This study investigates uranium solvent extraction under AMEX process conditions. The use of pure extractants without diluents or phase modifiers allows not only to reduce the use of volatile organic compounds, but also to provide higher extraction yields without third phase formation. Pure extractants are protonated amines or quaternary ammoniums with suitable counter ion, which act at the interface between ion pairs and protic ionic liquids. The mixture of sulfates anion (SO42-) and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion (NTf2-) revealed unexpected nonlinear extraction behaviors, which appear highly important to rationalize for optimized application. Spectroscopic analysis (NMR, UV-vis, FT-IR, and EXAFS) showed that uranium extraction occurs via protonated amine and three sulphates. Nonlinear extraction could further be interpreted by considering water and acid transfer between the two phases: at lower sulphate ratios, the release of acid from the organic phase into the aqueous phase was shown to influence the number of protonated amines in the organic phase, affecting uranium extraction before its enhancement. Furthermore, the extraction loss at higher sulphate ratios, was assigned to the destabilization of bidentate uranium-sulphate complexes due to a competition between water and sulphates.

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

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is strongly associated with tobacco smoking and it is the increasing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prevalence of COPD among never smokers varies widely across regions, areas, and nations. COPD in smokers has been extensively explored worldwide, however, COPD in non-smokers is under-explored and there is limited data available on non-smoking COPD. We determined the role of environmental pollution and biomass fuel exposure in COPD patients who were non-smokers. We evaluated the clinical profile of non-smokers with COPD in a retrospective observational study. 180 non-smoker COPD patients were selected from the year 2016-to 2018. We found that many patients with COPD are non-smokers and the incidence is higher among the rural population, suggesting that non-smoking COPD is evolving rapidly due to biomass smoke and other environmental pollutant exposures.

This study examines the effect of market risk on the financial performance of 31 non-financial companies listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) over the period 2000-2016. We utilize three alternative variables to assess financial performance, namely return on assets, return on equity and profit margin. Next, we use the degree of financial leverage, the book-to-market ratio, and the gearing ratio as market risk variables. Besides, we employ the pooled OLS model, the fixed effects model, the random-effects model, the difference GMM and the system GMM models. The results show that market risk indicators have a negative and significant influence on the companies' financial performance. The elasticities are greater following the book-to-market ratio compared to the degree of financial leverage and the gearing ratio, respectively. In most cases, the firm size, the tangibility ratio, and the cash holdings ratio have a positive effect on financial performance, whereas the firms' age, the debt-to-income ratio, stock turnover, and leverage hurt the performance of these non-financial companies. Therefore, decision-makers and managers should mitigate market risk through appropriate strategies of risk management, such as derivatives and insurance techniques.

It is unknown whether postprandial plasma glucose measured from blood taken between 4 and 7.9 h (PPG4-7.9h) is associated with mortality from hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to investigate these associations in 4,896 US adults who attended the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PPG4-7.9h for mortality. This cohort was followed up for 106,300 person-years (mean follow-up, 21.7 years). A 1-natural-log-unit increase in PPG4-7.9h was associated with a higher risk of mortality from hypertension (HR, 3.50; 95% CI, 2.34-5.24), diabetes (HR, 11.7; 95% CI, 6.85-20.0), and CVD (HR, 2.76; 95% CI, 2.08-3.68) after adjustment for all the tested confounders except hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). After further adjustment for HbA1c, PPG4-7.9h remained positively associated with mortality from hypertension (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.13-4.08) and CVD (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.05-2.51), but was no longer associated with diabetes mortality. Subgroup analyses showed that similar results were obtained in the sub-cohort of participants without a prior diagnosis of myocardial infarction or stroke. In conclusion, PPG4-7.9h predicts mortality from hypertension and CVD independent of HbA1c.

The aquaculture sector has become increasingly reliant on soybean meal (SBM) and soy-derived proteins, because of their large abundance, low price and favorable amino acid profile. However, for Atlantic salmon, a major aquaculture species, the inclusion of soybean meal, and soy protein concentrate (SPC) in certain combinations has adverse impacts on its gut health and welfare. This study evaluated two enhanced SBM targeting improved gut health for inclusion in freshwater phase salmon diets, enzyme pre-treatment (ETS) and addition of fructose oligosaccharide (USP), respectively in comparison to untreated soybean meal (US) and fish meal (FM). The impact on growth performance, gut microbiome, and behaviors relevant to welfare was investigated. Both enhancements of SBM were found to support comparable growth performance to FM. Both targeted treatments altered the gut microbiome community. Fish fed SBM showed a tendency for more reactive behavior compared to those fed the FM-based control. All fish had a similarly low response to elicited stress, although ETS fed fish responded more actively than those fed the US diet. SBM fed fish also had lower repeatability of behavior, which may have implications for welfare. Both enhancements provide a promising basis to optimize the application of this widely used protein source.

In this study, the motion characteristics of soft alginate microrobots were investigated with wireless magnetic fields in complex fluidic environments. Our aim is to explore the various motion modes that arise as a result of shear forces in viscoelastic fluids. Polyacrylamide (PAA), a water-soluble polymer, was characterized to produce a dynamic environment with a non-Newtonian fluid. The robots were fabricated by an extrusion-based microcentrifugal droplet method. We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of both wiggling and tumbling motions using snowman-shaped microbots. It is found that wiggling motion is primarily influenced by the interaction between the viscoelastic fluid environment and the non-uniform magnetization of the microbots. Additionally, it is discovered that modifying the viscoelasticity properties of the fluid can affect the motion behavior of the microbots. Furthermore, we observed that swarms of microbots exhibit non-uniform behavior within complex environments. Our velocity analysis has provided valuable insights into the relationship between applied magnetic fields and motion characteristics, enabling a more realistic understanding of surface locomotion in the context of targeted drug delivery.

We are of the opinion that during the design of a binary classifier one ought to consider adding an “I don’t know” answer. We provide the case for the introduction of this third category when a human needs to make a decision based on the answer from a binary classifier. We discuss the costs and potential benefits of its introduction. Colloquially, we have used the term “I don’t know”, but formally we refer to it as NotAvailable. A procedure to define NotAvailable predictions in binary classifiers, called all leave-one-out models (ALOOM), is presented as proof of the concept. Furthermore, we discuss the potential benefits of applying ALOOM in real life applications.

“Non-Locality is most naturally incorporated into a theory in which there is a special frame of reference. One possible candidate for this special frame of reference is the one in which the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is isotropic. However, other than the fact that a realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics requires a preferred frame and the CMB provides us with one, there is no readily apparent reason why the two should be linked” (L. Hardy). Starting from this remark we first argue that, given the present view of the vacuum, the basic tenets of Quantum Field Theory cannot guarantee that Einstein Special Relativity, with no preferred frame, is the physically realized version of relativity. Then, to try to understand the nature of the hypothetical preferred Σ−frame, we consider the so called ether-drift experiments, those precise optical measurements that try to detect in laboratory a small angular dependence of the two-way velocity of light and then to correlate this angular dependence with the direct CMB observations with satellites in space. By considering all experiments performed so far, from Michelson-Morley to the present experiments with optical resonators, and analyzing the small observed residuals in a modern theoretical framework, the long sought Σ− frame tight to the CMB naturally emerges. Finally, if quantum non-locality reflects some effect propagating at vastly superluminal speed vQI→∞, its ultimate origin could be hidden somewhere in the infinite speed cs→∞ of vacuum density fluctuations.

We generalize the idea of quantum clock time to quantum spacetime reference frame via physical realization of a reference system by quantum rulers and clocks. Omitting the internal degrees of freedom (such as spins) of the physical rulers and clocks, only considering their metric properties, the spacetime reference frame is described by a bosonic non-linear sigma model (NLSM). We study the quantum behavior of the system under approximations, and obtain (1) a cosmological constant valued (2/π)ρ_c0 (ρ_c0 the critical density at near current epoch) which is very close to the observations; (2) an effective Einstein-Hilbert term; (3) the ratio of variance to mean-squared of spacetime interval tends to a universal constant 2/π in the infrared region. This effect is testable by observing a linear dependence between the inherent quantum variance and mean-squared of the redshifts from cosmic distant spectral lines. The proportionality is expected to be the observed percentage of the dark energy. The equivalence principle is also generalized to the quantum level.

GCTs are developmental tumors and likely to reflect ontogenetic and teratogenetic determinants. The objective was to identify syndromes with or without congenital anomalies and non-syndromic defects as potential risk factors. Patients with extracranial GCTs (eGCTs) registered in MAKEI 96/MAHO 98 between 1996 and 2017 were used. According to Teilum's holistic concept malignant and benign teratomas were registered. We used a case control study design with Orphanet as a reference group for syndromic defects and the Mainz birth registry (EUROCAT) for congenital anomalies at birth. Co-occurring genetic syndromes and/or congenital anomalies were assessed accordingly. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and p-values for Fisher’s exact test with Bonferroni correction if needed. A strong association was confirmed for Swyer (OR 338.6, 95% CI 43.7-2623.6) and Currarino syndrome (OR 34.2, 95% CI 13.2-88.6). We additionally found 17 isolated cases of eGCT with a wide range of syndromes, however not significantly associated following Bonferroni correction. All these cases pertained to girls. Regarding non-syndromic defects, no association with eGCTs could be identified. In our study we confirmed a strong association for Swyer and Currarino syndromes with additional congenital anomalies.

In the NCBI database, as on June 6, 2020, total number of available complete genome sequences of SARS-CoV2 across the world is 3617. The envelope protein of SARS-CoV2 possesses several non-synonymous mutations over the transmembrane domain and (C)-terminus in 0.414\% of these 3617 genomes. The C-terminus motif DLLV has been changed to DFLV and YLLV in the proteins QJR88103 (Australia: Victoria) and QKI36831 (China: Guangzhou) respectively, which might affect the binding of this motif with the host protein PALS1.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing and 40% of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Over the past 5 years, the number of clinical available treatments have dramatically increased for HCC, making patient management particularly complex. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved the overall survival of patients showing a durable treatment benefit over time, and a different response pattern with respect to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Although improved survival in responder cases, a sizeable group of patients are primary progressors or are ineligible for immunotherapy. Indeed, patients with non-viral etiologies, such non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and alterations in specific driver genes might be less responsive to immunotherapy. Therefore, improving the comprehension of mechanisms of drug resistance and identifying biomarkers informative of the best treatment approach are required actions to improve patient survival. Numerous evidence indicated non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as pivotal players in cancer. Molecular mechanisms through which ncRNAs exert their effects in cancer progression and drug resistance have been widely investigated. Nevertheless, there are no studies summarizing the synergistic effect between ncRNA-based strategies and TKIs or ICIs in the preclinical setting. This review aims to provide up-to-date information regarding the possible use of ncRNAs as therapeutic targets in association with molecular targeted agents and immunotherapies and as predictive tools for the selection of optimized treatment options in advanced HCCs.

This article presents a low-cost insurance system developed for small-hold farms in disaster-prone regions, primarily using free Earth Observation (EO) data and Free Open Source Software (FOSS) – collectively termed sustainable geoinformatics - with a proprietary mobile phone app that enables verification. The study examined 30 farms in Risaralda department, Colombia. A Digital Elevation Model (12.5m pixels) from the ALOS PALSAR satellite sensor was used with a Geographical Information System (GIS) to map the terrain, drainage and geohazards of each farming district. Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used to carry out Time Series Analysis of 15 EO and weather datasets for 1998 to 2020. This analysis enabled the levels of risk from hydrometeorological hazards to be determined for each farm of the study, providing key data for the setting of insurance premiums. A parametric insurance product was piloted using GPS-tagged, time-stamped mobile phone photos to verify crop health. Key features of this insurance system are its low operational cost and rapid damage verification, relative to conventional approaches to farm insurance. It is an affordable form of insurance for small-scale farmers, with the rapid verification and payment of claims. This relatively fast, low-cost and affordable approach to insurance for small-scale farming enhances sustainable development by enabling policy-holder farmers to recover more quickly from disasters.

