value of 3.00 µg/kg/day were found in pumpkin seed without shell in summer season in female individuals. The highest amount of total tocopherol levels of 22.2 ± 7.70 ng/100g in pumpkin seeds samples from winter season and 14.5 ± 5.50 mg/100g were found in melon seeds samples from summer season. The variation of total tocopherol levels in edible seeds among the winter and summer seasons showed significant difference (p ≤ 0.0054), except watermelon seeds samples which shown non-significant difference (p ≥ 0.183).

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and compare these results to the 2.2 µg/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)’s Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 µg Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region, and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control community, and increased with increasing distance away from the Madre de Dios headwaters (as the crow flies), did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level. Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species. Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

Background/Objectives: High-intensity anaerobic physical training frequently results in muscle damage among boxers and kickboxers, which can impede performance and recovery. Vibrational therapy (VT) and passive rest (PR) have been employed as methods to enhance muscular recovery and performance. This study evaluates the effectiveness of these two recovery methods on upper limb muscle strength and lactate levels in plasma after high-intensity exertion. Methods: Eighteen elite boxers and kickboxers, aged 19-32 years, underwent tests employing VT and PR as recovery methods in a controlled, crossover study. Muscle performance was assessed via isokinetic dynamometry, and lactate levels were measured pre-exercise, post-exercise, and post-recovery. The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines and was approved by the relevant bioethics committee. Results: The results showed that VT led to a faster recruitment of muscle fibers and improved muscle endurance as indicated by decreased fatigue work indices compared to PR. However, no significant differences were observed in peak torque or lactate levels between the two recovery methods. The VT group exhibited quicker recovery times in torque generation and better performance in fatigue resistance. Conclusions: VT appears to provide superior muscular recovery compared to PR following intense anaerobic effort, particularly in terms of muscle strength endurance and activation speed. These findings support the potential of VT in sports recovery protocols, although similar lactate response suggests that metabolic recovery rates are not significantly affected.

Climate change presents an urgent and impending threat to virtually all global biological systems. In recent years, there has been a surge in research endeavors aimed at investigating the potential relationship between changes in climate patterns and the spread of infectious diseases. This scoping review included studies on global warming and infectious diseases from 2019 to 2023, The studies included in this research were obtained from reputable academic databases such as Web of Science and google scholar. A systematic keyword search was conducted to identify relevant studies, and a predefined set of inclusion criteria was applied to review and select the appropriate studies for analysis. This review found that climate change has a remarkable impact on the dissemination and incidence of many infectious diseases, it increases microbial resistance and may increase the prevalence the arthropods-borne diseases with mild effect on fungal infections, also, the low to middle income countries may be affected more than other countries from these virulent pathogens, this study concluded that a future research in the field of climate change and infectious diseases should involve a thorough examination of the transmission of diseases, considering both direct and indirect modes of transmission

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), is a notorious migratory pest. After invading China in 2019, the species has established as a year-round breeding population in most of the southern provinces. The area of winter corn in this region has been increasing due to the huge demand of fresh corn consumption which is potentially at risk from this invasive, although S. frugiperda growth and development under changing climate in this region is unclear, particularly the rising temperature during night period. Here we used highest daily temperatures of 27℃, 24℃, 20℃ and night temperatures that were 2℃, 4℃, 6℃ lower giving three daily temperature treatments reflective of winter conditions; GroupⅠ: 27-21℃, 27-23℃, 27-25℃, Group Ⅱ: 24-18℃, 24-20℃, 24-22℃, and Group Ⅲ: 20-14℃, 20-16℃, 20-18℃; to evaluate the effect of increasing night temperature on growth and development of S. frugiperda. Results show that the survival rate of larvae and pupae significantly declined with the daily temperature declining and the night temperature range increasing. Significant developmental effects were observed in all day-night temperature treatment, except for adults, with significant interaction effects for all stages except egg and generation time. Development rate accelerated along with the increasing daily temperature and night temperature, except for the intermediate treatments (Group Ⅱ). The uniformity of pupation and emergence times are higher in high daily temperatures and night temperature. Predictions of FAW development and warnings to local farmers need to be adjusted to take into account the more rapid development. These results will support decision makers to develop long-term management strategies for FAW in southern China.

Background: There is now evidence that immune and opioid systems show functional reciprocal relationships and that both systems may participate in the pathophysiology of major depression (MDD). Objective: The present study was carried out to delineate differences between MDD patients and healthy controls in dynorphin and kappa opioid receptor (KORs) in association with levels of β-endorphins and mu opioid receptors (MORs), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10. Method: The present study recruited 60 drug-free male participants with MDD aged 24-70 year and 30 age-matched healthy males as control group and measured serum levels of dynorphin, KOR, β-endorphin, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10. Results: Serum dynorphin, KOR, β-endorphin and MOR are significantly increased in MDD as compared with controls. The increases in the dynorphin/KOR system and β-endorhin/MOR system are significantly intercorrelated and are both strongly associated with increased IL-6 and IL-10 levels. Dynorphin, β-endorphin, KOR and both cytokines showed a good diagnostic performance for MDD versus controls, whereby both opioid peptides and cytokines show a bootstrapped (n=2000) area under the receiver operating curve of 0.972. KOR and the dynorphin/KOR system are both significantly decreased in depressed subjects with comorbid nicotine dependence. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that in MDD, immune activation is associated with a simultaneous activation of dynorphin/KOR and β-endorhin/MOR signaling and that these opioid systems may participate in the pathophysiology of depression by a) exerting immune regulatory activities attenuating the primary immune response; and b) modulating reward responses and mood as well as emotional and behavioral responses to stress.

