Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is one of the newest therapeutic strategies employed as medical procedure for skin neoplasms’ treatment, especially for Classic Kaposi’s Sarcoma (CKS). The aim of this study was to demonstrate ECT clinical response and local control of CKS disease. Primary endpoint was to value the worth and efficacy of this local therapy in CKS skin lesions’ treatment. Nineteen CKS patients were enrolled, 14 males and 5 females with median age at diagnosis of 72. Complete response (CR) has been gained in 12 patients after first ECT attempt, meanwhile 3 and 4 out of 19 patients obtained a Partial response (PR), so that they underwent to a second and a third ECT treatment, each other. Clinical response was evaluated during all the time of the follow-up, which ranged between 3 months and 4 years with a median of 18 months. CKS skin lesions control still represents a challenge for surgeons and oncologists. Nevertheless, according to this and other authors’ recent experiences, ECT could be considered the gold standard strategy for early-stage patients, but at the same time it could be considered as a valid option in controlling Kaposi’s Sarcoma locally advanced lesions.

A locally-rotationally-symmetric Bianchi-I model filled with strange quark matter (SQM) is explored in f(R, T) gravity. We take f(R, T) = R + 2 f(T) = R + 2λT, where R is the Ricci scalar, T is the trace of energy-momentum tensor and λ is an arbitrary constant. Exact solutions are obtained by assuming that the expansion scalar is proportional to the shear scalar. This yields a constant value for the deceleration parameter, q = 2, which corresponds to the decelerated phase of the universe. The model is found to be physically viable for λ < −1. SQM during early evolution mimics ultra-relativistic radiation whereas at late times, it behaves as dust, quintessence or even the cosmological constant depending on the value of λ. The effective matter acts as a stiff fluid irrespective of the matter content and of the f(R, T) terms. The model is shear free at late times but remains anisotropic throughout the evolution. In the absence of the f(R, T) terms, SQM accelerates the universe. In the specific case when SQM vanishes at late times, the effect of f(R, T) is to accelerate the universe. The model admits the possibility that SQM could be an alternative to dark energy.

Sarcopenia is associated with clinical complications, which increase mortality. Effective sarcopenia risk screening in the elderly should be grounded in a comprehensive assessment, encompassing both nutritional status and medication use. Current screening tools, while emphasizing muscular per-formance, exhibit limited sensitivity in identifying elderly individuals at risk of sarcopenia. This cross-sectional study aimed to develop a sarcopenia risk screening tool, named Sarc-Global, with enhanced sensitivity, incorporating factors pertinent to the overall health of the elderly. Utilizing the criteria established by EWGSOP2 for diagnosing sarcopenia, we evaluated 395 communi-ty-dwelling elderly individuals. This evaluation served as a reference for assessing the efficacy of two validated questionnaires, Sarc-F and Sarc-CalF, and our newly developed Sarc-Global. Con-structed through multiple logistic regression, Sarc-Global integrates variables such as sex, age, medication use, body mass index, arm circumference, and handgrip strength – all significantly associated with sarcopenia (p

