The scalp is a unique anatomical region with distinct challenges for reconstruction, especially in cases of melanoma excision. This study explores the utilization of the O-Z flap technique as an alternative approach for patients with melanoma, where traditional free flap reconstruction may not be feasible due to age or underlying health conditions. However, in this case, the patient had a history of angina and was unwilling to undergo a long operation due to his advanced age. This study highlights the importance of following NCCN guidelines for melanoma resection margins based on tumor thickness and underscores the value of staged resection planning to minimize deficits. This requires an individualized approach as each patient may have different circumstances (general health condition, age, compliance, etc.). So we planned a staged excision first. In the first surgery, we would resect the tumor minimally and then determine the exact size of the tumor. Then, in the second surgery, we resected it with a safety margin according to the guidelines. The O-Z flap, a local flap with an "O"-shaped defect and "Z"-shaped incision line, is introduced as a reconstructive option. The surgical procedure, advantages, and limitations of this approach are discussed. This study provides valuable insights into achieving successful scalp reconstruction while considering aesthetic outcomes and patient-specific factors.

The α-synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the deposition of α-synuclein aggregates (α-syn) in the brain. Currently, there is no suitable tracer to enable a definitive early diagnosis of these diseases. We reported candidates based on 4,4'-disarylbisthiazole (DABTA) scaffold with a high affinity towards α-syn and excellent selectivity over Aβ and tau fibrils. Based on prior in silico studies a focused library of 23 halide-containing and O-methylated DABTAs was prepared. The DABTAs were synthesized via a modified two-step Hantzsch thiazole synthesis, characterized, and used in competitive binding assays against [3H]PiB, and [3H]DCVJ. The DABTAs gave an overall chemical yield of 15 – 71%, with a calculated lipophilicity of 2.5 – 5.7. The ligands demonstrated an excellent affinity to α-syn with both [3H]PiB and [3H]DCVJ: Ki 0.1 – 4.9 nM and up to 20 – 3900-fold selectivity over Aβ and tau fibrils. It could be concluded that in-silico simulation is useful for the rational design of a new generation of DABTAs. Further investigation of the leads in the next step is encouraged: radiolabeling of the ligands with radioisotopes such as fluorine-18 or carbon-11 for in vivo, ex vivo and translational research and for further in vitro experiments on human-derived protein aggregates.

In this article, the concept of fuzzy $(\sigma,\mathcal{Z})$-contractive mapping has been introduced in fuzzy metric spaces which is an improvement over the corresponding concept recently introduced by Shukla et al. [Fuzzy Sets and system. 350 (2018) 85--94]. Thereafter, we utilized our newly introduced concept to prove some existence and uniqueness theorems in $\mathcal{M}$-complete fuzzy metric spaces. Our results extend and generalize the corresponding results of Shukla et al.. Moreover, an example is adopted to exhibit the utility of newly obtained results.

Histones display a wide variety of post-translational modifications, including acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation. These epigenetic modifications can influence chromatin structure and function without altering the DNA sequence. Histones can also undergo post-translational O-GlcNAcylation, a rather understudied modification that plays critical roles in almost all biological processes and is added and removed by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase and O-GlcNAcase, respectively. This review provides a current overview of our knowledge of how O-GlcNAcylation impacts the histone code both directly and by regulating other chromatin modifying enzymes. This highlights the pivotal emerging role of O-GlcNAcylation as an essential epigenetic marker.

The development of photocatalysts with a wide spectral response and effective carrier separation capability is essential for the green degradation of tetracycline. In this work, a magnetic recyclable Z-scheme ZnO/ZnFe2O4 heterojunction (ZZF) was successfully constructed by the solid phase method using MIL-88A(Fe)@Zn as the precursor. Appropriate band gap width and Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism make ZZF have excellent visible light absorption performance, efficient charge separation and strong redox ability. Under visible light irradiation, the degradation efficiency of TCH for optimal sample ZZF2 can reach 86.3 % within 75 min in deionized water, and achieve 92.9 % within 60 min in tap water, which exhibits superior stability and reusability after five cycles. Moreover, the catalyst in the water can be conveniently recovered by magnetic force. After visible light irradiation for 70 minutes, the temperature of the reaction system increased by 21.9 °C. Its degradation constant (35.53×10-3 min-1) increases 5.1 times that at room temperature (6.95×10-3 min-1). Thermal energy perfects the kinetic driving force of the reactants and promotes carrier migration to produce more •O2- and •OH. This work provides a potential candidate and inspires the design of photocatalyst for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation.

Search for appropriate materials with favorable staggered energy band arrangements is important and of great challenge to fabricate Z-scheme photocatalysts with high activity in visible light. In this study, we demonstrated a facile and feasible strategy to construct highly active organic-inorganic Z-scheme hybrids (P-BMO) with linear pyrene-based conjugated polymer (P17-E) and Bi₂MoO₆ via in-situ palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction. Characterization results revealed C-O chemical bond formed at the heterointerface between P17-E and Bi₂MoO₆ after in-situ polycondensation and endowed the hybrids with observably improved photogenerated carries transfer capability. Visible light driven photocatalytic removal of ciprofloxacin and Cr(VI) were significantly enhanced after the incorporation of P17-E into Bi₂MoO₆ whether with the morphology of nanosheets, nanobelts or microspheres. Moreover, this P-BMO hybrids were also found to exhibit sustainable excellent photocatalytic performance after four runs of photocatalytic evaluation test, suggesting its high activity and stability. To better eliminate the redox ability enhancement of P-BMO, a reasonable Z-scheme electrons transferring mechanism between P17-E and Bi₂MoO₆ was proposed and proved by the determination of •O₂^– and •OH and Pt nanoparticles photodeposition experiments. This work might provide a viable source and insight into the design of Z-scheme photocatalysts with excellent redox ability for environmental remediation.

Sample size using prevalence has been one of the most important medical research methodologies and has been used in original articles more often than any other statistical tool available. The simple formula consists of variables interdependent and it is as important to understand how they influence each other as it is to learn to use the formula to calculate the sample size. With the choice of different amounts of precision and levels of confidence available to a medical researcher, it should be of paramount importance to understand what a slight change in choosing the parameter would mean at the end of the research. Understanding of different Z values, Levels of precision, and ranging Prevalence is required to understand the effect on the sample size and subsequently on the research. Topological representation using parameter ranges can be used to demonstrate this relationship.

Water and sanitation facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and Africa in general are appalling and for the most part absent. Progress continues with respect to the development of plant materials as potent adsorbents, disinfectants, coagulants, flocculants, wetland species and lots more as substitutes for the dangerous chemical disinfectants. This research presents the potential of phyto-active components of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Gongronema latifolium as effective biocides against water microbial contaminants. Dry powder of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Gongronema latifolium were extracted and prepared into different concentrations with ethyl acetate and chloroform, ranging from 25 to 500 mg/ml. These fractions were then examined for antimicrobial activities against inherent bacterial and fungal water contaminants using disc diffusion assay. Fractions were afterwards screened for phytochemical active compounds using standard methods. Crude extracts of the different plant examined selectively comprise saponins, tannins, reducing sugars, anthraquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, phlobatanins and alkaloids. All plant extracts showed broad spectrum antibiosis against selected gram positive and gram negative bacteria including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp, S. pneumoniae and B. cereus, as well as tested fungi, including A. niger, A. flavus, Trichoderma sp and Candida sp. While all extracts exhibited maximum antibiosis at 500 mg/ml, the chloroform extracts compared well than ethyl acetate extracts. The overall results revealed that antimicrobial activities of the plant extracts are dose dependent with comparative activity greater than that of commercial antibiotics at the concentration of extracts tested. E.coli was the most susceptible microbial isolate tested and represents the potential of the extract against a group of coliform which are important indicators of microbial pollution in water. Other microbial isolates also recorded sensitivity to extracts tested at varying degrees. The findings indicate that microbes tested were mostly susceptible to chloroform extract of Z. zanthoxyloides and G. latifolium except for the activity of ethyl acetate extract of Z. zanthoxyloide against E.coli. Results of phytochemical screening of the extract also showed the varied presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and anthraquinones The results indicated that plant materials investigated can be developed as effective biocides against water microbial contaminants

Abstract: (1) Background: Surgery is the best curative option for Gastric Cancer (GC). However, morbimortality associated with surgery still a significant problem. Thus, it is essential to determine the preoperative surgical risk, to optimize outcomes in higher risk patients. (2) Methods: Patients who underwent curative gastrectomy between January 2010 and December 2013 were included, obtaining a sample of 131 patients, and the acuity of the scales understudy was evaluated. The predictive power of the scales was evaluated through calibration and discrimination. (3) Results and Conclusions: Regarding mortality, the scales demonstrated good calibration, with POSSUM and P-POSSUM obtaining the best O:E ratio. The scales presented good discrimination, with POSSUM showing the best result. Considering morbidity, the scales showed good calibration and discrimination. POSSUM and P-POSSUM seem to have potential in predicting morbidity and mortality when applied to the studied population, but there is a need for further studies in this area.

Protein O-GlcNAcylation has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer´s disease (AD). O-GlcNAcylation of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) regulates both the trafficking and the processing of the APP through the amyloidogenic pathway, resulting in the release and aggregation of the Aβ1-42 peptide. Microglia clear Aβ aggregates and dead cells to maintain brain homeostasis. Here, using LC-MS/MS we reveal that the Aβ1-42 peptide modifies the microglia O-GlcNAcome. We have identified 55 proteins, focusing our research on Galectin-1 protein, since it is a very versatile protein from a functional point of view. Combining biochemical with genetic approaches we demonstrate that Aβ1-42 peptide specifically targets Galectin-1S8 O-GlcNAcylation via OGT. In addition, this Gal-1-O-GlcNAcylated form, in turn, controls human microglia migration. Given the importance of microglia migration in the progression of AD, this study reports the relationship between Aβ1-42 peptide and Serine 8- O-GlcNAcylation of Galectin to drive microglial migration

The blue sepal color of hydrangea is due to a metal complex anthocyanin composed of 3-O-glucosyldelphinidin (1) and an aluminum ion with the co-pigments 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (2) and/or 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid (3). The three components, namely, anthocyanin, Al³⁺ and 5-O-acylquinic acids, are essential for blue color development, but the complex is unstable and only exists in aqueous solution. Furthermore, the complex did not give analyzable NMR spectra or crystals. Therefore, many trials to determine the detailed chemical structure of the hydrangea-blue complex have failed to date. Instead, via experiments mixing 1, Al³⁺ and 2 or 3 in a buffered solution at pH 4.0, we obtained the same blue solution derived from the sepals. However, the ratio was not stoichiometric but fluctuated. To determine the composition of the complex, we tried direct observation of the molecular ion of the complex using electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. In a very low-concentration buffer solution (2.0 mM) at pH 4.0, we reproduced the hydrangea-blue color by mixing 1, 2 and Al³⁺ in ratios of 1:1:1, 1:2:1 and 1:3:1. All solution gave the same molecular ion peak at m/z = 843, indicating that the blue solution has a ratio of 1:1:1 for the complex. By using 3, the observed mass number was m/z = 827 and the ratio of 1, 3 and Al³⁺ was also 1:1:1. A mixture of 1, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4) and Al³⁺ did not give any blue color but instead was purple, and the intensity of the molecular ion peak at m/z = 843 was very low. These results strongly indicate that the hydrangea blue-complex is composed of a ratio of 1:1:1 for 1, Al³⁺ and 2 or 3.

As a rapidly expanding family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, MXenes have recently gained considerable attention due to their appealing properties. Here, by developing a solution-based coating method that enables transfer-free and layer-by-layer film coating, we investigate the layer-dependent nonlinear optical absorption of Ti₃C₂T_x films ‒ an important member of the MXene family. By using the Z-scan technique, we characterize the nonlinear absorption of the prepared MXene films consisting of different numbers of monolayers. The results show that there is a strong and layer-dependent nonlinear absorption behavior, transitioning from revisable saturable absorption (RSA) to saturable absorption (SA) as the layer number increases from 5 to 30. Notably, the nonlinear absorption coefficient β varies significantly within this range, changing from ~7.13 × 10² cm/GW to ~-2.69 × 10² cm/GW. We also characterize the power-dependent nonlinear absorption of the MXene films at various incident laser intensities, and a decreasing trend in β is observed for increasing laser intensity. These results reveal the intriguing layer-dependent nonlinear optical properties of 2D MXene films, highlighting their versatility and potential for implementing high-performance nonlinear photonic devices.

The gravitational constant is an unchanging quantity included in the law of universal gravitation. The value of this constant is known much less accurately than other fundamental physical constants, which is due to the experimental difficulties of measuring it. Here we report a simple method for the theoretical calculation of the gravitational constant using the elementary charge, speed of light, Z boson mass, and relativistic mechanics.

Background: One of the main diseases of worldwide concern is non–insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus. 90-95% of patients with diabetes suffers from Type II diabetes, a metabolic diabetes whose prevalence is increasing in the world.Given the current prevalence of diabetes type II in society, research of natural compounds able to regulate glycaemia and insulin–resistance is nowadays covering importance, as alternative or co–adjuvant treatment to existing hypoglycaemic medicines. In pre–clinical steps of research, C. elegans is considered a promising in vivo model for the study of the molecular mechanism of glucose as part of anti–diabetic bioactivity.Most of the studies of insulin resistance with this in vivo model are carried out by using mutant strains such as daf-2 and the effects of the compounds are attributed a posteriori, after a physiological response of the worms rather than directly measuring preservation of activity inside the worm. Methods: The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition of two oral formulations with Origanum vulgare extract before and after a simulated process of gastrointestinal digestion was evaluated. After confirming the in vitro activity, the α-glucosidase inhibition was tested in vivo through the new method proposed. Results: The crude extract showed an IC50 value similar to acarbose (positive control), before and after the gastrointestinal digestion. The encapsulated extract (111.86±1.25 µg/mL) did not present statistical differences with the positive control (110.10±1.15 µg/mL) after digestion. However, the powder formulation showed the highest hypoglycaemic activity (59.55±0.85 µg/mL).In vivo, the IC50 values showed similar profile than in vitro. Conclusion: A new simple and reliable method has been developed to determine pharmacological activities inside in vivo model C. elegans.The method has been evaluated with a hydroalcoholic extract of O. vulgare. The method is accurate and valid for the quantification of the inhibition of in vivo, allowing the direct attribution of this in vivo hypoglycaemic activity to the treatment. In addition, it opens the door to further research into in vitro pharmacological activities that require an in vivo counterpart.

