In this study, we consider a Lambert series whose coefficients are the sum of divisors function. Utilizing the Lambert series in the sequel we introduce a normalized linear operator JR_(α,β) (z) by applying the convolution with Rabotnov function. We then, acquire sufficient conditions for JR_(α,β) (z) to be Univalent, Starlike and Convex respectively. In each component of this study, we expand the derived results by applying two Robin's inequalities, one of which is equivalent to the Riemann hypothesis.

Plant cells' ability to withstand abiotic stress is strongly linked to modifications in their mechanical characteristics. Nevertheless, the lack of a workable method for consistently tracking plant cell mechanical properties severely restricts our comprehension of the mechanical alterations in plant cells under stress. With Polyethylene Glycol (PEG6000), we created a drought-like environment, and we used the Double Resonator Piezoelectric Cytometry (DRPC) method to dynamically and non-invasively track changes in the stress (ΔS) created and viscoelasticity (storage modulus G' and loss modulus G") of protoplasts and suspension cells of rice during drought stress. The findings demonstrate that, rice suspension cells and protoplasts react mechanically differently to 5%–15% PEG6000 stress, implying distinct resistance mechanisms. However, neither of them can withstand 25% PEG6000 stress, they respond mechanically similarly to 25% PEG6000 stress. The results of DRPC are further corroborated by the morphological alterations of rice cells and protoplasts observed under an optical microscope. To sum up, the DRPC technique functions as a precise cellular mechanical sensor and offers novel research tools for the evaluation of plant cell adversity and differentiating between the mechanical reactions of cells and protoplasts under abiotic stress.

The existences of the N→C dative bonds in the complexes between N-containing molecules and fullerenes have been verified both theoretically and experimentally. However, finding stable N→C dative bonds is still a highly challenging task. In this work, we investigated computationally the N→C dative bonds in the complexes formed by fullerene C60 with 1,2,5-chalcogenadiazoles, 2,1,3-benzochalcogenadiazoles and 1,2,4,5-chalcogenatriazoles, respectively. It was found that the N→C dative bonds are formed along with the formation of the N–Ch···C (Ch = S, Se, Te) chalcogen bonds. In the gas phase, from S-containing complexes through Se-containing complexes to Te-containing complexes, the intrinsic interaction energies become more and more negative, which indicates that the N–Ch···C chalcogen bonds can facilitate the formation of the N→C dative bonds. The intrinsic interaction energies are compensated by the large deformation energy of fullerene C60. The total interaction energies of Te-containing complexes are negative, while both of the total interaction energies of S-containing complexes and Se-containing complexes are positive. This means that the N→C dative bonds in the Te-containing complexes are more easily observed in experiments in comparison with those in the S-containing complexes and Se-containing complexes. This study provides a new theoretical perspective on the experimental observation of the N→C dative bonds in the complexes involving fullerenes. Further, the formation of stable N→C dative bonds in the complexes involving fullerenes can significantly change the properties of fullerenes, which will greatly simulate and expand the application range of fullerenes.

Proposed fundamental laws of biology and a model of health and disease underscore the importance of the lymphatic system. The lymphatics are responsible for two of the laws of biology and the fulcrum of health and disease balancing proliferation with regeneration through the immune system. It is responsible for protection from the environment and repair of senile and damaged tissue. Life is constantly bombarded by forces that increase entropy. Lymphatics provide negative entropy to maintain health. Lymphatics help maintain cellular homeostasis removing products of metabolism. Using these principles, the role of lymphatics is investigated in salt sensitivity hypertension, cardiorenal system, the new pillar of heart failure and kidney disease - Sodium-Glucose Transport Protein 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors, and brain diseases. The realization of organ lymphatics in maintenance of health and disease opens the avenue to new therapeutics. This is the unrealized potential of lymphatic study.

We monitored the water quality and hydrological conditions of a horizontal subsurface constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) in Beijing, China, for 2 years. We simulated the area rate constant and the temperature coefficient with the first-order kinetic model. We examined the relationships between the nitrogen (N) removal rate, N load, seasonal variations in the N removal rate, and environmental factors, such as the area rate constant, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The effluent ammonia (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate (NO₃⁻-N) concentrations were significantly lower than the influent concentrations (p<0.01, n=38). The NO₃⁻-N load was significantly correlated with the removal rate (R²=0.9566, p<0.01), but the NH^₄+-N load was not correlated with the removal rate (R²=0.0187, p>0.01). The area rate constants of NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N at 20 °C were 27.01±26.49 and 16.63±10.58 m∙yr⁻¹, respectively. The temperature coefficients for NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N were estimated at 1.0042 and 0.9604, respectively. The area rate constants for NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N were not correlated with temperature (p>0.01). The NO₃⁻-N area rate constant was correlated with the corresponding load (R²=0.9625, p<0.01). The NH₄⁺-N area rate was correlated with DO (R²=0.6922, p<0.01), suggesting that the factors that influenced the N removal rate in this wetland met Liebig's law of the minimum.

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is a primary autoimmune or paraneoplastic neuromuscular disorder, which causes muscle weakness, areflexia and autonomic disorders through the production of antibodies to voltage-gated calcium channels. Diagnosis may be challenging, yet at the same time extremely important, allowing the detection of a possible underlying malignancy, in cases of paraneoplastic presentation. Some antibodies have good sensitivity and specificity for malignancy and are also discussed. Although most of times being correlated to small cell lung cancer, other types of tumors may be also found in the paraneoplastic syndrome. Misdiagnosis with Myasthenia Gravis may occur and differences between these two disorders are discussed. Therapy choice may vary from each patient depending on drug response and the situation in which the patient is encounter. Overall, the present paper brings a review of Lambert-Eaton, involving the diagnosis, as well as, the pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, tumor investigation and treatment. Also, a brief overview through guidance on therapy during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 pandemic is analyzed.

1) Background: Several studies have shown the benefit of drawing when learning anatomy. Virtual Reality (VR) also appears to be useful to increase the understanding of the location of anatomical structures. This study aims to describe how students in an Operating Room Nursing (OR nursing) master study program perceive the benefit of active learning methods, including drawing and the use of VR. 2) Methods: We combined these two methods in a class of 29 students. 38 half-finished drawings of anatomical structures were made. The students were to complete these during lectures with guidance from the teacher. The students also attended a two-hour VR session where they were to find various anatomical structures. A paper questionnaire was applied to evaluate the teaching program. Data were analyzed statistically. 3) Results: The students highly appreciated these learning methods. They reported that drawing made them work more actively during lectures and increased their learning outcome. They also perceived that the use of VR technology increased their understanding of the location of anatomical structures. 4) Conclusion: The combination of drawing and VR technology may be of benefit to OR Nursing students when learning anatomy by both increasing student activity and learning outcomes.

The RV144 trial represents the only vaccine trial to demonstrate any protective effect against HIV-1 infection. While the reason(s) for this protection are still being evaluated, it serves as justification for widespread efforts aimed at developing new, more effective HIV-1 vaccines. Advances in our knowledge of HIV-1 immunogens and host antibody responses to these immunogens are crucial to informing vaccine design. While the envelope (Env) protein is the only viral protein present on the surface of virions, it exists in a complex trimeric conformation and is decorated with an array of variable N-linked glycans, making it an important but difficult target for vaccine design. Thus far, efforts to elicit a protective humoral immune response using structural mimics of native Env trimers have been unsuccessful. Notably, the aforementioned N-linked glycans serve as a component of many of the epitopes crucial for the induction of potentially protective broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Thus, a greater understanding of Env structural determinants, most critically Env glycosylation, will no doubt be of importance in generating effective immunogens. Recent studies have identified the HIV-1 Env signal peptide (SP) as an important contributor to Env glycosylation. Further investigation into the mechanisms by which the SP directs glycosylation will be important, both in the context of understanding HIV-1 biology and in order to inform HIV-1 vaccine design.

We introduce a new class of Vertex Operator Algebras Y+ and their duals, which generalize the standard W-algebras WN of type sl(N). These algebras can be defined in terms of junctions of boundary conditions and interfaces in the GL-twisted N = 4 Super Yang Mills gauge theory. The aim of these technical calculations is to find the relation of these ortho-symplectic Y-algebras to truncations of even W\infinity.

Students with disabilities are often framed as “the problem” and have limited opportunities to engage in standards based mathematics, leading to persistent underachievement. In this paper, we investigate a research divide between mathematics educational research for students with and without disabilities, a divide with significant differences in the theoretical orientations and research methodologies used to understand learners. Based on an analysis of 149 mathematics educational research articles published between 2013 and 2015, we found significant differences between articles focused on learners with and without disabilities. For those with disabilities, mathematical problem solving was understood primarily from behavioral and information processing theoretical perspectives, while for those without disabilities, problem solving was understood primarily through constructivist and sociocultural perspectives. While 86% of research on problem-solving including students with disabilities was quantitative, only 35% of research on students without disabilities was quantitative. Fifty percent of problem-solving research on students without disabilities was qualitative, compared to only 6% of research on students with disabilities. Problem solving, then, is studied in very different ways for learners with and without disabilities. Students without disabilities are studied through close analysis of learning, often individual. Students with disabilities are most often studied quantitatively, in groups, with little analysis of individual thinking. By offering only a limited range of methods and theoretical orientations, this research divide reifies deficit constructions of students with disabilities.

Damaged connective tissues between the bone and tendons or ligaments are common among adults regardless of activity level. Achilles tendinosis is one of the most common tissue defects and enthesopathies. The patient in this study is a 54-year-old female with chronic Achilles tendinosis from chronic enthesopathy at the Achilles tendon insertion with a retrocalcaneal exostosis for three years who has failed standard-of-care practices for over two years. The patient received extracorporeal pulsed-activated therapy (EPAT) before applying 2ml of CryoText, a Wharton’s jelly tissue allograft. The patient then received class IV laser therapy treatments twice weekly for three weeks. The patient started with a 10/10 VAS at the initial visit. At five weeks post-application, the patient’s score had improved by 80% at 2/10 VAS. By week 13, the patient rated her pain as 0/10 VAS. The improvement in patient-reported pain and functionality reported in this study after the application of Wharton’s Jelly, EPAT, and class IV laser therapy warrants future research studying the safety and efficacy of these patient care modalities together.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the therapies of AD with anti-amyloid1-42 (Aβ) monoclonal antibodies are associated with the vascular complications of brain edema, hemorrhage, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) termed amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIAs). The neuropathology of normal and AD brains demonstrates that monocyte/macrophages (MMs) are critical in successful brain clearance in healthy brain by up-loading, transporting, and degrading Aβ but fail degradation and clearance in AD patients by releasing Aβ into vessels at the blood-brain barrier, causing vasculitis and ARIAs. The naturally-formed epoxides (EpFAs) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s), including arachidonic, docosahexaenoic, and eicosapentaenoic fatty acids, may repair degradation of Aβ by regulating Aβ-degrading enzymes, inflammatory cytokines, and unfolded protein response (UPR) to endoplasmic reticulum stress in a homeostatic fashion. EpFAs are, however, degraded by the soluble epoxide hydrolase enzyme (sEH) but are protected by the sEH inhibitor (sEHI) TPPU. In the cultures of AD patients’ macrophages, TPPU with the epoxide EEQ, and the cGAS/STING inhibitor H-151 increased uptake of Aβ at 2 hours and degradation of Aβ at 24 hours. In conclusion, the soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor TPPU with omega-3 fatty acids and the cGAS/STING inhibitor H-151 increase Aβ uptake and degradation in macrophages of AD patients, and potentially enhancing Aβ clearance in the AD brain.