Background: It is unknown whether lowered steady state levels of sex hormones coupled with changes in those hormones during the menstrual cycle could be associated with the presence and severity of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Objective: To examine associations between levels of progesterone and oestradiol during the menstrual cycle and PMS severity considering different diagnostic criteria for PMS.Methods: Forty women aged 18-45 years with a regular menstrual cycle completed the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) for all 28 consecutive days of the menstrual cycle. Blood was sampled at days 7, 14, 21 and 28 to assay oestradiol and progesterone. Results: We developed a new diagnosis of peri-menstrual syndrome, which is characterized by increased DRSP severity in pre and post-menstrual periods and increased scores on the major DRSP dimensions, i.e. depression, physio-somatic symptoms, breast tenderness and appetite, and anxiety. This new diagnosis performed better than classical diagnoses of PMS, including the one presented by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Lowered steady state levels of progesterone, when averaged over the menstrual cycle, together with declining progesterone levels during the luteal phase predict severity of peri-menstrual symptoms. Steady state levels of oestradiol and declining oestradiol levels during the cycle are also related to DRSP severity although most of these effects appeared to be mediated by progesterone. Conclusion: A significant increase in menstrual-cycle related symptoms can best be conceptualized as “peri-menstrual syndrome” and may result from “corpus luteum insufficiency”, which may result from suboptimal pre-ovulatory follicular development. Future research should trial Clomiphene citrate (given the first 5 days of the cycle) and a mid-cycle injection of human Chorionic Gonadotrophin in subjects with peri-menstrual syndrome.

A review of pesticide residues detected in shrimp species of the Mexican Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts is presented. Most studies focus on monitoring organochlorine (OC) and organophosphate (OP) pesticides. The evaluated areas are mainly located in the northwestern zone of Mexico. Studies analyzing pesticides levels in shrimp of Mexico correspond to commercially important species, such as: Penaeus vannamei, Penaeus stylirostris, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, and Trachypenaeus similis pacificus. Extraction methods (sample preparation, extraction technique, solvent, and clean-up procedures) are presented, as well as chromatography and detector type used to quantify the analytes in the shrimp samples from the different ecosystems evaluated. Given that there is an under-evaluation of pesticides residues presence, there was a greater contribution of studies directed to geographical areas in the northwest of the country, with a monitoring gap in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in the southern zone, considering that there are states that are among the main shrimp-producing entities. Hence, it is necessary to carry out recent evaluations, since the most current information is 17 years out of date, so presented data may not be a reflection of the current situation in the country.

The purpose of the study is to show the effect of the intake of vitamin C obtained from a diet rich in fruit and vegetables or vitamin C supplements on the level of vitamin C in the plasma. The level of vitamin C in plasma were determined before the study (T1), and after five months (T2). Moreover, a medical record was carried out and a questionnaire on the habits such as general eating and specific consumption of food rich in vitamin C. Both of them were completed before and after five months. In addition, related anthropometric analyses were carried out. The results of the first determination of vitamin C level in plasma were between 1.0 and 16.0 mg/L and the results of the second determination of vitamin C in plasma were between 4.9 and 14.1 mg/L. Furthermore, it was identified that 50% of the questioned people had a low fruit intake. Raw vegetables were consumed by fewer people, the intake being higher during the main meals. The correlation of plasma vitamin C with the eating habits of the subjects to the study points out an interdependence between the consumption of fruit and vegetables and the level of vitamin C in the plasma.

Keywords: COVID-19, severity, influenza, serum antibodies, blood tests

Background: Cell-free plasma DNA (cfDNA) is composed of circulating extracellular DNA originating from apoptosis or cell necrosis. It is generally present in healthy individuals, but its levels increase in different clinical conditions, such as kidney disease, sepsis, myocardial infarction, trauma and cancer. Caspase-3 plays a central role in apoptosis, a mechanism of programmed cell death involved in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: We compared cfDNA and caspase-3 levels in 25 CKD patients and in 10 healthy subjects, evaluating the modification of their concentrations according to CKD stage. We also analyzed the correlation between cfDNA and caspase-3 levels in CKD patients and the correlation between cfDNA and caspase-3 levels and creatinine and urea. Results: CfDNA and caspase-3 levels were higher in CKD patients compared to healthy subjects, in particular in patients with advanced renal disease. A positive correlation between cfDNA and caspase-3 levels and between cfDNA and caspase-3 and creatinine and urea was also observed. Conclusion: Patients with chronic kidney disease present higher levels of cfDNA and caspase-3 levels compared with healthy subjects. The worsening of renal damage and the increase in uremic toxin concentration are associated to higher levels of cfDNA and caspase-3 levels, thus reflecting a central role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of CKD.

Animal studies have shown that developmental exposures to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) permanently affect blood/liver balance of lipids. No human study has evaluated associations between in utero exposures to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and later life lipid metabolism. In this pilot, maternal plasma levels of PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, and BDE-153) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB-138, PCB-153, and PCB-180) were determined at delivery in participants of GESTation and Environment (GESTE) cohort. Total cholesterol (TCh), triglycerides (TG), low and high density lipoproteins (LDL-C and HDL-C), total lipids (TL), and PBDEs were determined in serum of 147 children at ages 6-7. General linear regression was used to estimate the relationship between maternal POPs and child lipid levels with adjustment for potential confounders, and adjustment for childhood POPs. In utero BDE-99 was associated with lower childhood levels of TG (p=0.003), and non-significantly with HDL-C (p=0.06) and TL (p=0.07). Maternal PCB-138 was associated with lower childhood levels of TG (p=0.04), LDL-C (p=0.04), and TL (p=0.02). Our data indicate that in-utero exposures to POPs may be associated with long-lasting decrease in circulating lipids in children, suggesting increased lipid accumulation in the liver, a mechanism involved in NAFLD development, consistent with previously reported animal data.

Increased chronic glucose is associated with pandemic diseases. To date, there is not a practical, as well as accurate sample for reflecting that level. We measured earwax glucose in 37 controls. They provided standard serum samples, Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) and earwax samples on two time-points, one month a part. The specimens measured baseline fasting glucose, a follow-up postprandial glucose level and a between sample chronic glucose, calculated using the average level on the two occasions. The baseline earwax sample was obtained using a clinical method and the follow-up using a novel self-sampling earwax device. The earwax analytic time was significantly faster using the novel device in comparison to the clinical use of the syringe. Earwax accurately reflected glucose at both assessments with stronger correlations than HbA1c. Follow-up postprandial concentrations were more significant than their respective fasting baseline concentrations, reflecting differences in fasting and postprandial glycaemia and more efficient standardisation at follow up. Earwax demonstrated to be more predictable than HbA1c in reflecting systemic fasting, postprandial and long-term glucose levels and immune by confounders. Earwax glucose was approximately 60% more predictable than HbA1c in reflecting glycaemia over a month. The self-sampling device provided a sample that might accurately reflect chronic glycaemia.