We solve the And\^{o} dilation problem for linear maps on vector space asked by Krishna and Johnson in \textit{[Oper. Matrices, 2022]}. More precisely, we show that any commuting linear maps on vector space can be dilated to commuting injective linear maps.

Building heterojunction is promising strategy for the achievement of highly efficient photocatalysis. In this study, a novel SnIn4S8@ZnO Z-scheme heterojunction with tight contact interface was successfully constructed through a facile two-step hydrothermal method. The phase composition, morphology, and photophysical properties of SnIn4S8@ZnO were studied through a series of characterization methods, respectively. Methylene blue (MB) was selected as the target pollutant for photocatalytic degradation and the degradation process was fitted with pseudo-first order kinetics. The as-prepared SnIn4S8@ZnO heterojunctions exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activities for the degradation of MB. The optimized sample (ZS800), in which the molar ratio of ZnO to SnIn4S8 was 800, displayed the highest photodegradation efficiency of MB (91%) within 20 min. Furthermore, the apparent rate constant of photodegradation for MB of ZS800 (0.121 min−1) was 2.2 times higher than that of pure ZnO (0.054 min−1). The improvement of photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the effective spatial separation of photogenerated charge carriers through a Z-scheme heterojunction with intimate contact interface. This work will provide a new insight into constructing excellent ZnO-based photocatalytic systems for wastewater purification.

This study addresses the motivations behind Generation Z's attendance at conferences and aims to contribute to a better understanding of their conference participation behavior. The study identified six latent factors that influence conference attendance motivation: Green and Digital Conference Experience, Educational and professional opportunities, Conference costs, Destination and conference stimuli, Stimulating factors, and Conference accessibility. These factors align with Generation Z's unique characteristics and preferences, such as their environmental consciousness, reliance on digital technologies, desire for continuous learning, career advancement, and experiences. The study also found that destination characteristics and educational and professional opportunities are significant motivators for Generation Z's conference attendance across different cultural contexts. Additionally, Generation Z's strong interest in sustainability and financial challenges highlights the need for eco-friendly practices and affordable registration fees to make conferences more appealing and accessible. The study further explores the impact of socio-demographic characteristics, revealing the gender and past conference attendance differences in motivation. Finally, the study discusses the implications for the conference industry and suggests areas for future research to enhance the understanding of conference attendance motivation among Generation Z.

A robust bank industry is a major player in the stability of an economy. The operational efficiency and stability of banks are therefore paramount. By way of financial ratios and Z-score, this study analysed UT Bank’s financial performance prior to the 2017 bank sector reforms in Ghana. Annual financials over a ten year period (2007-2016) were used. Debt management practices of UT Bank per the results obtained were quite on the hind side and unimpressive. This was reflected in the poor leverage and risk management variables. UT Bank would have been unable to meet creditors’ claims considering the mean average values of debt-to-assets and debt-to equity ratios of 0.76 and 0.90 respectively. The entire bank sector will benefit if credit management practices of individual banks are refreshed and worked on. The bank industry regulator should tighten its supervisory and monitoring role over banks to help detect early signs of non-performing banks. The study further recommends that statutory lending limits of banks be re-enforced to uphold the threshold of 10 percent for unsecured loans and 25 percentage for secured loans of net owned funds of the bank.

This research work deals with the modeling and control of hybrid photovoltaic (PV) - Wind micro-grid using Quasi Z-Source inverter. This inverter provides better buck/boost characteristics, able to regulate the phase angle output, less harmonic content, no requirement of the filter and has high power performance characteristics over conventional inverter as major benefits. A SEPIC converter as dc-dc switched power apparatus is employed for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) functions which provides high voltage gain throughout the process. Moreover, a modified power ratio variable step (MPRVS) based perturb & observe (P&O) method has been proposed in the PV MPPT action which forces the operating point close to maximum power point (MPP). Practical responses justify the performance of hybrid PV-Wind micro-grid with Quasi Z-Source inverter structure.

This article utilized electrodeposition technology to fabricate Zn and Zn-Y₂O₃-Al₂O₃ composite coatings on Q235 steel plates. The composite coatings were obtained by adding Y₂O₃/Al₂O₃ nanoparticles (0, 5, 10, and 15 g/L) to acidic chloride solutions. This study then examined the impact of these nanoparticles on the microstructure, morphology, microhardness, hydrophobicity, and corrosion resistance of the composite coatings. The results indicate that the addition of the nanoparticles increased the nucleation sites on the surface of the coating, thereby refining the grain size and reducing the roughness of the coating surface. When 10g/L of Y₂O₃ and 10g/L of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were added, the hardness of the composite coating (369 Hv) was 2.49 times higher than that of the pure Zn coating (148 Hv), which was attributed to the dispersion strengthening and grain refinement effects of the nanoparticles. The corrosion resistance of the Zn and Zn-Y₂O₃-Al₂O₃ composite coatings was studied using linear sweep voltammetry and AC impedance spectroscopy. The addition of the nanoparticles improved the corrosion resistance of the composite coating, and the composite coating prepared in an electrolyte containing 10 g/L of Y₂O₃ and 10 g/L of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibited the best corrosion resistance. Meanwhile, the composite coating exhibited good hydrophobicity, with a contact angle of 120.9°, 1.94 times that of the pure Zn coating (62.2°). The Zn-Y₂O₃-Al₂O₃ nanocomposite coating material has significant potential advantages in the field of steel corrosion.

Classifying spinal tumors can be challenging due to nonspecific clinical and radiological qualities, and a precise biopsy is crucial for an accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. This study aimed to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of spinal biopsies integrating Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities using an O-arm CT navigation system. Eighteen patients with diverse spinal lesions underwent 18 biopsies following the Stealth Station navigation system Spine 8 protocol. Preoperative MRI scans were merged with intraoperative CT navigation systems for continuous monitoring during the biopsy process. The combined imaging technique accurately identified the diseased lesion type in all biopsies, demonstrating 100% sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, combining MRI and CT imaging modalities significantly improved spinal biopsy accuracy and efficiency, differentiating between pathological entities. However, large-scale studies are desired to validate these findings and investigate potential benefits in different clinical scenarios. Although this method requires general anesthesia, its potential profits in avoiding misdiagnosed lesions and decreasing the need for further invasive procedures make it a promising approach for improving spinal biopsy accuracy and efficiency.

In this work, oxygen-doped g-C3N4 mesoporous nanosheets (O-CNS) were synthesized via a facile recrystallization method with the assistance of H2O2. The crystal phase, chemical composition, morphological structure, optical property, electronic structure and electrochemical property of the prepared O-CNS samples were well investigated. The morphological observation combining with nitrogen adsorption-desorption results demonstrated that the prepared O-CNS samples possessed nanosheets-like morphology with porous structure. The O doping into g-C3N4 resulted in the augment of specific surface area, which could provide more active sites for photocatalytic reaction. Simultaneously, the visible-light absorption capacity of O-CNS samples was boosted owing to the regulation of O doping. The built energy level induced by the O doping could accelerate the migration rate of photoinduced carriers, and the porous structure was most likely to speed up the release of hydrogen during photocatalyic hydrogen process. Resultantly, the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of the optimized oxygen-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets reached up to 2012.9 μmol•h-1•g-1, which was 13.4 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4. Thus, the significantly improved photocatalytic behavior was imputed to the porous structure, the augment of active sites, and the enhancement of visible light absorption and charge separation efficiency.

The association between human and cat (F. catus) is well known. This domestic animal is also known for its malodorous urine and feces. The complexity of the odorous urine and feces impacts human life by triggering the human sensory organ in a negative way. The objective of this research was to identify the volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and associated odors in cat urine and feces using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and simultaneous sensory analysis of fresh and aged samples. The solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique was used to pre-concentrate the VOCs emitted from urine or feces samples. Twenty-one compounds were identified as emitted from fresh urine, whereas 64 compounds were emitted from fresh feces. A contrasting temporal impact was observed on the emission of VOCs for urine and feces. On aging, the emission increased to 36 detected chemicals for stale urine, whereas only 17 chemicals were detected in stale feces. Not all compounds were malodorous; some compounds had a pleasant hedonic smell to the human nose. Although trimethylamine, low molecular weight organic acids, and ketones were contributors to the odor to some extent, phenolic compounds and aromatic heterocyclic organic N compounds generated the most intense odors and substantially contributed to the overall malodor, as observed by this study. This work might be useful to formulate cat urine and feces odor remediation approaches to reduce odor impacts.

A hydrothermal pretreatment of the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana at mild temperatures has been studied in order to reduce N and O content in the biocrude obtained by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). The work is focused on the evaluation of temperature, reactor loading and time (factors) to maximize the yield of the pretreated biomass and the heteroatom contents transferred from the microalga biomass to the aqueous phase (responses). The study followed the factorial design and response surface methodology. An equation for every response has been obtained, which leads to the accurate calculation of the operating conditions required to obtain a given value of these responses. Temperature and time are critical factors with a negative effect on the pretreated biomass yield, but a positive one on the N and O recovery in the aqueous phase. The slurry concentration has to be low to increase heteroatom recovery and high to maximize the pretreated microalga yields

Synthesis of poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) and poly(o-phenylenediamine)-ZnO (PoPD-ZnO) nanocomposites on carbon steel by in-situ polymerization with HCl acid as doping acid Material coating. The composition and structure of PoPD-ZnO nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The corrosion protection ability of polymer coatings in 3.5% NaCl was studied by potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It can be seen from the electrochemical corrosion experimental data that PoPD-WPU coating (PWC) and PoPD-ZnO-WPU coating (PZWC) can effectively improve the corrosion resistance of the carbon steel substrate, and the corrosion rate is reduced by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared with carbon steel. The conclusion demontrates that PoPD can effectively extend the service life of carbon steel substrates. In addition, it is advantageous to form a compact and low-defect coating when added nano-particle ZnO, which is advantageous for the POPD film to develop its good barrier property and corrosion resistance.

This study aimed to investigate the atherogenicity (quality) of LDL particles in patients with acute and recovered from COVID-19 infection. The participants were adults, aged 18 years or older of both sexes. Those with positive RT-PCR results at baseline were included in the Acute COVID-19 group (n=33), and those with negative RT-PCR six months after acute infection, were included in the Recovered COVID-19 group (n=30). The LDL quality was evaluated using three validated methods: Z-scan, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Lipoprint. The Recovered COVID-19 group showed significantly higher numbers of large LDL particles (less atherogenic) than the Acute COVID-19 group (P<0.05). We also found that COVID-19 infection was associated with the oxidative modification of LDL particles. D-dimer and CRP levels were correlated with Z-scan results and antioxidant-amount estimate. Moreover, we noticed that the infection left a sequel in LDL quality, even after six months of recovery. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring lipids during and after recovery from COVID-19 infection, and their potential deleterious effect on the LDL profile might correlate with the progression of atherosclerosis and poor clinical outcomes.

In this paper, a fuzzy logic-based energy management system and multi-port quasi-z-source converter are proposed that utilizes hybrid renewable energy sources. The system ensures that each energy source module can be used individually by employing fuzzy logic to define power modes. This approach also helps prevent switching losses resulting from extra switching of the source modules. Also, the proposed energy management does not have a mathematical model, so applicability is simple and it is suitable for different multiple input topologies. The Mamdani fuzzy inference system can be designed to capture the nonlinear behavior of the system because of the linguistic rules. Moreover, by adopting the quasi-z-source network to the end of the multi-port converter, the switching losses of the multi-port modules have been significantly reduced. The simulation results are obtained using MATLAB Simulink, and the experimental results are obtained by connecting the circuit to MATLAB Simulink via an Arduino Due.

Broadband reverse saturable absorption is systematically investigated via Z-scan, transient absorption spectrum (TAS). The excited state absorption and negative refraction of Orange IV are observed in the Z-scan experiment at 532 nm. Meanwhile, two-photon induced excited-state absorption and pure two-photon absorption are observed at 600 nm and 700 nm with the pulse width of 190 fs, respectively. An ultrafast broadband absorption in visible wavelength region is observed via TAS. The different nonlinear absorption mechanism at multiple wavelengths is discussed and interpreted from the results of TAS. In addition, the ultrafast dynamics of negative refraction in the excited state of Orange IV is investigated via degenerate phase object pump probe, from which the weak long-lived excited state is extracted. All studies indicate that Orange IV has the potential to be further optimized into a superior broadband reverse saturable absorption material and also has certain reference significance for the study of optical nonlinearity in organic molecules containing azobenzene groups.

