Although working memory (WM) is crucial for intellectual abilities, not much is known about its brain underpinnings, especially the structural connectivity. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to look across the whole brain for the white matter integrity correlates of the individual differences in the reading span (verbal WM capacity during reading) in healthy adults. Right-handed healthy native Russian speakers (N = 67) underwent DTI on a 3T Philips Ingenia scanner. Verbal WM was assessed with the Daneman-Carpenter reading span test (Russian version). Fractional anisotropy maps from each participant were entered into the group tract-based spatial statistics analysis with the reading span as a covariate; the results were TFCE-corrected. After taking into account effects of age, sex, education and handedness, reading span positively correlated with the white matter integrity in multiple sites: the body, the genu and the splenium of corpus callosum; bilateral corona radiata (anterior, posterior, and superior); bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus; several tracts in the right hemisphere only, including the internal and external capsule; bilateral superior parietal and frontal white matter. Although the left hemisphere is central for verbal processing, we revealed the important role of the right hemisphere white matter for the verbal WM capacity. Our finding indicates that larger verbal working memory span may originate from additional processing resources of the right hemisphere.

This article utilizes the Canny edge extraction algorithm based on contour curvature and the cross-correlation template matching algorithm to extensively study the impact of high-repetition-rate CO2 pulsed Laser on the target extraction and tracking performance of the infrared imaging detector. It establishes a quantified dazzling pattern for lasers on infrared imaging systems. By conducting laser dazzling and damage experiments, a detailed analysis of the normalized correlation between target and dazzling images is performed to quantitatively describe laser dazzling effects. Simultaneously, an evaluation system, including target distance and laser power evaluation factors, is established to determine the dazzling level and whether the target is recognizable. The research results reveal that laser power and target position are crucial factors affecting the detection performance of infrared imaging-guided weapon systems under laser dazzling. Different laser powers are required to successfully interfere with the recognition algorithm of infrared imaging-guided weapons at different distances. And laser dazzling will produce a lot of false edge information, which seriously affects the performance of pattern recognition algorithm. In laser damage experiments, the detector experienced functional damage, with a quarter of the image displaying as completely black. The energy density threshold required for functional damage to the detector is approximately 3 J/cm2. The dazzling assessment conclusions also apply to evaluating damage results. Finally, the proposed evaluation formula aligns with experimental results, objectively reflecting the actual impact of laser dazzling on the target extraction and tracking performance of infrared imaging systems. This study provides an in-depth and accurate analysis for understanding the influence of lasers on the performance of infrared imaging-guided weapons.

Tissues of the brain, especially white matter, are extremely heterogeneous - with constitutive response varying spatially. In this paper, we implement a high-resolution Finite Element (FE) head model where heterogeneities of white matter structures are introduced through Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) experiments. Displacement of white matter under shear wave excitation is captured and the material properties determined though an inversion algorithm are directly used in the FE model. This approach is found to improve model predictions when compared to experimental results. In the first place, responses in the cerebrum near stiff structures such as the corpus callosum and corona radiata are markedly different compared with a homogenized material model. Additionally, the heterogeneities introduce additional attenuation of the shear wave due to wave scattering within the cerebrum.

We extend our high-resolution MRI-based Finite Element (FE) head model, previously presented and validated in [1–3], by considering the heterogeneities of the white matter structures captured through the use of Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE). This approach imparts more sophistication to our numerical model and yields results that more closely match experimental results. It is found that the peak pressure more closely matches the experiments as compared to the heterogeneous case. Qualitatively, we find differences in stress wave propagation near the corpus callosum and the corona radiata, which are stiffer on average than the global white matter. We are able to study the effects of these stiff structures on transient stress wave propagation within the cerebrum, something that cannot be done with a homogenized material model.

“White matter disease” identifies series of different conditions and pathological mechanisms: autoimmune, infectious, toxic-metabolic and vascular. Each of these leads to a global impairment of the neural myelination process through the secondary destruction of previously myelinated structures. To date, the imaging spectrum represents an irreplaceable tool to detect these lesions, describe their distribution patterns and stage them over time. This study aims presents a pictorial review of white matter disease, from pathology to imaging spectrum, reporting current main staging systems with greater emphasis to relationship between cerebrovascular disease and white matter hyper-intensity appearance, and the newest advances in this field.

Magnetic Nanoparticles (MNPs) is a promising technique to cure brain diseases. On the one hand, by serving as drug carriers, they can bypass the blood-brain barrier and deliver drug molecules to the brain parenchyma; on the other hand, their transport trajectory can be manipulated by applying an external magnetic field. However, due to the complex microstructure of brain tissues, e.g. the anisotropy of white matter (WM), how to achieve desired drug distribution patterns, e.g. uniform distribution, by tuning the drug delivery system is largely unknown. Here, in this study, by adopting a mathematical model capable of capturing the diffusion trajectories of MNPs in the microstructures, we systematically investigated the effects of key parameters in the MNPs delivery system on the equivalent diffusion coefficient of MNPs in the microenvironment of brain WM. The results show that uniform distribution of MNPs in anisotropic tissues can be achieved by adjusting the particle size and magnetic field. We have not only obtained a deeper understanding on how to optimise the MNPs delivery system, it can also be anticipated that an improved mathematical model could even help to achieve complex drug distribution patterns in the complicated brain environment by designing an appropriate combination of the key parameters.

ω-Transaminases have been immobilized on macrocellular silica monoliths and used as heterogeneous biocatalysts in a continuous flow mode enantioselective transamination reaction. The support was prepared by a sol-gel method based on emulsion templating. The enzyme was immobilized on the structured silica monoliths both by adsorption, and by covalent grafting using amino-functionalized silica monoliths and glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. A simple reactor set-up based on the use of a heat-shrinkable Teflon tube is presented and successfully used for the continuous flow kinetic resolution of a chiral amine, 4-bromo-α-methylbenzylamine. The porous structure of the supports ensures effective mass transfer and the reactor works in the plug flow regime without preferential flow paths. When immobilized in the monolith and used in the flow reactor, transaminases retain their activity and their enantioselectivity. The solid biocatalyst is also shown to be stable both on stream and during storage. These essential features pave the way to the successful development of an environmentally friendly process for chiral amines production.

To date, recanalization interventions are the only available treatments for ischemic stroke patients, however, there are no effective therapies for reducing stroke-induced neuroinflammation. We recently reported that H+ extrusion protein Na+/H+ exchanger-1 (NHE1) plays an important role in stroke-induced inflammation and white matter injury. In this study, we tested the efficacy of two potent NHE1 inhibitors, HOE642 and Rimeporide, with a delayed administration regimen starting at 24 h post-stroke in adult C57BL/6J mice. Post-stroke HOE642 and Rimeporide treatments accelerated motor and cognitive function recovery without affecting the initial ischemic infarct, neuronal damage or reactive astrogliosis. However, delayed administration of NHE1 blockers after ischemic stroke significantly reduced microglial inflammatory activation while enhanced oligodendrogenesis and white matter myelination, with increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of the oligodendrocytes. Our findings suggest that NHE1 protein plays an important role in microglia-mediated inflammation and white matter damage. Pharmacological blockade of NHE1 protein activity reduced microglia inflammatory responses and enhanced oligodendrogenesis and white matter repair, leading to motor and cognitive function recovery after stroke. Our study reveals the potential of targeting NHE1 protein as therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke therapy.

Background: HIV is accompanied by production of proinflammatory cytokines which are regarded as critical in neuronal damage, leading to brain dysfunction, hence the need to identify cytokine biomarkers sensitive to brain damage. Methods: We applied MRI volumetric neuroimaging and high throughput Luminex based immunoassays to examine the relationship between cortical white matter, subcortical gray matter and total gray matter brain volumes and plasma cytokines in HIV indviduals using generalised linear models and Partial least square regression model. Results: Higher plasma inflammatory cytokines CCL5/RANTES and MCP-1 were significantly associated with lower cortical white matter volume. Higher IL-6 was associated with both lower subcortical gray matter and lower total gray matter, whereas higher IL-8 and GM-CSF were associated with lower total gray matter only. Higher VEGF, PDGF-BB and IL-9 were associated with higher cortical white matter volumes. After standardisation and adjusting for clinical and demographic variables, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 remained associated with lower volumes of the three brain regions whereas IL-9, VEGF and PDGF-BB were associated with higher volumes. Conclusions: Association proinflammatory cytokines RANTES, MCP-1 and IL-6 with lower brain volumes could imply possible involvement in neurodegerative processes in HIV infection while IL-9, VEGF and PDGF may have a neuroprotective or neurotrophic role.

Using multi-color flow cytometry analysis, we studied the immunophenotypical differences between leukemic blasts/LSCs from patients with AML/MDS and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from patients in complete remission (CR) following their successful treatment. The panel of markers included CD34, CD38, CD45RA, CD123 as representatives for a hierarchical hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) classification as well as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Rather than restricting the evaluation on a 2- or 3-dimensional analysis, we applied a t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) approach to get a deeper insight and segregation between leukemic and normal HPSCs. For that purpose, we created a t-SNE map, which resulted in the visualization of 27 cell clusters based on their similarity concerning the composition and intensity of antigen expression. Two of these clusters were “leukemia-related” containing a great proportion of CD34⁺/CD38^- hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or CD34⁺ cells with a strong coexpression of CD45RA/CD123, respectively. CD34⁺ cells within the latter cluster were also highly positive for PD-L1 reflecting their immunosuppressive capacity. Beyond this proof of principle study, the inclusion of additional markers will be helpful to refine the differentiation between normal HSPCs and leukemic cells, particularly in the context of minimal disease detection and antigen-targeted therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, we suggest a protocol for the assignment of new cell ensembles in quantitative terms, via a numerical value, the Pearson coefficient, based on a similarity comparison of the t-SNE pattern with a reference.

Cyberattacks are rapidly evolving both in terms of techniques and frequency, from low-level attacks through to sophisticated Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). There is a need to consider how testbed environments such as cyber ranges can be readily deployed to improve examination of attack characteristics and the assessment of defences. Whilst cyber ranges are not new, they can often be computational expensive, require significant setup and configuration, or may not provide full support for areas such as logging or ongoing learning. In this paper, we propose GoibhniUWE, a container-based cyber range that provides a flexible platform for investigating the full lifecycle of a cyber attack. Adopting a modular approach, users can seamlessly switch out existing, containerised vulnerable services, deploying multiple different services at once allowing for the creation of complex and realistic deployments. The range is fully instrumented with logging capabilities from a variety of sources including Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), service logging, and network traffic captures. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we deploy the GoibhniUWE range under multiple conditions to simulate various vulnerable environments, reporting on and comparing key metrics such as CPU and memory usage. We simulate complex attacks which span multiple services and networks, with logging at multiple levels, modelling an Advance Persistent Threat (APT) and their associated Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs). We find that even under continuous, active and targeted deployment GoibhniUWE averaged a CPU usage of less than 2 processors and memory usage of less than 4.5 GB.

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) has been considered the primary biomarker from small-vessel cerebrovascular disease to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and has been reported for its correlation of brain structural changes. To perform WMH related analysis with brain structure, both T1-weighted (T1w) and (Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery(FLAIR) are required. However, in a clinical situation, it is limited to obtain 3D T1w and FLAIR images simultaneously. Also, the most of brain segmentation technique supports 3D T1w only. Therefore, we introduced the semi-supervised learning method that can perform brain segmentation using FLAIR image only. Our method achieved a dice overlap score of 0.86 for brain tissue segmentation on FLAIR, with the relative volume difference between T1w and FLAIR segmentation under 4.8%, which is just as reliable as the segmentation done by its paired T1w image. We believe our semi-supervised learning method has a great potential to be used to other MRI sequences and provide encouragement to people who seek brain tissue segmentation from a non-T1w image.

The implementation of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is changing the scenario in the surgical treatment of early-stage cervical cancer and the oncologic safety of replacing bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with SLN biopsy is currently under investigation. One of the undisputed values of SLN biopsy is its diagnostic accuracy in detecting low-volume metastases (LVM) via pathologic ultrastaging. In early-stage cervical cancer, the reported incidence of LVM ranges from 4 to 20%. The prognostic impact and the role of adjuvant treatment in patients with LVM is still unclear. Some non-prespecified analyses in prospective studies showed no impact on the oncologic outcomes compared to node-negative disease. However, the heterogeneity of the studies, the differences in the disease stage and the use of adjuvant treatment, and the concomitant pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND) make any conclusion on this topic hard. Current guidelines suggest considering micrometastasis (MIC) as a node-positive disease, while isolated tumor cells (ITC) as a node-negative disease, with a low level of evidence. This review aims to highlight the unanswered questions about the definition, identification, prognostic and therapeutic role of LVM and underline the present and future challenges we are facing. We hope this review will guide further research, giving robust evidence on LVM and their impact on clinical practice.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the problems faced in environmental science. It has health effects on man and animals in both developed and developing countries. Research and efforts have been on it several years back. Policy statements and efforts have been published. This review paper is an added information on air pollution. In it, efforts were made in discussing these: classification, effects, methodology, case studies and source apportionment. It is hoped that this paper would contribute to existing knowledge on PM.

