Types of DNA recombination include homologous recombination and nonhomologous recombination. Homologous DNA recombination is a general term that includes exchange of information between chromatids: (reciprocal) crossing-over, gene conversion, and post-meiotic segregation. Gene conversion is now thought to be a type of non-Mendelian segregation of heterozygous markers near the recombination initiation site. Thus, it includes both gene conversion and post-meiotic segregation previously described. DNA non-HR including transpositional recombination and site-specific recombination. Our understanding of the molecular mechanism by which DNA recombination occurs has significantly increased in the past decades. Currently The synthesis-dependent strand annealing model is now thought to give rise to most or all noncrossovers, with the double-strand-break repair model forming mainly crossovers. The Shapiro model proposed by Dr. J. Shapiro explains the molecular mechanism of transpositional recombination. Site-specific recombination results from another distinct model. We previously proposed a novel theory which can provide a more reasonable and simpler explanation accounting for DNA HR including the 3 classes of recombinogenic events described above. In the new supplementedly molecular model, DNA meiotic recombination can be initiated by a copy choice mechanism, that is, copying part of 1 single-stranded DNA template, followed by DNA polymerase switching to another single-stranded DNA template, and then resuming the following DNA synthesis along the new template. The current review suggests that transpositional recombination and site-specific recombination should be initiated by copy choice during DNA synthesis rather than break/join mechanism. The work indicates that review of DNA nonhomologous recombination are very necessary. The novel theory would challenge earlier models accounting for transpositional recombination and site-specific recombination and would be critical to the understanding of the mechanisms. We hope copy choice initiating DNA nonhomologous recombination will be one of the concepts that are explored. Proper and specific experiments are required to reconstruct the detailed mechanism described here.

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the world, causing widespread illness and death. It is essential to focus on prevention strategies to limit the spread of the disease. Despite the advent of vaccines, maintaining a vigilant approach to prevention remains paramount. While vaccines are essential, they do not guarantee absolute immunity, and their protective effect may diminish over time; (2) Methods: We reviewed effective strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission. We focused on me-ta-analyses (MA), literature reviews (LR) and the health care context. Various prevention measures and interventions were reviewed. Both es-tablished practices and unresolved issues were considered; (3) Results: Standard precautions (SP) as the cornerstone of infection control, with hand hygiene and mask use as key components. Debate about the relative importance of droplet versus aerosol transmission led to differences in recommendations between agencies at the onset of the pandemic. We have clarified the role of personal protective equipment (PPE), including eye protection. The effectiveness of masks in pre-venting transmission is reviewed. The use of surgical masks is recommended to prevent droplet transmission, while eye protection is recommended in combination with masks. Although data show some risk reduction, the clear superiority of N95/FFP2 over surgical masks remains unproven. In terms of room occupancy, ventilation is critical in reducing the risk of transmission in poorly ventilated environments. The use of negative pressure isolation rooms (NPIRs) is being investigated. The presence of viral RNA on surfaces does not necessarily indicate infectivity, and the risk of transmission by surface contact is low if surfaces are properly maintained and hand hygiene is practised regularly. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic persons in healthcare settings may help prevent transmission; (4) Conclusions: Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission requires a multifaceted approach, including reducing particle emissions from infected persons by wearing masks, eliminating aerosols by ventilation, ensuring physical separation, and protecting exposed persons with masks and eye protection.

Based on the theory that certain geological fault zones surpass the influence of other abiotic and biotic site factors for mound-building red wood ants (Formica rufa group), an area northwest of Tuttlingen with extremely high ant density was systematically surveyed, taking into account official geological maps. Indicators of active fault zones were recorded. These were additionally examined in a model area using a high-resolution digital terrain model (DTM 1-meter). The study area is located in the Swabian Jura at the western edge of the Albstadt shear zone, where recent seismic activity is documented by frequent earthquakes. The earthquakes are considered to be the cause of gas permeability in the strike-slip faults, around which the clustered nesting sites were mapped. More than 2900 nests of the Formica rufa group were mapped and their site conditions analysed in different geomorphological positions. In addition to recording forestry site conditions, a geological classification was carried out, as well as an analysis of soil gases/mofettes in areas with the highest nest densities. The correlation between forestry data and nest sites did not reveal a consistent pattern. In contrast, the relationships with gas-permeable strike-slip faults, though predominantly covered with Quaternary sediments, could be identified through CO₂- and CH₄-rich gas emissions, mofettes, and doline features. The interpretations were complicated due to different mapping ages and signatures of the geological maps. Fortunately, this issue could be analysed and evaluated in a sub-area with mappings from 1936/71 and 1995 regarding presumed or confirmed fault trajectories. New insights were gained regarding the relationships between Formica nest sites, gas-permeable faults, and groundwater levels on narrow mountain ridges with steep relief. Here, the lateral emission of CO₂ depends on the groundwater level and does not occur vertically directly above the fault. C- and H-isotope data of CO₂ and CH₄ do not show a consistent source. While methane is mainly derived from biological production by Archaea in the upper crust and in swamp areas, CO₂ mostly originates from the mantle. The results of the investigations revealed that a multitude of geological and ecological factors must be considered for the interpretation of the occurrences of Formica sites northwest of Tuttlingen. These factors confer a distinct originality to this region, contributing not only to an enhanced understanding of site conditions but also furnishing information regarding environmentally relevant gas emissions.