Introduction: In general, everyone believes that the smallest preterm infants should achieve normal intrauterine growth rates, but many thinks that this is not possible with current nutrition guidelines. There is resistance to giving enough nutrition for fear of "toxicity". The difference in weight Z-score between birth and a corrected gestational age (CGA) at discharge is assess in postnatal growth in our unit. Material and methods: An observational study was done between January 2018 and December 2020 where all cases that had ≤ 29 weeks of GA at birth and survived to 36 weeks corrected GA or that were discharged home. An aggressive nutrition protocol including parenteral as well as enteral nutrition was followed. Patients and their weight trajectory was plotted on the Fenton 2013 growth curve. The patients who had had a smaller WZP difference were also plotted. Results: A total of 32 cases were found. The median change in Z-score between birth and discharge of the whole group was -0.52 (IQR 0.53). Six of 32 (19%) had a more than one WZP, all of whom had severe pathologies. The median decline in Z score for this group with poor growth was 1.24 (IQR 0.22). There were 26 cases with a < 1 WZP (81%) and a median Z score fall of 0.39 (IQR 0.55). No important complications secondary to the ingested volumes or parenteral nutrition were reported. Conclusion: The group of cases with a > 1 WZP drop had severe pathologies. All the other cases had adequate growth parallel to normal weight growth charts and a few cases had some catch-up growth. The study showed that it is possible for many preterm infants to achieve normal intrauterine growth rates if they are given enough nutrition, but bigger multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings.

FLH 13-11 is an F1 interspecific hybrid muscadine grape genotype that was developed to produce new anthocyanins for pigment color stability. This hybrid resulted from a cross between ‘Marsh’ (Vitis munsoniana) and ‘Magoon’ (V. rotundifolia). This report characterizes the anthocyanins produced in fully ripe berries, and reveals a significant difference in total anthocyanin contents from two continuous cropping seasons. High-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and HPLC-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-qTOF-MS/MS) were used to profile anthocyanins in berries. The resulting data showed that fourteen anthocyanins were detected, six from 2011 and nine from 2012, with only one produced in both seasons. However, the anthocyanidin profiles of berries were the same. Five anthocyanins were annotated as diglucosides of anthocyanidins based on MS/MS features, including delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside produced in both seasons, cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside mainly formed in 2011, petunidin 3,5-diglucoside, malvidin 3,5-diglucoside, and peonidin 3,5-glucoside only detected in 2012. Also, three anthocyanidin-diglucoside like anthocyanins and three monoglucosides including peonidin 3- glucoside, delphinidin 3- glucoside like, and pelargonidin 3- glucoside like anthocyanins, were detected in 2011 and 2012, respectively. These results indicate that FLH 13-11 can produce both anthocyanidin-diglucosides and -monoglucosides, and their biosynthesis is closely dependent on cropping years.

Metabolomics profiling for accurate and reliable quantification of organic acids that carry a carboxylic acid functional group in complex biological samples, remains a major analytical challenge in clinical chemistry research. Several procedural barriers associated with quantification of clinically important carboxylic containing metabolites (CCMs) including spontaneous decarboxylation during ionization, poor chromatographic resolution, and retention on a reverse-phase column, limit the sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) based LC-MS assay development. We report a targeted metabolomics-based analytical method for the quantification of CCMs using phenylenediamine derivatization. Accurate and sensitive quantification of CCMs is successfully demonstrated in an array of biological matrices. Recovery of metabolites from different matrices (plasma, serum, urine, saliva, tissues, and cell extracts), ranged from 90% to 105%, with all the CVs ≤ 10%. The method showed linearity over a broad dynamic range from 0.1 ng/mL to 10 µg/mL with linear regression coefficients of 0.99 for most of the metabolites tested herein, that covers broad-based applicability with the analysis of biological samples. In most cases the LODs were as low as 0.01 ng/mL. The phenylenediamine-based derivatization of carboxyl acid library consisting of more than 70 endogenous metabolites was constructed for metabolite identification, which spanned more than 40 biological pathways. The library included a wide-variety of structurally variant CCMs such as amino acids/conjugates, short to medium chain organic acids, di/tri-carboxylic acids/conjugates, fatty acids and some ring-containing CCMs. We compared the CCMs profiles of pancreatic cancer cells with normal pancreatic epithelial cells to test and validate the biological utility of this method. The comparative profiling between cancerous and normal cells resulted in the identification of potential biomarkers in pancreatic cancer, and their correlation with several key metabolic pathways such as central carbon energy metabolism, protein metabolism, including TCA cycle, glycolysis, Gln-Glu pathway, and biosynthesis of amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids was established. The method, described herein, for the first time enables the sensitive and highly specific quantification of CCMs on small sample size with high reproducibility in a high throughput manner. Given the biological and functional significance of this class of metabolites, this mass spectrometry based targeted quantitative assay, fills an important gap and is likely to support a wide range of applications for basic, clinical, and translational research.

This work reports the isolation, purification, and anti-inflammatory evaluation of compounds from the plant species Ageratina pichinchesis. Using open-column chromatography, 11 known compounds were purified, whose chemical structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance techniques (1D and 2D). All compounds were evaluated in the in vitro model of RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells measuring nitric oxide inhibition as a determination of the anti-inflammatory effect. Outstandingly, the compound betuletol 3-O-β-glucoside (11) exhibited inhibition of nitric oxide with an IC50 of 75.08 ± 3.07% at 75 µM, additionally, it inhibited the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and activation of nuclear factor (NF-kβ). These results show that compound 11 could be considered as a potential anti-inflammatory agent in suppressing the expression of NF-kβ target genes such as the proinflammatory pathway and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Consequently, the medicinal use attributed in traditional medicine to the A. pichinchensis species is due to the diversity of compounds that the plant biosynthesizes, demonstrating that its effect relates to anti-inflammatory effects associated with compound 11.

Chemical substances such us CS-gas used in military operations are chemical compounds that present a series of peculiarities that affect the ecosystem by disrupting the ecological balance. This study evaluated the toxicological character of O-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile (CBM), (substance present in CS-gas) on the algae Cholrella sp. and analyzed the toxicity limit and the response of the microorganism to the oxidative stress caused by this substance. In order to under-stand the toxicological mechanisms of CBM on algal culture, a series of parameters were analyzed such as: the cell growth curve, the average specific growth rate (µ), percent inhibition in yield(I%), dry cell weight (DCW), percent viability and productivity of algal biomass flocculation activity(FA), change in oxygen production. The content of chlorophyll pigments, was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) fluorescence spectroscopy and analysis of the surface structure of algal cells by SEM spectroscopy. This study aims to provide fundamental data for understanding the toxicity of CBM to aquatic organisms and provides a basis for assessing the potential for impact on aquatic ecosystems. The results obtained could be taken into account in the management of the decontamination of the affected areas.

The use of bacteriophage is reemerging as a tool for combatting multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. In our previous study, we showed that colistin resistant carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (ColR-CRKP) is more susceptible to killing by lytic tailed phages, including ФNJS1 specific for nonmucoid K. pneumoniae. Although we demonstrated that alteration on surface charges of ColR-CRKP promotes phage adherence and infection, the receptor for ФNJS1 was still unknown. In current study, we identified O-antigen was involved in the reversible adsorption, and outer membrane protein (OMP) FepA may be served as one of the irreversible receptors for ФNJS1. We firstly found accelerated reversible phage adsorption to ColR-CRKP cells, and that periodate treatment of bacteria inhibited the phage binding, indicating LPS may be involved in phage reversible adsorption. ФNJS1-resistant bacterial mutants screening revealed that mutants in ∆wecG(mTn5) and ∆wecA(mTn5), two genes responsible for LPS biosynthesis, affected phage adsorption capacity and phage infectivity. The loss of wzyE encoding O-antigen polymerase showed no significant difference in phage adsorption but increased phage infectivity, suggesting the long chain length of O-antigen may also be a barrier for bacteriophage infection. Among four OMP mutants including ∆fepA, ∆fhuA, ∆ompA and ∆ompC, only ∆fepA slowed phage lysis rate, suggesting FepA may be as one of irreversible receptors for ФNJS1. The results are helpful to better understand why ColR-CRKP sensitizes phage infection and to combat multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae infections in the future.

Context and aim: Environmental awareness is the first step to climate change risk perceptions and environmental behaviour. However, this pathway is not always possible within different population segments and trust contexts. This study explores the conditional effect of trust on environmental behaviour in the Zed Generation in Albania. The consideration of the Zed generation due to two opposing traits, such as social courage and anti-social, make them an interesting topic to understand, especially for their importance in online communities. Method: The youth engagement environmental programme and the climate change risk perceptions framework are adopted in an input-output design. Environmental awareness (input) is the initiating factor, and climate change risk perception and community engagement as mediators of environmental behaviour(output). Individual and institutional trust is the moderating factor that inhibits/enhances engagement and environmental behaviour. Results: The moderation-mediation show that climate change risk perceptions did not mediate environmental behaviour. Environmental awareness directly affects it. However, low institutional trust inhibits the general trust that, in turn, lowers the impact of awareness in climate change perceptions and community engagement toward environmental protection. Practical recommendation: The application of the input-output model shows that the pathway that directly affects environmental behaviour among Zed Generation in Albania is not Climate change risk perception. In low-trust contexts, positive environmental behaviour can be generated through community engagement. Policymakers and educational programmes in low-middle-income countries might consider community engagement to mitigate trust issues and effectively deal with environmental problems with a global segment such as the Zed generation.

Z-ligustilide is a main active ingredient in the volatile oil of Angelica sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine. Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapy drug for the treatment of lung cancer. Efficacy is often limited by the development of drug resistance after long-term treatment. Here, we investigated the effect of the combination of Z-ligustilide and cisplatin (Z-ligustilide+cisplatin) on resistance of cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells and its action mechanism. Cell viability was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were examined by flow cytometry assay. mRNA and protein levels of factors related to cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blot. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis and RNA sequencing in A549, A549/DDP and A549/DDP cells treated with the Z-ligustilide+cisplatin were performed. The expression of PLPP1 was analyzed by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The correlation between PLPP1 and prognosis was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter analysis. We found that Z-ligustilide+cisplatin could decrease the cell viability of cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells. Z-ligustilide+cisplatin induced cell cycle arrest, and promoted cell apoptosis of cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells. Metabolomics combined with transcriptomics revealed that Z-ligustilide+cisplatin inhibited phospholipid synthesis by upregulating the expression of PLPP1. Furthermore, PLPP1 expression was positively correlated with good prognosis. Knockdown of PLPP1 abolished the effects of Z-ligustilide+cisplatin on cell cycle and apoptosis. Z-ligustilide+cisplatin inhibited the activation of AKT by reducing the levels of PIP3 levels. Z-ligustilide+cisplatin induced cell cycle arrest and promoted cell apoptosis of cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells by inhibiting PLPP1-mediated phospholipid synthesis.

Marek’s Disease (MD) has a significant impact on both the global poultry economy and animal welfare. The disease pathology can include neurological damage and tumour formation. Sexual dimorphism in immunity and known higher susceptibility of females to MD makes the chicken Z chromosome (GGZ) a particularly attractive target to study the chicken MD response. Previously, we used a Hy-Line F6 population from a full-sib advanced intercross line to map MD QTL regions (QTLRs) on all chicken autosomes. Here we mapped MD QTLRs on GGZ in the previously utilized F6 population with individual genotypes and phenotypes, and in eight elite commercial egg production lines with daughter-tested sires and selective DNA pooling (SDP). Four MD QTLRs were found from each analysis. Some of these QTLRs overlap regions from previous reports. All QTLRs were tested by indiviuals from the same eight lines used in the SDP and genotyped with markers located within and around the QTLRs. All QTLRs were confirmed. The results exemplify the complexity of MD resistance in chickens and the complex distribution of P-values and LD pattern and their effect on localization of the causative elements. Considering the fragments and interdigitated LD blocks while using LD to aid localization of causative elements, one must look beyond the insignificant markers, for possible distant markers and blocks in high LD with the significant block. The QTLRs found here may explain at least part of the gender differences in MD tolerance, and provide targets for mitigating the effects of MD.

In this article the possible impact on the present state of particle physics theory is discussed of two unrecognized theoretical elements. These elements are the awareness that (a) the quark is a Dirac particle with a polarisable dipole moment in a scalar field and that (b) Dirac’s wave equation for fermions, if derived from Einstein’s geodesic equation, reveals a scaling theorem for quarks. It is shown that recognition of these elements proves by theory quite some relationships that are up to now only empirically assessed, such as for instance, the mass relationships between the elementary quarks, the relationship between the bare mass and the constituent mass of quarks, the mass spectrum of hadrons and the mass values of the Z boson and the Higgs boson.

To improve the voltage gain of step-up converters, cascaded technique is considered as a possible solution in this paper. By considering the concept of cascading two Z-source networks in a conventional boost converter, the converter takes the advantages of both impedance source and cascaded converters. However, by applying some modifications, the proposed converter provides high voltage gain while the voltage stress of switch and diodes are still low. Moreover, the low input current ripple of the converter makes it absolutely appropriate for photovoltaic applications in order to expand the lifetime of PV panels. After analyzing the operation principles of the proposed converter, simulation and experimental results of a 100W prototype are presented to verify the proposed converter performance.

High concentrations of Na⁺ or [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺ can induce the B to Z conformational transition in alternating (dC-dG) oligo and polynucleotides. The use of short DNA oligomers (dC-dG)₄ and (dm⁵C-dG)₄ as models can allow a thermodynamic characterization of the transition. Both form right handed double helical structures (B-DNA) in standard phosphate buffer with 115 mM Na⁺ at 25 ^oC. However, at 2.0 M Na⁺ or 200 mM [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺, (dm⁵C-dG)₄ assumes a left handed double helical structure (Z-DNA) while the unmethylated (dC-dG)₄ analogue remains right handed under those conditions. We have previously demonstrated that the enthalpy of the transition at 25 ^oC for either inducer can be determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) [Ferreira, J. M. & Sheardy, R. D., Biophys. J. 2006, 91, 1–7]. Here, ITC is used to investigate the linkages between temperature, water activity and DNA conformation. We found that the determined enthalpy for each titration varied linearly with temperature allowing determination of the heat capacity change (DC_p) between the initial and final states. As expected, the DC_p values were dependent upon the cation (i.e. Na⁺ vs [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺) as well as the sequence of the DNA oligomer (i. e., methylated vs unmethylated). Osmotic stress experiments were carried out to determine the gain or loss of water by the oligomer induced by the titration. The results are discussed in terms of solvent accessible surface areas, electrostatic interactions and the role of water.