Nowadays the relationship between planning land use and actual land use is not so clear in general. A lot of efforts have been put in the failures of regulation for the expansion of construction land. However, it still lacks an integrated approach to study the effectiveness of land use regulation in terms of different land use types. Furthermore, the existing evaluation of land use plan mainly focuses on a general level, a detailed research on the regulation effectiveness of each construction land use type is absent. Therefore, this research tries to evaluate regulation effectiveness of land use plan, which takes Cangwu country, Guangxi Province as an example. The finding by analysis is that the total area of construction land expansion was about 3494.73 ha, nearly 1.1 times of the plan quota. Moreover, the effectiveness differs greatly in various construction land use types. Town, industrial/mining sites can be well regulated through the quota of land use plan. While, the quota regulation system is not as effective for other type of construction land. Thus, we suggest to improve the regulation effectiveness of construction land through different plan instruments.

A portable laser photoacoustic sensor based on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is reported for methane detection. A tunable DFB diode laser in the 1654 nm wavelength range is used as an excitation source. The photoacoustic signal processing was implemented by a FPGA device. A small resonant photoacoustic cell is designed. The minimum detection limit (1σ) of 10 ppm for methane (CH₄) is demonstrated.

NiV2O6 thin films were grown on glass slides with varying thicknesses using the nebulizer spray pyrolysis. The impact of thickness on the thin films' optical, structural, morphological, and electrical characteristics was systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman analysis confirmed the formation of the triclinic NiV2O6 system. Surface morphology and roughness variations in the as-deposited NiV2O6 films were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a profilometer. Optical properties, including optical band gap (Eg), extinction coefficient (k), absorption coefficient (α), and refractive index (n), were determined through optical reflectance and transmittance measurements. The optical energy gap of the as-deposited NiV2O6 films decreased from 2.3 eV to 1.9 eV with increased layer thickness. Furthermore, the photo-detectivity of the films demonstrated an enhancement corresponding to the prolonged spray time. The sensitivity values obtained for visible irradiation are 328, 511, and 433 for samples S1, S2, and S3, respectively. The obtained results are imputed to the specific porous microstructure.

The anarchic hand syndrome refers to an inability to control the movements of one’s own hand which acts as if it had a will of its own. The symptoms may differ depending on whether the brain lesion is anterior, posterior, callosal or subcortical, but the relative classifications are not conclusive. This study investigates the role of white matter disconnections in a patient whose symptoms are inconsistent with the mapping of the lesion site. A repeated neuropsychological investigation was associated with a review of the literature on the topic to identify the frequency of various different symptoms relating to this syndrome. Furthermore, an analysis of the neuroimaging regarding structural connectivity allowed us to investigate the grey matter lesions and white matter disconnections. The results indicated that some of the patient’s symptoms were associated with structures that, although not directly damaged, were dysfunctional due to a disconnection in their networks. This suggests that the anarchic hand may be considered as a disconnection syndrome involving the integration of multiple antero-posterior, insular and interhemispheric networks. In order to comprehend this rare syndrome better, the clinical and neuroimaging data need to be integrated with the clinical reports available in the literature on the topic.

The relationship between pangolin-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 has been a subject of debate. Further evidence of a special relationship between the two viruses can be found by the fact that all known COVID-19 viruses have abnormally hard outer shell (low M disorder; i.e., low content of intrinsically disordered residues in the membrane (M) protein) that so far was found in CoVs associated with burrowing animals, such as rabbits and pangolins, in which transmission involves virus remaining in buried feces for a long time. While a hard outer shell is necessary for viral survival, a harder inner shell could also help. For this reason, the N disorder range of pangolin-CoVs, not bat-CoVs, more closely matches that of SARS-CoV-2 especially when Omicron is included. The low N disorder (i.e., low content of intrinsically disordered residues in the nucleocapsid (N) protein), first observed in pangolin-CoV-2017 amd later in Omicron, is associated with attenuation according to the Shell-Disorder-Model. Our experimental study revealed that pangolin-CoV-2017 and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (XBB.1.16 subvariant) show similar attenuations with respect to viral growth and plaque formation. Subtle differences have been observed that are consistent with disorder-centric computational analysis.

Methods to handle uncertainty in economic evaluation have gained much attention in the literature and the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC) is the most widely used method to summarize and present uncertainty associated with program costs and effects in cost-effectiveness analysis. Some researchers have emphasized the limitations of the CEAC for informing decision and policy makers as the CEAC is insensitive to radial shifts of the joint distribution of incremental costs and effects in the North-East and South-West quadrants of the cost-effective plane (CEP). Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the CEAC does not incorporate risk-aversion in valuing uncertain costs and effects. In the present article we show that the cost-effectiveness affordability curve (CEAFC) captures both dimensions of the joint distribution of incremental costs and effects on the CEP and is therefore sensitive to radial shifts of the joint distribution on the CEP. Furthermore, the CEAFC also informs about the budget impact of a new intervention as it estimates the joint probability an intervention is both affordable and cost-effective. Moreover, we show that the cost-effectiveness risk-aversion curve (CERAC) allows to incorporate risk-aversion into the analysis and can therefore be used to inform decision-makers who are risk-averse. We use data from a published cost-effectiveness model of palbociclib in addition to letrozole versus letrozole alone for the treatment of oestrogen-receptor positive, HER-2 negative, advanced breast cancer to demonstrate the differences between CEAC, CEAFC and CERAC and show how these can jointly be used to inform decision and policy makers.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH), of presumed vascular origin, are visible and quantifiable neuroradiological markers of brain parenchymal change. These changes may range from damage secondary to inflammation and other neurological conditions, through to healthy ageing. Fully automatic WMH quantification methods are promising, but still, traditional semi-automatic methods seem to be preferred in clinical research. We systematically reviewed the literature for fully automatic methods developed in the last five years, to assess what are considered state-of-the-art techniques, as well as trends in the analysis of WMH of presumed vascular origin. Method: We registered the systematic review protocol with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number - CRD42019132200. We conducted the search for fully automatic methods developed from 2015 to July 2020 on Medline, Science direct, IEE Explore, and Web of Science. We assessed risk of bias and applicability of the studies using QUADAS 2. Results: The search yielded 2327 papers after removing 104 duplicates. After screening titles, abstracts and full text, 37 were selected for detailed analysis. Of these, 16 proposed a supervised segmentation method, 10 proposed an unsupervised segmentation method, and 11 proposed a deep learning segmentation method. Average DSC values ranged from 0.538 to 0.91, being the highest value obtained from an unsupervised segmentation method. Only four studies validated their method in longitudinal samples, and eight performed an additional validation using clinical parameters. Only 8/37 studies made available their method in public repositories. Conclusions: We found no evidence that favours deep learning methods over the more established k-NN, linear regression and unsupervised methods in this task. Data and code availability, bias in study design and ground truth generation influence the wider validation and applicability of these methods in clinical research.

The understanding of black holes in loop quantum gravity is becoming increasingly accurate. This review focuses on the possible experimental or observational consequences of the underlying spinfoam structure of space-time. It adresses both the aspects associated with the Hawking evaporation and the ones due to the possible existence of a bounce. Finally, consequences for dark matter and gravitational waves are considered.

Historic expeditions are events that are flavored by exploratory, scientific, military or geographic characteristics. Such events are often documented in literature, journey notes or personal diaries. A typical historic expedition involves multiple site visits and their descriptions contain spatiotemporal and attributive contexts. Expeditions involve movements in space that can be represented by triplet features (location, time and description). However, such features are implicit and innate parts of textual documents. Extracting the geospatial information from these documents requires understanding the contextualized entities in the text. To this end, we developed a semi-automated framework that has multiple Information Retrieval and Natural Language Processing components to extract the spatiotemporal information from a two-volumes historic expedition gazetteer. Our framework has three basic components, namely, the Text Preprocessor, the Gazetteer Processing Machine and the JAPE (Java Annotation Pattern Engine) Transducer. We used the Brazilian Ornithological Gazetteer as an experimental dataset and extracted the spatial and temporal entities from entries that refer to three expeditioners’ site visits and mapped the trajectory of each expedition using the extracted information. Finally, one of the mapped trajectories was manually compared with a historical reference map of that expedition to assess the reliability of our framework. The reference map was manually prepared in previous research work by others.

North American Whites tend to evaluate members of their own race more positively than members of other races. One exception may be White Liberals, who appear politically motivated to evaluate members of (disadvantaged) racial outgroups more positively than members of their own racial group. We confirmed this claim presently, where 75 White Liberals, 95 White Conservatives, 49 Black Liberals and 71 Black Conservatives evaluated biracial faces using explicit and implicit evaluation tests. We instrumentally ‘frustrated’ half our participants to note whether incidental anger influenced ideologically-motivated racial attitudes. Evaluations towards racial outgroups were largely unaffected by negative mood induction -White Liberals were pro-Black relative to White Conservatives, and Black Conservatives were pro-White relative to Black Liberals, independent of mood. Negative mood induction selectively influenced own-race evaluations. Black Liberals and White Conservatives became respectively more pro-Black and pro-White when frustrated.Conversely, Black Conservatives and White Liberals became respectively less pro-Black and pro-White. Frustration significantly amplified negative own-race attitudes across explicit and implicit evaluation measures for White Liberals. We speculate on some social consequences that may follow from frustration-amplified ‘anti-White’ bias across White Liberals.

The Dph1•Dph2 heterodimer from yeast is a radical SAM (RS) enzyme that generates the 3-amino-3-carboxy-propyl (ACP) precursor for diphthamide, a clinically relevant modification on eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). ACP formation requires SAM cleavage and atypical Cys-bound Fe-S clusters in each Dph1 and Dph2 subunit. Intriguingly, the first Cys residue in each motif locates next to another, ill-defined cysteine that we show in-here is conserved across eukaryotes. As judged from structural modeling, the orientation of these tandem cysteine motifs (TCM) suggests a candidate Fe-S cluster ligand role. Hence, we generated by site-directed DPH1 and DPH2 mutagenesis, Dph1•Dph2 variants with cysteines from each TCM replaced individually or in combination by serines. Assays diagnostic for diphthamide formation in vivo reveal that while single substitutions in the TCM of Dph2 cause mild defects, double mutations almost entirely inactivate the RS enzyme. Based on enhanced Dph1 and Dph2 subunit instability in response to cycloheximide chases, the variants with Cys substitutions in their cofactor motifs are particularly prone to protein degradation. In sum, we identify a fourth functionally cooperative Cys residue within the Fe-S motif of Dph2 and show that the Cys-based cofactor binding motifs in Dph1 and Dph2 are critical for the structural integrity of the dimeric RS enzyme in vivo.

An association between subtle changes in T2 white matter hyper-intense signals (WMHS) de-tected in fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (fbMRI) and congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been established. The research aim of this study is to compare children with congenital CMV infection with neurodevelopment outcome and hearing deficit with and with-out WMHS in a prospective historic cohort of 58 fbMRIs. Of these, WMHS was detected in 21. The median infection week of the WMHS group was earlier than the normal fbMRI group (8 and 17 weeks of gestation respectively). The proportion of infants treated with valganciclovir in the WMHS group was distinctly higher. Hearing impairment was not significantly different be-tween the groups. VABS scores in all 4 domains were within normal range in both groups. The median score of the motor skills corrected for week of infection was better in the WMHS group. A multivariate analysis using week of infection interaction variable of WMHS and valganciclo-vir treatment showed better motor score outcomes in the valganciclovir treatment group despite earlier week of infection. WMHS was not associated with neurodevelopmental outcome and hearing deficit. In our cohort valganciclovir treatment may have a protective effect on fetuses with WMHS by improving neurodevelopment outcome.

The inherent value and use of hydrocarbon from waste plastics and solvents can be extended through open-loop chemical recycling as this process converts plastic to range of non-plastic materials. This process is enhanced by first creating plastic-solvent-combinations from multiple sources which are then streamlined through single process stream. We report on the relevant mechanics for streamlining industrially relevant polymers such as polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) into chemical slurries mixed with various organic solvents such as toluene, xylene and cyclohexane. The miscibility of the polymer feedstock within the solvent was evaluated using the Relative Energy Difference method, and the dissolution process was evaluated using the “Molecular theories in a continuum framework” model. These models were used to design a batch process yielding 1 tonne/h slurry by setting appropriate assumptions including constant viscosity of solvents, disentanglement-controlled dissolution mechanism and linear increase of the dissolved polymer’s mass fraction over time. Solvent selection was found to be the most critical parameter for the dissolution process. The characteristics of the ideal solvent are high affinity to the desired polymer and low viscosity. This work serves as a universal technical guideline for open-loop chemical recycling of plastics avoiding the growth of waste plastic in a circular economy framework.