The non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have affected the epidemiology of other respiratory viruses. In South Korea, Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) typically occurs from winter to the following spring; however, it was not detected for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and re-emerged in the fall of 2022, which is a non-epidemic season. To examine the molecular genetic characteristics of HMPV before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed 427 HMPV-positive samples collected in the Gwangju area from 2018 to 2022. Among these, 24 samples were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The results showed a shift in the predominant genotype from A2b2 before the COVID-19 pandemic to A2b1 in 2022. Furthermore, a significant increase in HMPV cases was observed in the 6–10-year age group. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing have reduced the possibility of HMPV exposure and herd immunity due to non-transmission, resulting in the introduction of new HMPV genotypes in different seasons.

The production of fuels and other industrial products from renewable sources has intensified the search for new substrates or for the expansion of the use of substrates already in use, as well as the search for microorganisms with different metabolic capacities. In the present work, we isolated and tested a yeast from the soil of sugarcane irrigated with vinasse, that is, with high mineral content and acidic pH. The strain of Meyerozyma caribbica URM 8365 was able to ferment glucose, but the use of xylose occurred when some oxygenation was provided. However, some fermentation of xylose to ethanol in oxygen limitation also occurs if glucose is present. This strain was able to produce ethanol from molasses substrate with 76% efficiency, showing its tolerance to possible inhibitors. High ethanol production efficiencies were also observed in acidic hydrolysates of each bagasse, sorghum, and cactus pear biomass. Mixtures of these substrates were tested and the best composition was found for the use of excess plant biomass in supplementation of primary substrates. It was also possible to verify the production of xylitol from xylose when the acetic acid concentration is reduced. Finally, the proposed metabolic model allowed calculating how much of the xylose carbon can be directed to the production of ethanol and/or xylitol in the presence of glucose. With this, it is possible to design an industrial plant that combines the production of ethanol and/or xylitol using combinations of primary substrates with hydrolysates of their biomass.

Through the use of a simplified model of consciousness this paper illustrates the symptoms of schizophrenia linked to neocortical structures and functions. It makes the case that the bewildering and varied presentation of symptoms in schizophrenia can be analyzed and explained using such models. The model is used to illustrate the central thesis of the paper, that schizophrenia is a disorder of neurogenesis which leads to progressive neurochemical, functional and neurophysiological changes that create the characteristic behaviors of the disease.

Background: Studies have demonstrated the link between vitamin D-related genetic variations and non-skeletal outcomes. We aimed to identify all available data on the association of vitamin D-related genetic variations with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: Potentially eligible studies were identified from Embase and Medline databases from inception to June 2022 using search strategy that comprised terms for “Vitamin D” and “NAFLD”. Eligible study must report the association between vitamin D-related genetic variations and presence, severity or response to treatment of NAFLD. Data were extracted from each eligible study. Results: A total of 3,495 articles were identified. After systematic review, twelve studies were in-cluded. A total of 26 genetic variations were identified. Presence of NAFLD was associated with variations of GC (rs222054, rs222020, rs10011000, rs7041), VDR (rs2228570, rs11168287, rs10783219, rs4752), CYP24A1 (rs3787557, rs6068816, rs2296241, rs2248359) and CYP27B1 (rs4646536). Severity of NAFLD was associated with variations of GC (rs4588), VDR (rs2228570, rs4334089), CYP2R1 (rs10741657), DHCR7 (rs1544410, rs3829251, rs12785878) and CYP24A1 (rs3787557, rs6068816, rs6097809, rs6127119, rs2248359, rs3787554, rs4809960, rs6022999). Response to calcitriol treatment was associated with variation of VDR (rs10735810). Conclusions: Multiple vitamin D-related genetic variations were associated with NAFLD, indi-cating the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

Objective: To investigate fundamental movement skills (FMS) and physical activity differences among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White elementary school children. Materials and Methods: This study included 194 children aged between 4 and 11 in kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades. For evaluable participants, t-tests were used to test potential differences in fitness or movement skills. The characteristics of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White were compared using the p-value to detect statistical differences in anthropometric, FMS, and fitness characteristics. To identify any noticeable differences, the means and standard deviations of each group were compared. Results: There were significant group differences across the participants in age, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), BMI percentile, arm circumference, and waist circumference. In addition, there were significant differences between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White in catch, run, dodge, punt, and two-hand strike (all p’s <0.05). Lastly, there were significant differences between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White in pull-up, push-up, and sit-up (all p’s <0.05). Conclusion: Future studies should focus on decreasing obesity, increasing fitness, and FMS in elementary school children. Particularly, with Hispanic children whose FMS is negatively affected at such a young age, leading to eventual implications for their physical fitness and health in the future.

Accurately estimating the pose of spacecraft is indispensable for space applications. However, such targets are generally non-cooperative, i.e., no markers are mounted on it and no parts for operation. Therefore, the detection and measurement of a non-cooperative target is very challenging. Stereovision sensors are important solutions in the near field. In this paper, a rectangular natural feature recognition and pose measurement method for non-cooperative spacecraft is proposed. Solar panels or the bodies of spacecraft are selected as detection objects and their image features are captured by stereo vision. These rectangle features are then reconstructed in 3D Cartesian space through parallelogram fitting on the image planes of two cameras. The vertexes are used to calculate the center position of the rectangle and the direction of the fixed coordinate system to solve the pose and attitude of the non-cooperative target. An experimental system is built to validate the effectiveness of the algorithm. The experimental results show that the average position measurement error of the algorithm is about 10mm and the average attitude measurement error is less than 1°. The results show that the proposed method has high accuracy and efficiency.

Using LSMS-ISA panel data, we analyzed determinants of diversification into Rural Non-Farm Enterprises (RNFEs) and dynamics of the sector by studying the transition between farming and both low- and high-return RNFEs. We found that diversification into RNFE is determined by household characteristics mainly age and gender of the household head, whereas initial capital endowments such as assets, human capital, land and livestock significantly affect level of participation than entry into RNFE. Furthermore, analysing dynamics of RNFE separately for the youth and matured households, our study finds that continuous participation in RNFE is higher among the youth than among matured households. Similarly, initial capital endowments mainly educational level and access to credit are important factors for the youth to transit to high return RNFE, implying that entrepreneurial skills development and access to finance that enhance investments and gradual accumulation of capital are vital for the youth to benefit from RNFEs. Moreover, shocks that affect agricultural productivity are significant in increasing the probability of transition out of high-return RNFE signifying the need for social protection measures to ensure growth of RNFEs.

Wine is a processed beverage that offers high nutritional and health benefits. It is produced from grape must, which undergoes fermentation by yeasts (and sometimes lactic acid bacteria) to create a product that is highly appreciated by consumers worldwide. However, if only one type of yeast, specifically Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were used in the fermentation process, the resulting wine would lack aroma and flavor and may be rejected by consumers. To produce wine with a desirable taste and aroma, non-Saccharomyces yeasts are necessary. These yeasts contribute volatile aromatic compounds that significantly impact the wine’s final taste. They promote the release of primary aromatic compounds through a sequential hydrolysis mechanism involving several glycosidases unique to these yeasts. This review will discuss the unique characteristics of these yeasts (Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Pichia kluyveri, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Hanseniaspora vineae, Lachancea thermotolerans, Candida stellata, and others) and their impact on wine fermentations and co-fermentations. Their existence and the metabolites they produce enhance the complexity of wine flavor, resulting in a more enjoyable drinking experience.

Post-quantum public cryptosystems introduced so far do not define an scalable public key infrastructure for the quantum era. We demonstrate here a public certification system based in Lizama’s non-invertible Key Exchange Protocol which can be used to implement a public key infrastructure (PKI), secure, scalable, interoperable and efficient. We show functionality of certificates across different certification domains. Finally, we discuss that non-invertible certificates can exhibit Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).

Background: The prognostic impact of non-cardiac comorbidities can vary in relation to the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim was to analyze prevalence and long-term prognostic impact of non-cardiac co-morbidities in patients with reduced and preserved EF following STEMI. Method: 3115 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI were divided in two groups: reduced EF <50% and preserved EF≥50%. Follow-up period was 8 years. Results: Preserved EF was present in 1726 (55.4%) patients and reduced EF was present in 1389 (44.5%) patients. Non-cardiac comorbidities were more frequent in patients with reduced EF as compared with patients with preserved EF (38.9% vs 27.4%, respectively, p<0.001). Lethal outcome was registered in 240 (17.2%) patients with reduced EF and in 40 (2.3%) patients with preserved EF, p<0.001. Diabetes and CKD were independent predictors for 8-year mortality in patients with preserved EF while in patients with reduced EF only CKD was independently associated with 8-year mortality. Conclusion: In the present study the prevalence of non-cardiac comorbidities is similar in patients with reduced and preserved EF after STEMI, but only DM and CKD are independently associated with long-term mortality.

Stroke represents one of the neurological diseases most responsible for death and permanent disability in the world. Different factors, such as thrombus, emboli and atherosclerosis, take part in the intricate pathophysiology of stroke. Comprehending the molecular processes involved in this mechanism is crucial to developing new, specific and efficient treatments. Some common mechanisms are excitotoxicity and calcium overload, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are critical in pathophysiology and recovery after cerebral ischaemia. ncRNAs, particularly microRNAs, and the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential for angiogenesis and neuroprotection, and they have been suggested to be therapeutic, diagnostic and prognostic tools in cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke. This review summarizes the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and delves into the function of miRNAs in the development of brain damage. Furthermore, we will analyze new perspectives on treatment based on molecular mechanisms in addition to traditional stroke therapies.

Phenomenon of vacuum fluctuations of virtual particles in high energy physics has been mathematically modeled by a third order differential equation. Aim of present theory is to unravel underlying mathematical equation capable of explaining microscopic phenomenon of vacuum fluctuations. Solution of such a differential equation after applying appropriate boundary conditions gives an acceptable wave function i.e. . Operation of energy and time operator on this wave function proves that these operators do not hold commutative property. Time energy uncertainty principle has been derived by calculating variance of energy and time for the same wave function.

The moisture content of maize seed is an important indicator for evaluating seed quality and a fundamental item in grain testing. The experiment used direct drying method to measure the moisture content of 80 different varieties of maize samples, and captured their images using a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system in the spectral range of 1100~2498nm. By comparing seven spectral preprocessing methods, the PLSR model established after Normalize pretreatment had the best effect. The characteristic wavelengths were selected by Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA), Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS) and Uninformative Variable Elimination (UVE). Twelve prediction models were established for full band spectra and characteristic wavelengths based on PLSR, PCR and SVM. By comparing the performance of the prediction models, it was found the Normalize-SPA-PLSR algorithm was optimized. The values of RC2 and RP2 in the model were higher, which were 0.9936 and 0.9933, respectively, while the values of RMSEP and RMSECV were lower, which were 0.0357 and 0.0380, respectively. The Normalize-SPA-PLSR model was used as a visual prediction model for moisture content of maize seed, the 20 maize varieties in the prediction set were visualized to obtain visualized color images of moisture content. The color differences between different moisture content images were significant. The result indicated that hyperspectral imaging could accurately, rapidly, and non-destructive predict moisture content of maize seed, which provided technical support for moisture content detection in the process of maize harvest, storage and processing.