Aluminum, a contentious trace element found in the environment, has been demonstrated to have harmful effects on both humans and animals. In contrast, Sempervivum tectorum, an evergreen plant, has been found to offer numerous beneficial effects for both humans and animals. Therefore, this study aims to assess the protective effect of S. tectorum on certain reproductive biomarkers in male rats exposed to aluminum. Thirty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: NTC (no-treatment control) received distilled water; NC (negative control) received drinking water containing 1 mg/L aluminum sulfate (AS); E1 received 1 mg/L AS along with an 8% S. tectorum extract; PC (positive control) received only 8% S. tectorum extract; E2 received 1 mg/L AS for three months followed by 8% extract for one month. The study analyzed testosterone, LH, FSH, body weight, and the histological structure of the testis, epididymis, and prostate, as well as the levels of zinc, manganese, copper, and iron in these organs. Significant decreases in body weight, testis, and epididymis size were observed in the aluminum-exposed groups compared to the control, whereas these decreases were not significant in the S. tectorum-treated groups compared to the control. Aluminum exposure led to significant decreases in testosterone and LH levels, with FSH levels showing a non-significant decrease in males, which were mitigated significantly by the administration of the plant extract. Histological analysis revealed alterations in the testis, epididymis, and prostate of the AS-exposed groups, including necrosis of seminiferous tubule epithelium and Leydig cells in the testis, and basal epithelial necrosis in the epididymis and prostate. Aluminum levels increased in all organs studied, while levels of zinc, copper, iron, and manganese decreased, showing a negative and significant correlation with aluminum levels. The aqueous extract of S. tectorum demonstrated a protective effect on certain studied biomarkers in male rats affected by aluminum exposure.

Cyprus plans to drastically increase the share of renewable energy sources from 13.9% in 2020 to 22.9% in 2030. Solar energy can play a key role in the effort to fulfil this goal. The potential for production of solar energy over the island is much higher than most of European territory because of the low latitude of the island and the nearly cloudless summers. In this study, high quality and fine resolution satellite retrievals of aerosols and dust, from the newly developed MIDAS climatology, as well as information for clouds from CMSAF are used in order to quantify the effects of aerosols, dust, and clouds on the levels of surface solar radiation (SSR) and the corresponding financial loss for different types of installations for production of solar energy. An SSR climatology has been also developed based on the above information. Ground-based measurements were also incorporated to study the contribution of different species to the aerosol mixture and the effects of day-to-day variability of aerosols on SSR. Aerosols attenuate 5 – 10% of annual GHI and 15 – 35% of annual DNI, while clouds attenuate ~25 – 30% and 35 – 50% respectively. Dust is responsible for 30 – 50% of the overall attenuation by aerosols.

Postprandial plasma glucose between 4 and 7.9 hours is associated with the diagnosis of diabetes, diabetes mortality, and cardiovascular mortality. However, it is unknown whether 2-hour plasma glucose during the oral glucose tolerance test conducted in this postprandial period (4–7.9 hours), termed as 2-h PGOGTT@4–7.9h, can accurately classify diabetes diagnosis and predict mortality risks. This study aimed to address these questions using 2,347 adult participants. Diabetes was defined as HbA1c ≥6.5%, and the ability of 2-h PGOGTT@4–7.9h to classify diabetes was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to estimate mortality hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results showed that 2-h PGOGTT@4–7.9h could classify diabetes with 92% accuracy. Participants were followed up for a mean of 21.4 years. A 1-natural-log higher 2-h PGOGTT@4–7.9h was associated with an increased risk of mortality from diabetes (adjusted HR, 21.1; 95% CI, 9.2–48.0) and cardiovascular disease (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.13–1.91). Simulation analysis indicated that future studies may require at least 100 participants to investigate 2-h PGOGTT@4–7.9h for diabetes diagnosis. In conclusion, 2-h PGOGTT@4–7.9h may be useful for diabetes classification and prediction of mortality risk.

Purpose: Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH), extensively utilized as herbicides worldwide, have been associated with numerous health issues. Previous experimental studies have indicated their potential to disrupt selenium homeostasis by either interfering with uptake or increasing oxidative stress. However, there is a significant research gap concerning the connection between glyphosate exposure and selenium status in epidemiological studies, particularly within nationally representative samples. Methods: In this study, we examined data from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), involving 3011 participants aged 3 and above. Our main objective was to examine the connection between urinary glyphosate levels, whole blood selenium, and selenium intake. Results: Our analysis did not uncover an association between urinary glyphosate and selenium intake. Nevertheless, we observed a negative correlation between urinary glyphosate levels and whole blood selenium, with a ß coefficient of -1.984, S.E. = 0.639, and P = 0.003 in the final model. We also reported a notable decrease in the average concentrations of whole blood selenium as glyphosate tertiles increased, with P-values for trend of 0.033. Furthermore, the association was particularly prominent among females, non-Hispanic whites, and individuals with lower selenium intake. Conclusions: In this thorough examination of NHANES data, our study uncovers a possible detrimental connection between glyphosate exposure and whole blood selenium levels. These findings underscore the importance of further investigation into the health consequences of glyphosate exposure and its potential influence on selenium status, thereby raising awareness of potential implications for public health.

A large-scale, high-resolution, fully coupled hydrological/reservoir/hydroelectricity model is used to investigate the impacts of climate change on hydroelectricity generation and hydropower potential of non-powered dams across the Northeast United States megaregion with 11,037 dams and 375 hydroelectric power plants. The model is calibrated and validated using the U.S. Department of Energy records. Annual hydroelectricity generation in the region is 41 Terawatt-hours (Twh). Our estimate of the hydropower potential of non-powered dams adds up to 350 Twh. West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York have significant potential for generating more hydroelectricity from already existing dams. On the other hand, this potential virtually does not exist for Rhode Island and Delaware and is small for New Jersey and Vermont. Climate change may reduce annual hydropower potential from non-powered dams by up to 13% and reduce current annual hydroelectricity generation by up to 8% annually. Increased rainfall in winters and earlier snowmelt in springs result in an increase in regional water availability in December through March. In other months, reduced precipitation and increased potential evapotranspiration rates combined with reduced recharge from the shift in spring snowmelt and smaller snowpack result in a decrease in availability of water and thus hydroelectricity generation. This changes call for the recalibration of dam operations and may raise conflict of interests in multipurpose dams.