The concept of Research Integrity and research ethics are linked to the scientific research process and its communication. Presenting the results objectively is essential. It turns out that few scientists use manipulation of results and consequently other types of misconduct such as data Fabrication, Falsification, and Plagiarism (FFP). In this article, we show the definitions of these and different aspects of behavior that should be avoided, which affect principles of research reliability. We present, through a brief literature review, the concept of Research Integrity, FFP, and its relations with Publish or Perish. Editorial disputes are linked to the power that scientists have to remain in the field of research, governed by clear rules to increase their intellectual capital. We discussed that scientists tend to want their papers published in journals with better impact and well-evaluated, seeking prominence in the publishing sector. We have seen that both scientists and journals can have sequelae and problems in the face of the Publish or Perish movement, which can call into question the quality of the editorial process, peer review, and the journal itself.

This review discusses a broad range of recent advances (2013-2017) of chemical imaging using electrochemical methods, with a particular focus on techniques that have been applied to study cellular processes, or techniques that show promise for use in this field in the future. Non-scanning techniques such as microelectrode arrays (MEAs) offer high time-resolution (< 10 ms) imaging, however at reduced spatial resolution. In contrast, scanning electrochemical probe microscopies (SEPMs) offer higher spatial resolution (as low as a few nm per pixel) imaging, with images collected typically over many minutes. Recent significant research efforts to improve the spatial resolution of SEPMs using nanoscale probes, and to improve the temporal resolution using fast scanning have resulted in movie (multiple frame) imaging with frame rates as low as a few seconds per image. Many SEPM techniques lack chemical specificity or have poor selectivity (defined by the choice of applied potential for redox-active species). This can be improved using multifunctional probes, ion-selective electrodes and tip-integrated biosensors, although additional effort may be required to preserve sensor performance after miniaturization of these probes. We discuss advances to the field of electrochemical imaging, and technological developments which are anticipated to extend the range of processes that can be studied. This includes imaging cellular processes with increased sensor selectivity and at much improved spatiotemporal resolution than has been previously customary.

Cardiovascular diseases are a broadly understood concept focusing on vascular and heart dys-function. Lack of physical exercise, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, throm-boembolism, kidney, and lung diseases all contribute to the development of heart and blood vessel dysfunction. Although effective and important, traditional treatment with diuretics, statins, beta–blockers, calcium inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, and anti–platelet drugs remain a second–line treatment after dietary intervention and lifestyle changes. Scientists worldwide are still looking for an herbal product that would be quite effective and free from side effects, either taken together or before the standard pharmacological intervention. Such herbal–originated medication therapy may include Morus alba L. (white mulberry), Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson (sea–buckthorn), Allium sativum L. (garlic), Convallaria majalis L. (lily of the valley), Leonurus cardiaca L. (mother-wort), and Crataegus spp. (hawthorn). Valuable herbal raw materials include leaves, fruits, seeds, and even thorns. This short review focuses on six herbs that can constitute an interesting and po-tential therapeutic option in the management of cardiovascular disorders.

The historic western edge of bison (Bison bison) range and the ecological processes that caused its formation are frequently debated with important implications for bison restoration across North America. We test the hypothesis that a combination of bottom-up habitat suitability and top-down harvest pressure from humans were important processes in forming the western edge of bison distribution. Using 9,384 historical journal observations from 1691 – 1928, we employ MaxEnt ecological niche modelling to identify suitable bison habitat across the Western Cordillera from bottom-up climatic, land cover, and topographic factors. We then use mixed-effect logistic regression to test if bison occurrence in journal records can be in part explained by the abundance of Indigenous humans, wolves, or grizzly bears, in addition to MaxEnt-derived habitat suitability. We find support for our hypothesis because of the limited suitable habitat in the Rocky Mountains that likely prevented westward bison dispersal from core habitat, and there was a negative relationship between bison occurrence and human harvest pressure. On this basis, we propose that intensive human harvest from large populations in the Western Cordillera, subsidized by other wildlife, salmon, and vegetation resources, is an underappreciated socioecological process that needs to be restored alongside bison populations. Co-managing bison with Indigenous people will also mitigate the adverse effects of overabundant bison and maximize the ecological and cultural benefits of bison restoration.

The main objective of this work is to investigate the temporal variation of PM10 concentrations within the urban area of Athens during the years 2001-2015. For this purpose, the time series of the particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10μm (PM10) is recorded for a 15-year period (2001-2015) in two different monitoring stations located in the urban area of Athens. The results show a totally different behavior of PM10 concentrations between the Athens city center and the suburban areas. It seems that in the city center the main sources of PM10 are traffic and heating systems especially during the cold period of the year. Furthermore, in the city center a significant seasonal variation was found with high concentrations during the cold period of the year and lower concentrations during the warm period of the year. Moreover, it was found that during the weekends, there is a decrease in PM10 concentrations probably due to the fact that majority of people do not use their vehicles. Finally, for both locations a significant temporal decreasing trend of the mean annual PM10 concentrations was found which indicates that during the last years, there have been improvements towards a better air quality.

Modelling water vapour flow, heat transfer and porosity in porous adsorbent is somewhat challenging simulation problem. Primary macroscopic water vapour flow models, such as Darcy's law, fail to predict the pressure drop entirely correctly for the reason that many of flow parameters not considered because of the simplifications that remain made for the multi-scale structure of the porous adsorbents. For one to develop a good physical understanding of such water vapour flows and the accuracy of existing 3D simulation models, there is a need for some accurate 3D geometry to be studied. This present work describes two-phase water vapour flow and adsorption/ desorption performed on porous adsorbent by a Dynamic vapour sorption (DVS). The CFD simulation results are associated with experiments results. It is decided that for such complex porous adsorbent CFD simulation problems the use of COMSOL Multiphysics and SolidWorks flow simulation will be utilised.

The main objective of this work is the assessment of the annual number of hospital admissions for respiratory disease (HARD) due to the exposure to in-healable particulate matter (PM10), within the greater Athens area (GAA), Greece. Towards this aim, the time series of the particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10μm (PM10) recorded in six monitoring stations located in the GAA, for a 13-year period 2001-2013, is used. Initially, a descriptive statistical treatment of PM10 concentrations took place. Furthermore, the AirQ2.2.3 software developed by the WHO was used to evaluate adverse health effects by PM10 in the GAA during the examined period. The results show that, during the examined period PM10 concentrations present a significant decreasing trend. Also, the mean annual HARD cases per 100,000 inhabitants ranged between 20 (suburban location) and 40 (city centre location). Approximately 70% of the annual HARD cases are due to city centre residents. In all examined locations, a declining trend in the annual number of HARD cases is appeared. Moreover, a strong relation between the annual number of HARD cases and the annual number of days exceeding the European Union daily PM10 threshold value was found.

Tellurium exhibits exceptional intrinsic electronic properties. However, investigations into the modulation of tellurium's electronic properties through physical modification are notably scarce. Here, we present a comprehensive study focused on the evolution of the electronic properties of tellurium crystal flakes under plasma irradiation treatment by employing conductive atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The plasma-treated tellurium experienced a process of defect generation through lattice broken. Prior to the degradation of electronic transport performance due to plasma irradiation treatment, a remarkable observation emerged: in the low-energy region of hydrogen plasma-treated tellurium, a notable enhancement in conductivity was unexpectedly detected. The mechanism underlying this enhancement in electronic transport performance was thoroughly elucidated by comparing it with the electronic structure induced by argon plasma irradiation. This study not only fundamentally uncovers the effects of plasma irradiation on tellurium crystal flakes, but also unearths an unprecedented trend of enhanced electronic transport performance at low irradiation energies when utilizing hydrogen plasma. This abnormal trend bears significant implications for guiding the prospective application of tellurium-based 2D materials in the realm of electronic devices.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe personality disorder whose neural bases are still unclear. Indeed, previous studies reported inconsistent findings concerning alterations in cortical and subcortical areas. In the present study we applied for the first time an unsupervised machine learning approach known as mCCA+jICA, in combination with a supervised machine learning approach known as Random Forest, to possibly find covarying GM-WM circuits that separate BPD from controls and that are also predictive of this diagnosis. To this aim, we analyzed the structural images of patients with BPD and matched HCs. Results showed that two GM-WM covarying circuits, including basal ganglia, amygdala, and portions of the temporal lobes and of the orbitofrontal cortex, correctly classified BPD against HC. Notably, these circuits are affected by specific child traumatic experiences (emotional and physical neglect, and physical abuse) and predict symptoms severity in the interpersonal and impulsivity domains. These results support that BPD is characterized by anomalies in GM and WM circuits related to early traumatic experiences and specific symptoms.

Ring necked-pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is bird of order Galliformes. Ring necked-pheasant is also known as gallinaceous bird and game bird. It looks like chicken bird. It is national bird of South Dakota. It is mostly found in wild areas but in Pakistan it exists as Domestic bird. It has high proteins and low fat in its meat. The present study was conducted to check the effect of ascorbic acid on sperm Motility, sperm cytoplasmic membrane integrity, sperm livability and acrosome integrity of Ring-necked pheasant at different concentrations of ascorbic acid (0mM, 1mM, 2mM, 3mM and 4mM) were used. Semen was collected by abdominal massage technique. Motility of sperm was greater than 70%.Then it was processed further. The cryopreservation of semen was checked at various stages like Post Dilution, Post Cooling, Post Equilibration and Post Thawing. Semen was cooled from post-dilution stage (37⁰ C) to post-cooling (20⁰C).Then it further cooled gradually to get post-equilibration stage (4⁰ C) within 24 hours. After that 10% glycerol was added to the sample. Then it was transferred to liquid nitrogen (LN₂) cylinder for 24 hours. After thawing stage sample was removed from LN₂ cylinders and placed in water bath for 4 hours to achieve post-thawing. Then performed sperm quality assays at each stage of cryopreservation. Sperm motility was assessed by Neubauer Chamber Hemocytometer. Plasma Membrane Integrity was checked by using Hypo Osmotic Swelling Test with the help to 2% Eosin. Sperm livability was assessed by Lake’s glutamate solution and sperm Acrosome Integrity was checked by dual staining technique by using Formal citrate solution and Giemsa stain. The better results were seen at 3mM treatment of ascorbic acid. Sperm motility percentage was significantly different (P < 0.05) on 3mM treatment on all the stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. Plasma membrane integrity assay also showed good results at same concentration (P < 0.05) on all the stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. At the sperm livability stage 3mM treatment showed significantly difference (P < 0.05) on all the stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. The sperm acrosome integrity showed highest percentage on 3mM treatment (P < 0.05) on all stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. Effect of ascorbic acid on all the quality parameters (sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, livability and acrosome integrity) was showed significant difference (P < 0.05) at 3mM treatment of ascorbic acid as compare to control as well as remaining treatments. It was seen that by increasing the concentration of ascorbic acid from 3mM concentration to onward it shows negative results on its cryopreservation. Now this cryopreserved semen can be transfer from one place to another place to obtain good varieties as well as better genetic characteristics of this species.

Background & aims It is documented that low protein and amino-acid dietary intake is related to poorer cognitive health and increased risk of dementia. Degradation of the neuromodulatory pathways, (comprising the cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotoninergic and noradrenergic systems) is observed in neurodegenerative diseases and impairs the proper biosynthesis of key neuromodulators from micro-nutrients and amino acids. How these micro-nutrients are linked to neuromodulatory pathways in healthy adults is less studied. The Locus Coeruleus–Noradrenergic System (LC-NA) is the earliest subcortical structure affected in Alzheimer’s disease, showing marked neurodegeneration, but is also sensitive for age-related changes. The LC-NA system is critical for supporting attention and cognitive control, functions that are enhanced both by tyrosine administration and chronic tyrosine intake. The purpose of this study was to 1) investigate whether the dietary intake of tyrosine, the key precursor for noradrenaline (NA), is related to LC integrity 2) whether LC integrity mediates the reported association between tyrosine intake and higher cognitive performance (measured with Trail Making Test – TMT), and 3) whether LC integrity relates to an objective measure of brain maintenance (BrainPAD). Methods The analyses included 398 3T MRIs of healthy participants from the Berlin Aging Study II to investigate the relationship between LC integrity and habitual dietary tyrosine intake-daily average (HD-Tyr-IDA). As a control procedure, the same analyses were repeated on other main seeds of the neuromdulatory subcortical system (Dorsal and Medial Raphe, Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Basalis of Meynert). In the same way, the relationships between the five nuclei and BrainPAD were tested. Results Results show that HD-Tyr-IDA is positively associated with LC integrity. Similarly, LC integrity disproportionally relates to better brain maintenance (BrainPAD). Mediation analyses reveal that only LC, relative to the other nuclei tested, mediates the relationship between HD-Tyr-IDA I and performance in the TMT and between HD-Tyr-IDA and BrainPAD. Conclusions These findings provide the first evidence linking tyrosine intake with LC-NA system integrity and its correlation with neuropsychological performance. This study strengthens the role of diet for maintaining brain and cognitive health and supports the noradrenergic theory of cognitive reserve. Within this framework, adequate tyrosine intake might increase the resilience of LC-NA system functioning, by preventing degeneration and supporting noradrenergic metabolism required for LC function and neuropsychological performance.