Many accidents, such as those involving collisions or trips, appear to involve failures of vision; but the association between accident risk and vision as conventionally assessed, is weak or absent. We addressed this conundrum by embracing the distinction inspired by neuroscientific research, between vision for perception and vision for action. A dual-process perspective predicts that accident vulnerability will be associated more strongly with vision for action than vision for perception. Older and younger adults, with relatively high and relatively low self-reported accident vulnerability (Accident Proneness Questionnaire), completed three behavioural assessments targeting: vision for perception (Freiburg Visual Acuity Test); vision for action (Vision for Action Test - VAT); and the ability to perform physical actions involving balance, walking and standing (Short Physical Performance Battery). Accident vulnerability was not associated with visual acuity or with performance of physical actions; but was associated with VAT performance. VAT assesses the ability to link visual input with a specific action –launching a saccadic eye movement as rapidly as possible, in response to shapes presented in peripheral vision. The predictive relationship between VAT performance and accident vulnerability was independent of age, visual acuity and physical performance scores. Applied implications of these findings are considered.

This work presents the results regarding the synthesis of tungsten nanoparticles (W NPs) by magnetron sputtering combined with gas aggregation (MSGA) when H2 mixed with Ar is used as working gas, the amount of H2 being increased up to 82%. The results show that up to 40% H2 in discharge the synthesis rate increases over 60 times, rapidly decreasing for over 50% H2 in discharge. The W dust is still produced in H2 dominated discharge (82%), the deposition rate being small but not negligible (20 mg/hour). The obtained WNPs are isolated, with the diameter decreasing from 50 nm to 15 nm when the amount of H2 in discharge is smaller than 41%. Over this value, the particles tend to agglomerate, forming structures similar to film-like deposits. Also, the diameter of the deposited spots on substrates is dependent on the H2 content in discharge. This allows the efficient coating of substrates with dimensions up to 26 mm by translating them in front of the MSGA cluster source exit aperture. Supplementary, for 41% H2 in discharge, the influence of synthetic air leaks (0-5%) in discharge was investigated. The deposition rate decreases rapidly (ceasing for around 4% air in discharge) and the obtained nanoparticles tend to agglomerate (at 2% air content, the dust deposit has the aspect of a near continuous film). Chemical composition investigations show a pronounced tendency of oxidation, nitridation and oxynitride formation in the presence of air leaks.

It is increasingly common for experiments in biology and medicine to involve large numbers of hypothesis tests. A natural graphical method for visualizing these tests is to construct a histogram from the p-values of these tests. In this article, we examine the shapes, both normal and abnormal, that these histograms can take on, as well as present simple inferential procedures that help to interpret the shapes in terms of diagnosing potential problems with the experiment. We examine potential causes of these problems in detail, and discuss potential remedies. Throughout, examples of abnormal-looking p-value histograms are provided and based on case studies involving real biological experiments.

The Ni-Co-Cr-W-Mo system is critical for the design of nickel-based super-alloys. This system stabilizes different topologically close packed (TCP) phases in many of the commercially super-alloys with high W and Mo contents. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermodynamic calculations are applied to investigate the thermodynamics of the precipitates in two different W content Ni-Co-Cr-W-Mo super-alloys. Computational thermodynamics verified experimental observation of the f u phase formation as a function of temperature and alloy chemistry, but the kinetics for the precipitation of M6C phase do not agree with the experimental findings. The major precipitates of alloy 1 at temperatures 700 and 750 °C during long time exposure are M23C6, γ′ phase, and MC, and alloy 2 are M23C6, γ′ phase, MC, M6C and u phase. The W addition is found to promote the precipitation of M6C and u phase during exposure. The M6C has higher W and lower Ni content than that of u phase, meanwhile, M6C is an unstable phase would transform into M12C after 5000 h exposure at 750 °C. A great quantity of needle-like u phases precipitated after exposure at 750 °C for 5000h, which have no effect on the impact property of alloy 2.

The advent of RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) technologies has markedly improved our knowledge and expanded the compendium of small non-coding RNAs, most of which derive from the processing of longer RNA precursors. In this review article, we will discuss about the biogenesis and function of small non-coding RNAs derived from eukaryotic ribosomal RNA (rRNA), called rRNA fragments (rRFs), and their potential role(s) as regulator of gene expression. This relatively new class of ncRNAs remained poorly investigated and underappreciated until recently, due mainly to the a priori exclusion of rRNA sequences—because of their overabundance—from RNA-Seq datasets. The situation surrounding rRFs resembles that of microRNAs (miRNAs), which used to be readily discarded from further analyses, for more than five decades, because we could not believe that RNA of such a short length could bear biological significance. As if we had not yet learned our lesson not to restrain our investigative, scientific mind from challenging widely accepted beliefs or dogmas, and from looking for the hidden treasures in the most unexpected places.

In an outstanding article published in 2008, Suzuki obtained a nice generalization of the Banach contraction principle from which derived a characterization of metric completeness. Although Suzuki’s theorem has been successfully generalized and extended in several directions and contexts, we here show by means of a simple example that the problem of achieving, in an obvious way, its full extension to the framework of w-distances does not have an emphatic response. Motivated by this fact we introduce the concept of presymmetric w-distance on metric spaces, we give some properties and examples of this new structure and show that it provides a reasonable setting to obtain a real and hardly forced w-distance generalization of Suzuki’s theorem. This is realized in our main result, which is a fixed point theorem that involves presymmetric w-distances and certain contractions of Suzuki-type. We also discuss the relationship between our main result and the well-known w-distance full generalization of the Banach contraction principle, due to Suzuki and Takahashi. Connected to this approach we prove another fixed point result that compare with our main result through some examples. Finally, we state a characterization of metric completeness by using our fixed point results.

AgW materials exhibit excellent properties and are widely used as contact materials in low- and medium-voltage switches. In this study, a pre-sintering and infiltration method was employed to pre-sinter W powder with Cu, Ni, and (Cu+Ni) addition in the low temperature range of 950–1050 °C. The low-temperature sintering behaviours of W skeletons with different additives were investigated. Subsequently, AgW70, AgW75, AgW80, and AgW85 materials were prepared through infiltration at 1050 °C. The microstructure morphology and physical properties of high-W contact materials were investigated using a metallographic microscope and scanning electron microscope. The mechanism of low-temperature sintering-infiltration of high-W contact materials was elucidated. The results indicated that pure W and 1% Cu-added W skeletons experience minimal linear shrinkage within the temperature range of 950–1050 °C. The linear shrinkage curves of W skeletons with different additives coincided under the conditions of 950–1000 °C/90 min. At 1050 °C, after sintering for 150 min, the particle boundaries in the W skeleton were fully spheroidised, with a dihedral angle of 120°. At 1050 °C and after 150 min of infiltration, cross-sectional micrographs of the AgW material revealed the presence of irregular Ni layers, where Ni spatially enveloped/encapsulated Ag. With an increase in the W content, the electrical conductivity and relative density of AgW(70–85) materials decreased, whereas the hardness of the materials increased.

In this study, the team employed full-scale crash tests to investigate the impact of post-densification technology on the safety performance of separated central median W-beam barriers under low compaction conditions. By precisely simulating the design and construction environment of the central median, the study comprehensively evaluated the barrier's containment, redirection, buffering, and anti-intrusion performances, as well as the deformation of both the barrier and vehicles under various collision scenarios. The results indicate that under low compaction soil conditions, the A-level separated central median barriers reinforced with post-densification technology effectively meet the specified protection requirements. By comparing the influence of soil strength variations on barrier performance under simulated rainfall conditions, it was confirmed that enhancing soil compaction significantly improves soil stability, effectively increases the overall strength and stability of the barriers, reduces deformation, and significantly enhances safety performance. This study not only validates the effectiveness of the reinforcement scheme but also provides new perspectives for the scientific research of safety barriers and offers crucial technical support for the optimal design of road safety protection facilities.

In this review, we outline our current understanding of the mechanisms involved in the absorption, storage, and transport of dietary vitamin A to the eye, the trafficking of rod opsin protein to the photoreceptor outer segments, which encompasses the logistical backbone required for visual function. Two key mechanisms of this process are emphasized in this manuscript: Ocular and systemic vitamin A membrane transporters, and rhodopsin transporters. Understanding the complementary mechanisms responsible for the generation and proper transport of the retinylidene opsin to the photoreceptor outer segment will eventually shed light on the importance of genes encoded by these proteins, and their relationship on normal visual function and in the pathophysiology of retinal degenerative diseases.

Cohesion in the refractory metals Cr, Mo, and W is phenomenologically described in this work via a n-body energy functional with a set of physically motivated parameters that were optimized to reproduce selected experimental properties characteristic of perfect and defective crystals. The functional contains four terms accounting for the hard-core repulsion, the Thomas-Fermi kinetic energy repulsion and for contributions to the binding energy of s and d valence electrons. Lattice dynamics, molecular statics, and molecular dynamics calculations show that this model describes satisfactorily thermodynamic properties of the studied metals whereas, unlike other empirical approaches from the literature, predictions of phonon dispersion relations and of surface and point defect energetics reveal in fair good agreement with experiments. These results suggest that the present model is well adapted to large-scale simulations and whenever total energy calculations of thermodynamic properties are unfeasible

To improve efficacy and safety of sunscreen emulsions, UV‐filter skin permeation could be kept as low as possible by reducing UV‐filter content or changing emulsion composition. In this work, different lipid phase ratio (12, 14 and 16% w/w) were assessed for their ability to affect the technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions in which bemotrizinol (BMTZ), a broad spectrum sunscreen agent, was incorporated free or loaded into nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLC) to reduce its release from the vehicle and, hence, its skin permeation. The following technological properties were evaluated in vitro by suitable methodologies: spreadability, viscosity, pH, occlusion factor, BMTZ release, sun protection factor (SPF). Sensory attributes were assessed by trained panelists in three different phases: before/during pick‐up, rub‐in, after application. Raising the lipid phase ratio led to an increase of viscosity and to a corresponding drop of spreadability while the incorporation of BMTZ‐loaded NLC determined a decrease of occlusion factor and an increase of SPF. No BMTZ release was observed from all emulsions. Sensory attributes were mainly affected by lipid phase ratio. These results suggest that lipid phase ratio and BMTZ incorporation into NLC could contribute to determine technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions.