This investigation aimed to explore the impact of acute and regular physical exercise on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels in individuals with obesity. Using the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design (PICOS) approach, the inclusion criteria were defined as follows: i) population - individuals with overweight or obesity of any age or gender; ii) intervention - acute or chronic interventions involving aerobic or anaerobic methodologies; iii) comparator - for acute effect studies, pre- and post-evaluations served as comparators, while interventions included at least one experimental group or the inclusion of a control group; iv) outcome - BDNF variability concerning the applied methodology; v) study design - restricted to experimental studies exclusively. Conducted in August 2022, the searches were carried out on PubMed, Academic Search Complete, and Web of Science. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS) tool. Out of 98 potentially relevant articles, 16 met the eligibility criteria, encompassing 23 trials. Substantial heterogeneity was observed for both acute (I2 = 80.4%) and long-term effects (I2 = 88.7%). Additionally, RoBANS analysis indicated a low risk of bias for the included studies. The study's findings revealed a significant increase in the concentration of circulating BDNF in individuals with obesity compared to the control group following acute exercise. However, such an effect was not evident in the context of long-term physical exercise, with a small effect size (ES = 0.49) recorded in the latter scenario. The observed significant increase in BDNF levels post-acute exercise suggests a potential acute response mechanism contributing to the intricate interplay between exercise and neurotrophic factors in this population. Nevertheless, the absence of a similar effect in the context of long-term physical exercise implies a potential adaptation or ceiling effect. These findings underscore the importance of considering both the duration and nature of exercise interventions when exploring the neurobiological responses associated with obesity and exercise. The study provides valuable insights for future research and clinical implications in understanding the nuanced relationship between exercise, neurotrophic factors, and obesity.

Background: Galectins are innate immune system regulators, associated with disease progression in cancer. This paper aims to investigate the correlation between mutated cancer-critical genes and galectin levels in breast cancer patients to determine whether galectins and genetic profiles can be used as biomarkers for disease and potential therapy targets. Materials and Methodology: Prisma Health Cancer Institute’s Biorepository provided seventy-one breast cancer patient samples, including all four stages as well as major molecular subtypes and histologies of breast cancer. Hotspot mutation statuses of cancer-critical genes were determined using multiplex PCR in tumor samples from the same patients by Precision Genetics and the University of South Carolina Functional Genomics Core Facility. The galectin levels of patients’ sera were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure the concentrations of galectins-1, -3, and -9. Analysis was performed using JMP software to compare mean and median serum galectin levels between samples with and without specific cancer-critical genes including pooled t-test, Wilcoxon test, ANOVA, Tukey’s range test, and Steel Dwass Method (α=0.05). Results: Our analysis indicates that KIT mutations correlate with elevated serum levels of galectin-1 and -9 in patients with breast cancer. In patients with Luminal A subtype, FLT3 mutation correlates with lower serum galectin-1 and -9 levels and TP53 mutations correlate with higher serum galectin-3 levels. Patients with invasive ductal carcinoma had significantly higher serum galectin-3 levels than patients with ductal carcinoma in situ. Patients with both TP53 and PIK3CA mutations exhibit elevated serum galectin-3 levels, while patients with one or neither mutation show no significant difference in serum galectin-3 levels. In addition, metastatic breast cancer samples were more likely to have KIT or PIK3CA mutation compared to primary breast cancer samples. Conclusion: The relationship between genetic mutations and galectin levels has the potential to identify appropriate candidates for combined therapy, targeting genetic mutations and galectins. Further understanding of the effect of genetic mutations and galectin levels on cancer progression and metastasis could aid in the search for biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis, disease progression, and prognosis.

Cenobamate is approved by the European Medicine Agency for the treatment of adult patients with epilepsy (PWEs) who suffer from ongoing focal-onset seizures despite appropriate treatment with at least two established antiseizure medications. Pivotal trials and post-marketing real-world observational studies have suggested a high efficacy with unusually high seizure-free rates. We sought to investigate the serum trough levels of cenobamate under steady-state conditions in seizure-free versus non-responding PWEs, and in PWEs who experienced adverse events versus those who did not. We analyzed samples from 101 PWEs treated with adjunct cenobamate under steady-state conditions. In all, 36 PWEs were seizure-free and 65 were non-responders. In 31 PWEs, adverse events were apparent, whereas in the remaining 70, no tolerability issues were reported. We found a linear correlation between the daily doses (range: 100 mg – 400 mg) and the plasma levels (3.8 mg/l – 54.6 mg/l). Neither the daily doses nor the plasma levels differed significantly between seizure-free and non-responding PWEs or between PWEs with a satisfactory tolerability and those who experienced adverse events. The main reason for this result was that the individual therapeutic ranges varied widely: seizure freedom and adverse effects were observed alongside low doses and plasma levels in some PWEs. Conversely, there were examples of PWEs who did not respond or who reported no tolerability issues at high doses or plasma levels. Still, to evaluate the individual therapeutic range and to better understand the influence of other drugs in cases where concomitant medications are used, the therapeutic drug monitoring of cenobamate may be useful.

Rice production is a significant contributor to methane emissions, accounting for ap-proximately 11% of global anthropogenic emissions. However, methane emissions in rice fields could effectively be reduced by implementing proper management practices and careful cultivar selection. The impact of nitrogen fertilizers on methane emissions is mul-tifaceted, as these fertilizers enhance crop growth and influence the activity of me-thane-producing (methanogens) and methane-consuming microbes (methanotrophs), leading to complex outcomes in methane emissions. In this study, we used qPCR to quan-tify methanogens and methanotrophs using mcrA (methanogenesis-related gene) and pmoA (methane oxidation-related gene) primer sets under different nitrogen levels (0, 50, and 100%) and rice varieties. The results revealed that higher nitrogen input led to higher methanogen inhabitation in the rhizosphere. Additionally, the abundances of methano-gens and methanotrophs varied among the different rice varieties. Furthermore, it was observed that there may be an additive effect between the rice variety and nitrogen level used. These findings suggest that future breeding efforts should involve screening for me-thane-related microbes in rice cultivars adapted to low-nitrogen conditions. By identifying and selecting rice varieties that promote lower methanogen levels and higher metha-notroph inhabitation, significant steps can be taken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation.