This review describes the subjective experience of visual aura in migraine, outlines theoretical models of this phenomenon, and explores how these may be linked to neurochemical, electrophysiological and psychophysical differences in sensory processing that have been reported in migraine with aura. Reaction-diffusion models have been used to model the hallucinations thought to arise from cortical spreading depolarisation and depression in migraine aura. One aim of this review is to make the underlying principles of these models accessible to a general readership. Cortical spreading depolarisation and depression in these models depends on the balance of the diffusion rate between excitation and inhibition, and the occurrence of a large spike in activity to initiate spontaneous pattern formation. We review experimental evidence, including recordings of brain activity made during the aura and attack phase, self-reported triggers of migraine, and psychophysical studies of visual processing in migraine with aura, and how these might relate to mechanisms of excitability that make some people susceptible to aura. Increased cortical excitability, increased neural noise, and fluctuations in oscillatory activity across the migraine cycle are all factors likely to contribute to the occurrence of migraine aura. There remain many outstanding questions relating to the current limitations of both models and experimental evidence. Nevertheless, reaction-diffusion models, by providing an integrative theoretical framework, support the generation of testable experimental hypotheses to guide future research.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus and can be transmitted through an infected mosquito bite or through human-to-human interaction by sexual activity, blood transfusion, breastfeeding or perinatal exposure. After the 2015-2016 outbreak in Brazil, a strong link between ZIKV infection and microcephaly emerged. ZIKV specifically targets human neural progenitor cells, suggesting that proteins encoded by ZIKV bind and inactivate host cell proteins leading to microcephaly. Here, we present a systematic annotation of interactions between human proteins and the seven non-structural ZIKV proteins corresponding to a Brazilian isolate. The interaction network was generated by combining tandem-affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry with yeast two-hybrid screens. We identified 150 human proteins, involved in distinct biological processes, as interactors to ZIKV non-structural proteins. Our interacting network is composed of proteins that have been previously associated with microcephaly in human genetic disorders and/or animal models. This study builds on previously published interacting networks of ZIKV and genes related to autosomal recessive primary microcephaly to generate a catalog of human cellular targets of ZIKV proteins implicated in processes related to microcephaly in humans. Collectively, this data can be used as a resource for future characterization of ZIKV infection biology and help create a basis for the discovery of drugs which may disrupt the interaction and reduce the health damage to the fetus.

Simulating the non-perturbative and non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems is a very challenging many body problem, due to the need to evolve both the system and its environments on an equal footing. Tensor network and matrix product states (MPS) have emerged as powerful tools for open system models, but the numerical resources required to treat finite temperature environments grow extremely rapidly and limit their applications. In this study we use time-dependent variational evolution of MPS to expore the striking theory of Tamescelli et al. that shows how finite temperture open dyanmics can be obtained from zero temperature, i.e. pure wave function, simulations. Using this approach, we produce a benchmark data set for the dynamics of the Ohmic spin-boson model across a wide range of coupling and temperatures, and also present detailed analysis of the numerical costs of simulating non-equilibrium steady states, such as those emerging from the non-perturbative coupling of a qubit to baths at different temperatures. Despite ever growing resource requirements, we find that converged non-perturbative results can be obtained, and we discuss a number of recent ideas and numerical techniques that should allow wide application of MPS to complex open quantum systems.

Purpose: Young transgender and non-binary are exposed to situations of discrimination and have a greater risk of violence. The purpose of this study is to analyze which protective, violence and health and well-being factors have more influence on transgender and non-binary people compared to cisgender people. Method: The sample comprised 856 people between 14 and 25 years old. A survey including questions about sociodemographic information and protective, violence and health and well-being factors was designed ad hoc for this study. Results: The results show non-binary group received the least support from family and friends, higher risk of suffering cyberbullying and a higher feel isolated and unhappy. Non-binary and transgender have suffered more verbal attacks both inside and outside their school and physical attacks at school than cisgender young. Conclusions: These results are important and may contribute to promote public policies and clinical interventions to favor the integration of non-binary and transgender people in our society.

QSO B0218+357 is a blazar located at a cosmological redshift of 0.944. The source is gravitationally lensed by a spiral galaxy located at the redshift of 0.68. Strong gravitational lensing splits the signals emitted by the source into two components separated by 10-12 days, as observed in radio and gamma-ray bands. In July 2014 a GeV flare was observed by Fermi-LAT, triggering follow-up observations with the MAGIC telescopes at energies above 100 GeV. The expected time delay between the components allowed us to plan broad band MWL observations before, during and after the trailing component of the emission. The MAGIC observations at the expected time of arrival of the trailing component resulted in the first detection of QSO B0218+357 in Very-High-Energy (VHE, >100 GeV) gamma rays. It is both the farthest known VHE object and one of only a few Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars detected in this energy range. We report here the observed multiwavelength spectral and temporal properties of the emission during the 2014 flare.

Past public health crises (e.g. tobacco, alcohol, opioids, cholera, HIV, lead, pollution, venereal disease, even COVID-19) have been met with interventions targeted both at the individual and all of society. While the healthcare community is very aware that the global pandemic of non-communicable diseases (NCD’s) has its origins in our Western ultraprocessed food diet, society has been slow to initiate any interventions other than public education, which has been ineffective, in part due to food industry interference. This article provides the rationale for such public health interventions, by compiling the evidence that added sugar, and by proxy the ultraprocessed food category, meets the four criteria set by the public health community as necessary and sufficient for regulation — addiction, toxicity, ubiquity, and externalities (how does your consumption affect me?). To its credit, some countries have recently heeded this science and have instituted sugar taxation policies to help ameliorate NCD’s within their borders. This article also supplies scientific counters to food industry talking points, in order to guide both scientists and policy makers in instituting further appropriate public health measures to quell this pandemic.

From the formalism of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes and the theory of complex systems, characterization of longevity and aging and its relationship with the emergence and evolution of cancer was carried out. It was found that: 1. The rate of entropy production can be used as an index of robustness, plasticity, the aggressiveness of cancer, and as a measure of biological age; 2. The aging process, as well as the evolution of cancer, goes through what we have called “biological phase transition”; 3. The process of metastasis, which occurs through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), appears as a phase transition far from thermodynamic equilibrium and exhibits Shilnikov chaos-like dynamic behavior. This dynamic guarantees the robustness of the process and, in turn, its unpredictability; 4. It was shown that as the ferroptosis process is strengthened, the complexity of the dynamics associated with the emergence and evolution of cancer decreases. The theoretical framework developed contributes to a better understanding of the biophysical-chemical phenomena of longevity and aging and their relationship with cancer.

This research paper aims to evaluate and model the performance of rice husk gasifier cook stoves for household energy use, a byproduct of rice milling. The study aims to address environmental issues and promote the use of rice husk as a renewable energy source and pest repellent in stoves. The study compared insulated and non-insulated gasifier stoves using rice husk gasification. The study compared the start-up time of insulated and non-insulated gasifier stoves, where the insulated stove showed a lower start-up time, but there was no significant difference at a 5% probability level. The temperature change also was not significant, as heat transfer and temperature change started when the husk was ignited. The burner stoves had different size and volume. The maximum operated or flame temperature was 1,190.30oC at room or minimum temperature of 27.33 oC, whereas the average temperature was 758.916oC for the non-insulated type of gasifier stove. The insulated gasifier stove also observed maximum and average temperatures of 518.30 oC and 289.014oC respectively at the same room temperature. The operating time of stoves directly influences the fuel consumption rate, specific gasification rate, and combustion zone rate of stoves. The fuel consumption rate has a significant effect on the type of gasifier stove, with the maximum rates being 3.820 and 2.099 kg/hr. The time to consume rice husks to gasify them depends on the density of the rice husk, reactor volume, and fuel consumption rate. The average specific gasification rate for insulated and non-insulated stoves is 106.45 and 120.63 kg/m2h, respectively. The fuel or rice husk holding capacity of each type of stove is significant at a 5% level, with the amount of rice husk and biochar produced being 1.18kg and 0.27kg for insulated stoves, and 2.511kg and 0.688kg for non-insulated stoves, respectively. The performance of gasifier stoves varies based on the bio char conversion rate, with non-insulated stoves producing a higher bio char mass per rice husk. Multiple regression analysis was used to model the relationship between time elapse with temperature and heat energy. The Squirrel-2020 data logger was used to measure the temperature produced by burning rice husks in the reactor of the stove as well as related generated and losses of heat. A relationship between the heat energy produced and the operating time of gasifier stoves was conducted to estimate the model. The cubic polynomial model was found to be the best predictive model fit for all variables of this study.

The application of bacterial metagenomic analysis as biomarker for cancer detection is emerging. Our aim was to discover gut microbiota signatures with potential utility in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A prospective study was performed on a total of 77 fecal samples from CRC and NSCLC patients and Controls. DNA from stool was analyzed for bacterial genomic sequencing using the Ion Torrent™ technology. Bioinformatic analysis was performed with QIIME2 pipeline. We applied logistic regression for adjusting differences attributable to sex, age and body mass index and compared diagnostic accuracy of our gut signatures with other previously published. The feces of patients affected by different tumor types, such as CRC and NSCLC, showed a differential intestinal microbiota profile. After adjusting for confounders, Parvimonas (OR = 53.3), Gemella (OR = 6.01), Eisenbergiella (OR = 5.35), Peptostreptococcus (OR = 9.42), Lactobacillus (OR = 6.72), Salmonella (OR = 5.44) and Fusobacterium (OR = 78.9) remained significantly associated with the risk of CRC. Two genera from the Ruminoccocaeae family, DTU089 (OR = 20.1) and an uncharacterized genus (OR = 160.1) were associated with the risk of NSCLC. Our two panels had better diagnostic capacity for CRC (AUC = 0.840) and NSLC (AUC = 0.747) compared to the application to our population of two other published panels. Thus, we propose a gut bacteria panel for each cancer type and show its potential application in cancer diagnosis.

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that activate inflammatory responses by inducing pyroptosis and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Along with many previous studies on inflammatory responses and diseases induced by canonical inflammasomes, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that non-canonical inflammasomes, such as mouse caspase-11 and human caspase-4 inflammasomes, are emerging key players in inflammatory responses and various diseases. Flavonoids are natural bioactive compounds found in plants, fruits, vegetables, and teas and have pharmacological properties in a wide range of human diseases. Many studies have successfully demonstrated that flavonoids play an anti-inflammatory role and ameliorate many inflammatory diseases by inhibiting canonical inflammasomes. Others have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory roles of flavonoids in inflammatory responses and various diseases, with a new mechanism by which flavonoids inhibit non-canonical inflammasomes. This review discusses recent studies that have investigated the anti-inflammatory roles and pharmacological properties of flavonoids in inflammatory responses and diseases induced by non-canonical inflammasomes and further provides insight into developing flavonoid-based therapeutics as potential nutraceuticals against human inflammatory diseases.

Dissemination of resistant pathogens via food supply chains is a notable public health danger from farm to fork. The proposed work analysed the distribution of E. coli among various sources of animal-based food supply chain. Overall, 500 samples were heaped up from livestock, poultry sectors, environment, fisheries, and dairy. Standard microbiological procedures were used to isolate and identify E. coli. Further, isolates were confirmed by using MALDI-TOF and virulence associated genes (VAGs). The phenotypic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by molecular identification of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through PCR using specific primers. Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) were subjected to PCR based O typing using specific primers against different O types. Overall results revealed that 154 (30.5%) samples were confirmed as E. coli, in which77 (50%) isolates were MDR E. coli. Among these, total 52 (67.53%) isolates showed array of VAGs in which 21 (40.38%) were confirmed as STEC based on stx1 and stx2. Furthermore, 12/52 (23.07%) isolates were detected as Non-O157 STEC co-harboring mcr-1 and blaNMD-1. Overall, O26 STEC was found to be the most prevalent among different non-O157 types. Herein, results proposed that detection of such STEC MDR E. coli causing serious public health consequences in developing countries.

The high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is well-established, with p16 expression being a strong predictor. HPV-related tumors exhibit unique mechanisms targeting p16 and p53 proteins. However, re-search on HPV prevalence and the combined predictive value of p16 and p53 expression in head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (HNCSCC), especially in Asian populations, is limited. This retrospective study surveyed 62 HNCSCC patients (2011–2020), excluding those with facial warts or other skin cancers. All patients underwent wide excision and biopsy. Immuno-histochemical staining for HPV, p16, and p53 yielded both positive and negative results. The relevance of each marker was investigated by categorizing the tumor locations into high-risk (Area H) and mid-risk (Area M) zones based on recurrence frequency. Of the 62 patients, 20 (32.26%) were male, with an average age of 82.27 years (26–103). Area H included 19 cases (30.65%), with the eyelid and lip being the most common sites (five cases, 8.06%). Area M in-cluded 43 cases (69.35%), with the cheek being the most common site (29 cases, 46.77%). p16 ex-pression was positive in 24 patients (38.71%), p53 expression in 42 patients (72.58%), and HPV in five patients (8.06%). No significant association was found between p16 expression and HPV presence (p > 0.99), with a positive predictive value of 8.33%. This indicates that p16, a surrogate marker of HPV in OPSCC, is not a reliable marker for HPV in HNCSCC. This study enhances our understanding of the relationship between HPV, p53, and p16 in HNCSCC in Asian populations and offers valuable insights for further research.