Background: This study addresses the burgeoning impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT on the integrity of online examinations and seeks to demonstrate latent and advanced LLM reasoning capabilities. The research devises an iterative self-reflective strategy for invoking critical thinking and higher-order reasoning in LLMs based on multimodal exam questions using visuals and text. Methods: The proposed strategy was demonstrated and evaluated on real exam questions by subject experts and the performance of ChatGPT (GPT-4) with vision was estimated on an additional dataset of 600 text descriptions of multimodal exam questions, focusing on its response to complex, visual, and textual prompts. Results: The results indicate that latent multi-hop reasoning capabilities can be invoked using the proposed self-reflective strategy, which can effectively steer ChatGPT towards correct answers by integrating critical thinking from each modality into the final response. Meanwhile, ChatGPT demonstrated considerable proficiency in being able to answer multimodal exam questions across 12 subjects. Conclusions: This work challenges findings from recent studies which claim that existing LLMs are unable to reason on complex multimodal tasks, and therefore this study underscores the need for enhanced online exam security measures like proctoring software, that can mitigate the potential misuse of AI technologies in educational settings.

The theatre has a tremendous ability to influence public discourse and shape societal opinions. And medical conditions can provide writers with a rich scope for plot development and characters with challenges to overcome. In particular, the neurological condition epilepsy has many possibilities with historical beliefs that people were possessed by gods and devils and the sudden, disabling seizures characteristic of the condition. But used unsympathetically, it can promote misunderstanding within audiences, resulting in discrimination for people with the condition. This review looks back at how epilepsy has been portrayed throughout history. How the Greeks portrayed epilepsy as a punishment from the gods. Then later, how Shakespeare utilised epilepsy to suggest characters as uncontrollable. However, we finish on a message of hope as modern writers look to collaboration to ensure accurate and honest portrayals of epilepsy, improving public understanding and removing many of the stigmas that have dogged the condition.

In Australia, orthodox soil scientists and alternative practitioners who promote ‘regenerative agriculture’ have not been communicating and engaging effectively with each other. Over many years scientists in CSIRO, state departments and universities have made significant achievements in mapping soil distribution, describing soil behaviour and identifying key soil properties and processes that are fundamental to healthy soil function. However, many alternative practitioners are dismissive of these achievements and highly critical of orthodox soil science. Yet many of the tools of soil science are essential to conduct evidence-based research towards elucidating how and why the exceptional results claimed by some alternative practitioners are achieved. We stress the importance of effective engagement and communication among all parties to resolve this ‘clash of cultures’.

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the HTT gene, for which no disease modifying therapies are currently available. Much of the recent research has focused on developing therapies to directly lower HTT expression, and while promising, these therapies have presented several challenges regarding administration and efficacy. Another promising therapeutic approach is the modulation of HTT post-translational modifications (PTMs) that are dysregulated in disease and have shown to play a key role in HTT toxicity. Among all PTMs, modulation of HTT phosphorylation has been proposed as an attractive therapeutic option due to the possibility of orally administering specific kinase effectors. One of the kinases described to participate in HTT phosphorylation is Protein Kinase CK2. CK2 has recently emerged as a target for the treatment of several neurological and psychiatric disorders, although its role in HD remains controversial. While pharmacological studies in vitro inhibiting CK2 resulted in reduced HTT phosphorylation and increased toxicity, genetic approaches in mouse models of HD have provided beneficial effects. In this review we discuss potential therapeutic approaches related to the manipulation of HTT-PTMs with special emphasis on the role of CK2 as a therapeutic target in HD.

Sanitation, water supply and their governance remain major challenges in many Pacific Island Countries. National sustainable development strategies (NSDSs) are promoted throughout the Pacific as overarching improved governance instruments to identify priorities, plan solutions and fulfill commitments to sustainable development. Their relevance to local village-level development priorities is uncertain. The Kingdom of Tonga provides opportunities to compare both. Tonga’s Strategic Development Frameworks (TSDFI 2011-2014 and TSDFII 2015-2025) were developed to focus government and its agencies on national outcomes. From 2007 to 2016, 136 villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Divisions (IDs) formulated Community Development Plans (CDPs) involving separately 80% of women, youth and men in each village. Censuses in 2006 and 2016 show linked improvements in water supply and sanitation systems but reveal IDs with continuing challenges. Sanitation and water are prominent in TSDFI but absent from the current TSDFII. In contrast, CDPs show in one ID, 53% of villages ranked sanitation as a priority with marked differences between IDs and between women, youth and men. CDPs’ sanitation priorities in IDs mostly correspond to sanitation and water metrics in the Censuses, but some reflect impacts of natural disasters. Explanations for differences in sanitation priorities between national and local development plans, as well as suggestions for improving NSDS processes in island countries, are advanced.

UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 presents difficulties for small island developing states such as the Kingdom of Tonga, which relies on rainwater and groundwater lenses for freshwater supply. Planning and managing water resources to supply demands in dispersed small islands under variable climate and frequent extreme events is challenging. Tensions between water planning using top-down versus bottom-up processes have long been recognized. Tonga’s overarching national planning instrument is the Tonga Strategic Development Framework, 2015-2025 (TSDFII). This identifies desired national outcomes and is used to direct and resource Ministries and address international and regional commitments. Water supply was a low priority in the three-month consultations that led to TSDFII. Community Development Plans (CDPs), developed by rural villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Groups over nine years, involved participation from 80% of each village population who ranked local priorities. Analysis of priorities in 117 available village CDPs reveals improvements to village water supply was the highest overall priority in all five Island Groups and ranked within the top three priorities by 76% of all villages, with women, youth and men returning figures of 83%, 66% and 80% respectively. The mismatch between top-down and bottom-up priorities appears to result from an urban/rural divide.

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) has become a widely used and reliable platform for storing large biomedical datasets. However, unintended changes to the original data can occur during the data writing and transmission, ultimately altering the original contents of the object transferred and producing unexpected results when later accessed. Despite the interest in verifying end-to-end data integrity, there are no existing open-source and easy-to-use tools to accomplish this mission. To bridge this gap, here we present aws-s3-integrity-check, a user-friendly, lightweight and reliable bash tool to verify the integrity of a dataset stored within an Amazon S3 bucket. By using this tool, we completed the integrity verification of 1,045 records ranging between 5 Bytes and 10 Gigabytes (GB) in size and occupying a total of ~935 GigaBytes (GB) of Amazon S3 cloud storage space in ~114 minutes. The aws-s3-integrity-check tool also provides file-by-file on-screen and log-file-based information about the status of each individual integrity check. To the best of our knowledge, the aws-s3-integrity-check bash tool is the only open-source tool that allows verifying the integrity of a dataset uploaded to the Amazon S3 Storage system in a quick, reliable and efficient manner. The aws-s3-integrity-check tool is freely available for download and use at https://github.com/SoniaRuiz/aws-s3-integrity-check and https://hub.docker.com/r/soniaruiz/aws-s3-integrity-check.

This study examined the ventral process of C6 in extinct and extant Equus (sister taxa to Equus ferus caballus only) with the purpose of describing normal morphology and identifying anomalous variations relevant to recent studies describing a congenital malformation in E. ferus caballus. Overall, 83 specimens from 9 museums and 3 research/educational facilities were examined – 71 extinct specimens from 12 species and 12 extant specimens from 5 species. The lateral view revealed a large convexity existed in the ventral process between the cranial ventral tubercle (CrVT) and the caudal ventral tubercle (CVT) in the earliest ancestor Hyracotherium grangeri 55mya that receded throughout the millennia to a smaller convexity in E. ferus caballus and sister taxa. The CrVT was visibly shorter and narrower than the CVT with a constricted section directly ventral to the transverse process essentially demarcating the CrVT and CVT. No congenital malformations were evident. As the ventral process of C6 is an integral component for muscle attachment in supporting the head/neck during posture and locomotion, this would indicate the caudal module in the cervical column might be compromised when a partial or complete absence of the CVT is detected via radiographs in modern E. ferus caballus.

This research aims to determine the influence of the independent commissioners, audit committee, institutional ownership, firm size and leverage against the integrity of the financial reporting information. This research is quantitative research with the causal approach. This study uses secondary data and panel data regression analysis method. The research results prove that audit committee, institutional ownership and leverage effect on the integrity of the financial reporting information. But it does not prove that the independent commissioner and firm size effect on the integrity of the financial reporting information.

Leading and lagging Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide a means for assurance that risk control systems, to prevent or limit major hazards. The relative importance degree of KPIs provides a theorical guidance for monitoring, inspection and maintenance of structural integrity. In this paper, structural integrity KPIs are classified into leading and lagging KPIs based on Bowtie methodology and the importance degree of the KPIs are evaluated by weight calculation on the basis of Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP).

Structural health monitoring has been studied by a number of researchers as well as various industries to keep up with the increasing demand for preventive maintenance routines. This work presents a novel method for reconstruct prompt, informed strain/stress responses at the hot spots of the structures based on strain measurements at remote locations. The structural responses measured from usage monitoring system at available locations are decomposed into modal responses using empirical mode decomposition. Transformation equations based on finite element modeling are derived to extrapolate the modal responses from the measured locations to critical locations where direct sensor measurements are not available. Then, two numerical examples (a two-span beam and a 19956-degree of freedom simplified airfoil) are used to demonstrate the overall reconstruction method. Finally, the present work investigates the effectiveness and accuracy of the method through a set of experiments conducted on an aluminium alloy cantilever beam commonly used in air vehicle and spacecraft. The experiments collect the vibration strain signals of the beam via optical fiber sensors. Reconstruction results are compared with theoretical solutions and a detailed error analysis is also provided.

The quiet-time solar wind electrons feature non-thermal characteristics when viewed from the perspective of their velocity distribution functions. They typically have an appearance of being composed of a denser thermal “core” population plus a tenuous energetic “halo” population. At first, such a feature was empirically fitted with the Kappa velocity space distribution function, but ever since the ground-breaking work by Tsallis, the space physics community has embraced the potential implication of the Kappa distribution as reflecting the non-extensive nature of the space plasma. From the viewpoint of microscopic plasma theory, the formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution function can be interpreted in terms of the plasma being in a state of turbulent quasi equilibrium. Such a finding brings forth the possible existence of a profound inter-relationship between the non-extensive statistical state and the turbulent quasi-equilibrium state. The present paper further develops the idea of solar wind electrons being in the turbulent equilibrium, but unlike the previous model, which involves the electrostatic turbulence near the plasma oscillation frequency (i.e., Langmuir turbulence), the present paper considers the impact of transverse electromagnetic turbulence, particularly, the turbulence in the whistler-mode frequency range. It is found that the coupling of spontaneously-emitted thermal fluctuations and the background turbulence leads to the formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution function of the type observed in the solar wind during quiet times. This demonstrates that the whistler-range turbulence represents an alternative mechanism for producing the Kappa-like non-thermal distribution, especially close to the Sun and in the near-Earth space environment.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for the global carbon cycle, and hyperspectral remote sensing has proven a promising method for fast SOM content estimation. However, soil physical properties significantly affect the sensitivity of satellite hyperspectral imaging to SOM, leading to poor generalization ability of the estimation model. This study aims to improve the spatiotemporal transferability of the SOM prediction model by alleviating the coupling effect of soil physical properties on the spectra. Based on satellite hyperspectral images and soil physical variables, including soil moisture (SM), soil surface roughness (root mean squared height, RMSH), and soil bulk weight (SBW), a soil spectral correction strategy was established based on the information unmixing method. Two important grain-producing areas in Northeast China were selected as study areas to verify the performance and transferability of the spectral correction model and SOM content prediction model. The results showed that soil spectral corrections based on fourth-order polynomials and the XG-Boost algorithm had excellent accuracy and generalization ability, with residual predictive deviations (RPD) exceeding 1.4 in almost all bands. In addition, when the soil spectral correction strategy was adopted, the accuracy of the SOM prediction model and the generalization ability after model migration were significantly improved. The SOM prediction accuracy based on the XG-Boost corrected spectrum was the highest, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.76, root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.74 g/kg, and RPD of 1.68. The prediction accuracy, R2, RMSE, and RPD of the model after migration were 0.72, 6.71 g/kg, and 1.53, respectively. Compared with the direct migration prediction of the model, adopting the soil spectral correction strategy based on fourth-order polynomials and XG-Boost reduced the RMSE of the SOM prediction results by 57.90% and 60.27%, respectively. The performance comparison highlighted the advantages of considering soil physical properties in regional-scale SOM prediction.