This article introduces an analytical framework that interprets individual measures of entropy-based mobility derived from mobile phone data. We explore and analyze two widely recognized entropy metrics: random entropy and uncorrelated Shannon entropy. These metrics are estimated through collective variables of human mobility, including movement trends and population density. By employing a collisional model, we establish statistical relationships between entropy measures and mobility variables. Furthermore, our research addresses three primary objectives: firstly, validating the model; secondly, exploring correlations between aggregated mobility and entropy measures in comparison to five economic indicators; and finally, demonstrating the utility of entropy measures. Specifically, we provide an effective population density estimate that offers a more realistic understanding of social interactions. This estimation takes into account both movement regularities and intensity, utilizing real-time data analysis conducted during the peak period of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a lifelong, moribund, and debilitating disease process with tremendous personal and financial costs. At its core, CVI involves blood pooling in the lower extremities secondary to inadequate venous blood return, resulting in venous hypertension and incompetence of the one-way valves in the lower extremity veins. As venous circulation slows, metabolic demands of the cells in the lower extremities increase, leading to stasis dermatitis, infection, cellular death, and venous ulceration. This case study aims to report the efficacy of dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft (DAMA) applications to a chronic right lateral ankle ulcer resulting from chronic venous insufficiency. The patient in this study received DAMA applications weekly for six weeks. Upon examination at the initial application, the wound was wet and macerated due to drainage with significant hemosiderosis and lipodermatosclerosis consistent with a Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) of 2. Upon inspection at the final visit, the wound was closed, with a VCSS of 0. This case study demonstrates that the application of DAMA has the potential to act as an effective barrier to cover and accelerate wound closure time. Future non randomized and randomized controlled trials may further establish standardized protocols for DAMA application in venous ulceration, help create treatment algorithms to predict wound closure endpoints, and encourage innovation that may further accelerate healing time.

The authors present a framework for assessing seasonal events which may influence maritime operations. Most maritime-related research tends to focus on single events, such as a storm, but maritime systems operate within complex systems that have some predictable patterns. These predictable patterns due to natural events, such as weather and water levels, can influence operations, while other factors, such as cargo peaks or cultural activities, could also shape maritime systems. By integrating data from emergency management databases and weather information sources with other inputs, the authors created a matrix of regionally specific predictable events that may occur within a region by time of year. The matrix was vetted with various stakeholder groups to verify the information in the matrix. The main findings were that a seasonal event matrix is helpful as a reference for examining operational patterns in a river for various uses, such as training, operational planning, and emergency response coordination.

Foot pain related to the plantar fascia is common in adults regardless of athletic background. Many pathologies can lead to the diagnosis of plantar enthesopathy, but the most relevant to this case study is related to structural defects within the plantar fascia. Due to the variety and sometimes unclear etiology of plantar fasciosis, no single standard of care treatment protocol is recognized. Often, patients receive NSAIDs, night splints, taping, physical therapy, foot orthosis, and extracorporeal shock wave therapies. This study presents Wharton Jelly (WJ) tissue allografts as an additional intervention for patients who fail standard-care treatments. WJ allografts are applied to supplement connective tissue defects directly, unlike other therapies, which aim to reduce swelling and symptomatic pain. This retrospective study includes seven patients who have previously failed standard-of-care treatment. Each received extracorporeal pulse-activated therapy (EPAT), WJ, laser therapy, and an orthotic. Patient progress was tracked using a visual analog scale, 0-10 scoring, reported by the patient at the initial visit and approximately thirteen weeks following, reporting an average improvement of 50%. The study's limitations include a small cohort size and a non-blinded retrospective design. These promising results provide evidence for a more extensive, randomized study to define dosage protocols further and confirm safety and efficacy.

Density Functional Theory (DFT) full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method with the Modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) approximation is used to perform spin polarised calculations of the transition metal perovskites MoScO₃ and WScO₃. Both depict half metallic behaviour with semiconducting and metallic in the minority and majority spins respectively. MoScO₃ and WScO₃ have indirect R− Γ band gaps in the minority spin channels of 3.61 and 3.82eV respectively. Moreover, they both show substantial magnetic moments of 2.99μ_B. In addition, we calculate the dielectric function, optical conductivity and the optical constants, namely, the refractive index, the reflectivity, the extinction and absorption coefficients.

We study the changes in quantum Fisher information (QFI) values for one quantum system consisting of a superposition of W and GHZ states. In a recent work [6], QFI values of this mentioned system studied. In this work, we extend this problem for the changes of QFI values in some noisy channels. We show the change in QFI depending on noise parameters. We report interesting results for different type of decoherence channels.

This paper, based on the "Unified Theory of Forces," rigorously proves the formula of de Broglie's wave function. This helps us better understand the following important issues: 1) Theoretically prove and understand the essence of de Broglie's wave function; 2) Prove that when the particle's momentum P is determined, the greater the mass of the particle, the more concentrated its wave function distribution, and the weaker the interference effect; 3) Correct the spatial distribution of the wave function of free particles, proving that the wave function of free particles is strictly constrained within a finite spatial range, which is consistent with the facts we observe.

We propose a generalized, practitioner-oriented operating leverage model for predicting operating income using Standard and Poor’s Compustat items: SALE (net sales), COGS (cost of sales), DP (total depreciation and amortization), XSGA (selling, general, and administrative expenses), and OIADP (operating income after depreciation and amortization). Prior research finds that OIADP = SALE - COGS - DP - XSGA; hence, our model includes all aggregate revenues and expenses comprising OIADP. Also, prior research finds COGS is “much less” sticky than DP and XSGA; hence, we use COGS as a proxy for total variable costs and DP and XSGA as proxies for sticky fixed costs. We introduce a new adjustment to the textbook operating leverage model so that SALE-to-COGS remains constant for the reference and forecast periods. Also, inspired by prior research, we introduce adjustments to DP and XSGA for cost stickiness. We find our generalized operating leverage model improves estimates of changes in next-quarter and next-year OIADP compared to textbook operating leverage predictions, which are special cases of our model.

We investigate the impact of aging on exchangeable inter-arrival times in mixed renewal processes, exploring its implications for reliability and survival analysis. In this study, first, we revisit the definition of renewal point processes, where inter-event time intervals are considered as exchangeable non-negative random variables. Then, we define the concept of statistical aging as latency in the observational process of event counting. Latency affects event detection but preserves exchangeability. However, it may alter the statistical properties of inter-event time intervals. Our analytical and numerical assessments highlight the significance of aging in exchangeable lifetimes, offering insights into key metrics such as the failure survival function, renewal function, and hazard rate function. Through archetypal examples and empirical findings, we illustrate the implications of aging on renewal processes. In particular, employing a Bayesian perspective, we analyze high-frequency currency exchange rate data to assess the impact of aging on volatility risk evaluation. This study contributes novel insights to the literature of renewal theory and survival analysis, emphasizing the role of latency aging in stochastic point processes under exchangeability assumption.

Mutations in the calcium channel gene Transient Receptor Potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4) cause autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia, with phenotypes ranging from mild to perinatal lethality. A recent report detailed murine thrombocytosis in the absence of functional TRPV4, but no prior reports have described platelet count abnormalities in the context of human TRPV4 disease. Here, we report a case of prolonged thrombocytosis in the context of TRPV4-associated metatropic dysplasia that was lethal in the infantile period.

Sepsis is a serious disease that can lead to mortality. The etiology of the disease is connected to how the body as a host reacts toward microbes such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi invasion. Current research shows that during sepsis, the reaction toward microbe attacks takes two main phases. The first is known as a cytokine storm, while the second is a vicious cycle of pro-inflammatory responses followed by a strict anti-inflammatory response led by CD4+ Tregs. Various immunomodulatory therapies have been proposed to break the cycle of pro- and anti-inflammatory reactions to sepsis. However, clinical trials did not show promising results, indicating further research into the mechanism that Treg uses to inhibit proinflammatory reactions. We used next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of bulk RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq data to examine the exact molecular pathways used by Treg to inhibit the immune response in sepsis. Our approach identified ACOD1 (Aconitate Decarboxylase 1) as a primary mediator of Treg suppression of immune cells. We identified and validated CD36 as a downstream target of ACOD1. CD36 is a known metabolite regulator in Tregs. Taken together, our results indicate that targeting ACOD1 could prove valuable in regulating Treg function during sepsis.

Semisolid casting can provide excellent castings, but the nature of the pore-forming mechanisms has not been properly clarified. In the current communication, it was suggested that hydrogen precipitated during slurry making might have a decisive role in the formation of both gas and shrinkage porosity. Intensive stirring at the end of the slurry making process may act as a degassing step. Without the intense stirring, structures of primary slurry particles form around the hydrogen pores, strongly affecting pore formation and feeding during the intensification stage.

Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants have dominated the strains of COVID-19 circulating worldwide for the last two years. Although the mortality rate of the COVID-19 Omicron variants is only approximately half that of previous variants, vaccines effective against Omicron are needed. Demonstrating that a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine can protect against Omicron in an in vivo infection model, particularly in that of Syrian hamsters, is important for the preclinical characterization of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Here, we report on the evaluation of W-PreS-O for its ability to protect Syrian hamsters against infection by Omicron. W-PreS-O is a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O), combining RBDs from Wuhan hu-1 wild-type and Omicron adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide. The Syrian hamsters were immunized three times at three-week intervals with W-PreS-O or with aluminum hydroxide (placebo), and then they were infected with Omicron BA.1. Non-infected and non-vaccinated animals served as controls. Neutralizing antibody (nAB) titers, weight, lung symptoms (i.e., edema and pneumonia index), and viral loads, as measured using RT-PCR in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, were determined. In addition, infectious virus titers from the lungs were measured using a plaque-forming assay. W-PreS-O-vaccinated hamsters developed robust nABs against Omicron, showed almost no development of pneumonia, and had significantly reduced infectious virus titers in the lungs. Importantly, the viral loads in the nasal cavities of W-PreS-O-vaccinated hamsters were close to or above the PCR cycle threshold considered to be non-infectious. Our data provide compelling evidence demonstrating that the W-PreS-O vaccine has protective effect against Omicron in a Syrian hamster in vivo infection model. W-PreS-O is therefore a highly promising candidate vaccine for Omicron infections, and it should be further evaluated in clinical studies.

In this paper, we introduce a new generalization of the r-Stirling numbers of the second kind based on the q-numbers via an exponential generating function. We investigate their some properties and derive several relations among q-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials, and newly de…ned (q, r, w)-Stirling numbers of the second kind. We also obtain q-Bernstein polynomials as a linear combination of (q, r, w)-Stirling numbers of the second kind and q-Bernoulli polynomials in w.

The presence of premature termination codons (PTCs) in transcripts is dangerous for the cell as they encode potentially deleterious truncated proteins that can act with dominant-negative or gain-of-function effects. To avoid synthesis of these shortened polypeptides, several RNA surveillance systems can be activated to decrease the level of PTC-containing mRNAs. Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) ensures an accelerated degradation of mRNAs harboring PTCs by using several key NMD factors such as up-frameshift (UPF) proteins. Another pathway called nonsense-associated altered splicing (NAS) upregulates transcripts that have skipped disturbing PTCs by alternative splicing. Therefore, these RNA quality control processes eliminate abnormal PTC-containing mRNAs from the cells by using positive and negative responses. In this review, we will describe the general mechanisms of NMD and NAS and their respective involvement in the decay of aberrant immunoglobulin and TCR transcripts in lymphoid cells.