Abstract: Rice production is a significant contributor to methane emissions, accounting for approximately 11% of global anthropogenic emissions. However, there is potential for effectively reducing methane emissions from rice fields through the implementation of proper management practices and careful cultivar selection. The impact of nitrogen (N) fertilizers on methane (CH4) emissions is multifaceted, as these fertilizers not only en-hance crop growth but also influence the activity of methane-producing microbes (Meth-anogens) and methane-consuming microbes (Methanotrophs), leading to complex out-comes in CH4 emissions. In this study, we utilized qPCR to quantify methanogens and methanotrophs using mcrA (methanogenesis-related gene) and pmoA (methane oxida-tion-related gene) primer sets under different nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100%) and rice varie-ties. The results revealed that higher nitrogen inputs led to higher methanogen inhabita-tion in the rhizosphere. Additionally, the abundances of methanogens and metha-notrophs varied among different rice varieties. Furthermore, through the analysis of two-way ANOVA, it was observed that there may be an additive effect between rice variety and nitrogen level. Furthermore, enhancing agronomic traits related to yield can reduce methanogen inhabitation. These findings suggest that future breeding efforts should in-volve the screening of methane-related microbes in rice cultivars adapted to low nitrogen conditions. By identifying and selecting rice varieties that promote lower methanogen lev-els and higher methanotroph inhabitation, we can take significant steps towards mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurological illness that worsens gradually. It is known as the most frequent cause of dementia. Moreover, Alzheimer's disease is a general term for memory loss and other cognitive impairments severe enough to disrupt daily life. The disease often grows in middle-aged and elderly people with the gradual loss of cognitive ability. Since the diagnosis of the illness is time consuming, a novel machine learning approach is proposed in this research to diagnose Alzheimer's levels based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). More specifically, to provide distinct information for classification we have implemented the proposed method on a native MRI scans dataset containing three MRI channels; namely T1, T2, and, T2 tirm, which are shown in red, blue and green, respectively. The five middle layers of these three types of MRI scans are combined to form five RGB layers. In addition, we use a Convolutional Neural Network to classify each composed layer, and the final disease type is predicted using majority voting. finally, the F1-Score has been used to assess method performance, indicated that 92% of predictions of the proposed model were accurate.

Background Epidemiological studies have associated plasma galectin-4 (Gal-4) levels with prevalent and incident diabetes, and with increased risk of coronary artery disease, but data regarding possible associations with stroke are lacking. Methods We tested Gal-4 association with prevalent stroke in a population-based cohort, and whether Gal-4 increases after ischemic stroke in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Results Gal-4 was higher in subjects with compared to without prevalent ischemic stroke, and was associated with prevalent ischemic stroke (odds ratio 1.52; 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.30; p=0.048) adjusted for age, sex and covariates of cardiometabolic health. Plasma Gal-4 increased after stroke in both controls and HFD-fed mice, but HFD exposure was devoid of impact in Gal-4 levels. Conclusions This study demonstrates higher plasma Gal-4 levels in both a stroke mouse model and individuals with prevalent stroke.

This study was undertaken to investigate and analyze noise pollution in a large Chinese governmental hospital’s medical intensive care unit and compare to the WHO guidelines.This cross-sectional study was conducted in a MICU at a public governmental teaching hospital in Fujian province between July and August of 2017. A WENSN® WS1361 Integrated Sound Level Meter (China) was used for continuous every five seconds one week noise levels recording. After this measurement, the decibel meter was used for recording different location of isolation rooms and open bays, including occupied and unoccupied patient, and recording sound events occurs in the ICU to identify sources of noise. Peak and average noise levels were obtained from the meter, and data were downloaded from the WS1361 into a laptop computer. The measured mean equivalent sound pressure levels (L) and standard Aeq deviation over one week period were 66.64±7.57 dB(A), with acute spikes reaching 119.7 dB(A), the average sound level for a 24 hour period in a work day was 68.03±5.07 dB(A). These are higher than the current daytime environmental noise limit of 40-45 decibels in China and WHO. Mean work day noise was significantly louder than weekend time, there was a significant difference in work days and weekend (t=16.85;P=0.000).There was a statistical difference between the day time and night time shifts (t=34.67;P=0.000). The isolation rooms were significantly quieter than the open-bay rooms(t=46.15; p=0.00), sound levels in the occupied and unoccupied rooms also had significant difference(t=17.26; P=0.000).Two types of noise resources, including twenty kinds sources were identified and measured, mean noise levels ranged from of 61.33 to 79.21 dB(A). This study shows noise levels in intensive care units were exceeded the recommended. The study of the influence of noise on patient and staff is needed, and noise reduction strategies must be conduct in ICU.

This study investigated the effects of exogenous gibberellic acid (GA) treatments (elongating cluster + seedless + expanding, T1; seedless + expanding, T2; expanding, T3 and water, CK) on the content of sugars, organic acids, and endogenous hormones and sink strength.Results showed that T2 treatment displayed the highest fructose and glucose levels at 100 days after treatment (DAT), whereas its effect on tartaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid concentrations at 80 and 100 DAT was relatively weak. Under GA3 treatments, both GA3, IAA, and CTK contents increased, whereas ABA contents decreased at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 48 h. Analysis of sugar phloem unloading revealed that T2 treatment exhibited the highest values during softening and ripening stages. Our findings indicate that appropriate GA3 application can positively influence sink strength by regulating sink size and activity, including berry size enlargement, sugar phloem unloading and sugar accumulation in grape sink cells.

Delineating chilling and forcing periods is one of the challenging topics in understanding how temperatures drive the timing of budburst and bloom in fruit tree species. Here, we investigated this question on olive trees, using flowering data collected over six years on 331 cultivars in the worldwide collection of Marrakech, Morocco. Using a Partial Least Squares approach on a long-term phenology (29 years) of ‘Picholine Marocaine’ cultivar, we showed that the relevance of delineating the chilling and forcing periods depends more on the variability of inter-annual temperatures than on the long-term datasets. In fact, chilling and forcing periods are similar between those delineated by using datasets of 29 years and those of only 6 years (2014–2019). We demonstrated that the variability of inter-annual temperatures is the main factor explaining this pattern. We then used the datasets of six years to assess the chill and heat requirements of 285 cultivars. We classified Mediterranean olive cultivars into four groups according to their chill requirements. Our results, using the Kriging interpolation method, indicated that flowering dates of most of these cultivars (92%) were governed by both chilling and forcing temperatures. Our investigations provided first insights to select adapted cultivars to global warming.