Growing population, industrialization, and power requirements are adversely affecting the environment by increased greenhouse gases, resulting from fossil fuel burning. Global greenhouse gas mitigation targets have led the nations to promote clean and self-renewable sources of energy to address the environmental issue. Offshore wind power resources are relatively more attractive due to high winds, less turbulence, minimal visualization effects, and no interaction of infrastructure. The present study aims at conducting offshore wind power resources assessment (OWPRA) at some locations in the Gulf of North Suez. For this purpose, the long-term hourly mean wind speed (WS) and wind direction above means sea level (AMSL) and temperature and pressure data near surface is used. The data is obtained from ERA5 (fifth generation reanalysis for the global climate weather) at chosen six (L1-L6) offshore locations. The data covers a period of 43 years, between 1979 and 2021. The WS and direction are provided at 100 m AMSL while temperature and pressure are available near water surface level. At L1 to L6 locations, the log-term mean WS and wind power density (WPD) values are found to be 7.55 m/s and 370 W/m2, 6.37 m/s and 225 W/m2, 6.91 m/s and 281 W/m2, 5.48 m/s and 142 W/m2, 4.30 m/s and 77 W/m2, and 5.03 and 115 W/m2 and at 100 m AMSL; respectively. The higher magnitudes of monthly and annual windy site identifier indices (MWSI and AWSI) of 18.68 and 57.41 and 12.70 and 42.94 at L1 and L3 sites and generally lower values of wind variability indices are indicative of favourable winds source, which is also supported by higher magnitudes of mean WS, WPD, annual energy yields, plant capacity factors, and wind duration at these sites. The cost of energy, for the worst and the best cases are estimated as 10.120 USD/kWh and 1.274 USD/kWh at L5 and L1 sites corresponding to wind turbines WT1 and WT4. Based on the analysis, sites L1, L3, and L2 are recommended for wind farm development in order of preference. The wind variability and windy site identifiers indices introduced, will help decision-makers in deciding the potential windy sites with more confidence.

Abstract: Ambulatory cancer centers face fluctuating patient demand and deploy specialized personnel who have variable availability. This undermines operational stability through misa-lignment of resources to patient needs, resulting in overscheduled clinics, budget deficits, and wait times exceeding provincial targets. We describe deployment of a Learning Health System framework for operational improvements within the entire ambulatory center. Known methods of value stream mapping, operations research and statistical process control were applied to achieve organizational high performance that is data-informed, agile and adaptive. We transitioned from a fixed template model by individual physician to a caseload management by disease site model that is realigned quarterly. We adapted a block schedule model for the ambulatory oncology clinic to align the regional demand for specialized services with optimized human and physical resources. We demonstrated improved utilization of clinical space, increased weekly consistency and im-proved distribution of activity across the workweek. Increased value, represented as the ratio of monthly encounters per nursing worked hours, and increased percentage of services delivered by full-time nurses were benefits realized in our cancer system. The creation of a data-informed demand capacity model enables application of predictive analytics and business intelligence tools that will further enhance clinical responsiveness..

The cardiac sodium ion channel (NaV1.5) is a protein with four domains (DI-DIV), each with six transmembrane segments. Its opening and subsequent inactivation results in the brief rapid influx of Na+ ions resulting in the depolarization of cardiomyocytes. The neurotoxin veratridine (VTD) inhibits NaV1.5 inactivation resulting in longer channel opening times, and potentially fatal action potential prolongation. VTD is predicted to bind at the channel pore, but alternative binding sites have not been ruled out. To determine the binding site of VTD on NaV1.5, we performed docking calculations and high-throughput electrophysiology experiments. The docking calculations identified two distinct binding regions. The first site was in the pore, close to the binding site of NaV1.4 and NaV1.5 blocking drugs in experimental structures. The second site was at the “mouth” of the pore at the cytosolic side, partly solvent-exposed. Mutations at this site (L409, E417, and I1466) had large effects on VTD binding, while residues deeper in the pore had no effect, consistent with VTD binding at the mouth site. Overall, our results suggest a VTD binding site close to the cytoplasmic mouth of the channel pore. Binding at this alternative site might indicate an allosteric inactivation mechanism for VTD at NaV1.5.