Proteomics research has become one of the most important topics in the fields of life science and natural science. At present, research on protein–protein interaction networks (PPINs) mainly focuses on detecting protein complexes or function modules. However, existing approaches are either ineffective or incomplete. In this paper, we investigate function module detection mechanisms in PPIN, including open databases, existing detection algorithms and recent solutions. After that, we describe the proposed solution based on simplified swarm optimization (SSO) algorithm and gene ontology knowledge. The proposed solution implements SSO algorithm for clustering proteins with similar function, and imports biological gene ontology knowledge for further identifying function complexes and improving detection accuracy. Furthermore, we use four different categories of species dataset for experiment: Fruitfly, Mouse, Scere, and Human. The testing and analysis result show that the proposed solution is feasible, efficient and could achieve a higher accuracy of prediction than existing approaches.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of chitosan (CH) based composite films with the incorporation of chestnut flower essential oil (CFEO). The composite films were prepared by casting method and characterized in terms of structural, morphological and mechanical properties via FT-IR, XRD, UV, SEM and TGA. The results proved the significantly increased water vapor permeability (WVP), heat resistance, antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities of CH-CFEO films. The incorporation of CH and CFEO enhanced the UV blocking, which made the film shield almost all UV light. Films with the tensile strength of 6.37 ± 0.41 MPa and elongation at break of 22.57 ± 0.35% were got with 6 mg mL-1 CFEO. Subsequently, the fruit preservation experiments also confirmed that the composite films could effectively extend the shelf life of bananas through their excellent water vapor and oxygen barrier. These desirable performances enable our newly developed composite films to be a remarkable packaging material to solve the fresh fruit preservation dilemma.

The scale and accessibility of passive global surveillance have rapidly increased over time. This provides an opportunity to calibrate the performance of models, algorithms, and reflectance ratios between remote sensing devices. Here we test the sensitivity and specificity of Eucalypt chlorophyll-a reflectance ratio (ECARR) and Eucalypt chlorophyll-b reflectance ratio (ECBRR) to remotely identify eucalypt vegetation in Queensland, Australia. We compare reflectance ratio values from Sentinel-2 and Planet imagery across four sites of known vegetation composition. All imagery was transformed to reflectance values and Planet imagery was additionally scaled to harmonize across Planet Scenes. ECARR can identify eucalypt vegetation remotely with high sensitivity, but shows low specificity and is impacted by the density of the vegetation. ECBRR reflectance ratios show similar sensitivity and specificity when identifying eucalypt vegetation but with values an order of magnitude smaller than ECARR. We find that ECARR was better at identifying eucalypt vegetation in the Sentinel-2 imagery than Planet imagery. ECARR can serve as a general chlorophyll indicator but is not a specific index to identify Eucalyptus vegetation with certainty.

This study aimed to determine the Gas Chrommatography (GC)-Mass Spectrometry (MS) profiles and insecticidal activity of essential oils (EOs) from Thymus vulgaris (Thyme) and Cymbopogon citratus (Lemongrass) against the invasive and devastating pest, Tuta absoluta (T. absoluta) through contact and fumigation routes. We found out that thyme oil was predominantly constituted of Thymol (22.16%), α-Pinene (15.35%) and p-Cymene (13.54%) whilst Neral (21.41%), Geranial (21.36%) and β-Myrcene (9.74%) were the major constituents of lemongrass oil. Lemongrass oil exhibited higher insecticidal efficiency irrespective of application mode with 50% lethal dose (LD50) values of 35.8 and 72.2 µL.L-1air on contact and fumigation routes, respectively. Lemongrass oil also lengthened pupal duration at all tested doses irrespective of application routes. The overall responses of Lemongrass oil surpassed that of the reference insecticide (Lynx®: Lambda-cyhalothrine; Acetamipride). Thus, the recorded data clearly showed the acute and long-term insecticidal effects of the studied EOs, though a greenhouse and open field trials are required prior to the validation of this approach as remediation measure for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for tomato borer control in Cameroon and elsewhere.

Tungsten and its alloys are considered as a key component in high temperature environment. Self-passivating W-Si-xY alloys with different Y contents made from the powders milled for different times were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). Their microstructures and oxidation resistance were investigated. It is found that the oxidation resistance of the alloys with low Y contents (0Y and 2Y) made from 20 h-milled powders is worse than that of the alloys made from 4 h-milled powders. It is because the protective WO3/SiO2 composite layer is discontinuous. While the alloys with high Y contents (4Y and 6Y) made from 4 h and 20 h-milled powders show good oxidation resistance. Even, the thickness of the oxide layer of the alloys with 4Y and 6Y made from 20 h-milled powders after oxidation at 1000 ℃ for 2 h is 84.0 μm and 70.7 μm, less than that made from 4 h-milled powders. This is due to the size and distribution of W5Si3, Y2Si2O7 aggregates and W-Y-O melt. The synergistic effects of Y contents and milling time on the microstructures and oxidation resistance of the alloys are revealed.

Quantum Fisher Information (QFI) is a very useful concept for analyzing situations that require phase sensitivity. It become a popular topic especially in Quantum Metrology domain. In this work, we study the changes in quantum Fisher information (QFI) values for one relative arbitrary phased quantum system consisting of a superposition of N Qubits W and GHZ states. In a recent work [7], QFI values of this mentioned system for N qubits were studied. In this work, we extend this problem for the changes of QFI values in some noisy channels for the studied system. We show the changes in QFI depending on noise parameters. We report interesting results for different type of decoherence channels. We show the general case results for this problem.

We introduce a full binary directed tree structure to represent the set of natural numbers, further categorizing them into three distinct subsets: pure odd numbers, pure even numbers, and mixed numbers. We adopt a binary string representation for natural numbers and elaborate on the composite methodology encompassing odd- and even-number functions. Our analysis focuses on examining the iteration sequence (or composition) of the Collatz function and its reduced variant, which serves as an analog to the inverse function, to scrutinize the validity of the Collatz conjecture. To substantiate this conjecture, we incorporate binary strings into an algebraic formula that captures the essence of the Collatz sequence. By this means, we transform discrete powers of 2 into continuous counterparts, ultimately culminating in the smallest natural number, 1. Consequently, the sequence generated through infinite iterations of the Collatz function emerges as an eventually periodic sequence, thereby validating an enduring 87-year-old conjecture.

Background: Bacteria, among the earliest life forms on Earth, are integral to both human health and environmental ecosystems. They contribute to essential processes such as digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune defense, and play key roles in the biogeochemical cycles that sustain life. Objective: This paper explores the indispensable role of bacteria in human life and environmental health, emphasizing their contributions to digestion, nutrient absorption, immune protection, and ecosystem functioning. It also discusses advances in understanding the human microbiome and their implications for health and therapeutic interventions. Methods: The study reviews existing literature on the human microbiome, probiotics, and the role of bacteria in environmental nutrient cycling. It analyses experimental evidence and case studies, particularly focusing on the impact of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a therapeutic tool. Metagenomic analysis techniques are examined to highlight the diversity and functionality of gut bacteria. Results: Bacteria are found to be essential for breaking down food, providing vital nutrients, and protecting against pathogens. They play a critical role in maintaining a healthy immune system and are involved in the biogeochemical cycles necessary for ecosystem health. Metagenomic analysis reveals significant variations in bacterial populations associated with health and disease, emphasizing the importance of a balanced microbiota. FMT shows promise as an effective treatment for various diseases, including gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurological disorders. Conclusions: Bacteria are crucial for human health and environmental stability. Maintaining a balanced microbiota is vital for overall well-being, and interventions such as probiotics and FMT can offer significant health benefits. Future research should focus on further understanding the complex interactions between bacteria and their hosts to develop targeted therapies for various health conditions.

Background: Misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Aim: Identifying and prioritizing misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use from a healthcare professionals’ perspective. Methods: A modified Delphi study of two rounds with an expert meeting. A literature search was conducted to create statements about misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use. These were rated by healthcare professionals from five EU countries representing general practice, out-of-hour services, nursing homes, and pharmacies. Consensus was achieved if ≥80% of the participants rated 4+ on a five-point Likert scale during the second Delphi round. Results. In total, 44 misconceptions were identified through the literature search within four themes: 1) antimicrobial resistance in general, 2) use of antibiotics in general, 3) use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, and 4) use of antibiotics for urinary tract infections. Consensus was reached for more than half of the statements within each setting. Conclusions. Experts from different settings and nationalities acknowledge that multiple misconceptions and knowledge gaps can contribute to inappropriate use of antibiotics in the community. These results provide valuable information to use in educational campaigns for patients and healthcare professionals to improve the use of antibiotics.

Background: Molecular genetic events are among the numerous factors affecting the clinical course of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Recent studies have demonstrated that aberrant expression of miRNA, as well as different thyroid-related genes, correlate with the aggressive clinical course of PTC and unfavorable treatment outcome, which opens up new avenues for using them in personalization of the treatment strategy for patients with PTC. In the present work, our goal was to assess the applicability of molecular markers in preoperative diagnosis of aggressive variants of papillary thyroid cancer. Methods: The molecular genetic profile (expression levels of 34 different markers and BRAF mutation) was studied for 108 cytology specimens collected by fine-needle aspiration biopsy in patients with PTC having different clinical manifestations. Results: Statistically significant differences with adjustment for multiple comparisons (p &lt; 0.0015) for clinically aggressive variants of PTC were obtained for four markers: miRNA-146b, miRNA-221, FN1, and CDKN2A. Weak statistical correlation (0.0015&lt; р&lt;0.05) was observed for miRNA-31, -375, -551b, -148b, -125b, mtDNA, CITED1, TPO, HMGA2, CLU, NIS, SERPINA1, TFF3, and TMPRSS4. Conclusions: The recurrence risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma can be preoperatively predicted using miRNA-221, the fibronectin and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A genes.

Large doses of steroids are integral to R-CHOP, a first-line systemic therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). Patients on R-CHOP often develop clinically significant hyperglycemia from steroids. There is evidence of harms from steroid-induced hyperglycemia in the context of chemotherapy which are associated with a reduction in overall survival [1, 2]. The objective of our study was to characterize the effect of steroid-induced hyperglycemia on outcomes of R-CHOP chemotherapy for DLBCL. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 188 patients with DLBCL treated with R-CHOP through CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) from January 01, 2010 to December 31, 2014. Patients diagnosed with DLBCL were identified through the Manitoba Cancer Registry. The CCMB electronic medical record was reviewed to examine association between steroid-induced hyperglycemia and subsequent infection, including febrile neutropenic events, and overall survival (OS). Results: Patients who developed hyperglycemia with steroid exposure became hyperglycemic during their first R-CHOP cycle. No significant differences in OS or rates of infection were found between the two groups. Conclusions: Patients destined to develop steroid-induced hyperglycemia declare themselves early in the course of steroid exposure. No statistically significant reduction in overall survival attributable to steroid-induced hyperglycemia was found.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission-induced climate change, particularly occurring since the mid-20th century has been considerably affecting short-term weather conditions, such as increasing weather variability, and incidence of extreme weather-related events. Milk production is sensitive to such changes. In this study, we use spatial panel econometric models, Spatial Error Model (SEM) and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM), with a panel dataset at the state-level varying over seasons, to estimate the relationship between weather indicators and milk productivity, in an effort to reduce the bias of omitted climatic variables that can be time-varying and spatially correlated and cannot be directly captured by conventional panel data models. We find an inverse U-shaped effect of summer heat stress on milk production per cow (MPC), indicating that milk production reacts positively to a low-level increase in summer heat stress, and then MPC declines as heat stress continues increasing beyond a threshold value of 72. Additionally, fall precipitation exhibits an inverse U-shaped effect on MPC, showing that milk yield increases at a decreasing rate until fall precipitation rises to 14 inches and then over that threshold milk yield declines at an increasing rate. We also find that, relative to conventional panel data models, spatial panel econometric models could improve prediction performance by leading to smaller in-sample and out-sample root mean squared errors. Our study contributes to the literature by exploring the feasibility of promising spatial panel models and resulting in estimating weather influences on milk productivity with high model predicting performance.