Information geometry (IG) seeks to characterize the structure of statistical geodesic models from a differential geometric point of view. By considering families of probability distributions as manifolds with coordinate charts determined by the parameters of each individual model, the tools of differential geometry, such as divergences and metric tensors, provide effective means of studying their characteristics. The research undertaken in this paper presents a novel approach to the modelling study of information geometrics of a queueing system. In this context, the manifold of a stable M/G/1queue is characterised from the viewpoint of IG. The Fisher Information matrix (FIM) as well as the inverse of (FIM), (IFIM) of stable M/G/1 queue manifold are devised. In addition to that, new results that uncovered the significant impact of stability of M/G/1 queue manifold on the existence of (IFIM) are obtained. The Kullback’s divergence (KD), and J-divergence (JD).New result has been devised on the significant impact of both server utilization and squared coefficient of variation of the underlying M/G/1 queue manifold on both (KD) and (KD) are devised. Also, it is revealed that stable M/G/1 QM is developable (i.e., has a zero Gaussian curvature) and has a non-zero Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). Novel stability dynamics of M/G/1 queue manifold is revealed by discovering the mutual dual impact between the behaviour of (RCT) and the stability and the instability phases of the underlying M/G/1 queue manifold. Furthermore, a new discovery that presents the significant impact of stability of M/G/1 queue manifold and the continuity of the unique representation between M/G/1 queue manifold and Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). The information matrix exponential (IME) is devised. It is also shown that the obtained (IME) is unstable. Also, it is shown that stability of the devised (IME) enforces the instability of M/G/1 queue manifold. Unifying IG with Queueing Theory enables the study of dynamics of queueing system from a novel Riemannian Geometric (RG) point of view, leading to the analysis of the stable M/G/1 queue, based on the Theory of Relativity (TR).Extending the study over two new additional divergence measures, namely and together with a complete illustrative numerical results for all these measures including KD, JD. This links Queueing theory, IG with deep machine learning and metric learning. Furthermore, this reveals the revolutionary approach of queue learning. Full analytic study of Gaussian curvatures subject to both Angular and Monge techniques together with the overall stability dynamics impact on these curvatures. Full analytic study of Einestein Tensor and Stress Energy Tensor together with the overall stability dynamics impact on these curvatures. The inclusion of the definitions of Gaussian and Ricci, Ricci scalar curvatures and Einstein Tensor together with their physical interpretations; The proposed novel approach for the pioneer visualization of queueing systems via computational information geometry. The determination of new important links between classical queueing theory and other mathematical disciplines, such as IG, matrix theory Riemannian geometry and the THEORY OF RELATIVITY by providing for first time i) The full detailed derivations of the Gaussian curvature ii) The Ricci curvature tensor and iii) The full physical as well as the geometric interpretation of these new results. The provision of a novel link between Ricci Curvature (RCT) and the stability analysis of the stable M/G/1 QM. The full investigation of the newly introduced QT-IG unifiers together with the impact of stability/ instability of the underlying M/G/1 QM on them. The full investigation of the newly introduced (QIGU) unifiers together with the impact of stability/ instability of the underlying M/G/1 QM on them.

Manipulation of radiation pattern control is challenging, especially at low frequencies. In this paper, we demonstrate that acoustic metamaterials as an effective array of quadrupoles can remarkably improve the directionality of acoustic radiation at low frequencies, compared with previous metamaterials as monopole and dipole structures. The directivity of the acoustic radiation can be adjusted by changing the characteristic parameter and the symmetry of the structure, which provide a flexible method of adjustable radiation di-rections. The directionality can be further improved by constructing linear array of structure. Our work opens an approach of acoustic radiation control via quadrupolar metamaterials.

Recently a measure termed F* was described, as an interpretable transformation of the F measure, also known as the Dice coefficient. Using elementary mathematical methods, it is shown that F* is in fact identical to a previously described measure, monotonically related to the F measure, and variously termed in previous publications, dating from the late 19^th to the late 20^th century, as the ratio of verification, the Jaccard similarity measure or index, the threat score, the Tanimoto index, and the critical success index. The origins of these different terms in different disciplines (weather forecasting, ecology, machine learning) may explain the repeated independent redescription of this measure.