The safety of vegetable food is compromised by various factors, including the inefficient or excessive use of sanitizers. Instances of individuals falling ill after consuming raw vegetables have been reported, with outbreaks of diseases caused by pathogens on fresh vegetables becoming increasingly prevalent globally, attracting significant media coverage and impacting the economic viability of vegetable cultivation. Measures to enhance food safety in postharvest horticultural produce involve controlling microbial proliferation and minimizing cross-contamination. Sanitizers were utilized in the food safety arsenal for a variety of purposes, including pathogen elimination and microbe reduction, hand, tools, and vegetable contact surface cleaning, and produce shelf life extension. Choosing an appropriate sanitizer for all vegetables is difficult due to a lack of knowledge on which sanitizers are ideal for the many types of vegetables grown on farms under different environmental circumstances. Although chlorine-based sanitizers, such as sodium or calcium hypochlorite, have been widely used for the past 50 years, recent research has revealed that chlorine reacts with an organic compound in fresh vegetables to produce trihalomethane, a carcinogen precursor, and as a result, many countries have prohibited the use of chlorine in all foods. As a result, horticulture research groups worldwide are exploring for non-chlorine, ecologically friendly sanitizers for the vegetable industry. They also want to understand more about present procedures in the vegetable business for employing alternative sanitizers, as well as the efficacy and potential dangers to the food safety of fresh salad vegetables. This review-cum-research paper presented detailed information on non-chlorine sanitizers, such as their efficacy, benefits, drawbacks, regulatory requirements, and the need for additional research to lower the risk of marketed salad vegetable food safety.

We have implemented quantum modeling mainly based on Bohmian Mechanics to study time series that contain strong coupling between their events. Compared to time series with normal densities, such time series are associated with rare events. Hence, employing Gaussian statistics drastically underestimates the occurrence of their rare events. The central objective of this study is to investigate the effects of rare events in the probability densities of time series from the point of view of quantum measurements. For this purpose, we first model the non-Gaussian behavior of time series using the multifractal random walk (MRW) approach. Then, we examine the role of the key parameter of MRW, λ, which controls the degree of non-Gaussianity, in quantum potentials derived for time series. Our Bohmian quantum analysis shows that the derived potential takes some negative values in high frequencies (its mean values), then substantially increases, and the value drops again for rare events. Thus, rare events can generate a potential barrier in the high-frequency region of the quantum potential, and the effect of such a barrier becomes prominent when the system transverses it. Finally, as an example of applying quantum potential beyond the microscopic world, we compute quantum potentials for the S&amp;P financial market time series to verify the presence of rare events in the non-Gaussian densities and demonstrate deviation from the Gaussian case.

Non-standard Lagrangians do not display any discernible energy-like terms, yet they give the same equations of motion as standard Lagrangians, which have easily identifiable energy-like terms. A new method to derive non-standard Lagrangians for second-order nonlinear differential equations with damping is developed and the limitations of this method are explored. It is shown that the limitations do not exist only for those nonlinear dynamical systems that can be converted into linear ones. The obtained results are applied to selected population dynamics models for which non-standard Lagrangians and their corresponding null Lagrangians and gauge functions are derived, and their roles in the population dynamics are discussed.

Since the come up in the 70´s, various decentralized control methodologies have been developed to deal with the challenge of controlling complex and/or spatially distributed systems with multiple inputs and multiple outputs (MIMO), e.g., chemical plants, power systems, water systems, etc. In general, the use of distributed information and control structures requires to synthesize control laws in a constrained (decentralized) information structure. The article presents another version of the unified frequency domain robust decentralized controller design method [1]. The proposed design procedure is appropriate for uncertain dynamic MIMO systems given as a set of transfer function matrices. Its main framework is provided by the Equivalent Subsystems Method [1, 24] guaranteeing fulfillment of the necessary and sufficient stability condition of the overall closed-loop system if individual closed-loop equivalent subsystems are stable. Generating sets of equivalent subsystems for all transfer function matrices describing the uncertain MIMO plant allows to use the QFT method [19] to independently design local robust SISO controllers that constitute the resulting decentralized controller implemented on true subsystems. The developed design procedure is verified and illustrated on a case study on robust decentralized level controller design for a quadruple tank process [2, 24].

The paper presents the relationship between the efficiency of the process of skin onion peeling and its effect in the form of waste. The research was carried out on a pilot test stand for onion peeling. The process variables were compressed air with a pressure of (p) and valve controlling opening time of flow (t). The experiment took into account the influence of the onion diameter (d0) and its hardness (H). The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis. Standard deviations were of the percentage loss of onion mass in the form of the skin removed of onion peeling in the process in relation to obtained aver-age values. Tukey's multiple comparison test was performed in order to identify the importance of individual process variables on the final effect of onion peeling. This was the basis for the development of a predictive model in the form of a nonlinear regression Mp=f(p,t,d0,H), which is a mathematical description of the peeling onion skin process . Finally, the response surface area of relationship between analyzed variables was determined. The results of research showed the peeling efficiency of the onion and waste of skin mass depend on the compressed air pressure. Extending the onion blowing time does not improve the process efficiency, while the hardness and size of the onion are irrelevant to the process.

Background: This study explores the impact of a gluten-free diet (GFD) on regional gastrointestinal (GI) transit times in individuals with celiac disease (CD) and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NGCS). While a GFD is established for managing CD and wheat allergy, its effects on NGCS remain controversial due to inconclusive evidence. Methods: Utilizing a wireless motility and pH capsule (WMC) to assess regional and whole gut transit, newly diagnosed CD (n=12) and NGCS (n=12) patients underwent baseline evaluations, including measurements of gastric, small bowel, and colonic transit times. Results: At baseline conditions, individuals diagnosed with CD exhibited prolonged colonic and intestinal transit times when compared to those with NGCS (p&lt;0.05). Following a 4-week GFD, CD patients experienced significant reductions in both intestinal and colonic transit times, along with enhanced small intestine contractility. NGCS individuals showed improvements in intestinal transit time and contractility with a GFD, although the colon exhibited no discernible effect. The GFD did not significantly impact intragastric, intestinal, or colonic pH. Conclusions: This study, employing WMC for the first time, provides novel insights into the positive effects of a GFD on intestinal and colonic transit, as well as contractility, in CD patients, and to a lesser extent, in those with NGCS.

Research into the causes of neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD) has focused on neurofibrillary tangles and beta amyloid (Aβ) plaques. This paper proposes the heterodox theory that these hallmarks of AD are the visible effects, not direct causes of neuronal necrosis. Rather AD results from a combination of age-induced, disproportional decline in physiological support for aerobic metabolism, and dysregulation of the sleep cycle processes. The hypothesis is that the decimation of neurons in AD results from a combination of neurotoxicity and increased apoptosis caused by: 1. direct damage from toxic waste products of anaerobic glycolysis due to a progressive decline in the capacity of neurons to perform oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and an increased reliance on anaerobic glycolysis to meet metabolic needs; 2. impaired cellular repair and effluent release due to dysregulation of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep allowing damage to cell membranes and synaptic junctions to accumulate inducing a chronic inflammatory response; 3. indirect damage from products produced by inflammatory reaction to toxic metabolites; 4. neuronal apoptosis from the AβPP-mediated pathway due to the age-induced decline of growth hormone (GH), GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF).

Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) begins with lipid accumulation within hepatocytes, but the relative contributions of different macronutrients is still unclear. We inves-tigated the impact of fatty acids, glucose and fructose on lipid accumulation in primary human hepatocytes (PHH) and three different hepatoma cell lines: HepG2, Huh7 and McA-RH7777 (McA). Cells were treated for 48 hours with fatty acids (0 or 200μM), glucose (5mM or 11mM) and fructose (0mM, 2mM or 8mM). Lipid accumulation was measured via Nile Red staining. All cell types accumulated lipid in response to fatty acids (P<0.001). PHH and McA, but not HepG2 or Huh7 cells, accumulated more lipid with 11mM glucose plus fatty acids (P=0.004, fatty acid x glucose interaction, for both), but only PHH increased lipid accumulation in response to fructose (P<0.001). Considerable variation was observed between PHH cells from different individuals. Lipid accumulation in PHH was increased by insulin (P=0.003) with inter-individual variability. Similarly, insulin increased lipid accumulation in both HepG2 and McA cells, with a bigger response in McA in the presence of fatty acids (P<0.001 for fatty acid x insulin). McA were more insulin sensitive than either HepG2 or Huh7 cells in terms of AKT phosphorylation (P<0.001 insulin x cell type interaction). Hence glucose and fructose can contribute to the accumulation of lipid in PHH with considerable inter-individual variation, but hepatoma cell lines are not good models of PHH.

The calculation of power flow in power systems with the presence of harmonics has been properly studied in the scientific literature. However, power flow calculation considering interharmonic components is still an open question. Traditional methods based on the IEEE1459 standard have proven to be valid and accurate only for linear and sinusoidal systems, but have been criticized for non-linear and non-sinusoidal systems because they are not able to explain correctly the current and voltage interactions beyond the active power. This paper proposes the use of a novel mathematical framework called geometric algebra (GA) to study the power flow considering the interaction of current and voltage harmonics and interharmonics. The use of GA enables the precise determination of the direction and magnitude of the total and single active power flow for each component, as well as other power elements related to the non-active power due to cross interaction. Moreover, this paper makes a novel contribution to the definition of interharmonics in geometric algebra space that has not been done before. To test the validity of the method, both linear and non-linear circuits are proposed and solved by applying voltages and currents with harmonic and interharmonic components. The results obtained show that power flow can be analyzed under the prism of the principle of energy conservation (PoCoE) in a way that allows a better understanding of the power spectrum due to the interaction of harmonics and interharmonics of voltage and current.

New class of biologically active and non-active compounds can be synthesized via transition metal mediated Suzuki cross coupling reaction that has a great impact on the advancement of organic chemistry. These resulted products can lend a helping hand in pharmaceutical and polymer chemistry for the betterment of mankind. Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction is one of the best tools through which many natural and non-natural compounds can be synthesized.

The role played by non extensive thermodynamics in physical systems has been under intense debate for the last decades. With many applications in several areas, the Tsallis statistics has been discussed in details in many works and triggered an interesting discussion on the most deep meaning of entropy and its role in complex systems. Some possible mechanisms that could give rise to non extensive statistics have been formulated along the last several years, in particular a fractal structure in thermodynamics functions was recently proposed as a possible origin for non extensive statistics in physical systems. In the present work we investigate the properties of such fractal thermodynamical system and propose a diagrammatic method for calculations of relevant quantities related to such system. It is shown that a system with the fractal structure described here presents temperature fluctuation following an Euler Gamma Function, in accordance with previous works that evidenced the connections between those fluctuations and Tsallis statistics. Finally, the fractal scale invariance is discussed in terms of the Callan-Symanzik Equation.

This review deals with the functionalization of double bonds carried out in the presence of a chiral catalyst exploiting the intramolecular attack to haliranium ions by nucleophilic nitrogen of amides or carbamates prepared from achiral aminoalkenes, and the C-N bonds formation leads to highly enantioenriched non-aromatic heterocycles. A range of protocols are reported, emphasizing the synthesis of many natural and biologically active products of pharmacological interest prepared according to this methodology.

Skin cancer is a condition characterized by the abnormal growth of skin cells, primarily caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds. Different types of skin cancer include melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Despite the advancements in targeted therapies, there is still a need for a safer, highly efficient approach to preventing and treating cutaneous malignancies. Spices have a rich history dating back thousands of years and are renowned for their ability to enhance the flavor, taste, and color of food. Derived from various plant parts like seeds, fruits, bark, roots, or flowers, spices are important culinary ingredients. However, their value extends beyond the culinary realm. Some spices contain bioactive compounds, including phenolic compounds, which are known for their significant biological effects. These compounds have attracted attention in scientific research due to their potential health benefits, including their possible role in disease prevention and treatment, such as cancer. This review focuses on examining the potential of spice-derived phenolic compounds as preventive or therapeutic agents for managing skin cancers. By compiling and analyzing the available knowledge, this review aims to provide insights that can guide future research in identifying new anticancer phytochemicals and uncovering additional mechanisms for combating skin cancer.