LCK, a member of the Scr kinase family, is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in immune cell activation, antigen recognition, tumor growth, and cytotoxic response. The enzyme has usually been linked to T lymphocyte activation upon antigen recognition. Lck activation is central to CD4, CD8, and NK activation. However, recently, it has become clearer that activating the enzyme in CD8 cells can be independent of antigen presentation and enhance cytotoxic response. The role of Lck in NK cytotoxic function has been controversial in a similar fashion as the role of the enzyme in CAR T cells. Inhibition of Lck has been mainly to treat hematologic malignancies with a high rate of success. They may be useful in treating other tumor types, and they may be useful to prevent cell exhaustion. New, more selective inhibitors have been documented, and they have shown inter-esting activities not only in tumor growth but in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, asthma, and graft vs host disease. Drug repurposing and bioinformatics can aid in solving several unsolved is-sues on the role of Lck in cancer. In summary, the role of Lck in immune response and tumor growth is not a simple event and requires more research.

The Mobius function is commonly used to define Euler's totient function and the Mangoldt function. Similarly, the summatory Mobius function (the Mertens function) can be used to define the summatory totient function and the summatory Mangoldt function (the second Chebyshev function).

Breadfruit [Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg] is recognized as a tropical fruit tree crop with great potential to contribute to food and nutrition security in the Caribbean and other tropical regions. However, the genetic diversity and identification of germplasm in the Caribbean and elsewhere is not well understood and documented. This hampers the effective conservation and use of the genetic resources of the tree crop for commercial activities. This study assessed the genetic identity, diversity, ancestry, and phylogeny of breadfruit germplasm existing in Caribbean and recently introduced accessions using 117 SNPs from 10 SSR amplicon sequences. The results showed that there was high genetic diversity in the breadfruit germplasm in the Caribbean, as well as the newly introduced breadfruit accessions based on nucleotide diversity (π_T) and nucleotide polymorphism (θ_W). Furthermore, based on these measures of genetic diversity, there were no significant differences between existing Caribbean breadfruit accessions and newly introduced breadfruit accessions which are known to be highly diverse. Ancestry and phylogeny analysis corroborated the genetic relatedness of these two groups with accessions of these groups being present in both main germplasm clusters. This suggests that the existing Caribbean breadfruit germplasm harbors a higher level of genetic diversity than expected.

Heel pain in the “funnel-shaped” space between the calcaneus, talus, and talocalcaneonavicular and subtalar joints may be representative of Sinus Tarsi syndrome. The pain is often characterized by a burning, numbness, or tingling sensation that can stem from strains and tears on the ligaments in that area. Injury treatment typically includes balance training, muscle exercises, bracing, foot orthosis, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This study presents Wharton Jelly (WJ) tissue allografts as an alternative intervention for patients who fail standard-care treatments. WJ targets tissue defects, unlike other therapies, which aim to reduce swelling and symptomatic pain. This study includes five female patients who have previously failed standard-of-care treatment. Each received extracorporeal pulse-activated therapy (EPAT), WJ, laser therapy, and an orthotic. After an average of 80 days, the cohort had an overall 85.29% improvement in pain. The study's limitations include a small cohort size and a non-blinded design. Given the significant improvement in pain, WJ tissue allograft, combined with other techniques, presents an optimal patient care plan for tissue defects associated with Sinus Tarsi syndrome when standard-of-care treatments fail. These results provide evidence for a more extensive, randomized study to define dosage protocols further and confirm safety and efficacy.

We propose a neural-network-based watermarking method that introduces the quantized activation function that approximates the quantization of JPEG compression. Many neural-network-based watermarking methods have been proposed. Conventional methods have acquired robustness against various attacks by introducing an attack simulation layer between the embedding network and the extraction network. The quantization process of JPEG compression was replaced by the noise addition process in the attack layer of the conventional methods. In this paper, we propose a quantized activation function that can simulate the JPEG quantization standard as it is in order to improve the robustness against the JPEG compression. Our quantized activation function consists of several hyperbolic tangent functions and is applied as an activation function for neural networks. Our network was introduced in the attack layer of ReDMark proposed by Ahmadi et al. to compare it with their method. That is, the embedding and extraction networks had the same structure. We compared the usual JPEG compressed images and the images applying the quantized activation function. The results showed that a network with quantized activation functions can approximate JPEG compression with high accuracy. We also compared the bit error rate (BER) of estimated watermarks generated by our network with those generated by ReDMark. We found that our network was able to produce estimated watermarks with lower BERs than those of ReDMark. Therefore, our network outperformed the conventional method with respect to image quality and BER.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative and progressive disease that impacts the nerve cells in the brain and varies from person to person. The exact cause of PD is still unknown, and the diagnosis of PD does not include a specific objective test with certainty. Although deep learning has made great progress in medical neuroimaging analysis, these methods are very susceptible to biases present in neuroimaging datasets. An innovative decorrelated deep learning technique is introduced to mitigate class bias and scanner bias while simultaneously focusing on finding distinguishing characteristics in resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data, which assist in recognizing the PD with good accuracy. The decorrelation function reduces the non-linear correlation between features and bias in order to learn bias-invariant features. The Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset, referred to as a single scanner imbalanced dataset in this study used to validate our method. The imbalanced dataset problem affects the performance of the deep learning framework by overfitting to the majority class. To resolve this problem, we propose a new Decorrelated Convolutional Neural Networks (DcCNN) framework by applying decorrelation-based optimization to Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN). An analysis of evaluation metrics comparisons shows that integrating the decorrelation function boosts the performance of PD recognition by removing class bias. Specifically, our DcCNN model performs significantly better than existing traditional approaches to tackle the imbalance problem. Finally, the same framework can be extended to create scanner invariant features without significantly impacting the performance of a model. The obtained dataset is a multi-scanner dataset which leads to scanner bias due to the differences in acquisition protocols and scanners. The multi-scanner dataset is a combination of two datasets, namely PPMI and FTLDNI - frontotemporal lobar degeneration neuroimaging initiative (NIFD) dataset. The results of t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and scanner classification accuracy of our proposed Feature Extraction-DcCNN (FE-DcCNN) model validated the effective removal of scanner bias. Our method achieves an average accuracy of 77.80% on a multi-scanner dataset for differentiating PD from healthy control, which is superior to the DcCNN model trained on a single scanner imbalanced dataset.

Stream chemistry effectively integrates watershed ecosystem processes on both spatial and temporal scales. Streams of coastal areas integrate a more homogeneous, flat topography wherein there can be interactions between the stream and the body of water into which it drains, especially where tidal fluxes occur. The present study assessed water quality of Thompson Bayou, which comes to the campus of the University of West Florida in a wetland after flowing through 4 km of commercial and private property with associated impacts on water quality. Sampling was carried out for one year at eight discrete sites along Thompson Bayou from the UWF campus to the Escambia River. We used a portable field meter to measure temperature, pH, dissolved O2 (DO), and specific conductivity (SC). Except for temperature, all variables exhibited a spatial pattern of significant variation with distance, with consistent increases in DO and SC as the stream approached the river. These variables also exhibited a temporal pattern of significant seasonal variation, including—and especially—temperature. Data suggest that spatial and temporal patterns of water quality of Thompson Bayou are determined by (1) processing of water by the wetland, (2) interactions of the stream channel with upland forest stands, and (3) the tidal hydrology of the Escambia River.

Vancomycin is one of the ‘last-line’ classes of antibiotics used in the treatment of life-threatening infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Even though vancomycin was discovered in 1950s it was widely used after 1980s for the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococci as prevalence of such strains were increased. However, currently it is evident that vancomycin resistant Staphylococcusaureusandvancomycin-resistant Enterococci have been developed as a result of various reasons including use of avaparcin, which is an analog of vancomycin, as feed additive in livestock. In present day context, more attention should be paid on prevention of emergence of resistance for the antibiotics in order to keep antibiotics effective. In order to prevent emergence of resistance, proper guidance for the responsible use of antimicrobials is indispensable. Therefore, almost all stakeholders who use antibiotics should have in depth understanding on the antibiotic they use. As such, it is imperative to be aware of the important aspects of vancomycin. In the present review, efforts have been made to discussthe pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, indications, emergence of resistance, control of resistance, adverse effects and alternative therapy for vancomycin.

To advance probiotic research, a comprehensive understanding of bacterial interactions with human physiology at the molecular and cellular levels is fundamental. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LGG® is a bacterial strain that has long been recognized for its beneficial effects on human health. Probiotic effector molecules derived from LGG®, including secreted proteins, surface-anchored proteins, polysaccharides, and lipoteichoic acids, that interact with host physiological processes have been identified. In vitro and animal studies have revealed that specific LGG® effector molecules stimulate epithelial cell survival, preserve intestinal barrier integrity, reduce oxidative stress, mitigate excessive mucosal inflammation, enhance IgA secretion, and provide long-term protection through epigenetic imprinting. Pili on the cell surface of LGG® promote adhesion to the intestinal mucosa and ensure close contact to host cells. Extracellular vesicles produced by LGG® recapitulate many of these effects through their cargo of effector molecules. Collectively, the effector molecules of LGG® exert a significant influence on both the gut mucosa and immune system, that promotes intestinal homeostasis and immune tolerance.

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

In recent experimental studies, we reported the aggravating effects of Asian sand dust (ASD) on male reproductive function in mice. However, the effects of fetal ASD exposure on male reproductive function have not been investigated. The present study investigated the effects of fetal ASD exposure on reproductive function in male offspring. Using pregnant CD-1 mice, ASD was administered intratracheally on days 7 and 14 of gestation, and the reproductive function of male offspring was determined at 5, 10, and 15 weeks after birth. The secondary sex ratio was significantly lower in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. Histologic examination showed partial vacuolation of seminiferous tubules in immature mice. Moreover, daily sperm production (DSP) was significantly less in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. DSP in the fetal ASD-exposed mice was approximately 10% less than the controls at both 5 and 10 weeks. However, both the histologic changes and the DSP decrease were reversed as the mice matured. These findings suggest that ASD exposure affects both the fetal development and the reproductive function of male offspring. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify the onset mechanisms of ASD-induced male fetus death and male reproductive disorders.