Bulk composition, mineralogy and microchemistry of various fractions of the filling of the Crater No. 4 at Emmerting were investigated. Here we present mainly the fine fractions, which, in contrast to pebbles larger than ca. 4 cm, are relatively poor in material affected by melting. A 0.1 mm long meteorite fragment without ablation features was found, and remelted fragments of the same body have been identified. The projectile was dominated by enstatite, also containing forsterite, basic plagioclase, Ni-rich pyrrhotite and troilite, kamacite, silica, and probably merrillite. The molten fragments contain porous Mg-rich glass (indicating temperature &gt; 1500 °C), minor Fe oxides, and occasionally uncommon Ni-rich minerals. The bulk composition and electron microprobe show that the amount of meteoritic material is low (&lt;&lt; 1 %), and it is not unequivocally manifested even in platinum-group elements abundances and osmium isotope ratios (the latter, however, were only measured in two samples). This can be explained by dilution of the filling by particles brought after the crater formation, and by probably achondritic composition of the projectile. Relatively large hollow spheroid Fe oxide particles were observed in thin sections from the magnetic fraction. A Mn oxide hollow spherule has also been found. In magnetically separated filling from the nearby Crater No. 5, bulk chemical composition points to contamination with several metals and metalloids probably due to influence of recent alluvial sediments. Therefore, the extent of meteoritic contamination in this crater may be even smaller.

Packaging of the eukaryotic DNA genome with histone and other proteins forms a chromatin structure that regulates the outcome of all DNA mediated processes. The cellular pathways that ensure genomic stability detect and repair DNA damage through mechanisms which are critically dependent upon chromatin structures established by histones and, particularly, transient histone post-translational modifications . Though subject to a range of modifications, histone methylation is especially crucial for DNA damage repair as the methylated histones often form platforms for subsequent repair protein binding at damaged sites. In this review, we highlight and discuss how histone methylation impacts the maintenance of genome integrity through effects related to DNA repair and repair pathway choice.

In classical General Relativity, White Holes (WH) refer to the time reverse Schwarzschild (SW) Black Hole (BH) solution of a point mass $M$ and gravitational radius $r_S=2GM$. The SW metric is static so that a time reverse WH solution simply corresponds to a violation of causality. The WH solution does not make any physical sense here. For a more physical model, such as the Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) metric with finite mass inside $r_S$, we show that both the expanding and collapsing solutions correspond to a BH and not to a WH.

Dissolved calcium (Ca2+) concentrations in freshwater ecosystems are of growing concern as increasing levels have been implicated in altering the environmental conditions and biodiversity. Elevated Ca2+ levels and sporadic re-emergence and disappearance of invasive zebra mussels in Kentucky Lake in recent years served as a motivation for this study. The objective of this study was to determine Ca2+ spatial and temporal patterns in Kentucky Lake, selected tributary streams, and the Ohio River during and following a zebra mussel invasion. Over 1000 water samples were collected and analysed for dissolved calcium during 2018-2022. Approved analytical methods were followed for sampling and measuring dissolved calcium levels. Results revealed significant spatial and temporal patterns. Kentucky Lake Ca2+ levels varied between 15-25 mg/L depending on the sampling location and month/year. Kentucky Lake channel sites exhibited comparably higher concentrations of Ca 2+ than did most embayment and/or stream sites, indicating that tributary streams did not serve as primary sources of calcium to the lake. Dissolved calcium levels at main lake sites exceeded the threshold for zebra mussel growth and reproduction in 2018 during the time when zebra mussels were present. Calcium in lake water samples collected from 2019 through 2022 was at or just below the threshold. Temporal trend data showed a gradual increase in Ca2+ in Kentucky Lake throughout the study period but remaining at or below the threshold level considered critical for the zebra mussels’ reproduction and development. Calcium levels in the Ohio River site at Paducah were similar to Kentucky Lake reflecting the predominance of Tennessee River water, while levels at the Brookport site were consistent with values known to support zebra mussel populations. The elevated calcium levels in Kentucky Lake waters during the late winter and early spring months may be due to natural sources (mineral weathering) as well as human activities in the Tennessee River basin. This study emphasizes the need for continued calcium monitoring in the watershed to determine the potential for future zebra mussel outbreaks and potential influences on the lake ecosystem and its functions.

Spectral characteristics of CDOM in water column are a key parameter for bio-optical modeling. Knowledge of CDOM optical properties and spatial discrepancy based on the relationship between water quality and spectral parameters in Yinma River watershed with in situ data collected highly-polluted waters are exhibited in this study. Seasonal field data sets collected over a period of 2 months in 2015 in Yinma River Watershed. Based on the comprehensive index method, the riverine waters showed serious contamination, especially the COD, Fe, Mn, Hg and DO were out of range contamination warning. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total suspended matter (TSM) with prominent non-homogenizing were significantly high in the riverine waters, but chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was opposite. Ternary phase diagram showed that non-algal paritcles absorption played an important role in total non-water light absorption (>50%) in most sampling locations, and mean contribution of CDOM were 13% and 22% in summer and autumn respectively. Analysis of ratio of absorption at 250-365 nm (E_250:365) and spectral slope (S_275-295) indicated that CDOM had higher aromaticity and molecular weight in autumn than in summer, is consistent with the results of water quality and relative contribution. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables OSM had a strong correlation with CDOM absorption, followed by heavy metal, e.g., Mn, Hg and Cr⁶⁺. However, for the specific UV absorbance (SUVA₂₅₄), the seasonal values showed opposite results compared with the reported literature. The potential reasons were the more UDOM (uncolored Dissolved Organic Matter) from human source (wastewater effluent) existed in waters. Terrigenous inputs simultaneously are in relation to the a_CDOM(440)-DOC relationship with the correlation coefficient was 0.90 in summer (2-tailed, p<0.01), and 0.58 in autumn (2-tailed, p<0.05). Spatial distribution of CDOM parameters exhibited that the downstream regions focused on dry land have high CDOM molecular weight and aromatic hydrocarbon. Partial sampling locations around the cities or countries generally showed abnormal values due to terrigenous inputs. As a bio-optical model parameter, spectral characteristic of CDOM is helpful in adjusting the derived algorithms in highly-polluted environments. The study on organic carbon and pollutants in highly-polluted waters had an important contribution to global carbon balance estimation and water environment protection.

It has been suggested that primordial planets could have formed in the early Universe and the missing baryons in the Universe could be explained by primordial free-floating planets of solid hydrogen. Many such planets were recently discovered around the old and metal poor stars and such planets could have formed at early epochs. Another possibility for missing baryons in the Universe could be that these baryons are admixed with DM particles inside the primordial planets. Here we discuss the possibility of admixture of baryons to the DM primordial planets discussed earlier. We consider gravitationally bound DM objects with the DM particles constituting them varying in mass from 20 to100GeV. Different fractions of DM particles mixed with baryonic matter in forming the primordial planets are discussed. For the different mass range of DM particles forming DM planets, we have estimated the radius and density of these planets with different fractions of DM and baryonic particles. It is found that for heavier mass DM particles with the admixture of certain fractions of baryonic particles, the mass of the planet increases and can reach or even substantially exceed Jupiter-mass. The energy released during the process of merger of such primordial planets is discussed. Also the energy required for the tidal breakup of such an object in the vicinity of a black hole is also discussed.

Predator-prey interactions present heightened opportunities for pathogen spillover, as predators are exposed to novel parasites through consumption of prey harboring potentially infectious agents. Epizootics with high morbidity and mortality have been recorded following prey-to-predator spillover events with significant conservation implications, particularly for sensitive species. However, relatively few virulent infections following prey consumption are reported, given the very large number of exposures that presumably occur. Further, many transmitted agents are infectious but clinically silent and thus go unrecognized. Mechanisms that determine outcome of predator exposure to prey-based pathogens therefore represent an important, understudied component of disease dynamics that should be considered in modeling approaches and empirical research to better understand disease risk and emergence, particularly in vulnerable or threatened species.

This work aims at improving surface integrity and LCF life of machined Inconel 718. The correlation between the LCF life of Inconel 718 and various states of machined surface integrity is explored. In this paper, the surface integrity of Inconel 718 specimens is enhanced by low plasticity burnishing (LPB). The LCF life with different surface integrity specimens is predicted by micro-macro finite element method (FEM). Firstly, the LCF specimens with different surface integrity are machined by turning (turned specimen), polishing (matrix specimen) and LPB process (LPBed specimen). Secondly, the LCF experiment is carried out to reveal the effect of surface integrity on LCF life. Finally, the LCF micro-macro FEM model is proposed to predict the LCF of machined Inconel 718 specimens. The representative volume element (RVE) model is established based on the measured surface integrity and microstructure of Inconel 718 specimens. The effect of surface integrity on LCF life is transformed to equivalent load. The micro-macro FEM model combined with Tanaka-Mura dislocation crack initiation theory and extended finite element method (XFEM) is applied to predict the LCF life the machined specimens. The study results show that the LCF life of LPBed specimens can be improved by 90.5% and 36.1% compared with that of turned specimens and polished matrix specimens, respectively. The errors between FEM prediction results and experimental results are 13.1%, 9.2% and 12.2%, respectively. The proposed micro-macro FEM model could be utilized to predict the LCF life of Inconel 718 with different surface integrity, and further to apply the LCF life prediction in industry.

Tenascin C (TNC) is an element of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of various tissues, including the skin, and is involved in modulating ECM integrity and cell physiology. Although skin aging is apparently associated with changes in the ECM, little is known about the role of TNC in skin aging. Here we found that Tnc mRNA level was significantly reduced in the skin tissues of aged mice compared with young mice, consistent with reduced TNC protein expression in aged human skin. TNC-large (TNC-L; 330-kDa) and -small (TNC-S; 240-kDa) polypeptides were observed in conditional media from primary dermal fibroblasts. Both recombinant TNC polypeptides, corresponding to TNC-L and TNC-S, increased the expression of type I collagen and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in fibroblasts. Treatment of fibroblasts with a recombinant TNC polypeptide, corresponding to TNC-L, induced phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3. TNC increased the level of TGF-β1 mRNA and upregulated the expression of type I collagen by activating the TGF-β signaling pathway. In addition, TNC also promoted the expression of type I collagen in fibroblasts embedded in a three-dimensional collagen matrix. Our findings suggest that TNC contributes to the integrity of ECM in young skin and to prevention of skin aging.

This paper studies the combined effect of corrosion and fatigue on the growth of cracks in aircraft and on the effect of skin corrosion and stress corrosion cracking on the load bearing capacity of rib stiffened aircraft wings. In this context it is shown that the growth of cracks from surface pitting, and also from intergranular cracking at a fastener hole, can be accurately computed using the Hartman-Schijve variant of the NASGRO crack growth equation. The examples studied support the lead crack approach, that has been independently developed by the USAF and the Australian Defence Science Technology Group, in which the growth of lead cracks is often exponential. In the case of skin corrosion it is shown that to be consistent with the US Joint Service Structural Guidelines (JSSG2006) assessment of its effect on the load bearing capacity of the wing should involve an assessment of whether at 115% DLL the remaining material exceeds the yield stress of the material.

At present there is a renewed interest in theories of ”modified” gravity. Here, under a more drastic modification enforced by Galilei group, we obtain a completely new gravitational structure, and which exists in addition to the already available general relativity of today. Correlated with this, we show that in addition, there is a new ”modified” quantum mechanics, in as much as it exists as an independent and new ”pure” non-relativistic quantum me- chanics, and which has no relativistic counterpart. This is in addition to the present quantum mechanics, where the relativistic and non-relativistic structures are counterparts of each other. The above holds, firstly due to the correlation between Galilei group and quantum mechanics. These math- ematical conclusions are consolidated by the fact that there exists a physical Majorana interaction between each neutron- proton pairs in nuclei. Galilei invariance of Majorana exchange in Majorana interaction, shows that the mass here is of pure gravitational nature, and which is immune to the other three forces. This makes an amazing connection between the gravitational force and the quantum mechanics. This pure gravitational mass would man- ifest itself as dark matter of the universe. It is our new modified gravity that generates the dark matter.