On-stream inspections are the most appropriate method for routine inspections during plant operation without going through production downtime. Ultrasonic inspection, one of the on-stream inspection methods, faces challenges when performed at high temperatures exceeding the recommended 52°C. This study aims to determine the ultrasonic velocity and attenuation with the known material grade, thickness, and temperatures by comparing theory calculation versus experiment with temperatures ranging between 30°C to 250°C on low carbon steel covering most petrochemical equipment material and working conditions. The theoretical analysis was to obtain Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and longitudinal velocity at different temperatures. The experiments validated the predicted results of ultrasonic change due to temperature increase and showed a maximum error of 3%. The experimental data of velocity and decibel change from the temperature range provide a reference for the future when dealing with unknown materials information on site that require a quick corrosion status determination.

Nicotine exposure may affect NSCLC is associated with lung cancer in humans. Whether nicotine exhibits carcinogenesis promoted activities in tumor growth still unknown. Nicotine is known to have dichotomous effects on cancer biology, acting like a pro- or anti-carcinogenesis agent. There are different functions between adenocarcinoma and squamous NSCLC cancer cells. Excess generation of nicotine may inhibit mitochondrial metabolism, protein modification, and DNA cleavage. Materials and Methods: We used the H520 NSCLC line obtained from human lung epithelial cells to detected nicotine growth and toxicity using MTT assay and western blotting. The concentration of nicotine stimulated cell growth to correspond to low concentration, while high concentration was cytotoxic. Results: According to MTT assay results, at 1.0 μM nicotine has significantly enhanced the H520 cell viability (%). Nicotine induced lung cancer carcinogenesis through mechanisms of α7nAchR, EGFR, HDAC2/4/5, Cyclin D/Cyclin E, Bcl-2, p-Akt, and inflammatory proteins of NF-KappaB and COX2 increases at 1.0 μM. Apoptosis proteins were decreases at 1.0 μM nicotine by p21, p27, c-jun, and p38α using western blotting. Nicotine stimulates tumor growth is mediated through α7nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChR), possibly involving inflammation. On the other hand, at high nicotine concentrations (> 1.0 μM) with consistent cytotoxic effects and appeared to be due to direct cell kill. Nicotine can prevent apoptosis induced by NSCLC. Conclusion: Therefore, the effects on chemotherapeutics by NSCLC malignant cell lines, nicotine in concentrations as low as 1.0 μM decreased. These mechanisms are responsible for the genotoxic effects caused by nicotine. This leads to downstream effects on decreased apoptosis, increased cell proliferation and transformation. The malignant NSCLC cells respond to the treatment with nicotine in lung cancer, the nicotine-mediated induction of growth may provide one of its links to α7nAchR or EGFR.

(1) Background: Although multiple studies have reported on the therapeutic effects of Atezo+Bev for the treatment of NASH-related liver cancer, few studies have focused on its effect on liver reserve. Here, we aimed to compare the changes in hepatic reserve during the Atezo+Bev treatment of NAFLD/NASH-related HCC and of non-NAFLD/non-NASH-related HCC. (2) Methods: We retrospectively compared the changes in ALBI score in 109 patients with NAFLD/NASH or non-NAFLD/non-NASH during 12 weeks of treatment with Atezo+Bev for advanced HCC between September 2019 and January 2022. PSM was performed, and the OS, PFS, and PPS of the two groups were compared. (3)Results: The ALBI after 12 weeks of Atezo+Bev treatment was significantly worse in the NAFLD/NASH group than in the non-NAFLD/non-NASH group. Analysis of the 24 propensity score-matched pairs of cases with NAFLD/NASH or non-NAFLD non-NASH yielded similar results. The prognoses of the two groups were similar with respect to OS and PFS, but the NAFLD/NASH group had a significantly shorter PPS. The 24 matched pairs had similar OS and PFS, but the PPS of the NAFLD/NASH group was shorter. (4)Conclusion: Atezo+Bev treatment may worsen hepatic reserve, and there-fore life expectancy, in patients with NAFLD/NASH-related liver cancer.

The connection of two phenomena - non-conservative friction forces and dissipation-induced instability can lead to many interesting engineering problems. The paper studies general material-dependent damping influence on dynamical instability of disc brake systems leading to brake squeal. The effect of general damping is demonstrated on a minimal and complex model of a disc brake. A complex system including material-dependent damping is defined in the commercial finite element software. The finite element model validated by experimental data on the brake-disc test bench is used to compute the influence of a pad and a disc damping variations on system stability by complex eigenvalue analysis. Analyzes show a significant sensitivity of the experimentally verified unstable mode of the system to the ratio of the damping between the disc and the friction material components.

Near-fault ground motions can cause severe damage to civil structures, including bridges. Safety assessment of these structures for near fault ground motion is usually performed through Non-Linear Dynamic Analyses, while faster methods are often used. IMPAb (Incremental Modal Pushover Analysis for Bridges) permits to investigate the seismic response of a bridge by considering the effects of higher modes, which are often relevant for bridges. In this work, IMPAb is applied to a bridge case study considering near-fault pulse-like ground motion records. The records were analyzed and selected from the European Strong Motion Database and the pulse parameters were evaluated. In the paper results from standard pushover procedures and IMPAb are compared with nonlinear Response-History Analysis (NRHA), considering also the vertical component of the motion, as benchmark solutions and incremental dynamic analysis (IDA). Results from the case study demonstrate that the vertical seismic action has a minor influence on the structural response of the bridge. Therefore IMPAb, which can be applied considering vertical motion, remains very effective conserving the original formulation of the procedure, and can be considered a well performing procedure also for near-fault events.

Nonequilibrium work switching simulations and Jarzynski’s equation are a reliable method to compute free energy differences, ΔAlow→high, between two levels of theory, such as a pure molecular mechanical (MM) and a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) description of a system of interest. Despite the inherent parallelism, the computational cost of this approach can quickly get very high. This is particularly true for systems where the core region, the part of the system to be described at different levels of theory, is embedded in an environment, such as explicit solvent water. We find that even for relatively simple solute–water systems, switching lengths of at least 5 ps are necessary to compute ΔAlow→high reliably. In this study, we investigate two approaches towards an affordable protocol, with emphasis on keeping the switching length well below 5 ps. Inserting a hybrid charge intermediate state with modified partial charges which resembles the charge distribution of the desired high level makes it possible to obtain reliable calculations with 2 ps switches. Attempts using step-wise linear switching paths, on the other hand, did not lead to improvement, i.e., faster convergence for all systems. To understand these findings, we analyzed the solutes’ properties as a function of partial charges used, the number of waters in direct contact with the solute, and studied the time needed for water molecules to reorient themselves upon a change in the solute’s charge distribution.

The paper presents the results of modeling the problem of injecting liquid sulfur dioxide into a porous reservoir initially saturated with methane and ice. The model presented in the paper assumes the formation of three different regions, namely, the near one, saturated with liquid SO2 and its hydrate; the far one, containing methane and ice, and the intermediate one, saturated with methane and water. The effects of various parameters of the porous medium and injected SO2 on the nature of the course of the hydrate formation process have been studied. It is shown that with a decrease in reservoir permeability or injection pressure, the length of the intermediate region decreases, which in the limiting case means the formation of SO2 hydrate in the mode without the formation of an extended region saturated with methane and water. It is shown that such a regime is also typical for the case of high initial injection pressures, as well as low values of the initial reservoir temperature and injection temperature.

We consider open non-twist Hamiltonian systems represented by an area-preserving two-dimensional map describing incompressible planar flows in the reference frame of a propagating wave, and possessing exits through which map orbits can escape. The corresponding escape basins have a fractal nature that can be revealed by the so-called basin entropy, a novel concept developed to quantify final-state uncertainty in dynamical systems. Since the map considered violates locally the twist condition, there is a shearless barrier that prevents global chaotic transport. In this paper we show that it is possible to determine the shearless barrier breakup by considering the variation of the escape basin entropy with a tunable parameter.

Background and Objectives: Non-cognitive skills (NCS) are vital components of a socially and financially successful life. They are developed through childhood education, family and school environments, and social settings. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between NCS and the parent–child relationship, mental health, and lifestyle at school and at home for adolescents. Materials and Methods: An internet-based survey was conducted with 1,566 mothers and their children (aged 14) in Japan. Survey items for the children included background (i.e., sociodemographic items, school achievements, and lifestyle), NCS (i.e., grit and self-control scales), and mental health, while their mothers provided social, financial, and educational information, and information on parent–child relationships, including descriptions of the fathers and the father–child relationship. Results: Parent–child relationships were mostly good (i.e., 90.9% for mothers and 75.6% for fathers), with bad relationships being less common (1.6% for mothers and 6.7% for fathers). Adolescent lifestyle parameters and mental health were significantly associated with grit and self-control. Adolescents with good parent–child relationships had significantly higher NCS scores regardless of the gender of the parent. Higher NCS scores were significantly associated with better parent–child relationships, more favorable lifestyles, and better mental health among adolescents. Conclusions: These findings imply that good parent–child relationships may aid in the development of adolescents’ NCS, thereby facilitating positive lifestyles at school and home.

We describe a new approach for integrating multiple views of data into a common latent space using non-negative tensor factorization (NTF). This approach, which we refer to as the "Integrated Sources Model" (ISM), consists of two main steps: embedding and analysis. In the embedding step, each view is transformed into a matrix with common non-negative components. In the analysis step, the transformed views are combined into a tensor and decomposed using NTF. Noteworthy, ISM can be extended to process multi-view data sets with missing views. We illustrate the new approach using two examples: the UCI digit dataset and a public cell type gene signatures dataset, to show that multi-view clustering of digits or marker genes by their respective cell type is better achieved with ISM than with other latent space approaches. We also show how the non-negativity and sparsity of the ISM model components enable straightforward interpretations, in contrast to latent factors of mixed signs. Finally, we present potential applications to single-cell multi-omics and spatial mapping, including spatial imaging and spatial transcriptomics, and computational biology, which are currently under evaluation. ISM relies on state-of-the-art algorithms invoked via a simple workflow implemented in a Jupyter Python notebook.

In order to improve the operation performance of the multi-stage double-suction centrifugal pump and reduce the internal energy loss of the pump, this paper proposes a single-objective optimization design method based on non-hierarchical response surface model (RSM) and the multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA). Nine parameters, such as the blade outlet width and blade wrap angle, were used as design variables, and the optimization objective was the efficiency under design conditions. In total, 149 sets of valid data were obtained under the latin hypercube sampling method (LHS), the corresponding thresholds were set for efficiency and head, and 99 sets of valid data were obtained. A cross-validation analysis of the sieved data was carried out based on non-hierarchical RSM, global optimization of the efficiency was carried out using MIGA, and numerical verification was carried out via CFD. The research results show that compared with hierarchical RSM, non-hierarchical RSM can approximate the nonlinear relationship between the objective function and the design variables with higher accuracy, and the model fitting R2 value was 0.919. The efficiency was improved by 3.717% after optimization. The overall prewhirl of the impeller inlet after optimization decreased, the internal speed of the volute significantly improved, the large-area vortex at the volute and the outlet pipe was eliminated, the impact loss at the volute separating tongue disappeared, and the overall hydraulic performance of the pump was improved. The total entropy output value of the optimized pump was reduced by 4.79 (W/K), mainly concentrated in the reduction in the entropy output value of the double volute, and the overall energy dissipation of the pump was reduced.

Eddy current sensors can be used to test the characteristics and measure the parameters of the conductive samples. As the main obstacle of the multi-frequency eddy current sensor, the lift-off distance affects the effectiveness and accuracy of the measurement. In this paper, a material-independent algorithm has been proposed for the restoration of the lift-off distance when using the multi-frequency eddy current sensor, which is based on the approximation under the thin-skin effect. Experiment testing on the performance of the proposed method is presented. Results show that from the dual-frequency inductance, the lift-off distance could be restored with a maximum error of 0.24 mm for the distance up to 12 mm. Besides, the derived lift-off distance is used for the inversion of the magnetic permeability. Based on a lift-off insensitive inductance (LII) feature, the magnetic permeability of steels can be inversed in an iterative manner, with an error of less than 0.6 % for the lift-off distance up to 12 mm.