Chronic kidney disease patients treated by hemodialysis present a high cardio-vascular morbidity and mortality. There is an imperative need for novel biomarkers in identifying and to offer possible therapeutically intervention in these patients. We performed a prospective observational cohort study on 77 patients in the period October 2021 – October 2023. We measured serum plasma levels of Interleukin 1-Beta, Galectin 3, human suppression of tumorigenicity factor 2, bone morphogenetic protein 2 and fibroblastic growth factor 23 at the inclusion. We evaluated the correlations of these biomarkers with cardiac function and structure evaluated by echocardiography. Mean age was 61.02 (±11.81) years, 45 (56.2%) males and with a dialysis vintage of 4.95 (2.4-7.8) years. Median ejection fraction was 51 (43-54 %) and more than two thirds of the patients presented valvular calcifications. Overall mortality was 22%. Interleukin 1-Beta correlated positively with ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain and negatively with left atrium diameter and left ventricle tele systolic diameter. Galectin 3 values negatively correlated with aortic valve fibrosis and mitral valve calcifications and human suppression tumorigenity factor 2 negatively correlated with mitral valve calcifications. Some of these novel biomarkers could be used to better asses the cardio-vascular disease in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

This study aims to identify modern bureaucratic government phenomenon expressed in W.H. Auden’s poem “The Unknown Citizen” (UC). This phenomenon will be revealed through the use of figures of speech, symbols and imagery in the poem. This poem is chosen as the object of the study since phenomenon happened in the poem represents people’s life and government practice in the modern era. Government, in the poem, seems to be very dominant. Its bureaucratic apparatus is powerful. Through its sophisticated technology, the bureau of statistics is able to detect the citizen’s identity. But, ironically, it could have not identified UC’s name as he lived in the world. He, then, was honored by the state by being erected the marble monument. The poem is analyzed by applying phenomenological criticism. The analysis finds that the representation of modern government is expressed through symbols emphasized by dramatic irony and supported by the use of internal sensation imagery. UC is the allegory of the average person with his bravery he sacrifices for the country. The state ought to give him an honor. In this poem Auden, actually, wants to write a parody for establishing monuments in some countries to honor the struggles of their soldiers who died in the World War I. Those monuments are really tombs since the function of a monument is a state’s thanksgiving for their sacrifice.

In this work, we introduce the class of h-MN-convex functions by generalizing the concept of MN-convexity and combining it with h-convexity. Namely, let M : [0, 1] → [a, b] be a Mean function given by M (t) = M (t; a, b); where by M (t; a, b) we mean one of the following functions: A_t (a, b) := (1 − t) a + tb, G_t (a, b) = a^1−tb^t and H_t (a, b) := $\frac{ab}{ta+\left(1-t\right)b}=\frac{1}{A_t\left(\frac{1}{a},\frac{1}{b}\right)}$ with the property that M (0; a, b) = a and M (1; a, b) = b. Let I, J be two intervals subset of (0, ∞) such that (0, 1) ⊆ J and [a, b] ⊆ I. Consider a non-negative function h : J → (0, ∞), a function f : I → (0, ∞) is said to be h-MN-convex (concave) if the inequality f (M (t; x, y)) ≤ (≥) N (h(t); f (x), f (y)), holds for all x, y ∈ I and t ∈ [0, 1]. In this way, nine classes of h-MN-convex functions are established, and therefore some analytic properties for each class of functions are explored and investigated. Characterizations of each type are given. Various Jensen’s type inequalities and their converses are proved.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

We reduplicate the Book “Dark Energy” by M. Li, X-D. Li, and Y. Wang, given zero-point energy calculation with an unexpected “length’ added to the ‘width’ of a graviton wave just prior to specifying the creation of ‘gravitons’, using the Rosen and Israelit model of a nonsingular universe. In doing so we are in addition to obtaining a wavelength 10^30 times greater than Planck’s length so we can calculate DE, may be able to with the help of the Rosen and Israelit model have a first approximation as to the arrow of time, and a universe with massive gravity. We have left the particulars of the nonsingular starting point undefined but state that the Rosen and Israelit model postulates initial temperatures of 10^-180 Kelvin and also a value of about Planck temperature, at 10^-3 centimeters radii value which may satisfy initial conditions asked by t’Hooft for describing an arrow of time. A key assumption is that the DE is formed at 10^-3 cm, after an expansion of 10^30 times in radii, from the Planck length radius nonsingular starting point. The given starting point for DE in this set of assumptions is where there is a change in the cosmic acceleration, to a zero value, according to Rosen and Israel, with time t = 1.31 times 10^-42 seconds. Which may be where we may specify a potential magnitude, V, which has ties into inflaton physics. The particulars of the model from Rosen and Israelit allow a solution to be found, without discussion of where that nonsingular starting point came from, a point the author found in need of drastic remedies and fixes.

Field studies were conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2020 in south-central and the Coastal Bend regions of Texas to determine the effects of various biostimulants and soil additives on corn growth and yield. In south-central Texas, the use of pop-up fertilizer (9-30-0 + Zn) either alone or in combination with either 2% N, bifenthrin, or bifenthrin + pyraclostrobin resulted in the greatest corn vigor but a yield response was only noted with pop-up fertilizer alone at 28062 or 46771 ml ha-1 in one year. In the Coastal Bend region, leaf tissue analysis showed that only Fe was affected with the use of any soil additive. Bacillus licheniformis + bacillus megaterium + bacillus pumilus increased Fe leaf tissue content by 20% over the untreated check. Radicoat seed coating at 438 ml ha-1 reduced corn plant stand by 10% and Pseudomonas brassicaceanum reduced corn height when compared with the untreated check; however, no differences in test weight or yield from the untreated check were noted with any soil additive. Little if any impacts of the use of biostimulants or soil amendments were seen in these studies.

Starting with unitary quantum dynamics, we investigate how to add quantum measurements. Quantum measurements have four essential components: the furcation, the witness production, an alignment projection, and the actual choice decision. The first two components still lie in the domain of unitary quantum dynamics. The decoherence concept explains the third contribution. It can be based on the requirement that witnesses reaching the end of time on the wave function side and the conjugate one have to be identical. In this way, it also stays within the quantum dynamics domain. The surjection hypothesis explains the actual choice decision. It is based on a two boundary interpretation applied to the complete quantum universe. It offers a simple way to reduce these seemingly random projections to purely deterministic unitary quantum dynamics, eliminating the measurement problem.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

The basic idea is to expand the completed zeta function $\xi(s)$ in MacLaurin series (infinite polynomial), which can be further expressed as infinite product (Hadamard product) by conjugate complex roots. Finally, the functional equation $\xi(s)=\xi(1-s)$ leads to $(s-\alpha_i)^2 = (1-s-\alpha_i)^2, i \in \mathbb{N}$ with solution $\alpha_i= \frac{1}{2}, i \in \mathbb{N}$, where $\alpha_i$ are the real parts of the zeros of $\xi(s)$, i.e., $s_i =\alpha_i\pm j\beta_i, i\in \mathbb{N}$. Therefore, a proof of the Riemann Hypothesis is achieved.

The aim of the study was to assess the intensity of the impact of the Křoví mining facility on the environment. The impact of the exploitation of rock deposits in Křoví on the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and anthroposphere was presented. Vulnerability to natural hazards was also assessed. The multi-criteria Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the Leopold matrix were used to assess the impact. The assessment of the impact of raw material extraction in the quarry was carried out by competent experts. It has been found that the lithosphere and biosphere are under the greatest pressure due to land use and surface transformation (including deforestation). The increased susceptibility of the area to natural hazards was noted due to vibrations caused by increased truck traffic (transportation of excavated material). The total value of the matrix indicates the average intensity of the mining facility's impact on the environment. The location of the deposit above the water table of the Bílý potok river means that the extraction of the mineral has a minor impact on the water conditions in the area. Changes in topography and vegetation, and soil degradation are temporary and reversible. Once the mining operations have ceased, the site should be reclaimed and the program of reforestation and habitat restoration implemented to help mitigate adverse impacts on the biosphere.

Purpose Radiotherapy is integral in the management of hematological malignancies (HM). Standard radiotherapy dose fractionation regimens range between 20-50 Gy in 10-25 fractions over 2-5 weeks. This study presents the outcomes of patients with HM treated with hypofractionation radiotherapy (HFRT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Patients (N=36) were treated with HFRT between January 2020 and September 2022. The outcomes measured were the overall response rate (ORR), freedom from local progression (FFLP), and overall survival (OS). Results Median follow-up was 13.2 months. Thirty-three patients (92%) had non-Hodgkin (NHL) or Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Eighteen patients (50%) had aggressive and 9 (25%) had indolent NHL. Nineteen patients (53%) presented with stage I/II and 15(42%) with stage III/IV disease. Twenty-five (69.4%) and eleven (30%) received consolidative and definitive RT, respectively. Twenty patients (56%) received treatment to the neck and/or thorax, and 9 (25%) to the abdomen or pelvis. Total dose ranged from 18 to 42.5 Gy in 6-17 fractions/ 2.67-5 Gy per fraction. Median dose in 2 Gy fractions for an alpha/beta (α/β) ratio of 10 amounted to 39 Gy (SD ± 13.86), and 43.6 Gy (SD ± 12) for an α/β of 3. The most commonly used fractionation scheme was 39 Gy in 13 fractions. ORR was 94.4% for the entire cohort, and 100, 94.4, and 83.3% for indolent NHL, aggressive NHL, and HL patients. Two-year FFLP was 76% (95% CI: 34-93%) for the entire cohort, and 100, 87 (95%CI: 56.4-96.5%) and 42% (95% CI: 1.1-84.3%) for the indolent NHL, aggressive NHL, and HL patients. Two-year OS for the entire cohort was 80% (95% CI:59.9-90.5%), and 100, 66.1 (95% CI: 36.4-84.4%) and 100% for the indolent NHL, aggressive NHL, and HL patients. Only one patient presented with grade two pulmonary toxicity. Conclusion HFRT in HM provides excellent local control without any increase in toxicity.

Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) consists of short hooked steel fibres randomly distributed and oriented within the cementitious matrix. The contribution of fibre in bridging cracks to provide the stress transfer required relies upon the orientation of the fibre in the concrete. Bridging fibre aligned with a crack are less effective than those inclined to it. Therefore, understanding the pull-out behaviour of misaligned fibre is a key factor to quantify and optimize the design of SFRC in the structural applications. In the laboratory a single oriented fibre embedded in a solid cylinder of concrete is subjected to a pull-out test where the axis of a tensile force is aligned with the axis of the cylinder. Based upon the observed behaviour this paper presents a new analytical bounding approach to capture the pull-out response of misaligned hooked-end steel fibre embedded in a concrete matrix. The analysis is based upon a transversely isotropic condition assumed for the plasticity that occurs in the cold drawn fibre. The model accounts for the influence of fibre diameter and the combined strengths of the steel and concrete. The model predictions have also been compared with other experimental results published in the literature. The results showed that the model can predict pull-out loads reasonably for different fibre orientations between bounds of failure derived from the strengths of the two constituents. A critical orientation is observed at maximum strength. Therein, an understanding of the pull-out behaviour of misaligned, hooked-end fibres is necessary to optimize the strength of concrete from this method of reinforcement.

Delivering effective messages is critical to creating a more sustainable and resilient culture. The explosion of social media has enhanced information access but has often reinforced and polar-ized pre-existing viewpoints and norms. In contrast, digital signs are an “in your face in your space” technology that has the potential to deliver common content to a diverse local audience. Environmental Dashboard (ED) is a communications platform and set of content applications that combines information on current environmental conditions, real-time resource consumption, positive actions being taken by community members, and a community calendar. We conducted a longitudinal study to assess whether ED content delivered via digital signs in public locations would result in desirable psychological changes within a community. Participants completed surveys in six designated signage locations prior to installation (N = 174) and following two years of continuous exposure (N = 133). We observed: increases in pro-environmental social norms among people of color (a demographic emphasized); enhanced awareness of and sense of connection with the local community and ecology; increased self-reported electricity conservation; and increased perception of youth engagement (another demographic emphasized). Changes were mediated by exposure to digital signage. These findings support the hypothesis that content delivered through digital signs can strengthen pro-environmental and pro-social culture within communities.