South Africa’s internationally celebrated water legislation placed the responsibility for investing in water services at the door of the government. In recent years South Africa has struggled to invest adequately to keep up with growing demand for these services. The result is a suite of social, economic and environmental risks that are destabilising to the fiscus and the financial sector. This paper explored both operating and capital costs, and applied the ‘Beyond the Gap’ analysis to show that an additional 55% investment (R91 billion annually) is necessary to ensure South Africa meets its water policy goals. The analysis explores the factors that influence the investment amount and shows that a combination of policy choices and exogenous factors such as climate change could render the investment gap anywhere between 30% and 90% of the estimated current allocation to the water sector. The most significant savings are attributed to reducing the extent of “non-revenue water”, an energy transition away from coal, sharing of some water taps between (up to) five houses, reduced water allocations to agriculture, investments in invasive alien plant (IAP) clearing in water catchments above dams, and water demand management, capacity building and more efficient integration of different bulk water schemes. The study revealed important dependencies between capital and operating costs; where operating costs are ignored, the decay of water infrastructure is accelerated. Showing the contingency of investment needs on policy choices, places responsibility for attaining water policy goals and SDG 6 in the hands of a diverse set of actors. Quantifying the investment need also raises the critical question of how to raise the required investment. Recognising the need to balance risks to financiers with the widespread risks to households, companies and government when investment in water services is inadequate, South Africa is exploring a Monetary Architecture approach of inter-balance sheet relationships in an attempt to mobilise investment from new sources.

The 20th century, global temperatures underwent significant changes, impacting agricultural climate zones worldwide. Xinjiang, China, a key player in machine-picked cotton production, was influenced by various heat-related indicators(sum of active temperature ≥ 10℃、mean temperature in July、climatological growing season length, April-May sum active temperature、Last spring frost, and Defoliator spray time). Using meteorological data from 58 weather stations in Xinjiang, we examined the spatio-temporal trends of these indicators during the period of 1981-2020. Additionally, we considered the effects of climate warming and plastic mulching on the sowing area and zoning area of machine-picked cotton in different suitable zones. Overall, Xinjiang experienced an trend in heat resources, with a pattern of "more in the southern part than the northern part, and more in plains and basins than in mountainous areas." Under climate warming conditions, the sowing area of the most suitable cotton zone and the suitable cotton zone has increased, while the sowing area of the moderately suitable cotton zone and unsuitable cotton zone has decreased. Under the plastic mulching mechanism, a comparison of the zoning area and sowing area from 1991 to 2020 revealed that there was no difference in the zoning area of the most suitable zone compared to the sowing area, while the zoning area of the suitable zone increased by 15.7% (2.15×103km2) compared to the sowing area. The zoning area of the moderately suitable zone decreased by 14.5% (0.26×103km2), and the unsuitable zone decreased by 7.8% (0.17×103km2) compared to their respective sowing areas. These results indicate that climate warming and plastic mulching have increased the cultivable area of machine-picked cotton in Xinjiang, but there are also instances of unreasonable zoning. It is necessary to allocate land resources reasonably based on climatic conditions to ensure the healthy development of the cotton industry in Xinjiang.

Phenotypic plasticity is widely acknowledged as one of the most common solutions for coping with novel environmental conditions following climate change. However, it is less known wheth-er current amounts of trait plasticity, which is sufficient for matching with contemporary climate, will be adequate when global temperatures exceed historical levels. We addressed this issue by ex-ploring the responses of functional and structural leaf traits in Iris pumila clonal individuals to ex-perimentally increased temperature (~1.5°C), using an open top chamber (OTC) design. We de-termined phenotypic values of specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf water con-tent and leaf thickness in leaves sampled from the same clone inside and outside of the OTC de-ployed on it, over seasons and years within two natural populations. We analyzed the data by a repeated multivariate analysis of variance, which is primarily focused on profiles (reaction norms, RNs) of a variable gathered from the same individual at several different time points. We found that the mean RNs of all analyzed traits were parallel regardless of experienced temperatures, but differed in the level and the shape. The populations RNs were similar as well. Since the amount of plasticity in analyzed leaf trait was adequate for coping with elevated temperatures inside the OTCs, we predict that it will be also sufficient for responding to increased temperatures if they exceed the 1.5°C target.

This study was conducted to determine the dynamic effects of dietary crude protein (CP) intake on nitrogen (N) balance, ileal amino acid digestibility, and gene expression levels of digestive enzymes at three stages in pigs. In Experiment 1, 18 growing pigs (average body weight (BW) = 9.5 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n = 6/treatment group), including normal (20% CP), low (17% CP), and very low (14% CP) protein intake. In Experiment 2, 18 growing pigs (average BW = 30 kg) were allotted randomly to one of three treatments (n = 6/treatment group), including normal (18% CP), low (15% CP), and very low (12% CP) protein intake. In Experiment 3, 18 growing pigs (average BW = 45 kg) were assigned randomly to one of three treatments (n = 6/treatment group), including normal (16% CP), low (13% CP), and very low (10% CP) protein intake. Growing pigs fed the 14% CP and 17% CP diets had lower final BW (P < 0.05) and average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.05) compared to pigs fed the 20% CP diet. Reducing the dietary CP level from 20 to 14% decreased urinary N excretion by 52.8% (P < 0.001) in Experiment 1. Reducing the dietary CP level from 18 to 12% decreased urinary N excretion by 55.3% (P < 0.001) and reduced fecal N excretion by 34% (P < 0.05) in Experiment 2. Reducing the dietary CP level from 16 to 10% decreased urinary N excretion by 56.4% (P < 0.001) and fecal N excretion by 47.1% (P < 0.001) in Experiment 3. Pigs fed the very low (14%, 12%, and 10% CP) diets showed higher digestibility for CP (P < 0.05), His (P < 0.05), Ile (P < 0.05), Phe (P < 0.05), Thr (P < 0.05), Trp (P < 0.05), Glu (P < 0.05), and Ser (P < 0.05) compared to pigs fed the normal (20%, 18%, and 16% CP) diets among the three experiments. Pigs fed the very low (14%, 12%, and 10% CP) diets showed higher mRNA levels for chymotrypsin C (P < 0.01 in Experiment 1 and 2; P < 0.05 in Experiment 3) compared to pigs fed the normal (20%, 18%, and 16% CP) diets among the three experiments. These results indicated that a reduction in dietary CP by 6% limited the growth performance of growing pigs, and a reduction of dietary CP by 3% supplemented with essential amino acids could reduce the excretion of N into the environment without affecting weight gain.