In the past few decades, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) open the new field of organocatalysis in synthetic organic chemistry. This review highlights the dramatic progress in the NHC-catalyzed C−O bond formation based on the activation of aldehyde C(sp2)−H bonds. The oxidative and redox transformations for the synthesis of various molecules with structural diversity and complexity are summarized. Furthermore, new methods and strategies for NHC catalysis are emerging continuously; thus, cooperative catalysis with Brønsted acid, hydrogen-bonding catalyst, transition-metal catalyst, and photocatalyst is also described.

Presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the outer layer of outer membranes (OMs) is an almost universal molecular signature of Gram-negative bacteria. The O-antigen or O-polysaccharide (OPS) chains attach to millions of LPS molecule to form a continuous layer on the surface of most of Escherichia coli strains. OPS structure is one of the most variable features of bacteria, with about 200 E. coli O-serotypes currently described. In this review a analyze accumulating evidence suggesting that a vast majority of these OPS types provide robust shields that restrict the access of large molecules to the OM surface. Sophisticated mechanisms employed by bacteriophages to penetrate the OPS barrier are also considered. These are initiated with specific recognition of OPS molecules by phage receptor-binding proteins (RBP), or of other cell-surface molecules that are exposed above the OPS layer. Only after can virions gain access to secondary receptors found closer to the OM surface. The mechanisms of breaking through OPS in most if not all cases appear to rely on mechanical force generated by molecular motors of processive depolymerization or deacetylation of cell surface polysaccharides by enzymatically active RBPs, or by internal rearrangement of the virion.

It was the aim of this study to compare the ratio of salbutamol and its major metabolite salbutamol-4’-O-sulfate as well as the quantity excreted renally after oral and inhalative administration. Additionally, the excretion pattern after application of racemic salbutamol opposed to the pure enantiomer levosalbutamol was evaluated. For quantitation of the sulfonated metabolite of salbutamol, reference material was synthesized and characterized by NMR and HRMS. Urine samples were analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Salbutamol is mainly metabolized by sulfotransferase 1A3 (SULT1A3), which is most abundantly found in the jejunum. A high first pass effect occurs upon oral administration, which leads to a higher amount of salbutamol-4’-O-sulfate in urine compared to unchanged salbutamol excreted within the first hour post administration. Thus, when administered orally, the proportion of metabolite to total salbutamol was higher than for inhalative administration in the early urinary excretion. Levosalbutamol is the favored enantiomer of SULT1A3 and therefore metabolized at a higher rate whereas racemic salbutamol shows a reduced proportion between metabolite and parent compound. The amount of sulfoconjugate was found higher than that of the parent compound for all urine samples except for those excreted in the first hour after inhalative administration.

Background Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) is a dissociative anaesthetic that is sometimes used recreationally. The prevalence of N₂O use is difficult to quantify but appears to be increasing. Research on N₂O harms and application of harm reduction strategies are limited. The aim of this mixed method systematic review was to collate and synthesise the disparate body of research on recreational nitrous oxide use to inform harm reduction approaches tailored for young people. Methods To identify publications reporting recreational use of N₂O, a search of public health, psychology and social science databases was conducted. Databases included PubMed, CIHNAL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Gray literature and Google advanced search were also used. Due to limited published literature on the recreational use of N₂O, no limit was placed on publication date or study type. A thematic synthesis extracted descriptive and analytical themes from the selected studies. Quality appraisal was conducted using the CASP Tool for Qualitative studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute case report assessment tool Results The search retrieved 407 reports. Thirty-four were included in the final analysis including sixteen case reports. The included studies were primarily concerned with raising awareness of the apparently increasing use and subsequently increasing harms of recreational N₂O use. There was limited reference to policy or legislative responses in any published studies, no suggestions for harm reduction strategies or application of service level responses. In general, individuals lack awareness of N2O related harms. Conclusion The review found three key areas that deserve further consideration including: 1) policy, 2) service delivery, and 3) harm associated with N₂O use. We recommend a top-down (policy) and bottom-up (services delivery/services users) approach to harm reduction for N₂O use which also includes further consultation and research with both groups. Future research could explore young people’s experience of N₂O use including benefits and problems to inform contextually relevant harm reduction strategies.

Although RNA modifications were discovered decades ago, the identification of enzymes that write, read, and erase RNA modifications enabled their functional study and spawned the field of epitranscriptomics. Coupling that knowledge to new methods has enabled the precise pinpointing of epitranscriptomic modifications across the transcriptome plus the elucidation of their functional consequences. PCIF1 (Phosphorylated CTD Interacting Factor 1) was shown to add N6, 2’-O-dimethyladenosine (m⁶Am) marks at the first nucleotide after the 5’ N7-methylguanosine (m⁷G) cap. In this review, we discuss the epitranscriptomic regulation of mRNA in general, and focus on m⁷G cap-adjacent m⁶Am in particular. m⁶Am positions can now be distinguished from N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) using new techniques leveraging PCIF1-knockout cells. Although m⁶Am modification sites can be detected precisely, conflicting data have been published regarding how cap-adjacent m⁶Am marks affect their host mRNA. Discrepancies in the data mean that the effects of cap-adjacent m⁶Am on mRNA stability, decapping, and translation continue to be debated. Finally, while PCIF1 is predominantly nuclear, a subset of results suggest a possible cytoplasmic role as well. Taken together, these contradictory results which employed different methodologies and cell lines means that further experiments are required to determine the ultimate biological function(s) of m⁷G cap-adjacent m⁶Am.

The Koka gold deposit is located in the Elababu shear zone between the Nakfa terrane and the Adobha Abiy terrane, NW Eritrea. Based on the paragenetic study two main stages of gold mineralization were identified in the Koka gold deposit: 1) an early stage of pyrite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite-galena-gold-quartz vein; and 2) a second stage of pyrite-quartz veins. NaCl-aqueous inclusions, CO2-rich inclusions, and three-phase CO₂-H₂O inclusions occur in the quartz veins at Koka. The ore-bearing quartz veins formed at 268℃, from NaCl-CO₂-H₂O(-CH₄) fluids averaging 5 wt% NaCl eq. The ore-forming mechanisms include fluid immiscibility during stage I, and mixing with meteoric water during stage II. Oxygen, hydrogen and carbon isotopes suggest that the ore-forming fluids originated as mixtures of metamorphic water, meteoric water and magmatic water, whereas sulfur isotope suggest an igneous origin. Features of geology and ore-forming fluid at Koka deposit are similar to those of orogenic gold deposits, suggesting the Koka deposit might be an orogenic gold deposit related to granite.

We report on recent experimental results on β decay into self-conjugate (N=Z) nuclei with mass number 58≤A≤70. Super-allowed β decays from the Jπ=0+ ground state of a Z=N+2 parent nucleus are to the isobaric analogue state, through so-called Fermi transitions, and to Jπ=1+ states, by way of Gamow–Teller (GT) transitions. The operator of the latter decay is a generator of Wigner’s SU(4) algebra and as a consequence GT transitions obey selection rules associated with this symmetry. Since SU(4) is progressively broken with increasing A, mainly as a consequence of the spin–orbit interaction, this symmetry is not relevant for the nuclei considered here. We argue, however, that the pseudo-spin–orbit splitting can be small in nuclei with 58≤A≤70, in which case nuclear states exhibit an approximate pseudo-SU(4) symmetry. To test this conjecture, GT decay strength is calculated with use of a schematic Hamiltonian with pseudo-SU(4) symmetry. Some generic features of the GT β decay due to pseudo-SU(4) symmetry are pointed out. The experimentally observed GT strength indicates a restoration of pseudo-SU(4) symmetry for A=70.

The increased emergence of multidrug-resistant Helicobacter pylori influences the prevention of stomach cancer. Zingiber officinale is a plant usually used in folk medicine to treat a variety of diseases involving infections, nausea, vomiting, peptic ulcer, dyspepsia, and inflammation. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of Z. officinale extract to combat resistant H. pylori. The disc diffusion, microdilution, and microplate assays were performed to evaluate the susceptibility to antibiotics, and the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the Z. officinale extracts. Using the checkerboard method, the combined effects of the gentamicin and Z. officinale extract were investigated. In addition, anti-inflammatory activity and GC-MS analysis were determined by the modified protocol. According to the findings, H. pylori isolates exhibited resistance rates of 56.33, 50.0, and 45.85 for metronidazole, gentamicin, and tetracycline, respectively. The methanolic extract of Z. officinale had the strongest effectiveness against resistant H. pylori isolates with MIC of 20.0 to 50.0 µg/ml against both H. pylori isolates and the stranded strain NCTC 11637. Z. officinale extract suppress the biofilm formed by H. pylori isolates with a percentage of 92.96% at 50.0µg/ml, compared with 97.19% for gentamicin at the same concentration. According to FICI values, combination of methanolic Z. officinale extract to gentamicin increases bacterial sensitivity to such drugs. Moreover, the Z. officinale extract exhibits strong anti-inflammatory activity. The GC-MS analysis of Z. officinale extract exhibits 17 different chemical compounds. Conclusions: The Z. officinale extract contain the anti-inflammatory compound gingerol as the main constituent which inhibits the growth of H. pylori and its biofilm, are a promising natural therapeutic alternative or enhance antibiotics activity

Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) is a novel type of thermoplastic polymer gaining the attention of the scientific community in electronic, optoelectronic, biomedicine and packaging applications. Despite the benefits in the use of COC like undoubted optical transparency, chemical stability, good water-vapor barrier and biocompatibility, its original hydrophobicity restricts its wider applicability and optimization of its performances. Presently, we report on the optical, and morphological properties of the films of COC covered with Ti in selected areas. The layer of Ti on COC was deposited by pulsed lased deposition processing. The Ti/COC film was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy indicating that its transmittance in the visible region decreased by about 20% with respect to the pristine polymer. The quality of the deposited Ti was assessed with the morphology by scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force microscopies (AFM). The modification of the wettability was observed by the sessile drop method indicating a reduction of the native hydrophilicity.

Conventional radiation therapy uses white X-rays that consist of a mixture of X-ray waves with various energy levels. In contrast, a monochromatic X-ray (monoenergetic X-ray) has a single energy level. Irradiation of high Z elements with a synchrotron generated monochromatic X-ray with the energy at or higher than the K-edge energy of the element results in the production of the Auger electrons that cause DNA damage leading to cell killing. Delivery of high Z elements into cancer cells and tumor mass can be facilitated by the use of nanoparticles. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been shown to be effective in delivering high Z elements to cancer cells. A proof of principle experiment was reported that demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. This opens up a possibility to pursue the Auger cancer therapy by the combined use of MSNs loaded with high Z elements and monochromatic X-rays. Similar cancer therapies using other types of quantum beams such as neutron, proton and carbon ion beams can be envisioned.

Meteorological drought indicators are commonly used for agricultural drought contingency planning in Ethiopia. Agricultural droughts arise due to soil moisture deficits. While these deficits may be caused by meteorological droughts, the timing and duration of agricultural droughts need not coincide with the onset of meteorological droughts due to soil moisture buffering. Similarly, agricultural droughts can persist even after the cessation of meteorological droughts due to delayed hydrologic processes. Understanding the relationship between meteorological and agricultural droughts is therefore crucial. An evaluation framework was developed to compare meteorological and agricultural droughts using a suite of exploratory and confirmatory tools. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) was used to understand the covariation of meteorological and agricultural droughts. Comparisons were carried out between SPI-2, SPEI-2 and Palmer Z-index to assess intra-seasonal droughts and between SPI-6, SPEI-6 and PDSI for full-season evaluations. SPI was seen to correlate well with selected agricultural drought indicators but did not explain all the variability noted in agricultural droughts. The relationships between meteorological and agricultural droughts exhibited spatial variability which varied across indicators. SPI is better suited to predict non-agricultural drought states more so than agricultural drought states. Differences between agricultural and meteorological droughts must be accounted for better drought-preparedness planning.

In this study, regression analyses were used to find a relationship between the rain gauge rainfall rate R and radar reflectivity Z for the urban catchment of the Służewiecki Stream in Warsaw, Poland. Rainfall totals for 18 events which were measured at two rainfall stations were used for these analyses. Various methods for determining calculational values of radar reflectivity in reference to specific rainfall cells with 1-km resolution within an event duration were applied. The influence of each of these methods on the Z-R relationship was analyzed. The correction coefficient for data from the SRI (Surface Rainfall Intensity) product was established, in which the values of rainfall rate are calculated based on parameters a and b determined by Marshall and Palmer. Relatively good agreement between measured and estimated rainfall totals for the analyzed events was obtained using the Z-R relationships as well as the correction coefficient determined in this study. Rainfall depths estimated from radar data for two selected events were used to simulate flow hydrographs in the catchment using the SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) hydrodynamic model. Different scenarios were applied to investigate the stream response to changes in rainfall depths, in which the data both for 2 existing as well as 64 virtual rain gauges assigned to appropriate rainfall cells in the catchment were included.