A close inspection of Zwicky's seminal papers on the dynamics of galaxy clusters reveals that the discrepancy discovered between the dynamical mass and the luminous mass of clusters has been widely overestimated in 1933 as a consequence of several factors, among which the excessive value of the Hubble constant $H_0$, then believed to be about seven times higher than today's average estimate. Taking account, in addition, of our present knowledge of classical dark matter inside galaxies, the contradiction can be reduced by a large factor. To explain the rather small remaining discrepancy of the order of 5, instead of appealing to a hypothetic exotic dark matter, the possibility of a inhomogeneous gravity is suggested. This is consistent with the ``cosmic tapestry" found in the eighties by De Lapparent and her co-authors, showing that the cosmos is highly inhomogeneous at large scale. A possible foundation for inhomogeneous gravitation is the universally discredited ancient theory of Fatio de Duillier and Lesage on pushing gravity, possibly revised to avoid the main criticisms which led to its oblivion. This model incidentally opens the window towards a completely non-standard representation of cosmos, and more basically calls to develop fundamental investigation to find the origin of the large scale inhomogeneity in the distribution of luminous matter

As both governments and customers push for sustainable and recyclable textile products, textile companies will have to change their linear business model to a circular one. The aim of the present work is to help these companies take action by providing an update of the state-of-the-art of textile recycling technologies. Extensive desktop research was performed in order to prepare an overview of existing textile recycling technologies, their current state and prognosis, including also facilitating technologies for sorting and disintegration of textile products as well as virtual platforms that connect stakeholders and inform consumers.

The beneficial effects of Lanthanide incorporation into 0.94Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-BT) matrix on its functional properties were investigated. The conventional solid-state method was used for synthesizing samples. The structural refinement revealed that all samples crystallized in R3c rhombohedral symmetry. Raman spectroscopy study was carried out using green laser excitation and revealed that no clear perceptible variation in frequency is observed. Dielectric measurements unveiled that the introduction of rare earth obstructed the depolarization temperature promoted in BNT-BT with decreasing the diffusive phase transition with increasing the lanthanide size. Only Dysprosium addition showed comparable diffusion constant and dielectric behavior as the unmodified composition. Further, the comparison of the obtained ferroelectric hysteresis and strain-electric field loops revealed that only Dy-phase exhibited interesting properties comparing parent composition. In addition, the incorporation of lanthanides Ln3+ into the BNT-BT matrix led to the development of luminescence characteristics in the visible and near infrared regions, depending on the excitation wavelengths. The simultaneous occurrence of photoluminescence and ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties opens up possibilities for BNT-BT-Ln to exhibit multifunctionality in a wide range of applications.Keywords: Sodium Bismuth Titanate; structural refinement; dielectric properties; ferroelectric properties; piezoelectric properties; Photoluminescence.

Wearable sensors have become increasingly popular for assessing athletic performance, but the optimal methods for processing and analysing the data remain unclear. This study investigates the efficacy of discrete and continuous feature extraction methods, separately and in combination, for modelling countermovement jump performance using wearable sensor data. We demonstrate that continuous features, particularly those derived from Functional Principal Component Analysis, outperform discrete features in terms of model performance, robustness to variations in data distribution and volume, and consistency across different datasets. Our findings underscore the importance of methodological choices, such as signal type, alignment methods, and model selection, in developing accurate and generalisable predictive models. We also highlight the potential pitfalls of relying solely on domain knowledge for feature selection and the benefits of data-driven approaches. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of our findings for the broader field of sports biomechanics and provide practical recommendations for researchers and practitioners aiming to leverage wearable sensor data for athletic performance assessment. Our results contribute to the development of more reliable and widely applicable predictive models, facilitating the use of wearable technology for optimising training and enhancing athletic outcomes across various sports disciplines.

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and to assess respiratory health risks associated with Particulate Matter (PM) exposure among the residents of Windhoek, Namibia. Objectives: To measure particulate pollution concentration in Windhoek through monitoring of particulate matter concentration and to identify any associations between particulate pollution, individual location and respiratory health among the Windhoek resident’s. Methods: an adapted standardized self-administered questionnaire was used to collect respiratory health related data as well as previous exposure, while PM monitoring was done using ASTM D1739 reference method. Results: A high prevalence was observed for cough (43%), breathlessness (25%), and Asthma (11.2%). PM was found to be a significant risk factor for episode of cough and phlegm, while high PM exposure category had increased odds ratio for episode of phlegm and cough (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 0.8-8.0). No association was observed between location and respiratory health outcomes. Conclusion: The study found high levels of PM concentration across all Windhoek suburbs which were above the German, American and EPA. Enactment of legislation relating to the control and monitoring of PM related emissions at point of generation is required at country and city level.

Solar power innately has issues with weather, grid demand and time of day, which for the case of concentrating solar power (CSP) can be mitigated through use of thermal energy storage. Nuclear reactors, including lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs), can load follow, but have high fixed and low operating costs which can make this economically unattractive. We investigate potential synergies through coupling CSP and LFR together in a single supercritical CO$_2$ Brayton cycle and/or using the same thermal energy storage. Combining these cycles allows for the LFR to thermally charge the salt storage in the CSP cycle during low demand periods to be dispatched when grid demand increases. The LFR/CSP coupling into one cycle is modeled to find the preferred location of the LFR heat exchanger, CSP heat exchanger, sCO$_2$-to-salt heat exchanger (C2S), turbines, and recuperators within the supercritical CO$_2$ Brayton cycle. Three cycle configurations have been studied: two-cycle configuration, which uses CSP and LFR heat for dedicated turbocompressors, has the highest efficiencies but with less component synergies; a combined cycle with CSP and LFR heat sources in parallel is the simplest with the lowest efficiencies; and a combined cycle with separate high temperature recuperators for both the CSP and LFR is a compromise between efficiency and component synergies. Additionally, four thermal energy storage charging techniques are studied: the turbine positioned before C2S, requiring a high LFR outlet temperature for viability; the turbine after the C2S, reducing turbine inlet temperature and therefore power; the turbine parallel to the C2S producing moderate efficiency; and a dedicated circulator loop. While all configurations have pros and cons, use of a single cycle offers component synergies with limited efficiency penalty. Using a turbine in parallel with the C2S heat exchanger is feasible but results in a low charging efficiency, while a dedicated circulator loop offers flexibility and near perfect heat storage efficiency but increasing cost with additional cycle components.

Machine Learning has completely transformed health care system, which transmits medical data through IOT sensors. So it is very important to encrypt them to protect patient data. encrypting medical images from a performance perspective consumes time; hence the use of an auto encoder is essential. An auto encoder is used in this work to compress the image as a vector prior to the encryption process. The digital image passes across description function and a decoder to get back the image in the proposed work; various experiments are carried out on hyper parameters to achieve the highest outcome of the classification. The findings demonstrate that the combination of Mean Square Logarithmic Error as the loss function, ADA grad as an optimizer, two layers for the encoder, and another reverse for the decoder, RELU as the activation function generates the best auto encoder results. The combination of Mean square error (lose function), RMS prop (optimizer), three layers for the encoder and another reverse for the decoder, and RELU (activation function) has the best classification result. All the experiments with different hyper parameter has run almost very close to each other even when changing the number of layers. The running time is between 9 and 16 second for each epoch.

Physics theory has yet to settle on specific descriptions for new elementary particles, for dark matter, and for dark energy forces. Our work extrapolates from the known elementary particles. The work suggests well-specified candidate descriptions for new elementary particles, dark matter, and dark energy forces. This part of the work does not depend on theories of motion. This work embraces symmetries that correlate with motion-centric conservation laws. The candidate descriptions seem to explain data that prior physics theory seems not to explain. Some of that data pertains to elementary particles. Our theory suggests relationships between masses of elementary particles. Our theory suggests a relationship between the strengths of electromagnetism and gravity. Some of that data pertains to astrophysics. Our theory seems to explain ratios of dark matter effects to ordinary matter effects. Our theory seems to explain aspects of galaxy formation. Some of that data pertains to cosmology. Our theory suggests bases for inflation and for changes in the rate of expansion of the universe. Generally, our work proposes extensions to theory in three fields. The fields are elementary particles, astrophysics, and cosmology. Our work suggests new elementary particles and seems to explain otherwise unexplained data.

The extremely high rotation of some SMBHs is the origin of their relativistic rotational energy that results in their relativistic mass. Relativistic mass creates their relativistic gravity which is a partial answer to the missing dark matter.

Understanding the subtle signs of carpal instability and other unique injury patterns in the wrist is a critical skill for radiologists. Proper patient management and outcomes are directly dependent on the accurate interpretation of wrist imaging studies. This review will provide a detailed overview of typical imaging features of carpal trauma and instability, management, and complications, using multimodality imaging and original medical illustrations. A detailed overview of the osseous, ligamentous, arterial anatomy of the wrist, arcs of Gilula, and zones of vulnerability will be provided. Carpal fractures, dislocations, special radiographic views, and imaging pearls will be discussed. Instability patterns and the myriad of associate abbreviations (CID, CIND, CIC, CIA, VISI, DISI, SLD, LTD, MCI, SLAC, SNAC) will be clarified. Expected outcomes, potential complications, and management will be reviewed.

Vaginitis is a widespread issue for women worldwide, yet current diagnostic tools are lacking. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent type of vaginitis, found in 10-50% of reproductive aged women. Current diagnostic methods for BV rely on clinical criteria, microscopy, or detection of a few microbes by qPCR. However, many vaginal infections lack a single etiological agent and are characterized by changes in the vaginal microbiome community structure (e.g. BV is defined as a loss of protective lactobacilli resulting in an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria). Shotgun metagenomic sequencing provides a comprehensive view of all the organisms present in the vaginal microbiome (VMB) allowing for a better understanding of all potential etiologies. Here, we describe a robust VMB metagenomics sequencing test with a sensitivity of 88.5%, specificity of 96.2%, and a positive predictive value of 95.8% certified by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), the College of American Pathologist (CAP) and the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP). We sequenced over 7,000 human vaginal samples with this pipeline and described general findings and comparison to US census data.

The white wine industry generates a large amount of wastes and composting is an alternative for recycling these residues with agronomic and environmental advantages. With this aim, grape marc and grape stalks were composted in static and turned piles, with 3 and 6 turns, to investigate the effects of pile conditions during composting in order to improve final compost quality. Thermophilic temperatures were attained soon after pile construction, and the highest maximum temperatures were achieved in the turned piles (70.5-71.8 ºC). However, pile moisture content decreased bellow recommended values after day 42 in these piles. The extremely high temperatures and low moisture content in turned piles hampered OM mineralization rates and the amount of potentially mineralizable organic matter (OM0) (391-407 g kg-1), whereas the structure of the static pile provided adequate porosity to increase OM decomposition and OM0 (568 g kg-1). This study shows that composting grape marc with stalks, for a period of 140 days, resulted in stabilized and matured compost (NH4+-N / NO3--N &lt;0.5), with good chemical characteristics for application as soil organic amendment in vineyards, without the need for rewetting or turning the piles, thus reducing the agronomic, and environmental cost of the composting process.

The performance and lifespan of cutting tools are significantly influenced by their surface quality. The present report highlights recent advances in enhancing the surface characteristics of tungsten carbide and high-speed steel cutting tools using a novel micro-machining technique for polishing and edge-honing. Notably, the main aim is to reduce the surface roughness while maintaining the hardness of the materials at an optimal level. By conducting a thorough analysis, of surfaces obtained with different techniques. It was that micro-machining method effectively decreased the surface roughness of the cutting tools, most effectively of the techniques investigated. Significantly, the surface roughness is reduced from an initial measurement of 400 nm to an impressive value of 60 nm. No significant change in hardness was observed, which guarantees the maintenance of the mechanical properties of the cutting tools. This analysis enhances the comprehension of surface enhancement methodologies for cutting tools through the presentation of these findings. The observed decrease in surface roughness, along with the consistent hardness, exhibits potential for improving tool performance. These enhancements possess the capacity to optimise manufacturing processes, increase tool reliability, and minimise waste generation.

Brain vascular health appears to be of critical importance for protection against the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as well as the slowing of disease progression. ALS patients often demonstrate cardiovascular risk factors and commonly suffer from cerebrovascular disease, with evidence of pathological alterations in the small cerebral vessels. Impaired vascular brain health has detrimental effects on motor neurons as lowered vascular endothelial growth factor levels compromise endothelial cell formation, promoting blood-brain barrier leakage and inflammation. Increased turnover of neurovascular unit cells precedes their senescence, which, together with pericyte alterations, further fosters the failure of toxic metabolite removal. We here provide a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis of impaired brain vascular health in ALS and how novel magnetic resonance imaging techniques can aid its detection. In particular, we discuss vascular patterns of blood supply to the motor cortex with the number of branches from the anterior and middle cerebral arteries acting as a novel marker of resistance and resilience against downstream effects of vascular risk and events in ALS. We outline how certain interventions adapted to patient needs and capabilities have the potential to mechanistically target the brain microvasculature towards favorable motor cortex blood supply patterns. Through this strategy, we aim to guide novel approaches to ALS management and a better understanding of ALS pathophysiology.