The Greek seas as a part of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, have been considered as a hotspot for the entrance of non-indigenous species (NIS). Ballast water functions as a major pathway for the spread of NIS in new environments, posing significant threats to both the ecosystems and human health. Nine non-indigenous fish species, originating from the Red Sea, have been introduced to the Greek seas since 1925. Despite the implemented laws for limiting the spread of NIS and the subsequent impacts, current global environmental issues, such as climate change and micro-plastic pollution, could result in a rapid spread and establishment of NIS in hot-spot regions, including the Greek seas. A more systematic use of advanced tools for the systematic monitoring of all NIS in the Mediterranean Sea is necessary.

In this study, the generality and prediction accuracy of a generalised series model for large eddy simulation of premixed and non-premixed turbulent combustion is explored. The model is based on Taylor series expansion of the chemical source term in scalar space and implemented into OpenFOAM. The mathematical model does not depend on the combustion regimes, and has the correct limiting behaviour. The numerical error sources are outlined and analysed. The model is first applied to a piloted methane/air non-premixed jet flame (Sandia Flame D). The statistical (time-averaged and RMS) results agree well with experimental measurements, particularly with regard to the mixture fraction, velocity, temperature, and concentrations of major species CH4, CO2, H2O, and O2. The concentrations of intermediates CO and H2 are over-predicted, due to the limitations of the reduced reaction mechanism employed. Then, a Bunsen piloted flame is simulated. Most of the statistical properties of both reactive species and progress variable are well reproduced. The only major discrepancy evident is in the temperature, which is attributed to the experimental uncertainties of temperature fields in the pilot stream. These findings have demonstrated the model`s generality for both premixed and non-premixed combustion simulation, as well as the accuracy of prediction of reactive species distribution.

The importance of irrigation in boosting agricultural production and productivity is widely understood. Proper planning and effective and efficient management and operation of irrigation system require crop and site-specific data. Since the last few years, Ethiopia has embarked on expansion of irrigated wheat. However, crop-specific data useful for irrigation planning and management for wheat crop is limited. The objective of this research was to determine water requirements and crop coefficients for wheat crops based on field measurements. The research was carried out at the Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center in central Ethiopia during the dry season (Bega) of 2021/22. The crop considered for the experiment was durum wheat of the Utuba variety. Two non-weighing lysimeter units were employed to measure the water balance components. The soil moisture was monitored using gravimetric method on daily basis conducted both before and after each irrigation event at various depth intervals. The crop required a total of 115 days to fully mature. The length of the growth of initial, development, mid, and late stages were about 20, 30, 42, and 23 days, respectively. Microsoft Excel was used for the data analysis and the CropWAT8.0 model to estimate the reference evapotranspiration. Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was determined using the water balance equation, and crop coefficients were computed from ETc and reference evapotranspiration (ETo). The results indicate that the total seasonal water requirement of the crop was 392.75mm. The growth stage-based water requirement was 40.35 mm, 82.44 mm, 238.66 mm, and 31.3 mm during the initial, development, mid, and late growing stages, respectively. For the initial, development, mid, and late stages of wheat growth, the crop coefficient was calculated to be 0.51, 0.83, 1.29, and 0.52, respectively. It was found that a fourth-degree polynomial equation fits well and explains the relationship between day of growth stage and kc of the crop. Although a one-season measurement, the results generated here could be useful for crop-specific data in scarce areas.

The emergence of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) has stimulated the growth and advancement of technological civilization. NIR is ubiquitous; it has helped improve all fields and even deepened democratic processes through the transfer of data and electronic transmission of results etc. A breathtaking part of NIR is its recent application in the treatment of adverse health effects through radiofrequency ablation, phototherapy, etc. as summarized in Table 1. The benefits of NIR are enormous, however, technological civilization has not come without a cost; some of the adverse health effects associated with NIR include skin cancers, sleep disorders, photo-aging, etc. as summarized in Table 2. Therefore, with the rapid and sporadic increase in the sources of NIR from Natural and Artificial sources including fossil fuel burning, Starlink technology, mobile phones, mobile base antennas, etc., background radiation is expected to rise beyond the exposure limit leading to health illnesses. Intrinsically, there is a dare need to marry concerns that evolve with this growth. Hence, this review article aims to congregate the health hazards associated with NIR and the state-of-the-art applications of NIR in medicine and the health sector in Nigeria being a developing country. Part of our recommendations is that the government at all levels should set up enforcement agencies and policies to drive strict adherence to NIR as provided by ICNIRP; frequent-periodic assessments of background radiation in public places should be carried out due to the increasing sources. In addition, further research is needed to ascertain the health hazard from emerging sources of NIR like Starlink technology and to substantiate findings of non-thermal effects.

The first attempt to control and mitigate an epidemic outbreak caused by a previously unknown virus occurs primarily via non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). In case of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which since the early days of 2020 caused the COVID-19 pandemic, NPIs aimed at reducing transmission enabling contacts between individuals. The effectiveness of contact reduction measures directly correlates with the number of individuals adhering to such measures. Here, we illustrate by means of a very simple compartmental model how partial noncompliance with NPIs can prevent these from stopping the spread of an epidemic.

Non-linear loads in circuits cause the appearance of harmonic disturbances both in voltage and current. In order to minimize the effects of these disturbances and, therefore, to control over the flow of electricity between the source and the load, they are often used passive or active filters. Nevertheless, determining the type of filter and the characteristics of their elements is not a trivial task. In fact, the development of algorithms for calculating the parameters of filters is still an open question. This paper analyzes the use of genetic algorithms to maximize the power factor compensation in non-sinusoidal circuits using passive filters, while concepts of geometric algebra theory are used to represent the flow of power in the circuits. According to the results obtained in different case studies, it can be concluded that the genetic algorithm obtain high quality solutions that could be generalized to similar problems of any dimension.

The presence of a non-structural protein 1 (NS1) in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccines and the possible induction of an NS1-specific immune response in vaccinated individuals remains a somewhat controversial topic. Previously, we detected the presence of NS1 in Encepur TBE vaccine by mass spectrometry and found the induction of NS1-specific IgG antibodies in mice vaccinated with FSME-Immun TBE vaccine. Here, in this follow-up study, we examined the dynamics and extent of the NS1-specific IgG response in mice vaccinated with these two vaccines in more detail and compared it with the IgG response to the whole virus (WV). Mice were vaccinated at two-week intervals with a total of six doses of each vaccine, and levels of IgG antibodies to TBE virus WV and NS1 were measured by ELISA after each dose. Both vaccines elicited a robust anti-WV IgG response after two doses. The Encepur vaccine did not elicit NS1-specific IgG even after all six doses. In contrast, FSME-Immun vaccine triggered production of NS1-specific IgG after four doses. The results indicate that FSME-Immun is the only vaccine that elicits an NS1-specific antibody response in mice. However, compared to WV-specific IgG, the NS1-specific response is weaker, and a higher number of doses is required to induce detectable levels of NS1-specific IgG antibodies.

To investigate the effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) addition and consequently porosity, two different sets of membranes are manufactured, since PVP is a widely used poring agent which has an impact on the mechanical properties of the membrane material. The first set (PAN 1) includes PAN and the necessary solvent while the second set (PAN 2) is made of PAN and PVP. These membranes are put through several characterisation processes including tensile testing. The obtained data are used to model the static behaviour of the membranes with different geometries, but similar loading and boundary conditions that represent their operating conditions. This modelling process is undertaken by using finite element method. The main idea is to investigate how geometry affects the load-carrying capacity of the membranes. Alongside membrane modelling, their materials are modelled with representative elements with hexagonal and rectangular pore arrays (RE) to understand the impact of porosity on the mechanical properties. Exploring the results, the best geometry is found as the elliptic membrane with the aspect ratio 4 and the better RE as the hexagonal array which can predict the elastic properties with an approximate error of 12%.

Zinc deficiency, a common malnutrition in children and women is a global public health problem.Burden of zinc deficiencyis more in countries with low meat and high cereal food consumption like Nepal. Nationally representative data on zinc status in Nepal is lacking at present. This study analysed the data from the recent Nepal National Micronutrient status survey 2016(NNMSS-2016) to determinethe prevalence of zinc deficiency and associated risk factors among children aged 6-59 months (n=1462) and non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years(n=1923) from three ecological zones, Hill, Terai, and Mountainof the country. Venous blood was collected from the participants to measure micronutrients such as zinc, markers of anaemia, vitamin A, and markers of inflammation. Stool was collected to assessthe soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and Helicobacterpylori infection. Socio-demographic, household and other relevant information were collected by a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine the predictors of zinc deficiency among the participants.The overall zinc deficiency in children was found to be 22.9% while it was higher in non-pregnant women (24.7%). Predictors associated with zinc deficiency among enrolled children in the study were,living in rural areas (AOR=2.25, 95% CI, [1.13, 4.49]),occurrence of diarrhoea during the two weeks preceding the survey (AOR=1.57, 95% CI, [1.07, 2.30]), household wealth quintile (AOR= 0.48, 95% CI,[0.25, 0.92]) and vitamin A status (AOR=0.49, 95% CI,[0.28, 0.85]. Risk factors associated with zinc deficiency among the non-pregnant women were being underweight (AOR=1.60, 95% CI,[1.15, 2.23]), fever occurrence during two weeks preceding the survey (AOR=1.45, 95% CI,[ 1.06, 1.99]), H. pylori in the stool (AOR=1.32, 95% CI, [1.03, 1.70]), being rich (AOR=0.64, 95% CI,[0.42, 0.98]) and being in the risk of folate deficiency (AOR=0.60, 95% CI,[0.37, 0.96]). We conclude that community focused intervention programs including health and nutrition counselling and livelihood opportunities focusing groups at high-risk may improve the zinc status in Nepal.

Federated learning trains a neural network model using the client's data to maintain the benefits of centralized model training, while maintaining the privacy. However, if the client data are not independently and identically distributed (non-IID) because of different environments, the accuracy of the model may suffer from client drift during training owing to discrepancies in each client's data. This study proposes a personalized federated learning algorithm based on the concept of multitask learning to divide each client model into two layers: a feature extraction layer and a category prediction layer. The feature extraction layer maps the input data to a low-dimensional feature vector space. Furthermore, the parameters of the neural network are aggregated with those of other clients using an adaptive method. The category prediction layer maps low-dimensional feature vectors to the label sample space, with its parameters remaining unaffected by other clients to maintain client uniqueness. The proposed personalized federated learning method produces faster learning model convergence rates and higher accuracy rates for the non-IID datasets in our experiments.

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture as a pest control strategy. Despite the benefits of pesticides on crop yields, the persistence of chemical residues in soil have an unintended impact on non-targeted microorganisms. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the combined fungicide (difenoconazole, epoxiconazole, and kresoxim-methyl) on fungal and bacterial communities of Phaeozem. In the fungicide-treated soil, the Shannon index of both fungal and bacterial communities was decreased, while Chao1 index did not differ compared to the control soil. Among bacterial taxa, the relative abundance of Athrobacter, Sphingomicrobium, and Sphingomonas increased in fungicide-treated soil due to their ability to utilize fungicides and other toxic compounds. Rhizopus and plant-beneficial Chaetomium were the dominant fungal genera, which increased 2-4 times in the fungicide-treated soil, while the relative abundance of Mortierella and Talaromyces decreased. Fusarium acuminatum was the most abundant phytopathogenic fungus that causes root rot disease of wheat, but applied fungicide treatment decreased their diversity in the soil 2 times, which is consistent on the observed plants.