Fused silica glass is a material with outstanding mechanical, thermal and optical properties. Being a brittle material, it is challenging to shape. In the last decade, the manufacturing of monolithic flexible mechanisms in fused silica has evolved with the femtosecond laser-assisted etching process. However, instrumenting those structures is demanding. To address this obstacle, this article proposes to inscribe a Bragg Grating sensor inside a flexure and interface it with an optical fibre to record the strain using a spectrum analyzer. The strain sensitivity of this Bragg Grating sensor is characterized at 1.2 pm/μϵ (1 μϵ = 1 microstrain). Among other applications, deformation sensing can be used to record a force. Its use as a micro-force sensor is estimated. The sensor resolution is limited by our recording equipment to 30 μN over a measurement range above 10 mN. This technology can offer opportunities for surgery applications or others where precision and stability in harsh environments are required.

This study investigated the development of novel probiotic formulations specifically designed for rainbow trout aquaculture. The project evaluated the effects of two formulations containing potential probiotic strains isolated from rainbow trout itself. These effects were assessed on various parameters including growth performance, immune response, liver enzyme activity, gene expression related to immunity, and the composition of the bacterial gut microbiota in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In a completely randomized experimental design, a total of 450 rainbow trout were randomly divided into 70-liter fiberglass tank. The study included six treatments of three replicates (n=18 tanks). Six dietary treatments were included (A) and (B) containing three strains of Pediococcus sp P15, Lactococcus lactis ml3, Weissella cibaria ml6 at two dosages (300 and 500 mg/kg), treatments (C) and (D) containing five strains of P. sp P15, L. lactis ml3, W. cibaria ml6, Enterococcus faecium E10 and Lactobacillus curvatus 13A at two dosages (300 and 500 mg/kg), a commercial probiotic (E) at 300 mg/kg, and a control group (F) without probiotics. Treatments of (A), (B) and (E) resulted in the highest final weights in compared to control group. Fish fed treatments (A) and (B) had the lowest FCR than other groups. Treatments (A) and (D) showed a significant increase in immunoglobulin M (IgM) concentration compared to other groups. The expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was significantly lower in group (A) than the control. In contrast, the expression of interleukin 6 (IL6) and immunoglobulin T (IgT) was increased 4.4-fold and 41-fold, respectively, in group (A) compared to control group. Among the probiotic fed treatments, group (A) showed a significant higher number of lactic acid bacteria compared to other groups during the experiment. This study highlights the significant role of treatment (A) containing three strains of P. sp P15, L. lactis ml3, and W. cibaria ml6 at a dosage of 300 mg/kg as a potential probiotic product for the rainbow trout industry.

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.

In order to solve the problem of feature extraction of underwater acoustic signals in complex ocean environment, a new method for feature extraction from ship radiated noise is presented based on empirical mode decomposition theory and permutation entropy. It analyzes the separability for permutation entropies of the intrinsic mode functions of three types of ship radiated noise signals, and discusses the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy. In this study, ship radiated noise signals measured from three types of ships are decomposed into a set of intrinsic mode functions with empirical mode decomposition method. Then, the permutation entropies of all intrinsic mode functions are calculated with appropriate parameters. The permutation entropies are obviously different in the intrinsic mode functions with the highest energy, thus, the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy is regarded as a new characteristic parameter to extract the feature of ship radiated noise. After that, the characteristic parameters, namely, the energy difference between high and low frequency, permutation entropy, and multi-scale permutation entropy, are compared with the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy. It is discovered that the four characteristic parameters are at the same level for similar ships, however, there are differences in the parameters for different types of ships. The results demonstrate that the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy is better in separability as the characteristic parameter than the other three parameters by comparing their fluctuation ranges and the average values of the four characteristic parameters. Hence, the feature of ship radiated noise can be extracted efficiently with the method.

Selecting the optimal activation function for training deep neural networks has always been challenging because it significantly impacts the neural network’s performance and training speed. At this point, researchers are more likely to employ RELU than other well-known activation functions. After RELU, researchers have proposed many activation functions to improve RELU. None of them was capable of surpassing RELU as their most significant rival. SWISH outperformed RELU in several challenging experiments like classification, object detection, and tracking. Replacing RELU units with SWISH, which improves performance in many tasks. This paper proposed a new activation function surpassing Google’s brain’s SWISH function, Which we named AIF. Experiments indicate that our proposed activation function outperforms SWISH in various tasks.

Two distinct measures of information, connected respectively to the amplitude and phase of the wave function of a particle, are proposed. There are relations between the time derivatives of these two measures and their gradients on the configuration space, which are equivalent to the wave equation. The information related to the amplitude measures the strength of the potential coupling of the particle (which is itself aspatial) with each volume of its configuration space, i.e. its tendency to participate in an interaction localized in a region of ordinary physical space corresponding to that volume. The information connected to the phase is that required to obtain the time evolution of the particle as a persistent entity starting from a random succession of bits. It can be considered as the information provided by conservation principles. The meaning of the so-called "quantum potential" in this context is briefly discussed.

Methylmercury (MeHg) intoxication is a global health concern. Although MeHg neurotoxicity is well-recognized, less is known about MeHg's effects on metabolism. In this study, we evaluated MeHg intoxication (20mg/L in drinking water for 20 days) effects on liver and epididymal white fat (EWF) in young ApoE knockout (ko) and wild-type mice. The former is well-known to show spontaneous dyslipidemia. Hg levels in hair, liver, and EWF were measured to assess the degree of MeHg exposure. We also evaluated body weight gain, plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol levels, and liver injury by assessing steatosis score, AST, ALT, SOD, and TBAR levels. To evaluate EWF, we analyzed mean wet weight and adipocyte diameter, plasma leptin levels and metabolomics. Hg levels were markedly higher among intoxicated mice. ApoE ko mice showed higher Hg in the hair but lower levels in the liver and EWF than wild-type controls. Among wild-type mice, MeHg compromised weight gain and increased liver TBAR levels compared to non-challenged controls. Among non-intoxicated mice, ApoE deficiency significantly increased triglyceride, total cholesterol, and liver transaminases with reduced EWF wet weight, hepatic SOD, and plasma leptin levels. MeHg accumulation together with ApoE deficiency elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, hepatic transaminases, and TBARS. We found distinct EWF metabolite activity in different scenarios of ApoE deficiency and MeHg intoxication, highlighting increased cardiovascular risk especially when both challenges occur. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in these effects and the target nutritional interventions in most need to ameliorate them.

We first of all define the arrow of time. Definition of the arrow of time will allow choosing different initial starting points. One of the issues we will also discuss is the interconnection be-tween the arrow of time, entropy and quantum information. Seth Lloyd in his 2001 work made a linkage between entropy, bits, and information via an axiomatic approach involving time in-tervals. Our take is a bit more general. We will discuss as well the t’Hooft’s statement as to in-itial conditions and times arrow, and how different cosmological models may influence initial conditions. Spoilers alert, if a nonsingular start to expansion existed, this would provide the most straightforward way to avoid a datum from classical relativity. That is, that in the actual equations of classical GR, there is no reason to have time asymmetry. Time asymmetry is built into initial conditions and we will detail several candidates. The first half of the paper brings up cosmology models and forming the arrow of time. The second is related to entropy itself and the problem of information. .

Vascular impairment, muscle atrophy, and cognitive decline are important age-related conditions that have a significant impact on health. Vascular impairment directly disrupts the flow of blood, leading to the decline of muscle mass associated with aging (sarcopenia) and the decline of neuronal functions (neurodegeneration). Our inadequate understanding of the complex relationships between these conditions impedes precise diagnosis and effective treatment. This review analyzes the interrelated mechanisms that contribute to these conditions, with a specific focus on oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and impaired nutrient delivery. The aim is to understand the common pathways involved and to suggest comprehensive therapeutic approaches. Vascular dysfunctions hinder the circulation of blood and the transportation of nutrients, resulting in sarcopenia characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness. Vascular dysfunction and sarcopenia have a negative impact on physical function and quality of life. Neurodegenerative diseases exhibit comparable pathophysiological mechanisms that affect cognitive and motor functions. Preventive and therapeutic approaches encompass lifestyle adjustments, addressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and integrated therapies that focus on improving vascular and muscular well-being. Better understanding of these links can enhance therapeutic strategies and lead to better outcomes for patients. Here, we highlight the intricate relationship among vascular dysfunction, degenerative muscle, and cognitive decline, underscoring the need for multidisciplinary approaches to treatment. Progress in this field can result in improved diagnosis, more potent therapeutic options, and enhanced preventative measures, all of which can contribute to an improved quality of life for the aging population.

A proportion of osteoarthritis (OA) patients are unsatisfied with post-operative outcomes following total joint replacement surgery (TJR), with insufficient pain relief or poor functional improvement. Predicting those will have poor outcomes would be beneficial for patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between baseline anthropometric data and the concentration of pre-operative serum and peri-operative synovial fluid (SF) cytokines with 7-month post-operative outcomes in a cohort of knee and hip OA patients. 160 OA patients were recruited who were scheduled for TJR. The concentration of 24 cytokines were measured in blood and SF by multiplex assay. EQ5Dindex health status was assessed pre-operatively and at 7-months post-operatively. 13% of patients were identified as non-responders based on EQ5Dindex. Compared to responders, non-responders were of higher BMI, had greater waist and hip circumference and had higher levels of SF leptin but lower levels of SF Resistin (p&lt;0.05). Linear regression analysis found a significant relationship between pre-operative body weight and post-operative response (ΔEQ5Dindex; r=0.222, p=0.049). The combination of body weight with SF amphiregulin and SF IL-6 provided an improved predictive model of post-operative response (r=0.470, p=0.035).

The uncertainty in the secondary path of an Active Noise Control (ANC) headphone affects the waterbed effect and stability of the feedback system. This study focuses on the uncertainty of the secondary path when real users wear headphones, and proposes a new uncertainty constraint based on the measured results of the secondary path transfer function under different wearing conditions of dummy head and limited subjects. This constraint and a cascaded second-order infinite impulse response filter with fixed coefficients are used to formulate a control strategic function, which is optimized by the Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (IGWO) algorithm to obtain the optimal controller with better noise reduction performance. The proposed method and simulation model are validated based on the experimental test results. The results demonstrate that the safety factor and waterbed suppressing factor contained in the proposed uncertainty constraint ensures more stable noise reduction and effective suppression of the waterbed effect for new subjects without a priori data.

The accurate forecasting of solar power output is essential for ensuring the stable and efficient operation of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems, especially when faced with variable weather patterns. This research focuses on the integration of Machine Learning (ML) methodologies and climatic parameters to predict solar panel energy generation, with a specific emphasis on addressing consumption-production imbalances. Leveraging a dataset sourced from the Kaggle platform, the study is conducted in the context of Estonia, aiming to optimize solar energy utilization in this geographic region. The dataset, obtained from Kaggle, encompasses comprehensive information on climatic variables, including sunlight intensity, temperature, and humidity, alongside corresponding solar panel energy output. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, including XGBoost regression and neural networks, our model aims to identify complex patterns and relationships within the datasets. By tailoring the model to Estonia's climatic nuances, we seek to enhance the accuracy of energy production forecasts and, consequently, better manage the challenges associated with consumption-production imbalances. Furthermore, the research investigates the adaptability of the proposed model to diverse climatic conditions, ensuring its applicability for similar endeavors in other geographical locations. The performance of the forecasting model will be evaluated using error metrics like mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE). This study leverages a comprehensive dataset from Kaggle and utilizes advanced machine learning techniques to generate valuable insights. These insights can inform the development of sustainable energy policies and practices, ultimately leading to a more efficient and reliable renewable energy infrastructure.