Glyphosate (G)-based herbicidal formulations, such as the most commonly used one, Roundup (R), are major pesticides used worldwide on food and feed. Pregnant women may thus be frequently exposed to R compounds. These are composed of G, which is declared as the active principle, and other products contained in formulations, named formulants, which have been declared as inerts and diluents by the manufacturers. These formulants have, in fact, been demonstrated to be much more toxic than G, in particular to placental and embryonic human cells. In this work, we thus compared the effect of G and R, using placental perfusion ex vivo. R, but not G alone, was demonstrated to alter the placental permeability of a known small model molecule, antipyrine. Similar results were observed for the fetal venous flow rate. The transfer of G alone increases with time, but is significantly decreased in presence of its formulants. The perfusion of R provokes a destruction of fetal vessels, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Formulants obviously alter the fetal-placental circulation and placental integrity according to time of exposure. Therefore, G does not appear to be the main toxic agent of R. Formulants, although undeclared, include polyoxyethanolamines, PAHs, or heavy metals, and may be responsible for this toxicity. These compounds are also present in other pesticides. The progressive blood flow reduction due to the toxic compounds of formulations may diminish the nutrient supply to the fetus, alter the development, and may enhance the poisoning effects. Although these are preliminary results, they could at least partially explain some adverse pregnancy outcomes in mothers exposed to pesticides or other environmental pollutants. The debate on glyphosate alone is proven insufficient for the understanding of the toxicity.

Mast cells (MCs) are best known as key effector cells of immediate type allergic reactions that may even culminate in life-threatening anaphylactic shock syndromes. However, strategically positioned at host-environment interfaces and equipped with a plethora of receptors, MCs also play an important role in the first line defense against pathogens. Their main characteristic, the huge amount of preformed pro-inflammatory mediators embedded in secretory granules, allow for a rapid response and initiation of further immune effector cell recruitment. The same mechanism, however, may account for detrimental overshooting responses. MCs are not only detrimental in MC-driven diseases, but also responsible for disease exacerbation in other inflammatory disorders. Focusing on the skin as the largest immune organ, we herein review both beneficial and detrimental functions of skin MCs all the way from skin barrier integrity via host defense mechanisms to MC-driven inflammatory skin disorders. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of IgE-independent pathways of MC activation and their role in sustained chronic skin inflammation and disease exacerbation.

Flexibility is perceived as a primary reason for working as a gig worker. However, there are not enough studies that investigate gig workers' motivations. Hence, this study aims to examine the motivation of white-collar gig workers using a sample size of 327 gig workers in Mongolia, a developing country’s labor market. The purpose of this study is to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors for white-collar gig workers and their impact on behavioral intentions such as those of remote workers, freelancers, and any representatives of digital gig workers, not location-based gig workers. The primary data used in this study were collected through questionnaires from an online platform that attracts white-collar gig workers. The characteristics of this group are analyzed using Smart PLS4.0 software through the PLS-SEM technique to test the hypothesized relationships. Overall, the study contributes to an extension of current literature by understanding the white-collar digital gig workforce’s motivations and reasons behind it.

The thermodynamics of black holes is discussed for the case, when the Newton constant G is not a constant, but is the thermodynamic variable. This gives for the first law of the Schwarzschild black hole thermodynamics: d S BH = − A d K + d M T BH , where the gravitational coupling K = 1 / 4 G , M is the black hole mass, A is the area of horizon, and T BH is Hawking temperature. From this first law it follows that the dimensionless quantity M 2 / K is the adiabatic invariant, which in principle can be quantized if to follow the Bekenstein conjecture. From the Euclidean action for the black hole it follows that K and A serve as dynamically conjugate variables. This allows us to calculate the quantum tunneling from the black hole to the white hole, and determine the temperature and entropy of the white hole.

The growing awareness of the biological effects of artificial light on humans has stimulated ample research. It is now widely accepted that asynchrony between artificialand natural light-dark cycles can elicit severe detrimental health effects. New research has been devoted to lighting solutions that dynamically change their color to mimic spectral changes of daylight and to account for human needs. However, in some situations, the visual properties of light must be preserved: For example professional TV video editors and shift workers who must work under standardized lighting conditions to do color correction in post-production. We have investigated the possibility to tune circadian effects using white lights that are spectrally different but nonetheless have similar color coordinates thus appear as a similar white tone. Our simulation results indicate that it is possible to modulate circadian light effects by combining LEDs for neutral white (4000 K), a widely used white tone for indoor lighting in europe. The results also show that the solutions combining single-color LEDs do however not meet the quality criteria from the visual point of view because their color rendering ability decays to unacceptable low levels. Combining narrowband LEDs with a broadband white LED improves the color rendering quality and we show how far circadian light effects can be tuned according to common theoretical models. The aim is to reflect daylight situations with artificial lighting, thus having a high melatonin suppression in the morning and low melatonin suppression in the evening. As a consequence our aim is to show what maximum and minimum circadian effect is possible with the same set of LEDs.

Physics behind collimated highly directional nature of lasers, and factors that keep the seven coloured waves that form white light together during their journey from Sun to Earth, in the face of the natural disruptive forces, is not fully understood. Energy levels were measured, in terms of alterations in induced current and voltage, in beams from a red laser, white LED light and the Sunlight before and during their disruption by diffusers (frosted glass for the lasers) and diffractors (diffraction grating for the white light) using a photovoltaic solar cell panel attached to a digital multimeter. Results show that disruption of the beams results in release of extra energy named as ‘Latent Light Binding’ Energy’. It is hypothesized that the ‘binding’ energy keeps laser waves firmly bound together both end-on and side-on enabling laser beams to travel long distances in collimated manner. Likewise, the 7 coloured waves that constitute white light are kept together, probably side-on, in their journey from the Sun to the Earth. The observation that diffraction of sunbeam is associated with increased power generation provides a new lead to improve harnessing of solar energy, where, currently, the focus is mainly on improving efficiency of photovoltaic cell.

An evanescent wave is a non-propagating wave with an imaginary wave vector. In this study, we prove that these are solutions of the tachyon-like Klein–Gordon equation, and that in the tunneling of ultrarelativistic spin-1/2 particles they describe superluminal states arising from interactions between a particle and barrier. These states decay as a particle emerges from the opposite side of a potential barrier, conserving the same initial energy but not necessarily the same mass. The obtained theory is applied to the neutrino, to explain flavor oscillations during free flight and determine the conditions that maximize the probability of their occurrence.

The recommendations of the panel of experts on the further development of the ‘High-Tech Strategy’ of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany designate the biologization of economic processes along with digitization as the central driver of societal change. Various fields such as the 'biologization of materials research' were then defined in the 'Bio-Agenda' in order to walk the path from biology to innovation. In view of this perspective, we describe how the use of biological materials and mechanisms can lead to resource conservation, the production of intelligent materials and new technological and medical applications. Our strategy, based on research on ‘Biointerfaces in Technology and Medicine’, aims at the development of modular biohybrid systems that could be used as 'biofactories of the future' for sustainable production processes. To achieve this goal, in a first phase already known technologies have to be further refined and integrated in order to obtain and apply compartmentalized reaction systems on different length and time scales. In a second phase, the resulting functional units will be employed to develop dissipative systems useful for biomedical applications and advanced production processes. From a technical point of view, future success in creating 'something entirely new' will depend crucially on robust and complementary research capabilities. Since the close connection of engineering and life sciences at KIT provides an excellent basis for this endeavor, we consider the above perspectives to be feasible.

Children with hearing loss have been found to have significantly more behavioral and emotional challenges than their typically hearing peers, though these outcomes are variable at the individual level. Working memory deficits have been found to relate to executive functioning and overall emotion regulation, leading to behavior challenges. Language development is essential for development of social relationships and communicating one’s needs - this may lead to distress when children cannot communicate effectively. Based on prior findings in children with hearing loss and their typically hearing peers, working memory and language skills were hypothesized to be related to parent and teacher report of socioemotional functioning. Participants were 35 children with hearing loss (66% female, M = 5.17 years old, SD = ±1.97) whose language, working memory, and socioemotional functioning were evaluated during the course of treatment and educational planning. Bivariate analyses indicated that working memory was related to a number of socioemotional domains (e.g., functional communication, atypicality, withdrawal), as were language scores (e.g., social skills, inattention). The direction of these associations was such that stronger working memory and language skills were related to more regulated socioemotional functioning. A call to action of the current study includes more education with regard to profiles and presentations of children with hearing loss, and an early focus on socioemotional learning to foster the development of regulatory skills.

: Image guided superficial radiation therapy (IGSRT) combines superficial radiation therapy (SRT) with full dermal visualization (FDV) via high resolution dermal ultrasound (HRDUS) for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The gold standard for IGSRT delivery includes a comprehensive cancer care model with support for the dermatologists by a multidisciplinary team. When delivered in this model, IGSRT can achieve cure rates of 99% for treatment of NMSC. This paper focuses on the benefits of IGSRT during therapy. Medical records from 7 dermatology clinics of 883 patients with 1,507 cases of NMSC treated with IGSRT be-tween 2017 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. 92% of the NMSC lesions showed daily depth fluctuations, 60.32% of lesions did not require changes during therapy, and nearly 40% of lesions required at least one compensatory change during therapy. 83% of NMSC lesions were labeled high-risk based on the 2024 NCCN guidelines. Increasing and decreasing tumor depth measurements during IGSRT inform dermatologists when adaptive changes in energy (kV), TDF and dose will result in more efficacy and less toxicity, respectively.

Dark energy is the primordial energy of the universe. It was not created and will not be destroyed. Dark energy is the “stuff” out of which universal space is made off. Stellar objects exist in dark energy which is a kind of superfluid energy, that we do not know much about it. In interstellar areas, dark energy has a Planck energy density that diminishes in the center of stellar objects accordingly to the amount of their mass. Motion and rotation of stellar objects put in motion and rotation also surrounding dark energy around them. The rotation of supermassive black holes in the center of spiral galaxies rotates the surrounding dark matter and causes the so-called “dark matter effect”. The orbital velocity of stars that are rotating around the central black hole is not diminishing with the distance, as is the case in our solar system. There is no hidden dark matter that causes this effect. The cause is the rotating dark energy of the entire area of the galaxy around the central black hole.

About a century ago, in the spirit of ancient atomism, the quantum of light was renamed the photon to suggest its primacy as the fundamental element of everything. Since the photon carries energy in its period of time, a flux of photons inexorably embodies a flow of time. Time comprises periods as a trek comprises legs. The flows of quanta naturally select optimal paths, i.e., geodesics, to level out energy differences in the least time. While the flow equation can be written, it cannot be solved because the flows affect their driving forces, affecting the flows, and so on. As the forces, i.e., causes, and changes in motions, i.e., consequences, cannot be separated, the future remains unpredictable, however not all arbitrary but bounded by free energy. Eventually, when the system has attained a stationary state, where forces tally, there are no causes and no consequences. Then time does not advance as the quanta only orbit on and on.

Elucidating the nature of dark matter in galactic systems remains one of the important unsolved mysteries of modern cosmology. As a thought experiment, we consider a galaxy model where the light radiating outward from stellar objects produces a gravitational effect larger than Einstein's theory of gravity predicts. Using computer simulations, we observe that this assumption allows the basic rotation curve profiles observed in both dwarf and late-type spiral galaxies to be recreated. It is important to highlight that a separate mass model describing the dark matter halo is not needed or used. This toy model may also lead to insights about the nature of dark energy. If the gravitational effects in the universe are currently dominated by radiated light as this toy model may suggest, the cosmic scale factor would be closely linked to the time-history and spatial distribution of star formation and death rates. An accelerating universe may simply be a manifestation of star death rates exceeding star formation rates in the current epoch.

Manipulating autophagy is a promising strategy for treating cancer as several autophagy inhibitors shown to induce autophagic cell death. One of these, autophagonizer (APZ), induces apoptosis-independent cell death by binding an unknown target via an unknown mechanism. To identify APZ targets we used a label-free drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) approach with a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) readout. Of 35 protein interactors, we identified Hsp70 as a key target protein of unmodified APZ in autophagy. Either APZ treatment or Hsp70 inhibition attenuates integrity of lysosomes, which leads to autophagic cell death exhibiting an excellent synergism with a clinical drug, temozolomide, in vitro, in vivo, and orthotropic glioma xenograft model. These findings demonstrate the potential of APZ to induce autophagic cell death and its development to combinational chemotherapeutic agent for glioma treatment. Collectively, our study demonstrated that APZ, a new autophagy inhibitor, can be used as a potent antitumor drug candidate to get over unassailable glioma and revealed a novel function of Hsp70 in lysosomal integrity regulation of autophagy.