Technology is in the way to reach in its climax but the basic understanding of science in many phenomena is still awaited even though the nature witnesses it. Scientific research reveals strong analogy between photon and electron. When an atom deals neutral state, it levitates electron of outer ring from the back surface while placing the bit-energy at front surface. Gravitation behavior of that electron starts at the centre of relaxation point by including the force of side pole where the pulling force of nearby unfilled state of that atom from the front surface results into depict forcing energy shape like Gaussian distribution symbol with both ends turned called unit photon. The inertia is being involved at each stage of changing direction of that electron by introducing the disappearances of forces of two poles against the appearances of forces of two opposite poles during rest to motion and motion to rest in the first half-cycle. The same is the case in the second half-cycle of that electron during rest to motion and motion to rest but it is under different introduction of the disappearances of forces against appearances of forces. However, at stage of levitating or gravitating period of electron, only one force is being involved at one time where the opposite force is disappeared. The uninterrupted confined inter-state electron-dynamics of atom under the availability of several bits of bit-energy results into generate forcing energy shape like a wave. Two bits of bit-energy where shape of bit for first half-cycle is like integral symbol and second half-cycle is like opposite integral symbol which are being placed along the configuring trajectory of inter-state electron-dynamics during forward-direction cycle and two bits of bit-energy shape in opposite order are being placed along the trajectory of inter-state electron-dynamics during back-direction cycle. Generating forcing energy of unit photon in each cycle is pushing to the rear side by remaining connected till the electron is not restoring the state of rest. Silicon atom is considered as a model system under neutral state. Uninterrupted confined inter-state electron-dynamics result into generate forcing energy that can travel immeasurable length and unavailability of necessitating bit-energy at any interrupted stage result into generate an overt photon. Inter-state electron-dynamics for at least two cycles generate an overt photon –a photon length twice to unit photon. Under certain interaction of unit photon, it divides equally into two bits of bit-energy instead of dividing into tits and bits of heat. The mechanism of generating photon characteristic current by the electron of neutral state atom validates that atoms are four-dimensional discs at centre of dealing no force. An isolated electron is being grounded under directed forcing energy to impinge a neutral state atom where the gained instantaneous velocity under merged energy resulting into distort atom at that point. Matter changes the role of energy and force under various sorts of interactions. Here, heat energy and photon energy explore matter at atomic and electron levels, thus, devise basis of science to describe.

In today's context of rising sea levels and subsiding land topography, coastal flooding is a major concern for coastal areas, both nationally, regionally, and internationally. A detailed understanding of these two phenomena is a prerequisite for effective coastal flood management. The main objective of the present study is to contribute to the understanding of the impact of subsidence and sea-level rise on coastal flooding in Saint-Louis, and in particular the Langue de Barbarie, by producing a vulnerability map of submerged surfaces. To this end, the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry technique is used to process a time series of Sentinel-1 images and estimate land subsidence in the Saint-Louis and Langue de Barbarie area. Interferometric SAR (InSAR) measurements are merged with RCP 2.6 sea-level rise scenarios to identify predicted flooded areas and provide a flood vulnerability map. At the Langue de Barbarie, topographic subsidence is estimated at between -6.4 and -0.4mm/year. In this study, we show that local land subsidence may increase vulnerability to flooding caused by sea-level rise based on 2100 projections. This may represent an increase in the flood zone in the study area. Based on the RCP 2.6 scenario and the subsidence rates obtained, a significant part of the St. Louis coastline and city would be subject to coastal and fluvial flooding for the years 2040 and 2100. For these dates, 29 to and 36 Km2 of the studied area would be occupied by water. Given this situation, research in Saint-Louis needs to focus on adaptation scenarios to coastal risks, to protect coastal communities and safeguard the city's historical heritage.

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for about 10 to 15% of all diagnosed hematologic malignancies and about 1-2% of all cancer cases. Approximately 80-90% of MM patients develop bone disease and the changes rarely regress. It is only possible to stop or slow their progression. A major role in bone destruction in MM is attributed to the Wnt signaling pathway, and its action can be modified by various types of interventions including training and diet. Therefore, the aim of this project was to evaluate the effects of a Nordic Walking (NW) training cycle and intermittent fasting (IF) on the levels of selected bone turnover markers associated with the Wnt pathway in patients with MM. Results from 35 patients divided into training (NW and IF NW) and non-training (IF and control) groups were included in the analysis. A 6-week training cycle involving 60-minute workouts 3 times a week was conducted. Body mass and composition and the levels of: vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus, beta2-microglobulin and albumin were examined before and after completion of training cycle. Markers of bone turnover were also determined: sclerostin (SOST), Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1), osteoprotegrin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN) and Tartrate-resistant acid phos-phatase 5b (TRACP 5b). There was no negative effect of IF or combined training and fasting on the nutritional status of the patients (the level of albumines was unchanged). Both training groups showed an increase in serum concentrations of the active metabolite of vitamin D (IF NW and NW: p=0.001 and p=0.022, re-spectively). The change in the concentration of this vitamin negatively correlated with the con-centration of TRACP 5b (r=-0.413, p=0.014). Evaluating the concentrations of markers related to bone turnover, a reduction in the concentrations of SOST (time: p=0.026, time vs. group: p=0.033) and TRACP 5b (time: p

Exploring the growth and physiological response mechanisms of rice under continuous drought stress circumstances can provide a significant scientific foundation and technological assistance for meeting drought difficulties, improving drought resistance and rice (Oryza sativa L.) output, and ensuring food security. In this study, a rice field experiment was conducted under a rain shelter with five different treatments set up: P1 (drought stress from tillering stage), P2 (drought stress from jointing-booting stage), P3 (drought stress from heading-flowering stage), P4 (drought stress from grain filling stage), and CK (adequate water management throughout the growth stage). Continuous drought stress from different growth stages with four levels (mild, medium, serious, and extreme). The results showed that the effects of different drought stress treatments on rice growth varied significantly. Compared with the CK treatment, plant height was reduced by 12.10%, 8.14%, 3.83%, and 1.06% in the P1, P2, P3, and P4 treatments, respectively; and the number of tillers was reduced by 23.83%, 18.91%, 13.47%, and 8.68%, respectively. With the increase in drought stress levels, SPAD values and Rubisco activity of rice leaf continued to decrease; SOD activity showed a decreasing trend, but the decreasing trend of POD and CAT activities was not significant, while MDA content showed an increasing trend. For yield components, continuous drought stress significantly reduced spike length, effective number of spikes, thousand grain weight, grain number per spike, and fruiting rate of rice compared to CK treatments during the growth period. In general, continuous drought stress during the early growth period affected the effective spike number and the grain number per spike. Continuous drought stress after the grain filling stage had the least effect on yield and water use efficiency was much higher than other treatments. The results of these studies reveal the response of rice growth and physiology to continuous drought stress, which is important for agricultural practices.