Cystatin F (CstF) is a protease inhibitor of cysteine cathepsins, including those involved in acti-vating the perforin/granzyme cytotoxic pathways. It is targeted to the endolysosomal pathway but can also be secreted to the extracellular milieu or endocytosed by bystander cells. CtsF was shown to be significantly increased in tuberculous pleurisy, and during HIV coinfection, pleural fluids display high viral loads. In human macrophages, we revealed a strong upregulation of CstF during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). CstF manipulation using RNA si-lencing led to increased proteolytic activity of lysosomal cathepsins, improving Mtb intracellular killing. Here, we investigate the impact of CstF depletion during coinfection of Mtb-infected mac-rophages with lymphocytes infected with HIV. Our results indicate that decreasing CstF released by phagocytes impacts the major pro-granzyme convertase cathepsin C of cytotoxic immune cells. Consequently, an observed increase of the granzyme B apoptotic effects leads to a significant re-duction in viral replication in HIV-infected lymphocytes. Overall, our results indicate a mecha-nism of Mtb/HIV evasion of the cytotoxic mediated pathogen killing driven by the ax-is CstF/ catC/granzymes contributing to this syndemic interaction. Ultimately, this knowledge can be crucial for developing new therapeutic approaches to control both pathogens based on manipulating CstF.

Ensuring precise electric locomotive stopping is pivotal for achieving intelligent and unmanned auxiliary transportation systems. Currently, human drivers' expertise plays a central role in the stopping process, posing challenges for automation and cargo location accuracy, particularly in coal mining. This paper focuses on achieving accurate electric locomotive stopping under diverse conditions by utilizing permanent magnet synchronous motor-driven locomotives. This technique introduces a novel stopping control method that combines a fuzzy Proportional-Integral-Derivative (F-PID) controller and a vector control model for permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM). After this, we design the F-PID using the PMSM technique based on the new fuzzy rules for each sub-system. In the end, extensive simulations and real-world experiments are conducted on an electric locomotive stopping test bed, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method. From the simulation results, it confirming that the ability to achieve precise stopping under various working conditions.

Barley is an important crop grown on almost 49 Mha worldwide in 2021 and is particu-larly significant in Europe where powdery mildew is the most frequent disease on sus-ceptible varieties. The most suitable way for protecting crops is exploiting genetic re-sistance. However, the causal agent Blumeria hordei is an extremely adaptable pathogen. The aims of this research were to increase our knowledge of the rapidly changing path-ogen population and detect rare virulences. Random samples of the pathogen were ob-tained from the air by means of a mobile spore sampler. Spores were collected by driv-ing across the Czech Republic in 2019, 2021 and 2023 and 299 isolates were analyzed on 121 host varieties. No infection occurred on 35 differentials, rare virulence was recorded on 31 varieties and a higher virulence frequency was found on 55 differentials. A core set of differentials along with four additional varieties distinguish 295 pathotypes (Simple Index = 0.987) and virulence complexity of isolates varied from 4 to 19 with an average 10.39. The detection of new virulences, the increasing frequency of previously rare viru-lences and high pathotype diversity as well as high virulence complexity confirm that using nonspecific durable resistance is crucial for successfully breeding commercial va-rieties.

Given the AdS/CFT relationship, the study of higher-dimensional AdS black holes is extremely important. Furthermore, since the restriction derived from $f(Q)$'s field equations which prevents it from deriving spherically symmetric black hole solutions, the result is either $Q'=0$ or $f_{QQ}=0$. We derive static anti-de-Sitter black holes in $D$-dimensions using the cylindrical coordinate in the framework of the cubic form of $f(Q)$ gravity, where the coincident gauge condition is imposed \cite{Heisenberg:2023lru,Maurya:2023muz}. Within this study we are going to use the power-law ansatz which is the most viable according to observations where $f(Q)=Q+\frac{1}2\gamma Q^2+\frac{1}3\gamma Q^3-2\Lambda$, and the condition $D \geq 4$ is satisfied. Since these solutions lack a general relativity limit, they belong to a brand-new solution class, the characteristics of which are derived only from the non-metricity $Q$ modification. We investigate the singularities of the solutions by computing the values of different curvature and non-metricity invariants. We discover that the solutions indeed have a central singularity, but because of the f(Q) impact, it is softer than in the typical general relativity case. In conclusion, we compute thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy, Hawking temperature, and entropy. These thermodynamic calculations confirm that our model is stable.

A Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker space-time model with all curvatures k=0,±1 is explored in f(R,T) gravity. The solutions are obtained via the parametrization of the scale factor that leads to a model transiting from a decelerated universe to an accelerating one. The physical features of the model are discussed and analysed.

The rock joint fissure slope in cold regions is prone to deformation and failure problems such as relaxation, tension and collapse under freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles. Based on the ideology of clean production and promoting the structural integrity of geotechnical projects in cold areas, this study designed and prepared aeolian-sand (AS) to replace part of river sand as a filling mortar material by taking advantage of the low cost and easy availability of AS. Investigations were carried out to determine the impact of varying proportions of AS in mortar on the microstructure and shear properties of the mortar-rock interface under F-T cycles. Therefore, F-T cycle testing, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) testing and shear testing were carried out on grout with different proportions of AS. The results show that the right proportion of AS replacement could enhance the shear deformation resistance and F-T resistance of the mortar-rock interface, and 30% proportion is the optimal proportion. By increasing of F-T cycles, the three types of specimens showed different degrees of particle spalling, shedding and cracking. The slurry-rock interface layer in the A (0%) group exhibited the most severe F-T deterioration, while the B (15%) group showed a lesser degree, and the C (30%) group performed the best. T2 spectrum curve and total spectrum area change law from the microscopic point of view to verify the 30% AS proportion mortar-rock interface F-T resistance is the strongest, followed by 15% AS proportion mortar, the weakest is ordinary mortar. The degradation of the mortar-rock bond is primarily due to the conversion of solid to liquid phases and the movement of internal water caused by fluctuating temperatures. The extent of F-T deterioration in the slurry-rock interface layer is greatly affected by the varying proportions of AS. The shear strength and shear stiffness of specific proportion of AS decreased with the increase of F-T cycles. For same F-T cycles, the shear strength and shear stiffness of group C (30%) were the highest, followed by group B (15%) and group A (0%). The grout material not only reinforces the F-T joint fissure slope, but also reduces the cost of grout reinforcement and promotes the clean production of geotechnical structures.

The paper explores the Kullback-Leibler divergence formalism (KLDF) applied to the stable MG1 queue manifold. More potentially, both service time probability and cumulative functions which make KLDF exact are obtained. The credibility of KLDF is justified through consistency axioms. Some potential applications of Kullback-Leibler divergence to Biometry are presented. The paper concludes with closing remarks combined with some challenging open problems and the next phase of research.

Abstract: The two-dimensional Fuzzy Transform was applied in image compression. The quality of the image compressed with this methodis better than that obtained using methods based on fuzzy relation equations and comparable with that of the JPEG method, with better compression execution times. In this paper we propose a variation of the method based on the two-dimensional Fuzzy Transform of image compression, in which the image is first partitioned into blocks and then each block is compressed with the higher compression rate. The advantage of this method consistsinto a greater compression of the image, guaranteeing a high quality of the reconstructed image.The results show that our method is better than the Fuzzy Transform method improving also the quality of the reconstructed image.

The interaction between native and invasive plant species plays a crucial role in understanding invasion mechanisms and developing control strategies. This study investigated the differences in photosynthetic and fluorescence parameters, gene expression profiles, and rhizosphere soil microbial composition between the native species Ficus tikoua Bur. and the invasive species Alternanthera philoxeroides. For the first time, it was demonstrated that that F. tikoua Bur. may enhance photoinhibition ability and the expression of genes involved in carbon metabolism, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and plant-pathogen interactions to maintain growth. Additionally, it recruits beneficial microbes, e.g. Actinomarina (Bacteria), Nitrosotenuis (Archaea) and Laccaria (fungi), to suppress pathogens, thereby preserving soil DMSP and carbon cycling pathways to resist invasion by A. philoxeroides. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying plant invasion and suggest potential strategies for invasive plant management. Further research is needed to investigate this relationship and determine the mechanisms underlying the potential resistance of F. tikoua Bur. to plant invasion.