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

Heavy metal contamination of drinking water is a public health concern that requires the development of more efficient bioremediation techniques. Absorption technologies, including biosorption, provide opportunities for improvements to increase the diversity of metal ions removed and overall binding capacity. Microorganisms are a key component in wastewater treatment plants and they naturally bind metal ions through surface macromolecules but with limited capacity. The long-term goal of this work is to engineer capsule polymerases to synthesize molecules with novel functionalities. In previously published work, we showed that the Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W (NmW) galactose-sialic acid (Gal—NeuNAc) heteropolysaccharide binds lead effectively, thereby demonstrating the potential for using this capsular polysaccharide in environmental decontamination applications. In this study, computational analysis of the NmW capsule polymerase galactosyltransferase (GT) domain was used to gain insight into how the enzyme could be modified to enable the synthesis N-acetylgalactosamine-sialic acid (GalNAc—NeuNAc) heteropolysaccharide. Various computational approaches, including molecular modeling with I-TASSER and molecular dynamics simulations (MD) with NAMD, were utilized to identify key amino acid residues in the substrate binding pocket of the GT domain that may be key to conferring UDP-GalNAc specificity. Through these combined strategies and using BshA, a UDP-GlcNAc transferase, as a structural template, several NmW active site residues were identified as mutational targets to accommodate the proposed N-acetyl group in UDP-GalNAc. Thus, a rational approach for potentially conferring new properties to bacterial capsular polysaccharides is demonstrated.

The relationship of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson Disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction has led to study of the mitochondrial fission gene Drp1 in Drosophila. Drp1 can interact with mitochondrial proteins including parkin and the Drosophila Bcl-2 proteins. Mutations in Drp1 can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal loss. Ddc-Gal4 was exploited to direct the expression of Drp1 and the inhibition of Drp1 in neurons. Here, the inhibition of Drp1 seems to compromise locomotor function throughout life but does not alter longevity. The consequences of Drp1 overexpression can be suppressed through overexpression of pro-survival Bcl-2 gene Buffy or by inhibition of the pro-cell death Bcl-2 homologue Debcl. The expression of Buffy suppresses the poor climbing induced by loss of Drp1 function. Interestingly, the loss of parkin function is rescued by the directed inhibition of Drp1. Alteration of the expression of Drp1 acts to phenocopy neurodegenerative disease phenotypes in Drosophila, while overexpression of Buffy can counteract these phenotypes to improve overall health. The pro-survival effect of Buffy can rescue the phenotypic effect due to the Drp1-induced apoptosis. The diminished health due to either overexpression or inhibition of Drp1 has produced a novel model to investigate mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease.

Caused by age or trauma, collapsed connective tissue can cause nerve entrapment and damage within the tarsal tunnel. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is relatively underdiagnosed. This study presents an intervention targeting damaged tissues surrounding the nerves and replacing the structural cushioning with a Wharton’s jelly tissue allograft. The eight selected patients from four clinical sites had tarsal tunnel-related defects. Patient outcomes were tracked on a 90-day calendar utilizing the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Arthritis Index (WOMAC). All patients had failed standard care practices for at least six weeks. Each patient received a Wharton’s jelly tissue allograft to sites around the affected tarsal tunnel. No patients experienced adverse reactions. Percent change calculated from the initial application to the 90-day follow-up showed an improvement of 59.43% in NPRS and a 37.58% improvement in WOMAC. This study provides evidence that WJ allograft applications are safe, minimally invasive, and efficacious for patients who have failed standard care treatments for tissue defects associated with Tarsal Tunnel syndrome. Limitations include the small cohort size and nonblinded nature. The results of this study warrant further research to confirm the efficacy, optimal dose, protocol, and durability of Wharton's jelly.

Nearly 15 million patients undergo cosmetic surgery in the United States each year, with breast augmentations such as implants, lifts, or reductions being some of the most common procedures. The most common complications of these procedures are scarring and infection at the incision site, which often necessitates expensive corrective surgery. After significant weight loss, the patient in this study underwent an elective lower body lift in conjunction with a breast reduction and nipple-areolar transplant. An autologous skin graft was used at the transplant donor site. The skin graft unfortunately necrosed, warranting the need for rapid wound closure to avoid further pain and infection. The patient was treated for eight weeks with conservative measures. After eight weeks of failed attempts to close her wound, she was referred for specialist care. Upon initial examination, the donor site wound measured 3.5 cm x 3.5 cm with no sign of epithelialization. The patient received a single dose of Wharton’s jelly flowable perinatal tissue allograft and five hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments over seven weeks. Upon inspection at the final examination, the wound was closed entirely with 100% epithelialization overlying granulation tissue. This case study demonstrates a precedent for the application of Wharton’s jelly flowable allografts in complicated cosmetic post-surgical wounds. Future efforts will be directed at applying Wharton’s jelly allografts on a preventative basis. Preventative applications could be in stage 2 pressure sores or intra-operatively to decrease potential patient suffering, prevent emotional distress, and reduce unnecessary healthcare expenses.

This longitudinal study examined the development of executive function and calibration accuracy in pre-adolescents. Two hundred sixty two students(127 females) from grades 4 (n = 91), 5 (n = 89) and 6 (n = 82) took measures of executive function and performance calibration in a sport task, three times within a period of 20 months. A latent growth curve modeling analysis showed a significant relation between the rates of change of executive function and calibration. Further, the results showed a dynamic interplay in the development of executive function and calibration. There were significant inter-individual differences in the estimated population means both in executive function and calibration and in the rate of change of executive function, but not in the rate of change for calibration. The age of the participants had a positive effect only on the estimated population mean of executive function.

The authors present a stereotypical case presentation of x-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and provide a review of the pathophysiology and related pharmacology of this condition, primarily focusing on the FDA-approved medication burosumab. XLH is a renal phosphate wasting disorder caused by loss of function mutations in the PHEX gene (phosphate-regulating gene with homologies to endopeptidases on the X chromosome). Typical biochemical findings include elevated serum levels of bioactive/intact Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF23) which lead to i) low serum phosphate levels, ii) increased fractional excretion of phosphorus, and iii) inappropriately low or normal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-vitD). XLH is the most common form of heritable rickets and short stature in XLH patients is due to chronic hypophosphatemia. Additionally, XLH patients experience joint pain and osteoarthritis from skeletal deformities, fractures, enthesopathy, spinal stenosis, and hearing loss. Historically, treatment for XLH was limited to oral phosphate supplementation, active vitamin D supplementation, and surgical intervention for cases of severe bowed legs. In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approved burosumab for the treatment of XLH and this medication has demonstrated substantial benefit compared with conventional therapy. Burosumab binds circulating intact FGF23 and blocks its biological effects in target tissues, resulting in increased serum inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations and increased conversion of inactive vitamin D to active 1,25-vitD.

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

Functional neurological disorder, or FND, is widely misunderstood, particularly when considering recent research that suggests that the illness has a biological rather than a psychiatric basis. Nonetheless, the long-held view that FND is a purely psychiatric disorder without biological basis, or even a contrived (malingered) illness, remains pervasive both in modern medical care and general society. This is because FND involves an intermittent course of involuntary disability that rapidly alternates with improved neurological control. This has in turn caused shaming, low self-efficacy, and social isolation of the patients. Little research has examined the numerous biomarkers that are shared between FND and canonical neurological disorders and the encouraging outcomes that can follow conventional neurological rehabilitation, modified for this disorder. This review summarizes current research on FND biomarkers and physical rehabilitation results. General healthcare providers would benefit their care for their patients through their improved understanding the illness and recourses for support and treatment that are provided in this review.

The unified Mittag-Leffler (ML) function is important factor in formulation of compact form of fractional integrals. In this paper estimations of integral operators, with the unified ML function as kernel are given. The Hadamard inequality in the form of fractional integrals is proved by considering refinement of convexities. These estimations provide various inequalities as refinements of recently published results.

A novel technique using a W-band metasurface for the purpose of transmissive fine powder layer sensing is presented. The proposed technique may allow for the detection, identification, and characterization of inhomogeneous ultrafine powder layers which are effectively hundreds of times thinner than the incident wavelengths used to sense them. Such a technique may be useful during personnel screening processes (i.e., at an airport) and in industrial manufacturing environments where early detection and quantization of harmful airborne particulates can be a matter of security or safety. To our knowledge, the requisite science involved in such a novel W-band metasurface sensing technique has not been fully explored.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a member of the IL-1 cytokine family has been recently associated with the development of autoimmune diseases, including SLE. IL-33 is an alarmin and a pleiotropic cytokine that affects various types of immune cells via binding to its receptor, ST2. In this study, we determine the impact of intraperitoneal IL-33 treatments in young lupus, NZB/W F1 mice. Mice were treated from the age of 6 to 11 weeks. We then assessed the proteinuria level, renal damage, survival rate, and anti-dsDNA antibodies. The induction of regulatory B (Breg) cells and changes in gene expression were also examined. In comparison to the control group, young NZB/W F1 mice administered with IL-33 had a better survival rate as well as reduced proteinuria level and lupus nephritis. IL-33 treatments significantly induced IgM anti-dsDNA antibody, IL-10 expressing Breg cells, and alternatively induced M2 macrophage gene signatures. These results imply that IL-33 exhibit regulatory roles during lupus onset via the expansion of protective IgM anti-dsDNA as well as regulatory cells such as Bregs and M2 macrophages.

Shell nacre from Pinctada species has been extensively researched for managing bone defects. However, there is a gap in the research on using shell nacre as cement with improved physico-chemical properties. To address this, the current study aimed to develop a chemical curable com-posite shell nacre cement (SNC) using shell nacre powder and an organically modified ceramic resin shell nacre containing ladder-structured siloxane methacrylate (SNLSM). Different amounts of shell nacre (24, 48, and 72 weight(wt)%) were added to the SNLSM resin matrix and the effect on the physicochemical properties of the cement was studied. The composite shell nacre cement SNC 72 containing 72 wt% shell nacre exhibited significantly higher mechanical properties (com-pressive strength >100 MPa, flexural strength > 35 MPa) and low linear polymerization shrinkage (0.4%) than other compositions. SNC 72 was radiopaque and the exotherm generated during the curing of the cement was minimal. Direct contact of cured SNC 72 with L929 cells revealed the non-cytotoxic nature of the cement. Overall, the results of the study proved that the composite SNC 72 would be a promising candidate for bone defect management.

In a bid to resolve lingering problems in cosmology, more focus is being tilted towards cosmological models in which physical constants of nature are not necessarily real constants, but varying with cosmic time. In this paper we have study cosmology in nonlinear electrodynamics with the Newton's gravitational constant $G$ not a constant but vary in form of power-law of the scale factor of the universe. The evolution of the scale factor $a (t)$ is studied in this model which depends on nonlinear electrodynamics fine tuning term of $\alpha$. Then we check the stability of the model using the speed of sound.