This article addresses the urbanization model in valley bottom areas in the city of São Paulo, an-alyzed in its urban planning and socio-environmental aspects, and examines the hydrological impacts triggered by its implementation. It argues that sustainable occupation of urbanized hy-drographic basins should be based on environmental criteria in order to attain a sustainable water management regime that can ensure urban and environmental resilience. In the “Introduction,” the article emphasizes that urbanization in São Paulo has neglected the natural features of river basins, promoting the channeling of watercourses, which resulted in floods and inundations. “Theoretical Basics” brings in key concepts related to the environmental approach of drainage infrastructure with gray and green-blue systems. “Methods” details our qualitative research, bibliographical analyzes, referential case studies, and cartographical analyzes (geoprocessing), focusing on a case study in the Jaguaré creek basin. “Results” includes guidelines and recom-mendations for an urbanization model adjusted to valley bottom areas, applicable to new patterns of urban occupation or to the adjustment of existing patterns. “Discussion” explores the concept of “local sustainable self-development,” and “Conclusions” highlights the importance of an inte-grated, multisectoral, and sustainable planning, adjusted to the characteristics of river basins in valley bottom areas, promoting a socially responsible urban occupation, especially in the face of climate change.

Microwave absorbers with lightweight, good stability and high efficiency have attracted much attention for their applications in many contemporary fields. In this work, the 3D porous (Ni@NO-C)n/NO-C composite absorber was prepared by a wet chemistry method with Ni chains and melamine as precursors, in which NO-C (N,O-doped carbon) encapsulated Ni particles are homogenously dispersed in the 3D porous networks of NO-C in the form of (Ni@NO-C)n chains. The special microstructure of the as-prepared material is proved to be benefit for the improvement of its microwave adsorption performance. The as-synthesized (Ni@NO-C)n/NO-C composite ab-sorber exhibited an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.1 GHz and an extremely large reflection loss of -72.3 dB. The excellent microwave absorbing performances can be ascribed to the coopera-tive consequence of dielectric loss and magnetic loss along with the balance between attenuation capability and impedance match.

The military taxonomy of class indices for chemical and biological warfare agents considers halogenated tear agents (CS) to be incapacitating causing local pain and discomfort with associated reflexe. The removal yield of the organic substances present in the water depends on the environmental conditions, on the chemical composition of the water and on the chemical substance dissolved in the water, which constitutes the substrate of the metabolic activities of the microorganisms that use these substances in the biochemical reactions of the cellular enzyme complexes. The two -CN groups in the malonic nitrile molecule are strongly electron-attracting and activate the CH2 group to which they are linked, and because of this, malononitrile has the role of a methylene component in condensation reactions with aldehydes or ketones. The results obtained after analyzing the degree of hydrolysis in the samples that contained the biological suspension indicated that no CBM metabolites were detected in any biological sample, regardless of the test concentration, analyzed 24 h after incubation. In the parallel samples, the aqueous solutions of CBM without biological treatment had metabolites in the samples., at 30 minutes the degree of hydrolysis is 0.21%, at 60 minutes, the degree of hydrolysis is 5.42%, after 90 minutes, the degree of hydrolysis is 6.19%, and after 24 hours. the degree of hydrolysis is 23.41%. Chemical substances in contact with microorganisms are used by them in the biochemical processes in which they are involved, the retention time and biodegradation capacity have led to an increased effect of the metabolism of toxic substances, in metabolic reactions, organic substances are the source of carbon and energy for biochemical processes. The tests performed indicate that the suspension of Chlorella sp. consumed the entire amount of CBM and metabolites from the analyzed samples The tests prove that the biological material can be used for the decontamination of the affected areas.

Artificially designed, chimeric peptide-based recombinant vaccines are novel approaches to combat the phylogenetically diverse Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Virus (FMDV) strains. Among seven distinct serotypes, only serotype O and A are dominantly circulating in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries of Asia, where transboundary transmission, recurrent outbreaks and emergence of novel lineages FMDV are highly prevalent. The objective of this study was to develop multi-epitope recombinant peptides, procuring immunogenicity against circulating diverse subtypes of FMDV serotype O and A. Two chimeric peptides, named B1 (41.0 kDa) and B3 (39.3 kDa), have been designed to incorporate potential B-cell and T-cell epitopes selected from multiple FMDV strains, including previously reported and newly emerged sub-lineages. After expression, characterization and immunization of guineapigs with considerable antigen load of B1 and B3 followed by the serological assays revealed the significant protective immunogenicity, developed from the higher (100 µg) doses of both antigens, against most of the currently prevalent serotype O and A strains of FMDV. The efficient expression, antigenic stability, and multivalent immunogenic potency of the chimeric peptides strongly indicate their credibility as novel vaccine candidates for FMDV serotypes O and A circulating in Bangladesh and surrounding territories.

The local climate effects of utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants have also attracted more and more attention with the rapid development of PV industry. Turbulent fluxes and intensity characteristics for the PV plant and the adjacent reference site are investigated in the gobi area in Wujianqu in Xinjiang. Results indicate that near surface boundary layer is more unstable during the daytime while is more stable at the night in the PV plant than the reference site. The average roughness is 0.089m and 0.041m for the PV plant and the reference site respectively. The turbulence intensity in the vertical direction (I_w) of the PV plant is higher than the reference site especially during the daytime. The turbulent kinetic energy of the PV plant during the daytime is lower than the reference site.The momentum in the PV plant is higher than the reference site, especially during the daytime. Compared to the reference site, the PV plant has higher sensible heat flux and less latent heat flux. Site specific turbulent intensity relationships were developed for the PV plant and the reference site by analyzing wind components as a function of stability parameter (z/L). The turbulent components of wind followed 1/3 power law in the unstable conditions and stable conditions in the PV plant and the reference site.

Plastic flow in body-centered cubic (bcc) alloys is governed by the thermally-activated screw dislocation motion. In bcc interstitial solid solutions, solute diffusion can occur at very fast rates owing to low migration energies and solute concentrations. Under mechanical loading, solutes may move on the same or similar time scale as dislocations glide, even at low temperatures, potentially resulting in very rich co-evolution processes that may have important effects in the overall material response. It is therefore important to accurately quantify the coupling between interstitial impurities and dislocations, so that larger-scale models can correctly account for their (co)evolution. In this paper, we use electronic structure calculations to obtain the energetics of oxygen diffusion under stress and its interaction energy with screw dislocation cores in bcc tungsten. We find that oxygen atoms preferentially migrate from tetrahedral to tetrahedral sites with an energy of 0.2 eV. This energy couples only weakly to hydrostatic and deviatoric deformations, with activation volumes of less than $0.02$ and $0.2b^3$, respectively. The strongest effect is found for the inelastic interaction between O atoms and screw dislocation cores, which leads to attractive energies on the order of 1.5 eV and a structural transformation of the screw dislocation core from an `easy' to a `hard' core configuration

Oenothera flower petals change color during senescence. When in full bloom, the flowers of O. tetraptera are white and those of O. laciniata and O. stricta are yellow; however, the colors change to pink and orange, respectively, when the petals fade. We analyzed the flavonoid components in these petals as a function of senescence using HPLC-DAD and LC-MS. In all three species, cyanidin 3-glucoside (Cy3G) was found in faded petals, and the content of Cy3G increased in senescence. In full bloom (0 h), no Cy3G was detected in any of the petals, but after 12 h, the content of Cy3G in O. tetraptera was 0.97 μmol/gFW and that in O. laciniata was 1.82 μmol/gFW. Together with anthocyanins, major flavonoid components in petals were identified. Quercitrin was detected in the petals of O. tetraptera, and isosalipurposide was found in the petals of O. laciniata and O. stricta. The content of quercitrin did not change during senescence, but that of isosalipurposide in O. laciniata increased from 3.4 μmol/gFW at 0 h to 4.8 μmol/gFW at 12 h. The color change in all the three Oenothera flowers was confirmed to be due to the de novo biosynthesis of Cy3G.

In the history of high-performance polymer composite parts with continuous in-plane fibre reinforcement, the comparatively moderate structural-mechanical properties in their out-of- plane-z-direction and the limited load carrying capability between individual reinforcement layers within the laminated structures have always been one of the greatest challenges. Plenty of research work has been carried out to improve load transfer capability as well as fracture toughness for crack opening events between the reinforcement layers by means of out-of-plane fibre reinforcement implementation, for example by sewing or z-pinning technologies. However, the results have not become established across a wide range of applications so far, because the technologies used have led to considerable losses of in-plane strength properties. In this paper first results are presented for a new method of a low fraction z-fibre reinforcement by means of very thin diameter laser drilled holes filled with short carbon fibres, demonstrating potential to improve Mode II fracture toughness.

We demonstrate how a rigorous mathematical approach can be used to extract a current CMB temperature of 2.7276 ±0.0723 K from the 580 type Ia supernova data points in the Union2 database. Using redshift formula: z = Sqrt(Rh/R_t) − 1, incorporated into our new CMB redshift prediction redshift formula, we find that the above current CMB temperature value is a remarkably good match for this particular data set. In addition, we can alternatively start out with the measured current CMB temperature and extract the Hubble constant from all 580 supernovae. We then get an estimated Hubble constant of H0 = 66.8711+0.0019 km/s/Mpc when using the CMB temperature from the recent Dhal et al study [1] in combination with redshifts from all 580 supernovae. Furthermore, we get an estimated Hubble constant value of H_0 = 66.8943+0.0287 km/s/Mpc when using the CMB temperature measured by Fixsen [2]. In summary, our simple model essentially perfectly matches all 580 type Ia supernova redshifts while extracting H_0 or T_0 values. The Hubble constant we extract by this method fits very well with the Hubble constant extracted from the CMB by other studies. We believe that our new approach likely solves the Hubble tension problem, at least inside R_h = ct cosmology.

Plant viral nanoparticles (VNPs) are attractive to researchers in nanomedicine due to their safety, easy production, resistance, and straightforward functionalization. In this paper, we developed and successfully purified a VNP derived from turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), a well-known plant pathogen, that exhibits high affinity for immunoglobulins G (IgG) thanks to its functionalization with the Z domain from staphylococcal protein A via gene fusion. We selected cetuximab as a model IgG to prove the versatility of this novel TuMV VNP by developing a fluorescent nanoplatform to mark tumoral cells of the line Cal33, from tongue squamous cell carcinoma. We observed that the fluorescent VNP-cetuximab bound selectively to Cal33 and were internalized by confocal microscopy, revealing the potential of this nanotool in cancer research.

The duality is one of the most interesting properties of the Laplace and Fourier transforms associated to the integer order derivative. Here, we will generalize it for fractional derivatives and extend the results to the Mellin, Z and discrete-time Fourier transforms. The scale and nabla derivatives are used.

Formalin-Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) tissues are a valuable resource in studying different markers and mechanistic molecules (protein, DNA and RNA) in order to understand the etiology of different cancers as well as many other diseases. Degradation and modification of RNA is the major challenge in utilizing FFPE tissue samples in medical research. Recently, non-protein coding transcripts long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), have gained significant attention due to their important biological actions and potential involvement in cancer. There is no validated method except qRTPCR or RNAseq to evaluate and study lncRNA expression. We have standardized and are reporting a sensitive Z probe based in situ hybridization method to identify, localize and quantitate lncRNA in FFPE tissues. This assay is sensitive to single transcript and localizes lncRNA in individual cells within tumor. We have characterized a tumor suppressor lncRNA-NRON (non coding repressor of NFAT), which is scarcely expressed, a moderately expressed oncogeneic lncRNA UCA1 (urothelial cancer associated 1), and a highly studied and expressed lncRNA MALAT1 (metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript1) in different cancers. High MALAT1 staining was found in colorectal, breast and pancreatic cancer. MALAT1 expression increased with the progression of the stage in colorectal cancer and invasiveness in breast cancer.

Onchocerciasis treatment and control relies mainly on the use of ivermectin which has high activity against the microfilarial stage of Onchocerca volvulus but limited activity against the long lived, tissue dwelling adult nematodes. As this neglected tropical disease has now been targeted for elimination there is an urgent need for new drugs to combat these parasites, ideally with macrofilaricidal activity. In this study we have examined the anti-Onchocerca activity of a range of existing FDA approved drugs with a view to repurposing, which can lead to rapid and relatively inexpensive development. From the Pharmakon-1600 library, 106 drugs were selected and tested against O. gutturosa adult male parasites using a concentration of 1.25 x 10-5 M in an in vitro 5-day standard assay to assess motility and viability (using MTT/formazan colorimetry). The findings revealed that 44 drugs produced marginal/moderate activity (50-99% motility and/or MTT reductions) including cefuroxime sodium, methenamine, primaquine phosphate, rivastigmine tartrate, while 23 drugs produced good activity (100% motility reductions and significant MTT reductions), including atovaquone, isradipine, losartan, rifaximin, cefaclor and pyrantel pamoate. Although this study represents only a first step, some of the identified hits indicate there are potential anti-Onchocerca drug candidates worthy of further investigation.

The chelating aluminum complex [2-(Me2NCH2)C2B10H10]AlX2 (X = Br 3, CH3 4) was synthesized using 2-dimethylaminomethyl-o-carboranyl lithium (2) with aluminum tribromide or dimethylaluminum bromide, resulting in a modest yield. Compound 4 was obtained by reacting compound 3 with CH3Li in toluene. All compounds were characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, 1H, 11B, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. X-ray structural studies of CabNAlBr2 (3) and CabNAlMe2 (4) indicated that the Al atom was located at the center of a distorted tetrahedron. Crystal structures of the CabNAlBr2 (3) [a = 8.9360(3) Å, b = 12.0358(9) Å, c = 14.7730(4) Å, α = β = γ = 90°] and the CabNAlMe2 (4) [a = 8.9551(3) Å, b = 11.9126(9) Å, c = 14.7711(4) Å, α = β = γ = 90°] were obtained. The reactivity of aluminum complexes 3 and 4 with Lewis bases, such as H2O, pyridine, alkylamines, and arylamines, confirmed their rapid decomposition.