Background: Although the link between environmental lead exposure and several patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported, its association with silent myocardial infarc-tion (SMI) has not been explored. We aimed to assess the association between blood lead levels (BLL) and risk of SMI. Methods: This analysis included 7283 (mean age 56.1±2.52 years, 52.5% women) participants from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were free of clinical CVD. Ascertainment of BLL done using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. SMI defined as ECG evidence of MI without history of MI. Multivariable lo-gistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between SMI and BLL. Results: SMI was detected in 120 participants corresponding to an unweighted prevalence of 1.65%. Par-ticipants with higher levels of BLL had higher prevalence of SMI (0.4%, 0.9%, and 2.4% across BLL tertiles; p-value

Background: The mental state is important in the health/illness process. Including stress, depression and anxiety. Nature immersion therapies have been implemented as a valid method for reducing these disorders. The aim will evaluate the effect of forest intervention therapies on levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Methods: We searched for randomized clinical trials related to stress, anxiety and depression levels. Risk of bias was assessed according to the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for International Systematic Reviews. Results: We identified and synthesized eight publications. Two studies for cortisol showed significant differences between the pre-test and post-test levels in the intervention groups. One study including Natural killer cells, that reported a significant decrease in the intervention group compared to the control group. Two studies used the Stress Response Inventory, indicated a significant reduction in stress levels in the intervention group compared to the control group. Regarding Restorative Out-come Scale, no significant differences were found. Three studies were selected for the evaluation of anxiety and depression levels according to the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Four studies used The Profile of Mood States scale; no significant difference was observed. Conclusions: There is limited evidence to recommend forest bathing for reducing these disorders.

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

Variations in groundwater levels that are noticed in different parts of the world are typically the primary focus of research carried out in hydrology. The fluctuating levels of groundwater can be ascribed to several different factors, some of which include an increase in the demand for water, inappropriate irrigation practices, improper management of soil, and unregulated extraction from aquifers. It is necessary to effectively manage groundwater resources to have a trustworthy method of measuring and forecasting groundwater levels. The dynamics of groundwater are inherently uneven and difficult to understand. As a result, applying methods driven by data could potentially yield significant gains in hydrology. In this study, two data-driven models were utilized to estimate groundwater levels at a total of 4 monitoring wells located in Colorado state, USA. These models included ARIMA and ANN. The comparative analysis of the algorithms made use of a data set that had one month's worth of information from each of the years 1980 to 2019. The models were put through their paces, and the results of those tests were statistically and visually assessed. To evaluate the relative accuracy and precision of the models, the mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE), and root-mean-square error (RMSE) were used. When compared to ARIMA, the analysis demonstrates that ANN can produce the most accurate forecasts of groundwater levels in Colorado state USA.

To evaluate the nutrient load due to the grazing of laying hens in outdoor runs, soil characteristics were monitored in three Italian organic farms. For each farm, soil samples were taken from three increasing distances from the hen house and two depths and different chemical parameters were evaluated. The comparison among the results from the different distances shows that N-NO3 and Olsen P are the most affected parameters by hen faeces: both present high values with a statistically significant difference in the area close to the poultry house and for the most superficial layer. Even TKN and TOC show significant differences between the concentrations of the first layer (more concentrated) and those of the second layer (less concentrated). In general, the surface soil layer closest to the chicken house is the portion of the outdoor run most affected by chicken droppings and represents the most critical point in terms of potential environmental impact. Therefore, it is necessary to intensify the management of the outdoor run with tools that can facilitate the grazing of animals and with vegetation that can absorb nutrients by limiting leaching and run-off.

Background: Carnitine deficiency is common in patients on dialysis. Serum free carnitine concentration is significantly lower in patients on hemodialysis (HD) than in healthy individuals. However, there are few reports on serum free carnitine concentration in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods: We examined serum concentrations of total, free, and acylcarnitine and the acylcarnitine/free carnitine ratio in 34 PD and 34 age-, sex-, and dialysis duration-matched HD patients. We investigated the prevalence of carnitine deficiency and clinical factors associated with carnitine deficiency in the PD group. Results: Prevalence of carnitine deficiency was 8.8% in the PD group and 14.7% in the HD group (P = 0.45). High risk of carnitine deficiency was found in 79.4% of the PD group and 85.3% of the HD group (P = 0.52). Carnitine insufficiency was found in 82.3% of the PD group and 88.2% of HD group (P = 0.49). Multivariate analysis revealed that duration of dialysis and age were independent predictors of serum free carnitine level in the PD group. Conclusions: The prevalence of carnitine deficiency, high risk of carnitine deficiency, and carnitine insufficiency in PD patients was 8.8%, 79.4%, and 82.3%, respectively. These rates were comparable to those in patients on HD.

Current problem facing researchers globally is microplastics as well as toxic chemical pollution of the ecosystem. Microplastics carry toxic chemicals in the ecosystem.serving as a vector for transport. In this study, a review of the literature has been conducted with the following objectives: (1) to summarise the concentrations of toxic chemicals such heavy metals and hydrophobic organic contaminants sorped on microplastics; (2) to evaluate their spatial distribution regarding adsorbed contaminant (3) to discuss plausible mechanism by which microplastics adsorp or desorp toxic chemicals in the environment; (4) to discuss implications of their occurrence in air, water and soil media; and (5) to discuss the impact of ingested microplastics to human health. Microplastics are ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Concentrations of sorped toxic chemical varied with location which represents a local problem; industrialized areas (especially areas experiencing crude oil related activities or have history of crude oil pollution) have higher concentrations than less industrialized areas. Ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated in a range of marine and soil organisms as well as edible plants, thus possible contaminating the base of the food-web. Potential health effect to human is by particle localization, chemical toxicity and microbal toxins. We conclude by highlighting the gap in knowledge and suggesting key future areas of research for scientists and policymakers.