My innovative entropy measure, Ismail entropy, namely, (IE) is an ultimate generalization to numerous generalized entropies within the literature. The fractal dimension of IE is identified in this paper. On another applicative note, this paper offers some potential applications of fractal dimension to smart cities. The paper ends with closing remarks combined with some challenging open problems and the next phase of research.

In this article, we first defined a stronger form of (r,s)-generalized fuzzy semi-closed sets (briefly, (r,s)-gfsc sets) called (r,s)-g*fsc sets and investigated some of its features. Moreover, we showed that (r,s)-fsc set → (r,s)-g*fsc set → (r,s)-gfsc set, but the converse may not be true. In addition, we explored novel types of fuzzy generalized mappings between double fuzzy topological spaces (U, τ, τ*) and (V, η, η*), and the relationships between these classes of mappings were examined with the help of some illustrative examples. Thereafter, we introduced novel types of higher separation axioms called (r,s)-GFS-regular and (r,s)-GFS-normal spaces with the help of (r,s)-gfsc sets and discussed some topological properties of them. Finally, some novel types of compactness via (r,s)-gfso sets were defined and the relationships between them were introduced.

Phylogenomics has enriched our understanding that the Tree of Life can have network-like or reticulate structures among some taxa and genes. Non-vertical modes of evolution—such as hybridization/introgression and horizontal gene transfer—deviate from a strictly bifurcating tree model, causing non-treelike patterns. Here, we present a brief overview of a phylogenomic workflow for inferring organismal histories and compare methods for detecting reticulate evolution. We discuss how the timing of coalescent events can help disentangle introgression from incomplete lineage sorting and how horizontal gene transfer events can help determine the relative timing of speciation events. In doing so, we identify pitfalls of certain methods and discuss how to extend their utility across the Tree of Life. Workflows, methods, and future directions discussed herein underscore the need to embrace reticulate evolutionary patterns for understanding the timing and rates of evolutionary events, providing a clearer understanding of life’s history.

Background/Objectives: Although the role of F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging is well established in oncology, its diagnostic value in routine monitoring for recurrent colorectal cancer (CRC) is still controversial. The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic value of FDG PET/CT in detecting recurrent CRC in correlation with CEA, CA 19-9 levels, and conventional imaging modalities (CIM). Methods: Between 2009 and 2023, we retrospectively studied 134 CRC patients referred for FDG PET/CT imaging on the suspicion of recurrence based on elevated CEA and/or CA 19-9, and/or equivocal radiological findings. According to the Institutional Tumor Board CRC protocol, after initial treatment which was dependent on TNM stage (neoadjuvant therapy, primary resection or adjuvant treatment), patients underwent a standard 5-year surveillance including CEA and CA 19-9 measurements, CIM, and colonoscopy every 6 months. The statistics including univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using the IBM SPSS 20.0 statistical software. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Recurrent CRC was confirmed in 54/134 (40.3%) patients with elevated tumor markers. FDG PET/CT shows high diagnostic performance in detecting recurrent CRC with sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of 94.4%, 82.5%, 78.5%, 95.7%, and 87.3%, respectively. The CEA shows a high sensitivity of 98.1%, but both low specificity and accuracy of 15% and 48.5%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, for CA 19-9 and CIM for the correct diagnosis in CRC patients were: 44.4%, 67.5%, 58.2%, and 51.9%, 98.8%, 79.9%, respectively. The AUC for FDG PET/CT, elevated CEA levels, CIM, and elevated CA 19-9 levels was 0.885 (95% CI: 0.824-0.946; p<0.001), 0.844 (95% CI: 0.772-0.916; p<0.001), 0.753 (95% CI: 0.612-0.844; p<0.001); and 0.547 (95% CI: 0.442-0.652; p=0.358). Univariate analysis shows that both FDG PET/CT- and CIM-positive results were highly associated with CRC recurrence (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively), while gender, mucinous tumor type, presence of initial lymph node metastasis (N+), and presence of initial distant metastasis (M+) have no significance (p=0.211, p=0.158, p=0.583, and p=0.201, respectively). Our multivariate analysis shows that independent predictors for CRC recurrence are: positive FDG PET/CT scans (p<0.001), positive CIM results (p=0.001) and elevated CA19-9 levels (p=0.023). Although CA 19-9 was not detected as a statistically significant predictor in the univariate analysis (p=0.358), in a multivariate analysis it was recognized as a significant predicting factor in detecting CRC recurrence (p=0.023). Conclusions: FDG PET/CT shows a high diagnostic efficacy in CRC recurrence detection, in correlation with CEA levels, CA 19-9 levels, and CIM. This imaging modality should be routinely integrated into the postoperative follow-op in patients with elevated tumor markers.