The primary cilium plays critical roles in homeostasis and development of neurons. Recent studies demonstrate that cilia length is regulated by the metabolic state of cells, as dictated by processes such as glucose flux and O-GlcNAcylation (OGN). The study of cilia length regulation during neuron development, however, has been an area left largely unexplored. This project aims to elucidate the roles of O-GlcNAc in neuronal development through its regulation of the primary cilium. Here, we present findings suggesting that OGN levels negatively regulate cilia length on differentiated cortical neurons derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. In neurons, cilia length increased significantly during neurons maturation (after day 35), while OGN levels began to drop. Long-term perturbation of OGN via drugs, which inhibit or promote its cycling, during neuron development also have varying effects. Diminishing OGN levels increases cilia length until day 25, when neural stem cells expand and undergo early neurogenesis, before causing cell cycle exit defects and multinucleation. Elevating OGN levels induces greater primary cilia assembly but ultimately results in the development of premature neurons, which have higher insulin sensitivity. These results indicate that OGN levels and primary cilia length are jointly critical in proper neuron development and function. Understanding the interplays between these two nutrient sensors, O-GlcNAc and the primary cilium, during neuron development is important in paving connections between dysfunctional nutrient-sensing and early neurological disorders.

This research explores the behaviors of Generation Z consumers in China, particularly focusing on their interaction with companies through social media for the joint creation of value. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the research initially constructs a scale for assessing co-creation of value on social media platforms. Subsequently, it delves into the motivational aspects of users' engagement in these co-creative activities. The study unveils a range of utilitarian and hedonic motivations that drive Generation Z's value co-creation actions on social media. Insights derived from the findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for the field.

Extensive genome structure variation, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and presence/absence variations, is the basis for the remarkable maize genetic diversity; however, the effect of CNVs on maize herbivory defense remains largely underexplored. Here, we report that the naturally occurring duplication of the maize 9-lipoxygenase gene, ZmLOX5, leads to increased resistance of maize to herbivory by fall armyworms (FAW). Previously, we showed that ZmLOX5-derived oxylipins are required for defense against chewing insect herbivores and identified several inbred lines, including Yu796, that contained duplicated CNVs of ZmLOX5, referred to as Yu796-2×LOX5. To test whether introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus into the herbivore-susceptible B73 background that contains a single ZmLOX5 gene is a feasible approach to increase resistance, we generated a series of near-isogenic lines that contained either 2, 1 or 0 copies of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in the B73 background by six back crosses (BC6). Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the successful introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in B73. The resulting B73-2×LOX5 inbred line displayed increased resistance against FAW associated with increased expression of ZmLOX5, increased wound-induced production of its primary oxylipin product, the α-ketol, 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9,10-KODA), and the downstream defense hormones regulated by this molecule, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Surprisingly, wound-induced JA-Ile production was not increased in B73-2×LOX5, resulting from the increased JA catabolism. Furthermore, B73-2×LOX5 displayed enhanced drought tolerance likely due to increased ABA and 12-OPDA content. Taken together, this study revealed that the duplicated CNV of ZmLOX5 quantitively contributes to maize antiherbivore defense and presents proof-of-concept evidence that the introgression of naturally occurring duplicated CNVs of a defensive gene into the productive, but susceptible, crop varieties is a feasible breeding approach for enhancing plant resistance to herbivory and tolerance to abiotic stress.

A series of alpha,omega-bis(o-methoxyphenyl)arenes were prepared through Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions of dibromoarenes with o-methoxyphenyl boronic acid. P2O5-CH3SO3H-mediated direct polycondensation of alpha,omega-bis(o-methoxyphenyl)arenes with trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid proceeded regioselectively to afford 1,4-cyclohexanediyl-containing aromatic polyketones. The resulting aromatic polyketones have high Tg and excellent solubility in typical organic solvents. In addition, the polyketone films fabricated by solution casting method are more colorless and transparent than those without cyclohexanediyl units.

The objective of this study is to design and synthesize substituted η6-chromium tricarbonyl metal complexes carrying o-carborane units as potential boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) agents. In this study, 1,2-Diphenyl-o-carborane units were used as starting materials to generate biologically active species. We investigated how the structural changes of 1,2-diphenyl-o-carborane substituted with chromium(0) tricarbonyl affect the biological properties; [(CO)3Cr]Ph2C2 (2) and [(CO)3Cr]2Ph2C2 (3) species were produced in moderate yields. The molecular structures of compounds 1–3 were identified and established by infrared (IR), 1H, 11B, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and X-ray crystallography analyses. Crystal structures of o-carboranyl chromium complexes 1 [a = 10.859(1) Å, b = 24.953(3) Å, c = 13.938(2) Å, β = 111.854(2)º], 2 [a = 10.621(3) Å, b = 17.056(5) Å, c = 12.174(4) Å, β = 106.622(5)º], and 3 [a = 17.540(2) Å, b = 18.060(2) Å, c = 19.484(4) Å, α = 105.746(2)º, β = 110.226(2)º, γ = 91.256(2)º] were obtained. In vitro study using B16 and CT26 cancer cells containing the triphenyl-o-carboranyl chromium (0) complexes Ph3C2BCr2 and Ph3C2BCr3, which we have previously reported, the compounds 2 and 3 accumulated at higher levels than compounds Ph3C2BCr2 and Ph3C2BCr3. However, the phenylated o-carboranyl chromium(0) complexes have been found to be more cytotoxic than p-boronophenylalanine (BPA).

Monitoring coffee quality as a means of detecting and preventing economically motivated fraud is an important aspect of international commerce today. Therefore, there is a compelling need for rapid high throughput validated analytical techniques such as quantitative proton NMR spectroscopy for screening and authenticity testing. For this reason, we sought to validate an NMR spectroscopic method for routine screening of coffee for quality and authenticity. A factorial experimental design was used to investigate the influence of NMR device, extraction time and nature of coffee on the content of caffeine, 16-O-methylcafestol (OMC), kahweol, furfuryl alcohol and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in coffee. The method was successfully validated for specificity, selectivity, sensitivity and linearity of detector response. The proposed method produced satisfactory precision for all analytes in roasted coffee, except for kahweol in canephora (robusta) coffee. The proposed validated method may be used for routine screening of roasted coffee for quality and authenticity control, as its applicability was demonstrated during the recent OPSON VIII Europol-Interpol operation on coffee fraud control.

Ethiopian agriculture is not only affected by precipitation declines (meteorological droughts) but also soil dryness caused by temperature increases and associated long-term hydrological changes. Meteorological drought indicators (e.g., SPI), do not fully capture the water deficits in agricultural systems (i.e., agricultural droughts). An Ethiopia-wide assessment of meteorological and agricultural drought trends was carried out to characterize century-scale (1902 – 2016) changes in droughts. SPI and SPEI calculated using two-month accumulation and the Palmer Z-index were used for assessing intra-season drought trends. SPI and SPEI at six-month accumulations and PDSI were used to define full season droughts. Detrended variance corrected Mann-Kendall test was used for trend analysis during Bega (dry), Belg (short-rainy) and Meher (long-rainy) seasons. The SPEI-2 and PDSI were most aggressive in characterizing intra-season and seasonal-drought trends. There is on average 1% - 6% annual increase in dryness with the lower estimate based on precipitation declines and the upper end accounting for seasonal soil moisture dynamics. The area between 37.5° E – 42.5° E denotes a climate hot-spot. Precipitation declines in Belg along the Ethiopia-South-Sudan/Sudan border during Belg and along Eretria-Ethiopia border during Meher have the potential to exacerbate transboundary water conflicts and further threaten the food security of the region.

Study design :Technical note. Objectives : To present a new unilateral biportal endoscopic technique for lumbar disc herniation without C-arm . Background : Lumbar disc herniation requires surgical intervention when conservative methods fail. Shifts towards minimally invasive percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, including uniportal and biportal approaches, have been hindered by challenges such as steep learning curves and reliance on radiation-intensive C-arm guidance. Our study introduces the use of standard intraoperative navigation in unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) to reduce radiation exposure and increase surgical acuracy. Materials and Methods : A 24-year-old man with low back and bilateral leg pain with gait disturbance was referred to our hospital. He had have conservative treatment for 12 months in another hospital before admission. However, the conservative treatment did not work for him. He had low back pain (VAS 4/10) and bilateral leg pain (VAS 8/10), muscle waekness of bilateral legs (Manual muscle testing ;MMT of extensor hullusis longs 4 4), and numbness of bilateral lower leg. Preoperative lumbar MRI showed L4/5 large central disc herniation. Results: He underwent C-arm free unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy under the guidance of O-arm navigation. The patient was successfully treated surgically. Postoperative lumbar MRI showed good decompression of dural sac and bilateral L5 nerve roots. MMT and sensory function of both leg had recovered fully on final follow-up at one year. Conclusions/Level of Evidence: The new unilateral biportal endoscopic technique under navigation guidance is useful technique for lumbar disc herniation. This innovative technique proved to be safe, accurate, and minimized radiation exposure for surgeons for the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Level V.

Introduction: The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the association between human blood type and COVID-19 infection in both inpatient and longitudinal populations at our institution in South Florida and (2) identify the association between blood type and severity of COVID-19 infection via presence of cellular biomarkers of severe infection in hospitalized individuals. Methods: This study consists of (1) a single-center retrospective analysis of 669 of 2,741 COVID-19 positive screened patients seen from January 1, 2020 until March 31, 2021 at the University of Miami Emergency Department (ED) who tested positive for COVID-19 infection and had a documented ABO blood type and (2) a longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 immunity study (“CITY”) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine consisting of 185 survey participants. COVID-19 outcome rates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each ABO blood type and Rh group using Chi-squared tests for categorical and ANOVA for continuous variables in the inpatient cohort and Chi-squared tests for the longitudinal cohort, all executed in R studio. Results: Our inpatient cohort had a mean age of 53.6 (± 17.9) years with 48% males and 52% females. When compared to patients with other blood types, those with O- demonstrated less risk of developing COVID-19 pneumonia (26.7% for O- vs. 69.2% for type A-, 56.5% for A+, 71.4% for AB+, 53.7% for B+, 51.5% for O+, p-value= 0.003 via Chi-squared test) and decreased mortality due to COVID-19 infection (17.0% mortality for O vs. 26.3% for A, 29.2% for B, p-value= 0.012 via Chi-squared test). Blood type O- demonstrated less elevated levels of LDH than did other blood types (p-value= 0.001, ANOVA) and a higher frequency of clinically accepted baseline levels of troponin (0.04 ng/mL) (p-value= 0.026, ANOVA) (Figure 1). Most of the longitudinal cohort was ABO blood grouping type O (47% (87/185)), with 33.5% type A, 14.1% B, and 5.4% AB. Most individuals were Rh positive (85.9%). There was no significant association found between COVID status (infection vs. non-infection) and ABO (Chi-squared test (3, N = 185) = 1.8, p = 0.6) or Rh (Chi-squared test (1, N = 185) = 0.16, p = 0.7) blood typing. Nearly all participants had been vaccinated (95.1% (176/185)), with a majority reporting primary vaccination with Pfizer (57.8% (107/185)), followed by Moderna (33% (61/185)), and Johnson & Johnson (4.3% (8/185)). 8 participants (4.3%) were unvaccinated. Conclusions: In an inpatient setting, blood type O sustained less risk of COVID-19 mortality and O- demonstrated less risk of developing COVID-19 pneumonia. In a longitudinal setting, there was no association found between blood type and COVID-19 severity. As the novelty of COVID-19 infection declines with time, further studies on risk-stratification by blood type are encouraged.

The global textile sector, pivotal to economic development, significantly contributes to environmental degradation, prompting a shift towards sustainable raw material sources. Embracing circular economy principles, this industry is exploring the valorization of agricultural by-products. This study introduces an innovative approach to repurposing mango waste into valuable textile fibers, a byproduct of the fruit processing industry, predominantly generated during juice and jam production. The focus is on the lignocellulosic constituents of mango waste, specifically the peel, seed, and fibrous material, traditionally considered as refuse. Previous research has predominantly utilized mango peel in pectin extraction for food applications, whereas the potential of seed and fibrous content remains underexplored. This investigation endeavors to transform these fibrous by-products into high-value materials suitable for textile manufacturing. The process involved washing, drying, and comprehensive physicochemical characterization of mango fibers, emphasizing lignin quantification, revealing a composition of 12.2% lignin. An experimental design was employed to elucidate the impact of variables such as liquid-to-solid ratio, reaction duration, and sodium hydroxide concentration on lignin dissolution through alkaline hydrolysis. Optimal conditions—10% NaOH concentration, 30 mL/g liquid-to-solid ratio over six hours—achieved an 83% reduction in lignin content. The resulting fibers exhibited properties akin to conventional natural fibers, including a favorable aspect ratio indicative of their suitability for textile applications. A subsequent softening process using propylene glycol enhanced the fibers' spinability, producing a durable, textured fabric ideal for eco-conscious fashion applications, including bags, footwear, and accessories. This research demonstrates the feasibility of converting mango waste into a textile-worthy material and underscores the importance of waste revalorization in promoting sustainability within the circular economy framework.

In the current work, the stable queueuing system's Generalised Z-Entropy (GZE) of Rényian formalism is examined in its fractal dimension. Notably, fractal dimension’s resulting behaviour that corresponds to the GZE parameters is examined through numerical tests. This research makes a substantial generalization in the literature by fusing fractal geometry and information theory to shed light on how entropy and complexity interact. More fundamentally, the significant role of fractal dimension to advance Big Data Analytics(BDAs) is highlighted. Closing remarks combined with open problems and the next phase of research are provided.