Toxoplasmosis is a neglected anthropozoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. The role of non-human primates in the epidemiology of human toxoplasmosis is not clear. Acute and highly fatal cases of toxoplasmosis are frequently reported in new world monkeys and asymptomatic infections in old world monkeys. Here we report detection of latent natural T. gondii infection in olive baboons during a screening exercise to select animals for an experimental toxoplasmosis study. Archived serum samples from 32 olive baboons (Papio anubis), 23 wild caught and nine colony-born, were screened for T. gondii DNA using nested PCR. Eighteen (56.25%) samples were from females and fourteen (43.75%) from males. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in 21 (65.6%) baboons. 13 females (40. 6%) and eight males (25%). Five baboons (24%) which tested positive were from the Institute of Primate Research colony but there was no statistical significance between them and the wild trapped (p=0.453). There was neither statistical significance (p=0.373) between sex and infection status nor between area of origin and infection status (p>0.05). These results indicate that olive baboons get infected with T. gondii in the wild and during captivity and may be significant reservoirs of human infections, especially where they may be trapped for bushmeat. We recommend a country-wide study to establish true prevalence of toxoplasmosis among non-human primates and identify associated parasite strains.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to pose a significant global health challenge, with millions of people affected and new cases emerging each year. While various treatment and prevention methods exist, including antiretroviral therapy and non-vaccine approaches, developing an effective vaccine remains the most crucial and cost-effective solution to combat the HIV epidemic. Despite significant advancements in HIV research, the HIV vaccine field has faced numerous challenges, and only one clinical trial has demonstrated a modest level of efficacy. This review delves into the history of HIV vaccines and the current efforts in HIV prevention, emphasizing pre-clinical vaccine development using the non-human primate model (NHP) of HIV infection. NHP models offer valuable insights into potential preventive strategies for combating HIV, and they play a vital role in informing and guiding the development of novel vaccine candidates before they can proceed to human clinical trials.

Background Reliable and field-applicable diagnosis of schistosome infections in non-human animals is important for surveillance, control, and verification of interruption of human schistosomiasis transmission. This study aimed to summarize uses of available diagnostic techniques through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods and principal findings We systematically searched the literature and reports comparing two or more diagnostic tests in non-human animals for schistosome infection. Out of 4,909 articles and reports screened, 18 met our inclusion criteria, four of which were considered in the meta-analysis. A total of 14 techniques (parasitologic, immunologic, and molecular) and nine types of non-human animals were involved in the studies. Notably, four studies compared parasitologic tests (miracidium hatching test (MHT), Kato-Katz (KK), the Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory technique (DBL), and formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation-digestion (FED-SD)) with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and sensitivity estimates (using qPCR as the reference) were extracted and included in the meta-analyses, showing significant heterogeneity across studies and animals hosts. The pooled estimate of sensitivity was 0.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03 – 0.48) with FED-SD showing highest sensitivity (0.89, 95% CI: 0.65 – 1.00). Conclusions and significance Our findings suggest that the parasitologic technique FEA-SD and the molecular technique, qPCR, are the most promising field-applicable techniques for schistosome diagnosis in non-human animal hosts. Future studies are needed for validation and standardization of the techniques for real-world field applications.

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives, which has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. The interaction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with cell membranes can affect their physicochemical properties, which, in turn, can cause a number of side effects in the use of these drugs. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy could be used to study the interaction of diclofenac with the membrane, if its spin-labeled analogs existed. This paper describes the synthesis of spin-labeled diclofenac (diclofenac-SL), which consists of a simple sequence of transformations such as iodination, esterification, Sonogashira cross-coupling, oxidation and saponification. EPR spectra showed that diclofenac-SL binds to in a lipid membrane composed of palmito-yl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC). 2H electron spin echo spectroscopy (ESEEM) was used to determine the position of the diclofenac-SL relative to the membrane surface. It has been established that the average its depth of immersion corresponds to the 5th position of the carbon atom in the lipid chain.

Metabolites present in the hemolymph of honey bees play a crucial role in modulating the metamorphic process within the species. However, the precise alterations in metabolite composition, along with the associated variances and regulatory pathways implicated during the larvae-to-pupae metamorphosis of honey bees, remain incompletely elucidated. In this investigation, we gathered hemolymph samples from honey bee larvae at three distinct physiological stages-feeding, prepupal, and pupae and subjected them to metabolite analysis utilizing the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique. Employing principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), we identified significant differential metabolites and conducted a metabolic pathway analysis on those differentially up-regulated during the prepupal and pupae stages. Notably, metabolites up-regulated in the hemolymph of prepupal stage larvae primarily governed glucose metabolism and fat digestion and absorption, while those in pupae stage larvae were involved in regulating chitin and lipopolysaccharide precursor formation, as well as the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. These findings bear significant implications for advancing our comprehension of the metamorphic processes in honey bees.

Non-vertebrate species represent about ~95% of known metazoan (animal) diversity. They remain to this day relatively unexplored genetically, but understanding their genome structure and function is pivotal for expanding our current knowledge of evolution, ecology and biodiversity. Following the continuous improvements and decreasing costs of sequencing technologies, many genome assembly tools have been released, leading to a significant amount of genome projects being completed in recent years. In this review, we examine the current state of genome projects of non-vertebrate animal species. We present an overview of available sequencing technologies, assembly approaches, as well as pre and post-processing steps, genome assembly evaluation methods, and their application to non-vertebrate animal genomes.

The quality and shelf-life of NCS (Non-centrifugal sugar) mainly depend on the moisture content present in it. NCS formed by the current practice of open sun drying contains moisture substantially greater than the acceptable level of 3%. This paper presents the work taken up to design a tunnel dryer to attain require moisture content in granular NCS for various load conditions. Initially, an experimental investigation had been carried out on a laboratory scale dryer to achieve required moisture content (< 3%) for various load conditions. This experimental data was used for validating two drying models and found that one of the models is best suitable for designing an industrial-scale dryer. For various load conditions on each tray and dryer exit temperature, nine different cases were arrived at. The number of trucks, trays, drying time and energy requirements were computed using the suitable theoretical model. Tunnel dryer with a length of 18 m, a height of 1.2 m, a width of 1 m, number of trucks of 18 and 24 number of trays on each truck was found to be the suitable dryer to dry 1 tone of NCS based on the minimum energy requirement of 176.49 MJ, and a minimum drying time of 68 minutes.

Butanol extracts from leaves, twigs and fruits of Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson (sea buckthorn, SBT) were fractionated into phenolic and non-polar lipid components. Their chemical composition was analyzed using the Thermo Ultimate 3000RS chromatographic system, equipped with a diode array detector, a corona-charged aerosol detector, and coupled with a (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer. Assuming that an effect on natural microbiotaand host epithelial cells needs to be assessed, regardless of the purpose of using SBT formulations in vivo, the MIC/MBC/MFC of the fractions and reference phytocompounds were screened involving 17 species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and Candida species. The impact of the fractions (subMIC) on the important in vivo persistence properties of S. aureus and C. albicans strains was evaluated. Tests for adhesion and biofilm formation on an abiotic surface and the surfaces conditioned with fibrinogen, collagen, plasma or artificial saliva showed the inhibitory activity of the fractions. The effects on FITC-labeled staphylococci adhesion to fibroblasts (HFF-1) and epithelial cells (Caco-2), and on fungal morphogenesis, indicated that SBT extracts have high anti-virulence potential. Cytotoxicity tests (MTT-reduction) on the standard fibroblast cell line showed variable biological safety of the fractions depending on their composition and concentration.

We present an any-to-one voice conversion (VC) system, using an autoregressive model and LPCNet vocoder, aimed to enhance the converted speech in terms of naturalness, intelligibility, and speaker similarity. As the name implies, non-parallel any-to-one voice conversion does not require paired source and target speeches and can be employed for arbitrary speech conversion tasks. Recent advancements in neural-based vocoders, such as WaveNet, have improved the efficiency of speech synthesis. However, in practice, we find that the trajectory of some generated waveforms is not consistently smooth, leading to occasional voice errors. To address this issue, we propose to use an autoregressive (AR) conversion model along with the high-fidelity LPCNet vocoder. This combination not only solves the problems of waveform fluidity but also produces more natural and clear speech, with the added capability of real-time speech generation. To precisely represent the linguistic content of a given utterance, we use speaker-independent PPG features (SI-PPG) computed from an automatic speech recognition (ASR) model trained on a multi-speaker corpus. Next, a conversion model maps the SI-PPG to the acoustic representations used as input features for the LPCNet. The proposed autoregressive structure enables our system to produce the following prediction step outputs from the acoustic features predicted in the previous step. We evaluate the effectiveness of our system by performing any-to-one conversion pairs between native English speakers. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art systems, producing higher speech quality and greater speaker similarity.

The authors of the paper have made an attempt to detect the fibre content and fibre spacing in a steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) industrial floor. Two non-destructive testing (NDT) methods: an electromagnetic induction technique and a radar-based technique were applied. The first method allowed to detect the spacing in subsequent layers located in the thickness of the slab. The result of the second method was a 3D visualization of the detected fibre in the volume of concrete slab. The conducted tests showed aptitude and limitations of the applied methods in estimating fibre volume and spacing. The two techniques also allowed to locate the areas with relatively low fibre concentration which are very likely to be characterized by low mechanical properties.

A temperate deep lake, Lake Kuttara, Hokkaido, Japan (148 m deep at maximum) was completely frozen every winter in the 20th century. However, unfrozen conditions of the lake over winter occurred four times in the 21st century, which is probably due to global warming. In order to understand how thermal regime of the lake responds to climate change, its heat storage change was calculated by estimating heat budget of the lake and monitoring water temperature at the deepest point for September 2012–June 2016. As a result, temporal change of the heat storage from the heat budget was very consistent with that from the direct temperature measurement (determination coefficient R² = 0.827). The 1978–2017 data at a meteorological station near Kuttara indicated that there are significant (less than 5% level) long-term trends for air temperature (0.024 °C/yr) and wind speed (−0.010 m/s/yr). A sensitivity analysis for the heat storage from the heat budget estimate and an estimate of return periods for mean air temperature in mid-winter allow us to conclude that the lake could be unfrozen once per about two year in a decade.

The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment among contacts with latent TB infection of new cases of pulmonary TB cases reported in Catalonia in 2019-2021. All contacts aged 18 years or older with a latent TB infection who received a TB preventive treatment were included in the study. The Chi square test and the odds ratios (OR) were used to assess the association between non-adherence to TB preventive treatment and the study variables, considering a p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to detect the in-dependent factors associated with TB preventive treatment non-adherence, considering a p < 0.05 as statistically significant. The percentage of non-adherence to TB preventive treatment found in this study was 23.7%. A multivariable logistic regression analysis determined that the following factors were significantly associated with TB preventive treatment non-adherence among adult contacts: “exposure at school or workplace” (aOR = 3.34), “exposure to an index case without laboratory confirmation of TB” (aOR = 2.07), “immigrant contact” (aOR = 1.81), “male gender” (aOR = 1.75) and “exposure duration <6 hours per week or sporadic exposure” (aOR = 1.60). By contrast, the factor “short-term TB preventive treatment regimen” (aOR = 0.38) was significantly associated with a lower treatment non-adherence. Adherence to TB preventive treatment should be improved among adult contacts of TB pulmonary cases with latent TB infection by recommending short-term treatment regimens and by developing health education activities, with a greater focus on contacts with factors associated with treatment non-adherence.

With increased vulnerabilities and vast technology landscapes, it is extremely critical to build systems which are highly resistant to cyber-attacks, to break into systems to exploit. It is almost impossible to build 100% secure authentication & authorization mechanisms merely through standard password / PIN (With all combinations of special characters, numbers & upper/lower case alphabets and by using any of the Graphical password mechanisms). The immense computing capacity and several hacking methods used, make almost every authentication method susceptible to cyber-attacks in one or the other way. Only proven / known system which is not vulnerable in spite of highly sophisticated computing power is, human brain. In this paper, we present a new method of authentication using a combination of computer’s computing ability in combination with human intelligence. In fact this human intelligence is personalized making the overall security method more secure. Text based passwords are easy to be cracked ^[6]. There is an increased need for an alternate and more complex authentication and authorization methods. Some of the Methods ^{[7] [8]} in the category of Graphical passwords could be susceptible, when Shoulder surfing/cameras/spy devices are used.