It has been proven that in standard Einstein gravity, exotic matter (i.e. matter violating the point-wise and averaged weak and null energy conditions) is required to stabilize traversable wormholes. Quantum field theory permits these violations due to the quantum coherent effects found in any quantum field . Even reasonable classical scalar fields violate the energy conditions. In the case of the Casimir effect and squeezed vacuum states, these violations have been experimentally proven. It is advantageous to investigate methods of minimizing the use of exotic matter. One such area of interest is extended theories of Einstein gravity. It has been claimed that in some extended theories, stable traversable wormholes solutions can be found without the use of exotic matter. There are many extended theories of gravity and in this review paper we first explore f(R) theories and then explore some wormhole solutions in f(R) theories including Lovelock gravity.

Verticillium dahliae (Vd) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) are two major fungal pathogens that infect tomato plants, causing significant challenges in their control since both pathogens can persist in the soil for several years even in the absence of a host plant and no effective fungicides are available at present. This study investigated the efficacy of two biocontrol formulations, Clonotri and Strepse, against Vd and Fol, and their impact on tomato fruit quality and yield under greenhouse conditions. Pathogenicity experiment demonstrated that the Clonotri formulation, containing Trichoderma and Clonostachys spores, significantly reduced Fusarium wilt disease by 32% compared to the control group. However, in Vd pathogenicity experiment, the formulations did not exhibit disease reduction, although the treatment with Strepse, containing Streptomyces and Pseudomonas microorganisms, resulted in preserved total fruit number when compared to uninfected plants. Analysis of fruit quality attributes revealed no significant differences among the various interventions. Furthermore, Fol infection in the first fruit set significantly increased fruit firmness, while Vd infection resulted in elevated levels of total soluble solids in fruits. These findings demonstrate that the evaluated biocontrol formulations provide a degree of protection against fungal wilt pathogens in tomato plants and can increase yield in greenhouse conditions, while having minimal impact on overall fruit quality attributes.

The sustainable development of resource-based cities has long been a focal point for both governmental policies and academic research. A wealth of academic literature identifies the 'resource curse' as a critical barrier to sustainable development in these urban areas. Despite extensive studies, a consensus on effective strategies to circumvent or resolve this challenge remains elusive. Recent empirical data reveals a noticeable pattern of economic growth differentiation in China's resource-based cities. Why do some resource-based cities experience economic decline while others achieve sustainable economic growth? Therefore, this paper analyzes the reasons for the divergence of economic growth in resource cities from the perspective of heterogeneity. The results of the study show that the phenomenon of the resource curse is conditional, and the heterogeneity of demo-graphic changes, geographic location and institutional environment has a significant impact on the economic growth of resource cities. These factors are investigated to elucidate the observed diversification and heterogeneity in the economic growth of resource-based cities. Building upon this analysis, the paper proposes a framework for differentiated sustainable development pathways tailored to the unique contexts of these cities. This approach not only contributes to the current understanding of the 'resource curse' but also offers novel insights for future research aiming to adopt a more nuanced and context-specific perspective in examining sustainable urban development.