As one of the world's most populous countries, Indonesia is struggling with the composition of its people, the majority of whom are unemployed productive-age individuals with low education levels. Another issue is the high poverty rate, which is followed by issues of gender inequality. The government cannot solve these social issues on its own. There is a need for community support to solve these problems through sustainable social entrepreneurship activities. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Outcome Expectation, this study will determine the factors that influence the interest of individuals known as the Z and Millennial generation, aged 18 to 34 years old, in becoming social entrepreneurs. This study applied a quantitative approach with a judgmental sampling technique to a sample of Generation Z and Millennials who have ever participated in social activities but have not yet started their own business. The study gathered 210 respondents, who were then analyzed using the PLS-SEM method with multiple group analysis generation-based comparison. According to the findings, the Millennial Generation's Attitude Toward Behavior, Subjective Norms, and Outcome Expectation all had a positive impact on Social Entrepreneurial Intention. Meanwhile, Subjective Norms had no effect on Social Entrepreneurial Intention in the Z Generation. Only attitude toward behavior, perceived behavioral control, and outcome expectation have a positive effect on the development of social entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, the findings of this study confirm that subjective norms influence attitude toward behavior and Perceived Behavioral Control in both Generation Z and millennials.

A simple mathematical interaction function, with the limit value w = e2π/e, derived as a basis for modelling emergent properties of nanoparticles, nanodrops and liquids, has been further developed. A correlation between physical systems of uniform particles and fundamental properties of natural numbers leads to a model, which acts as a bridge between properties of macroscopic systems and fundamental physical constants. The four fundamental coupling constants, and the masses of fundamental elementary particles, including the Higgs and Z bosons, are derived by using this interaction function. A proposal for the mass of the electron neutrino is given. Finally, the nuclear binding interaction is modeled with the interaction function. Only the experimental values of the Planck constant h and the speed of light c are needed for the model.

A transform approach based on a variable initial time (VIT) formulation is developed for discrete-time signals and linear time-varying discrete-time systems or digital filters. The VIT transform is a formal power series in z^(-1) which converts functions given by linear time-varying difference equations into left polynomial fractions with variable coefficients, and with initial conditions incorporated into the framework. It is shown that the transform satisfies a number of properties that are analogous to those of the ordinary z-transform, and that it is possible to do scaling of z^(- i) by time functions which results in left-fraction forms for the transform of a large class of functions including sinusoids with general time-varying amplitudes and frequencies. Using the extended right Euclidean algorithm in a skew polynomial ring with time-varying coefficients, it is shown that a sum of left polynomial fractions can be written as a single fraction, which results in linear time-varying recursions for the inverse transform of the combined fraction. The extraction of a first-order term from a given polynomial fraction is carried out in terms of the evaluation of z^(i) at time functions. In the application to linear time-varying systems, it is proved that the VIT transform of the system output is equal to the product of the VIT transform of the input and the VIT transform of the unit-pulse response function. For systems given by a time-varying moving average or an autoregressive model, the transform framework is used to determine the steady-state output response resulting from various signal inputs such as the step and cosine functions.

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC– MS/MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of atorvastatin (ATOR), ezetimibe (EZM) and their three metabolites including o-hydroxyl atorvastatin (o-OH ATOR), p-hydroxyl atorvastatin (p-OH ATOR), and ezetimibe-glucuronide (EZM-G) in human plasma using benzyl paraben (BP) as internal standard (IS). The analytes and IS were ionized using ESI positive ion mode (ATOR, o-OH ATOR, and p-OH ATOR), ESI negative ion mode (EZM, EZM-G, and BP), and operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. They were next extracted by salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction with acetonitrile, and then analyzed by liquid chromatography on a reversed-phase chromatographic column (50 mm × 4.6 mm; 3.5 µm), using a mixture of ac-etonitrile and an acetic acid solution (0.5%) as the mobile phase, showing high extraction effi-ciency (>70%), and a minimized matrix effect. The method was satisfactorily validated, and showed excellent linearity over wide concentration ranges of 0.06–15 ng/mL, 0.6–150 ng/mL, 0.4–100 ng/mL, 0.12–30 ng/mL, and 0.05–3 ng/mL for EZM, EZM-G, ATOR, o-OH ATOR, and p-OH ATOR, respectively.

Vaccination is one of the best approaches to control and eradicate foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). To achieve this goal, vaccines with inactivated FMD virus antigen in suitable adjuvants are being used in addition with other control measures. However, only a limited number of vaccine strains are commercially available which often have a restricted spectrum of activity against the different FMD virus strains in circulation. As a result, when new strains emerge, it is important to measure the efficacy of the current vaccine strains against these new variants. This is important for countries where FMD is endemic but also for countries that hold an FMD vaccine bank to be prepared for emergency vaccination. The emergence and spread of the O/ME-SA/Ind-2001 lineage of viruses posed a serious threat to countries which had OIE-endorsed FMD control plans and had not reported FMD for many years. In vitro vaccine matching results showed a poor match (r1-value &lt;0.3) to the more widely used vaccine strain O Manisa and less protection in a challenge test. This paper describes the use of O3039 vaccine strain as an alternative either alone or in combination with the O Manisa vaccine strain with virulent challenge by a O/ME-SA/Ind-2001d sub-lineage virus from Algeria (O/ALG/3/2014). The experiment included challenge at 7 days post vaccination (to study protection and emergency use) and 21 days post vaccination (as would be done in standard potency studies). The results indicated that the O3039 vaccine strain alone as well as the combination with O Manisa is effective against this strain of the O/ME-SA/Ind/2001d lineage offering protection from clinical disease even after 7 days post vaccination and with reduction in viraemia and virus excretion.

(1) Background: AI technology has been deeply applied to online shopping platform to provide more accurate and personalized services for consumers. It is of great significance to study the different functional experience of AI for consumers to improve the current application status of AI technology.(2)Method: Based on the "S-O-R" model, this study divided the AI technology expe-rienced by the consumers of online shopping platform into accuracy, insight and interaction experience. Takes the perceived value as the mediating variable from the prospect of perceived utility value and perceived hedonic value. This article use empirical research method to analyze the effect of three dimensions of online shopping AI experience to research the internal influence mechanism of consumers purchase intention. (3) Results:① The accuracy, insight and interaction experience of AI marketing technology have a significant positive impact on consumers' per-ceived utility value and hedonic value respectively; ②Both of the perceived utility value and perceived hedonic value obtained by AI technology experience can promote the formation of consumers' purchase intention; ③ The perceived hedonic value was better than perceived utility value to promote the consumers' purchase intention; ④The results of multi group analysis show that some younger and less experiences consumers groups prefer the pleasure experience such as shopping desire stimulation, shopping process relaxation and pleasure that AI marketing brought. However, utilitarian value cannot promote this kind of consumers' purchase intention. (4) Con-clusions: Perceived utility value and perceived hedonic value can be the intermediary between AI technology and consumers' purchase intention.

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection is a growing area of analytical chemistry emerged as a solution to a problem of sensitivity improvement. SERS-based ELISA with horseradish peroxidase as an enzymatic label, o-phenylenediamine (oPD) substrate, and 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP) enzymatic product was one of the first examples of such systems. Surprisingly, the full potential of this long-known approach has not been revealed yet. The current study addresses a previously neglected problem of SERS detection stage performance. Using silver nanoparticles and model mixtures of oPD and DAP, the effects of pH, concentration of aggregating agent, and particle surface chloride stabilizer were extensively evaluated. At optimal mildly acidic pH of 3, 0.93 to 1 M citrate buffer, and AgNPs stabilized with 20 mM chloride, at least two orders of magnitude advantages in the detection limits of SERS over colorimetry both for DAP and HRP were demonstrated. We suppose that this improved detection system could become a useful tool for the development of SERS-based ELISA protocols.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is manifested by hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, hepatocyte death, and systemic inflammation. Obesity induces steatosis and chronic inflammation in the liver. However, the precise mechanism underlying hepatic steatosis in the setting of obesity remains unclear. Here we report studies that address this question. Methods: 14 weeks on high-fat diet (HFD) with high sucrose, C57BL/6 mice revealed a phenotype of liver steatosis. Transcriptional profiling analysis of the liver tissues was performed using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Results: Our RNA-seq data revealed 692 differentially expressed genes involved in processes of lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, immune responses, and cell proliferation. Notably, the gene encoding neutral sphingomyelinase SMPD3, was predominantly upregulated in the liver tissues of the mice displaying a phenotype of steatosis. Moreover, nSMase2 activity was elevated in these tissues of the liver. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of nSMase2 prevented intracellular lipid accumulation and TNFα-induced inflammation in in-vitro HepG2-steatosis cellular model. Furthermore, nSMase2 inhibition ameliorates oxidative damage by rescuing PPARα and prevent cell death associated with high glucose/oleic acid-induced fat accumulation in HepG2 cells. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings highlight the prominent role of nSMase2 in hepatic steatosis which could serve as a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD and other hepatic steatosis-linked disorders.

The coevolution of species drives diversity in animals and plants and contributes to natural selection, whereas in host–parasite coevolution, a parasite may complete an incomplete evolutionary/developmental function by utilizing the host cell’s machinery. Analysis of related older data suggests that Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), the pathogen of malaria tropica, cannot survive outside its human host because it is unable to perform the evolutionarily first protein glycosylation of serologically A-like, O-GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr-R, Tn antigen (“T nouvelle”) formation, owing to its inability for synthesizing the amino sugar N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc). This parasite breaks the species barrier via hijacking the host's physiological A-like/Tn formation through abundantly expressing serine residues and creating hybrid A-like/Tn structures, which in the human blood group O(H) are attacked by the germline-encoded nonimmune polyreactive immunoglobulin M (IgM), exerting the highly anti-A/B/H-aggressive isoagglutinin activities. These activities physiologically undergo the ABO(H) blood group phenotype formation, occurring on the surfaces of red blood cells (RBC), epithelial and endothelial cells and on plasma proteins by identical glycosylation, performed by the ABO(H)-allelic glycotransferases, phenotypically downregulating the anti-A/B/H-reactive IgM (isoagglutinin) activities in the non-O blood groups. ABO(H) phenotype diversity, this way glycosidically linked and molecularly connected to humoral immunity, becomes exposed to the evolution.

The article introduces a new solution approach to grid-connected single-stage three-phase PV inverter whereby a dc-link voltage can successfully achieve the desired performance. As a single-stage, the variable output of perturb and observe maximum power point tracking (P&O based-MPPT) is fully utilized as dc-link voltage reference in inverter control scheme. As a result, it is challenging for the dc-link voltage to preserve energy balance by tracking its variable dc-link voltage reference under unpredictable environmental changes. To overcome this challenge, an adaptive reference proportional-integral (ARPI) controller, self-tuning, is designed and implemented to compel the dc-link voltage tracking its voltage reference to be equal as closely as possible; hence, the capability of the dc-link under abnormal events substantially guarantees the best energy balance and transient performance enhancement. To verify the validity of the method, simulation results for multiple events scenarios on 250 KW single-stage grid-connected PV systems show the effectiveness of the ARPI controller compared with PI controller.

The activity and cyclability of Cu-MOF-74 as catalyst was studied for the ligand-free C-O cross-coupling reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde (NB) with phenol (Ph) to form 4-formyldiphenyl ether (FDE). Cu-MOF-74 is characterized by unsaturated copper sites in a highly porous metal-organic framework. The influence of solvent, reaction temperature, NB/Ph ratio, catalyst concentration and basic agent (type and concentration) were evaluated. High conversions were achieved at 120°C, 5 mol% of catalyst, NB/Ph ratio of 1:2, DMF as solvent and 1 equivalent of K2CO3 base. The activity of Cu-MOF-74 material was higher than other ligand-free copper catalytic systems tested in this study. This catalyst was easily separated and reused in five successive runs, achieving a remarkable performance without significant porous framework degradation. The leaching of copper species in the reaction medium was negligible. The O-arylation between NB and Ph took place only in the presence of Cu-MOF-74 material, being negligible without the solid catalyst.

Disruptive technologies (DT) have featured prominently in almost every human activity since the advent of computerization. The likely effects of DT on economic processes and human professions have and continue to generate fears and debates which spurred this investigation. To break away from the traditional approach the operational breakeven theory and the discriminant analysis techniques of Altman’s Z-score, and Enyi’s Relative Solvency Ratio were used to examine the relationship between firms’ market-induced-survival-ratio (MISR) and the disruptive technology gains index (DTGI) of seventy-three firms drawn from Nigeria and India. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data generated. The results showed that a sizeable number of firms has profited from the introduction of disruptive technologies with MISR and DTGI returning a 10% significant relationship while others are still struggling to measure up to the requirements of disruptive technologies in their chosen economic fields. The implication of this is that businesses must brace up and embrace digital transformation if they must stay afloat in this era of disruptive technologies. This study recommends a revolutionary approach to digital transformation in view of the fast pace of global integration while managers and business owners should adopt more pragmatic approach in appraising the operations and finances of a firm for effective results and timely responses to potential business challenges.

In the present paper we introduce three new classes of bi-univalent functions connected with Gregory coefficients. For functions in each of these three bi-univalent function classes we have derived the estimates of the Taylor--Maclaurin coefficients $\left|a_{2}\right|$ and $\left|a_{3}\right|$ and Fekete-Szeg\H{o} functional problems for functions belonging to these new subclasses. We defined three subclasses of the class of the bi-univalent functions $\Sigma$, namely $\mathfrak{HG}_{\Sigma}$, $\mathfrak{GM}_{\Sigma}(\mu)$ and $\mathfrak{G}_{\Sigma}(\lambda)$ by using the subordinations with the function whose coefficients are Gregory's numbers. First, we proved that these classes are not empty, i.e. contains other functions than the identity one. Using the well-known Carath\'eodory Lemma for the functions with real positive parts in the open unit disk, together with an estimation due to P. Zaprawa (see https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/357480) and another one of Libera and Zlotkiewicz, we gave upper bounds for the above mentioned initial coefficients and for the Fekete-Szeg\H{o} functionals. The main results are followed by some particular cases, and the novelty of the definitions and the proofs could involve further studies for such type of similarly defined subclasses.