In the world, migraine is one of the most common cause of disability in adults. To date, there is no a single cause for this disorder, but rather a set of physio-pathogenic triggers, in combination with a genetic predisposition. Among factors related to the migraine onset, a crucial role seems to be played by gut dysbiosis. In fact, it has been demonstrated how the intestine is able to modulate the central nervous system activities, through the gut-brain axis, and how gut dysbiosis can influence neurological pathologies, including migraine attacks. In this contest, in addition to migraine conventional pharmacological treatments, attention has been paid to an adjuvant therapeutic strategy based on different nutritional approaches and lifestyle changes able to positively modulate the gut microbiota composition. In fact, the restoration of the balance between the different gut bacterial species, the reconstruction of the gut barrier integrity and the control of the release of gut-derived inflammatory neuropeptides, obtained through specific nutritional patterns and lifestyle changes, represent a possible beneficial additive therapy for many migraine subtypes. Herein, this review explores the bi-directional correlation between migraine and the main chronic non-communicable diseases, like diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obesity, cancer and chronic kidney diseases, whose link is represented by gut dysbiosis.

At present, the applications and efficacy of non-ionizing radiations (NIR) in oncotherapy are limited. In terms of potential combinations, the use of biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles as heat mediators has been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, the development of more efficient heat nanomediators that may exhibit high specific absorption rates still is an unsolved problem. Our aim was to investigate if externally applied magnetic fields and a heat-inducing NIR affect tumor cell viability. To this end, under in vitro conditions, different human cancer cells (A2058 melanoma, AsPC1 pancreas carcinoma, MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma) were treated with the combination of electromagnetic fields (EMFs, using solenoids) and hyperthermia (HT, using a thermostated bath). The effect of NIR was also studied in combination with standard chemotherapy and targeted therapy. An experimental device combining EMFs and high intensity focused ultrasounds (HIFU)-induced HT was tested in vivo. EMFs (25 T, 4h) or HT (52C, 40 min) showed a limited effect on cancer cell viability in vitro. However, their combination decreased viability to approx. 16%, 50%, and 21% of controls values in A2058, AsPC1, and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. Increased lysosomal permeability, release of cathepsins into the cytosol and mitochondria-dependent activation of cell death are the underlying mechanisms. Cancer cells could be completely eliminated combining EMFs, HT and standard chemotherapy or EMFs, HT and anti-Hsp70-targeted therapy. As a proof of concept, in vivo experiments performed in AsPC1 xenografts showed that combination of EMFs, HIFU-induced HT, standard chemotherapy and a lysosomal permeabilizer induces a complete cancer regression.

With the gradual improvement of coal mining efficiency, the disturbance of groundwater system caused by the high-intensity mining mode also increases, which is a more severe challenge to the prevention of mine safety and the protection of water resources in mining areas. How to accurately describe the dynamic changes of the groundwater system under mining and quantitatively predict mine water inflow is a major problem in the current research. Based on the full analysis of the response characteristics of groundwater system to the extraction disturbance, this paper forms a kind of method to establish a mine hydrogeological conceptual model that can accurately represent the water inrush process, and uses the MODFLOW non-structural division grid to accurately characterize the formation structure, and finally make accurate water inflow prediction. Taking the Caojiatan Coal Mine in Shaanxi Province, China as an example, a numerical model of unstructured mine water inrush was established for the first time, and the changes of water inflow source and water inflow intensity were quantitatively evaluated. Compared with the traditional water inflow prediction method, it is found that the prediction accuracy is improved by 12%~17% by detailing the response characteristics of complex groundwater system under high-strength coal seam mining conditions. The method is of great significance and promotion value for the comprehensive understanding of the disturbance characteristics of human underground engineering activities, such as coal mining, on the groundwater system, and for accurately predicting water inflow.

Environmentally friendly lead-free K1-xNaxNbO3 (KNN) ceramics possess electromechanical properties comparable to lead-based ferroelectric materials, but cannot meet the needs of device miniaturization, and the corresponding thin films lack of theoretical and experimental studies. To this end, we developed the nonlinear phenomenological theory for ferroelectric materials to study the effects of non-equiaxed misfit strain on the phase structure, electromechanical properties and electrical response of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 epitaxial films and constructed the in-plane misfit strain (u1-u2) phase diagrams. The results show that K0.5Na0.5NbO3 epitaxial film under non-equiaxed in-plane strain can exhibit abundant phase structures, including orthorhombic a1c, a2c and a1a2 phases, tetragonal a1, a2 and c phases, and monoclinic r12 phases. Moreover, in the vicinity of a2c-r12, a1c-c and a1a2-a2 phase boundaries, K0.5Na0.5NbO3 epitaxial films exhibit excellent dielectric constant ε11, while at a2c -r12 and a1c-c phase boundaries large piezoelectric coefficient d15 is observed. It was also found that high permittivity ε33 and piezoelectric coefficients d33 exist near the a2c - a2, r12- a1a2 and a1c-a1 phase boundaries due to the existence of polymorphic phase boundaries (PPB) in the KNN system, which makes it easy to polarize near the phase boundaries, and the polarizability changes suddenly, leading to electromechanical enhancement. In addition, the results show that the K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films possess a large electrocaloric response at the phase boundary at the r12-a1a2 and a1c-a1 phase boundaries. And the maximum adiabatic temperature change ∆T is about 3.62 K when the electric field change is 30 MV/m at room temperature, which is significantly enhanced compared with equiaxed strain. This study provides theoretical guidance for obtaining K1-xNaxNbO3 epitaxial thin films with excellent properties.

The integration of metal nanoparticles and solid carriers can achieve ideal stability, high load and good conductivity. In this work, copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were sequentially deposited on a cobalt metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) by bonding with exposed imino groups, followed by a reduction reaction to prepare a new Cu@Co-MOF composite. Cu@Co-MOF acts as a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor to detect glucose (Glu) in an alkaline medium. The composite working electrode of Cu@Co-MOF/GCE (GCE = glassy carbon electrode) improves the electrocatalytic activity for Glu oxidation. Cu@Co-MOF/GCE shows excellent electrocatalytic performances in Glu concentration ranging 0.005~1.8 mmol∙L⁻¹ (mM): the sensitivities are 282.89 μA∙mM⁻¹∙cm⁻² in 0.005-0.4 mM Glu and 113.15 μA∙mM⁻¹∙cm⁻² in 0.4-1.8 mM Glu respectively with low detection limit of 1.6 μM (S/N = 3) and high selectivity and stability.

Although sarcopenia is known to be a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), whether NAFLD is a risk factor for the development of sarcopenia is not clear. We investigated bidirectional relationships between NAFLD and low skeletal muscle mass index (LSMI) using three different datasets. Participants were classified into LSMI and normal groups. LSMI was defined as a body mass index (BMI)-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass &lt;0.789 in men and &lt;0.512 in women or as the sex-specific lowest quintile of BMI-adjusted total skeletal muscle mass. NAFLD was determined according to NAFLD liver fat score or abdominal ultrasonography. The NAFLD groups showed a higher hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for LSMI than the normal groups (HRs=1.213, 95% CIs=1.050–1.402). The LSMI groups also showed a higher HRs with 95% CIs for NAFLD than normal groups (HRs=1.564, 95% CIs=1.378–1.775). Participants with NAFLD had consistently less skeletal muscle mass over 12 years of follow-up. In conclusion, LSMI and NAFLD showed a bidirectional relationship. Maintaining muscle mass should be emphasized in the management of NAFLD.

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

Abstract: Female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD) is a series of conditions caused by the displacement or dysfunction of the patient's pelvic organs due to defects, injuries, and deterioration of the pelvic floor supportive structures, with stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse being the most common. The mechanism of pelvic floor dysfunction is complex and not yet fully understood, and is often related to one or more functional abnormalities of muscles, connective tissues, fascia, nerves and blood vessels. Specialized clinicians are often unable to cover the comprehensive medical professional information of various specialties such as gynecology and obstetrics, urology, anus and intestines, imaging, etc., and the systematic and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of the disease will be limited. The application of artificial intelligence concepts in the medical field not only improves the diagnostic efficiency of physicians, but also provides reference and basis for the development of comprehensive treatment programs. This article follows and draws on the diagnosis and treatment process of pelvic floor dysfunction recommended in various guidelines, incorporates physical therapy techniques into the conventional non-surgical treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, provides guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, and briefly introduces the clinical application and value of pelvic floor intelligent diagnosis and treatment in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Common genetic variants of the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are strongly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. FTO is ubiquitously expressed, but appears to have tissue-specific roles. Earlier studies have focused on the role of hypothlamic FTO in the regulation of metabolism. However, it appears that FTO plays a role in the regulation of metabolism in a tissue-specific manner. Recent studies suggest that expression of hepatic FTO is regulated by metabolic signals such as nutrients and hormones and altered FTO levels in liver affects glucose and lipid metabolism. This review outlines recent findings on hepatic FTO in the regulation of metabolism, with particular focus on hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism. It is proposed that abnormal activity of hepatic signaling pathways involving FTO links metabolic impairments such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, a better understanding of these pathways may lead to therapeutic approaches to treat these metabolic diseases by targeting hepatic FTO. The overall goal of this review is to place FTO within the context of hepatic regulation of metabolism.

A strong correlation between karyotype diversity and species richness in mammals was first reported over forty years ago: in mammalian phylogenetic clades, standard deviation of karyotype diversity (KD) closely corresponds to the standard deviation of species richness (SR). These initial studies, however, did not control for phylogenetic signal, raising the possibility that the correlation was due to phylogenetic relatedness among species in a clade. Accordingly, karyotype diversity trivially reflects species diversity simply as a passive consequence of adaptive radiations. A more recent study in mammals has controlled for phylogenetic signal and established the correlation as phylogenetically independent, suggesting that species diversity cannot, in itself, explain the observed corresponding karyotype diversity. The correlation is therefore remarkable because the mechanisms contributing to karyotype diversity are evolutionarily independent of the mechanisms contributing to species diversity. Recently, it was shown in salamanders that the two processes generating genetic diversity and species diversity are indeed independent and operate in parallel, suggesting a potential non-adaptive and non-causal relationship between the two fundamental variables involved in adaptive radiations. The following will examine the relationship between KD and SR in the context of Motoo Kimura’s theory of non-adaptive radiation.

Patients with non-union fractures spend extended periods in the hospital following poor healing. Patients have to make several follow-up visits for medical and rehabilitation purposes. However, the clinical pathways and quality of life of these patients are unknown. This prospective study aimed to identify the clinical pathways (CPs) of 22 patients with lower limb non-union fractures whilst determining their quality of life. Data were collected from hospital records on admission through discharge, utilising a CP questionnaire. We used the same questionnaire to track patients' follow-up frequency, involvement in activities of daily living, and outcomes at six months. We used the short form-36 questionnaire to assess patients’ initial quality of life. The Kruskal-Wallis test compared the quality of life domains across different fracture sites. We examined CPs using medians and inter-quantile ranges. During the six-month follow-up period, 12 patients with lower limb non-union fractures were readmitted. All of the patients had impairments, limited activity, and participation restrictions. Lower limb fractures can have a substantial impact on emotional and physical health, and lower limb non-union fractures may have an even greater effect on the emotional and physical health of patients, necessitating a more holistic approach to patient care.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the accumulation of lipids in the form of lipid droplets in more than 5% of hepatocytes. It is regarded as a range of diverse pathologies, including simple steatosis and steatohepatitis. The structural characteristics of lipid droplets have been implicated in the etiology of the disease, along with their protein composition, mainly perilipins. These proteins have garnered increasing attention as a pivotal regulator, since their levels and distinct expression appear to be associated with the progression from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis. Perilipins are target proteins of chaperone-mediated autophagy, and their degradation is a prerequisite for lipolysis and lipophagy to access the lipid core. Both lipophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy have significant implications in the development of the disease, as evidenced by their upregulation during the initial phases of simple steatosis, and their subsequent downregulation once steatosis is established. On the contrary, during steatohepatitis, the process of chaperone-mediated autophagy is enhanced, although lipophagy remains suppressed. Evidently, the reduced levels of autophagic pathways observed in simple steatosis serve as a defensive mechanism against lipotoxicity. Conversely, in steatohepatitis chaperone mediated autophagy fails to compensate for the continuous generation of small lipid droplets and thus cannot protect hepatocytes from lipotoxicity.