Berberis koreana Palibin is an endemic plant native to Korea. In this study, we aimed to study seed germination in this species using a water imbibition experiment, gibberellic acid (GA3) treat-ment (0, 10, 100, or 1000 mg·L−1), cold stratification (0, 2, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at 4 °C), a move-along experiment, and phenology studies. In the water imbibition experiment, the weight of the seeds increased by more than 120% in 24 h. Analysis of the internal and external morphological char-acteristics of the seed revealed that the embryo was already fully grown from the fruit and did not grow thereafter. The final germination percentages for cold stratification at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks at 4 °C were 12, 32, 59, 59, and 71%, respectively. In the move-along experiment and phe-nology studies, a longer low-temperature treatment period resulted in a higher germination percentage. However, the GA3 treatment had little effect on seed germination. Our results indi-cate that B. koreana exhibits intermediate physiological seed dormancy.

Blood cell analysis is a crucial diagnostic process in medical practice. In particular, detecting white blood cells (WBCs) is essential for diagnosing of many diseases. The manual screening of blood films is a time-consuming and subjective process, which can lead to inconsistencies and errors. Therefore, automated detection of blood cells can improve the accuracy and efficiency of the screening process. In this study, an explainable Vision Transformer (ViT) model was proposed for the automatic detection of WBCs from blood films. The proposed model utilizes the self-attention mechanism to extract relevant features from the input images and leverages transfer learning by incorporating pre-trained model weights to improve its performance. The proposed model achieved a classification accuracy of 99.40% for five distinct types of WBCs and exhibited potential in reducing the time required for manual screening of blood films by pathologists. Upon examination of the misclassified test samples, it was observed that incorrect predictions were correlated with the presence or absence of granules in the cell samples. To validate this observation, the dataset was divided into two classes, namely Granulocytes and Agranulocytes, and a secondary training process was conducted. The resulting ViT model trained for binary classification achieved an accuracy of 99.70%, recall of 99.54%, precision of 99.32%, and F-1 score of 99.43% during the test phase. To ensure the reliability of the ViT model's multi-class classification of WBCs, the pixel areas that the model focuses on in its predictions are visualized through the Score-CAM algorithm.

White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) has emerged as one of the most prevalent and lethal viruses globally, and infects both shrimps and crabs in the aquatic environment. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of WSSV in different ghers of Bangladesh and the virulence of the circulating phylotypes. We collected 360 shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and 120 crab (Scylla sp.) samples from the South-East (Cox’s Bazar) and South-West (Satkhira) coastal regions of Bangladesh. The VP28 gene-specific PCR assays and sequencing revealed statistically significant (p < 0.05, Kruskal Wallis test) differences in the prevalence of WSSV in shrimps and crabs between the study areas (Cox’s Bazar and Satkhira), and over the study periods (2017-2019). The mean Log load of WSSV varied from 8.40 (Cox’s Bazar) to 10.48 (Satkhira) per gram of tissue. The mean values for salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature and pH were 14.71±0.76 ppt, 3.7±0.1 ppm, 34.11±0.38˚C and 8.23±0.38, respectively in the WSSV-positive ghers. The VP28 gene-based phylogenetic analysis showed an amino-acid substitution (E→G) at 167th position in the isolates from Cox’s Bazar (referred to as phylotype BD2) compared to the globally circulating one (BD1). Shrimp PL artificially challenged with BD1 and BD2 phylotypes with filtrates of tissue containing 0.423 X 109 copies of WSSV per mL resulted a median LT50 value of 73 hrs and 75 hrs, respectively. The in-vivo trial showed higher mean Log WSSV copies (6.47±2.07 per mg tissue) in BD1 challenged shrimp PL compared to BD2 (4.75±0.35 per mg tissue). Crabs infected with BD1 and BD2 showed 100% mortality within 48 hrs and 62 hrs of challenge, respectively with mean Log WSSV copies of 12.06±0.48 and 9.95±0.37 per gram tissue, respectively. Moreover, shrimp antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) penaeidin and lysozyme expression was lower in BD1 challenged group compared to BD2 challenged shrimps. These results collectively demonstrated that relative virulence properties of WSSV based on mortality rate, viral load and expression of host immune genes in artificially infected shrimp PL could be affected by single aa substitution in VP28.

Antioxidants have multiple protective roles in cells and can be used as a supplement to protect cells against cryopreservation-induced detrimental effects, including protecting sperm fertility quality. The antioxidant resveratrol (3,5,4-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene; RSV) has been shown to be a protective supplement for the cryopreservation of animal sperm, including human sperm. In this study, we assessed the effect of RSV supplementation on canine sperm cryopreservation. Semen was collected from four dogs and the effect of different concentrations of RSV (0, 100, 200, and 400 µM) on post-thaw quality of sperm was examined. After thawing, sperm motility was assessed using computer aided sperm analysis, and the structural integrity of the plasma membrane, acrosome, and chromatin were examined, as well as mitochondrial activity and gene expression were assessed. Dog sperm cryopreserved with 200 µM RSV showed significant improvement in motility and viability following thawing compared with that of the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, RSV-supplemented samples showed significantly higher numbers of sperm with an intact plasma membrane, active mitochondria, and structural integrity of acrosomes and chromatin than that of control samples (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, gene expression showed that RSV supplemented samples showed lower expression of pro-apoptotic (BAX) oxidative stress-related (ROMO1) and oxidative induced DNA damage repair (OGG1) whereas higher expression levels of anti‐apoptotic (BCL2) protamine-2 (PRM2), protamine-3 (PRM3) and sperm acrosome‐associated (SPACA3) genes than control. Our results suggest that RSV, at its optimum concentration, can be efficiently used as an alternative antioxidant in the cryopreservation of dog sperm.

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an intestinal disease that results in poor performance, inefficient nu-trient absorption, and has a devastating economic impact on poultry production. This study evaluated the effects of a saponin-based product (Clarity Q [CQ]) during a NE challenge. A to-tal of 1,200 male chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (10 pens/treatment; 30 birds/pen): treatment 1 (NC): a non-medicated corn-soybean basal diet; treatment 2 (PC) NC + 50 g/metric ton (MT) of Bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD); treatments 3 (CQ15) and 4 (CQ30) NC + 15 and 30 g/MT, respectively. On day (d) of placement, birds were challenged by a coccidia vaccine to induce NE. On d 8, 14, 28, and 42, performance parameters were measured. On d 8, three birds/pen were necropsied for NE lesions. On d 8 and d 14, jejunum samples from one bird/pen were collected for mRNA abundance of tight junction proteins and nutrient trans-porter genes. Data were analyzed in JMP (JMP Pro, 16) and significance (P ≤ 0.05) between treatments identified by Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) test. Compared to PC and NC, CQ15 had higher average daily gain (ADG), while CQ30 had lower average daily feed in-take (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). NE lesions in the duodenum were lower in CQ15 compared to all other treatments. On d 8, mRNA abundance of CLDN1, CLDN5, AMPK, PepT2, GLUT2, and EAAT3 were significantly greater in CQ30 (P < 0.05) compared to both PC and NC. On d 14, mRNA abundance of ZO2 and PepT2 was significantly lower in PC when compared to all treatments, while that of ANXA1, JAM3, and GLUT5 was comparable to CQ15. In summary, adding Clarity Q to broiler diets has the potential to alleviate adverse effects caused by this enteric disease by improving performance, reducing intestinal lesions, and positively modulating the mRNA abundance of various tight junction proteins and key nutrient transporters during peak NE infection.

.Various synthetic nematicides are currently used effectively in the control of plant parasitic nematodes. However, these nematicides have adverse effects on humans and the environment. Neem oil is eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic nematicides. The effectiveness of repeated neem oil application in suppressing the root-knot nematodes infestation in figs seedlings was therefore examined in this study, both in its natural form (10 ml/L) and in its nano-emulsion form (5 and 7 ml/L). The recorded reduction parameters of M. incognita were J2/250g soil, galls and egg masses / 5g roots of infected fig seedlings were measured at that time, and the effects of these natural additives were compared with the Fosthiazate (Krenkel 75%EC). The impact of such soil amendments on some typical plant parameters, the total microbial count of soil, and the overall enzymatic activity of the fig rhizosphere were also included. Obtained results revealed that the soil population density of root knot nematode suppressed by 80.3% , reduction of nematode egg masses (60.4%) due to the application of nano-emulsion of neem oil (at 7ml/L). Present work recommend the use of nano-emulsion of neem oil as one of the effective and eco-friendly means to reduce the root- knot nematode on fig .

Climate adaptation is a major challenge. Chasing the sufficient amount of hay is getting in higher priority. Distant mass hay producers give favourable offers despite long distances. Quality is also gaining position and indicators like RFQ (Relative Forage Quality) is highlighting the marketing language. Hay market as we knew no longer exists in Hungary. Most farmers produce their own hay and do not spend extra cents to buy bales. Climate change however, force them to adapt and store more bales for the future. Horse owners and dairy farmers are the main driver to convince hay producers to provide high quality forage. We gathered Hungarian regional hay-price information and evaluated the trends in this sector. The demand-driven hay-price is in contradiction with premium quality timothy grass hay.

By modifying the basic definition of cosmic red shift, considering ‘speed of light’ as an absolute cosmic expansion rate and adopting ‘Planck mass’ as the basic seed of the observed large scale universe, it is certainly possible to review and revise the basic picture of ‘standard cosmology’ and in near future, a perfect model of ‘white hole cosmology’ can be developed. In this context we have developed five assumptions. First three assumptions are based on ‘time reversed’ black holes and seem to be well connected with General theory of relativity as well as Quantum mechanics. 4^th and 5^th assumptions are helpful in understanding current galactic dark matter and flat rotation speeds. It may be noted that, considering our first three assumptions and considering the Planck Legacy 2018 data’s enhanced lensing amplitude in cosmic microwave background power spectra - conceptually, a closed universe having a positive curvature seems to be a best fit for the observed universe. With reference to our recent publication [26], for clarity on the subject, in this short communication, we make an attempt to review and explain our proposed assumptions at fundamental level. Our aim is to see that, professional and non-professional cosmologists must understand the basics of workable quantum cosmology.

P53 is known as the most critical tumor suppressor and is often referred to as the guardian of our genome. More than 40 years after its discovery, we are still struggling to understand all molecular details on how this transcription factor prevents oncogenesis or how to leverage current knowledge about its function to improve cancer treatment. Multiple cues, including DNA-damage or mitotic errors, can lead to the stabilization and nuclear translocation of p53, initiating the expression of multiple target genes. These transcriptional programs may well be cell type and stimulus-specific, as is their outcome that ultimately imposes a barrier to cellular transformation. Cell cycle arrest and cell death are two well-studied consequences of p53 activation, but, while being considered as critical, they do not fully explain the consequences of p53 loss-of-function phenotypes in cancer. Here, we discuss how mitotic errors alert the p53 network and give an overview on multiple ways how p53 can trigger cell death. We argue that a comparative analysis of different types of p53 responses, elicited by different triggers in a time-resolved manner in well-defined model systems is critical to understand cell type specific cell fate induced by p53 upon its activation, in order to resolve the remaining mystery of its tumor suppressive function.

The use of social media is increasing worldwide, and thus, some new problems that negatively affect life are coming to the fore. The “White Bear Thought Suppression” problem, which was put forward in previous years, has re-emerged in the digital environment as psychological disorders accompanying excessive social media use. The reason for this study was that people constantly think about what is happening on social media, cannot distinguish between digital and reality, and cannot manage their mental process. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social media addiction and White Bear Thought Suppression and the factors affecting it from the perspective of White Bear Suppression on social media. The sample of the research consists of 356 volunteer participants in Turkey between the ages of 18-71. The research was conducted by analyzing the data collected with the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) and White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) scales in accordance with the quantitative method. Some of the results obtained in the research are as follows: (a) Women’s social media addiction and White Bear Suppression were found to be high, (b) Generation Z is the generation in which social media addiction and White Bear Suppression are seen at the highest level, (c) As daily social media use increases, the level of social media addiction and White Bear Suppression increases; (d) The frequency of opening live chats and having more than one profile increases social media addiction and White Bear Suppression. (e) The frequency of sleep disorders and perceived loneliness affect both phenomena. At the end of the research, it was emphasized that social media impacted White Bear Suppression and that new clinical studies were needed, especially with young people.