The thermoelectric generator (TEG) stands out in many energy harvesters due to its simple structure, small size, etc. However, previous studies rarely probe into the influence of TEG internal resistances on extracting maximum power from TEG, and tracking efficiency is limited. By analyzing the relationship between the tracking efficiency and the TEG internal resistances, a time exponential rate perturbation and observation (P&amp;O) technology is proposed to achieve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for a wide resistance range of TEG. Using the time exponential rate P&amp;O, the MPPT circuit observes the power change by comparing PMOS on-time and perturbs the power by adjusting NMOS on-time exponentially. The MPPT circuit is implemented in a 110nm CMOS process. The tracking efficiency keeps a high level from 98.9 to 99.5%. The applicable range of the TEG resistance is from 1 to 12Ω, which is enhanced at least 2.2 times.

We find solutions of a magnetically charged non-singular black hole in some modified theory of gravity coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics. The metric of a magnetized black hole is obtained which has one (an extreme horizon), two horizons, or no horizons (naked singularity). Corrections to the Reissner-Nordstrom solution are found as the radius approaches to infinity. The asymptotic of the Ricci and Kretschmann scalars are calculated showing the absence of singularities. We study the thermodynamics of black holes by calculating the Hawking temperature and the heat capacity. It is demonstrated that phase transitions take place and we show that black holes are thermodynamically stable at some range of parameters.

Zircon xenocrysts from alkali basalts in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, represent a unique low-Hf zircon, within a 12,000 km long Indo-Pacific megacryst zone. Colourless, yellow, brown and red crystals ({100}, {101}, subordinate {211}, {1103}), with hopper growth and corrosion features, range up to 20 cm in size. Zircon chemistry implicates juvenile, Zr-saturated, mantle-derived alkaline melt (Hf 0.6–0.7 wt%, Y <0.2 wt%, U+Th+REE <600 ppm, Zr/Hf 66–92, Eu/Eu*_N ~ 1, positive Ce/Ce*_N, HREE enrichment). Incompatible element depletion with increasing Yb/Sm_N from core to rim at ~ constant Hf suggests single stage growth. Ti-in-zircon temperatures (~570–740 °C) are lower than predicted by crystal morphology (800–900 °C) and decrease from core to rim (D_T = 10–50 °C). The d¹⁸O values (4.88 to 5.01‰ VSMOW) are relatively low for xenocrysts from the zircon Indo-Pacific zone (ZIP). The ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf values (+ εHf 4.5–10.2) give T_{Depleted Mantle} model source ages of 260–462 Ma and T_Crustal ages of 391–754 Ma. The source magmas reflect variably depleted lithospheric mantle with little supracrustal input. Zircon U-Pb (0.88–1.56 Ma) and (U-Th)/He (0.86–1.02 Ma) ages are older than host basalt ages (~0.7 Ma), suggesting limited residence before transport. Zircon genesis suggests Zr-saturated, Al-undersaturated, carbonatitic-influenced, low-degree partial melting (<1%) of peridotitic mantle at ~60 km beneath the Indochina terrane.

We live in the information age and, ironically, meeting the core function of journalism – i.e., to provide people access to unbiased information – has never been more difficult. This paper explores deep journalism, our data-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) based journalism approach to study how the LinkedIn media could be useful for journalism. Specifically, we apply our deep journalism approach to LinkedIn to automatically extract and analyse big data to provide the public with information about labour markets, people’s skills and education, and businesses and industries from multi-generational perspectives. The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting phenomena coupled with rapidly changing generational attitudes are bringing unprecedented and uncertain changes to labour markets and our economies and societies, and hence the need for journalistic investigations into these topics is highly significant. We combine big data and machine learning to create a whole machine learning pipeline and a software tool for journalism that allows discovering parameters for age dynamics in labour markets using LinkedIn data. We collect a total of 57,000 posts from LinkedIn and use it to discover 15 parameters by Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm (LDA) and group them into five macro-parameters, namely Generations-Specific Issues, Skills & Qualifications, Employment Sectors, Consumer Industries, and Employment Issues. The journalism approach used in this paper can automatically discover and make objective, cross-sectional, and multi-perspective information available to all. It can bring rigour to journalism by making it easy to generate information using machine learning and can make tools and information available so that anyone can uncover information about matters of public importance. This work is novel since none of the earlier works have reported such an approach and tool and leveraged it to use LinkedIn media for journalism and to discover multigenerational perspectives (parameters) for age dynamics in labour markets. The approach could be extended with additional AI tools and other media.

In an era of increasing interest in the potential health benefits of medicinal foods, the need to assess their safety and potential toxicity remains a critical concern. While these natural remedies have garnered substantial attention for their therapeutic potential, a comprehensive understanding of their effects on living organisms is essential. We examined 316 herbal extracts to determine their potential nematocidal attributes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Approximately 16% of these extracts exhibited the capacity to induce diminished survival rates and larval arrest, establishing a correlation between larval arrest and overall worm viability. Certain extracts led to an unexpected increase in male nematodes, accompanied by a discernible reduction in DAPI-stained bivalent structures and perturbed meiotic advancement, thereby disrupting the conventional developmental processes. Notably, Onobrychis cornuta and Veratrum lobelianum extracts activated a DNA damage checkpoint response via the ATM/ATR and CHK-1 pathways; hindering germline development. Our LC‒MS analysis revealed jervine in V. lobelianum and nine antitumor compounds in O. cornuta. Interestingly, linoleic acid replicated phenotypes induced by O. cornuta exposure, including an increased level of pCHK-1 foci, apoptosis, and the MAPK pathway. We observed that mutants in the MAPK pathway suppressed the reduction in worm survival, emphasizing its role in survivability, meiotic progression, and DNA damage checkpoint-mediated apoptosis. This study reveals complex interactions between herbal extracts and C. elegans processes, shedding light on potential antitumor effects and mechanisms. The findings provide insights into the complex landscape of herbal medicine's impact on a model organism, offering implications for broader applications.

The rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of pathogenic bacteria is of utmost importance in ensuring food safety and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Here, we present a novel, reusable, and cost-effective impedimetric sensor based on a dual bacteria-imprinted polymer (DBIP) for the specific detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. The DBIP sensor stands out with its remarkably short fabrication time of just 20 minutes, achieved through the efficient electro-polymerization of o-phenylenediamine monomer in the presence of dual bacterial templates, followed by in-situ template removal. The key structural feature of the DBIP sensor lies in the cavity-free imprinting sites, indicative of a thin layer of bacterial surface imprinting. This facilitates rapid rebinding of the target bacteria within a mere 15 minutes, while the sensing interface regenerates in just 10 minutes, enhancing the sensor's overall efficiency. A notable advantage of the DBIP sensor is its exceptional selectivity, capable of distinguishing the target bacteria from closely related bacterial strains, including different serotypes. Moreover, the sensor exhibits high sensitivity, showcasing a low detection limit of approximately 9 CFU mL-1. The sensor's reusability further enhances its cost-effectiveness, reducing the need for frequent sensor replacements. The practicality of the DBIP sensor was demonstrated in the analysis of real apple juice samples, yielding good recoveries. The integration of quick fabrication, high selectivity, rapid response, sensitivity, and reusability makes the DBIP sensor a promising solution for monitoring pathogenic bacteria, playing a crucial role in ensuring food safety and safeguarding public health.

Advanced MRI methods and PET using radiolabeled amino acids provide valuable information in addition to conventional MR imaging for brain tumor diagnostics. These methods are particularly helpful in challenging situations such as the differentiation of malignant processes from benign lesions, the identification of non-enhancing glioma subregions, the differentiation of tumor progression from treatment-related changes, and the early assessment of response to anticancer therapy. The debate over which of the methods is preferable in which situation is ongoing and has been addressed in numerous studies. Currently, most radiology and nuclear medicine departments perform these examinations independently of each other leading to multiple examinations for the patient. The advent of hybrid PET/MRI allowed a convergence of the methods but to date simultaneous imaging has reached little relevance in clinical neuro-oncology. This is partly due to the limited availability of hybrid PET/MRI scanners, but is also due to the fact that PET is a second-line examination in brain tumors. PET is only required in equivocal situations, and spatial co-registration of PET examinations of the brain to previous MRI is possible without disadvantage. A key factor for the benefit of PET/MRI in neuro-oncology is a multimodal approach that provides decisive improvements in the diagnostics of brain tumors compared with a single modality. This systematic review focuses on studies that were able to demonstrate the additive value of amino acid PET and ‘advanced’ MRI in the diagnosis of brain tumors. Available studies suggest that the combination of amino acid PET and advanced MRI improves grading and the histomolecular characterization of newly diagnosed tumors. However, data concerning the delineation of tumor extent and biopsy guidance are of limited value. A clear additive diagnostic value of amino acid PET and advanced MRI can be achieved regarding the differentiation of tumor recurrence from treatment-related changes. Here, PET-guided evaluation of advanced MR methods seems to be helpful. In summary, there is growing evidence that a multimodal approach can achieve decisive improvements in the diagnostics of brain tumors, for which hybrid PET/MRI offers optimal conditions.

School Feeding Programmes are social safety net interventions providing educational and health benefits to vulnerable children in developing countries. This study assessed the impact of Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-MEALS) on the enrolment and retention of rural primary schools in Osun State. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select 188 respondents while data was collected through interview schedule. Percentages, Chi-square, PPMC and T-test were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that over half (51.6%) of the respondents were male, aged 9.38 ± 1.84 years and majority (83.0%) had a family size of 6-10 people. Food incentives (=1.25), health challenge (=0.69), and peer influence (=0.67) were major factors affecting school attendance. More than half (53.2%) of the respondents had unfavourable perception towards the school feeding programme. Results showed a significant difference between pupils’ enrolment (t = 5.332, p = 0.006) and retention rate (t = 58.386, p = 0.000) before and after the commencement of O-MEALS. Furthermore, pupils’ enrolment and retention (r = 0.993, p = 0.001) after the commencement of O-MEALS was significantly related. Food incentive was a major factor affecting school attendance, which fostered an improvement in the poor enrolment and retention previously experienced. Since a good number of the pupils possessed unfavourably perception towards the school feeding programme, it was recommended that effective monitoring be established to checkmate food vendors’ activities in delivering quality and satisfactory services. Likewise, the Government’s policies on school restructuring and levy, which had proved counterproductive, should be reviewed.

The novel coronavirus COVID- 19 disease is extremely contagious and has been spread worldwide. First COVID-19 case was identified in December, 2019 and within three months, more than one million affected cases and over 65,000 deaths have been reported. SARS-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also known as 2019-nCoV is a causative agent of COVID-19 disease and belongs to the SARS CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome corona virus) family. The SARS-CoV-2 enters the human body by binding its viral surface spike protein with the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors and cause infection. To prevent the virus entry and its transmission in the human body, we focused on the two domains of ACE2: i) the N-terminal extracellular binding domain (18-740 residues) reported for coronavirus spike interaction, and ii) the C-terminal cytoplasmic region (762-805 residues) to prevent the virus transmission. Therefore, we proposed: i) inhibition of receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 and human ACE2 protein may prevent the virus entry to the host and ii) inhibition of phosphorylation at Ser-787 of ACE2 protein may prevent the transmission of the virus in the COVID-19 patients. In the past, the critical role of Ser 787 in human ACE2 protein has been experimentally verified in SARS-CoV transmission, that upon binding to the receptor, SARS- CoV induces CKII- mediated phosphorylation of ACE2 at Ser-787 that in-turn facilitate virus entry to host cells, followed by replication and activation of ACE2, initiates downstream signaling leading to lung fibrosis. Therefore, in this study, we have suggested post-translational modification (PTM) O-β-GlcNAcylation, and two compounds Chloroquine and 2-hydroxybenzohydrazine might share the common pathways to prevent the COVID-19 infection in human. The addition of O-β-GlcNAcylation at same or neighboring Ser/ Thr residues results in phosphorylation inhibition and a change in protein structural and functional confirmations. Thereby, using neural networking methods, we have identified Ser/ Thr residues in ACE2 that are potential sites for phosphorylation and / or O-β-GlcNAcylation. Molecular docking showed that UDP-GlcNAc has more binding affinity with Ser-787 than the phosphoryl group. Moreover, chloroquine and 2-hydroxybenzohydrazine also showed great potential to bind at Ser-787 that may result in inhibition of Ser-787 phosphorylation and downstream signaling. Furthermore, O-β-GlcNAcylation, chloroquine and 2-hydroxybenzohydrazine showed their high affinity at ACE2-SARS-CoV-2receptor binding domain that may prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into human body. In conclusion, inhibition of human ACE2 phosphorylation at Ser-787 and ACE2-SARS-CoV-2 binding domain could be promising targets against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In this work, a series of compounds in the CaO-½Er2O3-CoOz ternary oxide system were synthesized in air at 885℃ using high temperature solid-phase synthesis method. Phase boundary of each solid solution region in the CaO-½Er2O3-CoOz system was determined by X-ray powder diffraction technique. The phase diagram of the CaO-½Er2O3-CoOz system at 885℃ includes three series of ternary oxide solid solutions : (Ca3-xErx)Co4O9-z (0≤x≤0.9), (Ca3-xErx)Co2O6-z (0≤x≤1.25) and (Er1-xCax)CoO3-z (0≤x≤0.33). Four three-phase regions and five solid solution tie-line regions were obtained. The structure of perovskite solid solution (Ca3-xErx)Co2O6-z has been analyzed by Rietveld refinements. With the increase of Er content, the cell parameters of (Ca3-xErx)Co2O6-z exhibit an decreasing trend in a and b directions and an increasing trend in c direction.