: Chemical accidents can occur anywhere. The need for chemical management in Korea was realized following the 2012 Gumi hydrofluoric acid accident in 2012. The Chemicals Control Act was enacted in 2015. This system evaluates the risks (high, medium, low) and consequent safety management at all plants that handle hazardous chemical substances. However, the system was criticized as excessive when most plants were designated high-risk without considering their size. Thus, laboratories and hospitals handling very small quantities were subject to regulation. Accordingly, in 2021 Korea revised the system to include off-site consequence analyses and a Korean-style risk analysis. Plants handling very small quantities, such as laboratories and hospitals, were exempt from regulation. In this study, plating and paint manufacturing companies, which were classified as high-risk in the previous system, even though they were medium-size business plants, were re-evaluated as low-risk plants. In the Korean-style risk analysis, it is possible to see at a glance what is lacking in the plants, such as cooperation between local residents and local governments and the construction of safety facilities according to the type of accident scenario. The revised system is a reasonable regulation for medium business plants.

The development of platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) electrocatalysts derived from cheap and environmentally friendly biomasses for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a topic of relevant interest, particularly from the point of view of sustainability. Fe-nitrogen-doped carbon materials (Fe-N-C) have attracted particular interest as alternative to Pt-based materials, due to the high activity and selectivity of Fe-Nx active sites, the high availability and good tolerance to poisoning. Recently, many studies focused on developing synthetic strategies, which could transform N-containing biomasses into N-doped carbons. In this paper chitosan was employed as a suitable N-containing biomass for preparing Fe-N-C catalyst in virtue of its high N content (7.1%) and unique chemical structure. Moreover, the major application of chitosan is based on its ability to strongly coordinate metal ions, a precondition for the formation of Fe-Nx active sites. The synthesis of Fe-N-C consists in a double step thermochemical conversion of a dried chitosan hydrogel. In acidic aqueous solution, the preparation of physical cross-linked hydrogel allows to obtain sophisticated organization, which assure an optimal mesoporosity before and after the pyrolysis. After the second thermal treatment at 900 °C, a highly graphitized material was obtained, which has been fully characterized in term of textural, morphological and chemical properties. RRDE technique was used for understanding the activity and the selectivity of the material versus the ORR in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. Special attention was put in the determination of the active site density according to nitrite electrochemical reduction measurements. It was clearly established that the catalytic activity expressed as half wave potential linearly scales with the number of Fe-Nx sites. It was also established that the addition of the iron precursor after the first pyrolysis step leads to an increased activity because of both an increased number of active sites and of a hierarchical structure, which improves the access to active sites. At the same time, the increased graphitization degree, and a reduced density of pyrrolic nitrogen groups are helpful to increase the selectivity toward the 4e- ORR pathway.

At 12:28 UTC (8:28 PM, local time) on 15 January 2023, a shallow, moderate earthquake with a magnitude (Mw) of 4.7 and a depth of one (1) kilometer shook the northern part of Leyte Island in the central part of the Philippines. The ground shaking was felt at PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) VI, (very strong) equivalent to Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) VI in areas along the strike of the Leyte segment of the Philippine Fault. Even though this earthquake is classified as moderate in size, significant geologic, structural, and socio-economic impacts were documented. Most of the earthquake impacts that include surface rupture, liquefaction, and mass movements are limited near the epicentral area. The earthquake produced an 8-km-long surface rupture, the first documented rupture generated by a magnitude <6 along the Philippine Fault, and is unusual in other surface rupturing earthquakes worldwide. It injured 18 persons and damaged 434 residential buildings and 26 public infrastructures which amounts to about 500 thousand US dollars. Structural damages were caused by surface rupture and/or poor engineering construction practices. Analysis of the seismic waveform and recorded peak ground acceleration (PGA) suggests that the subsurface geology influenced the ground motion amplification in an area near the epicenter. Based on the hypocenter, focal mechanism solution, aftershock distribution, and actual field observation, the causative fault for this event is the northern end of the Philippine Fault – Leyte segment. Moderate in size, this earthquake emphasizes the need and importance of documenting moderate-sized earthquakes as a tool and guide for medium and long-term earthquake risk assessment and resiliency.

In view of the problem of charging and hydrogen filling facilities construction in the transition from fuel vehicles to electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, in order to meet the electric energy demand of electric vehicles and hydrogen energy demand of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at the same time, this paper puts forward a method of siting and capacity determination of electric-hydrogen refueling integrated station (EHRIS) based on Voronoi diagram and particle swarm algorithm based on calculating the demand of charging and filling of hydrogen in vehicles. Firstly, OD pair(Origin-Destination) is used to represent the starting point and end point of the car to portray the travel demand of the car, and on the basis of the traffic network model, the shortest driving path of the new energy car is determined by Dijkstra algorithm, and Monte Carlo simulation is used to get the electric-hydrogen energy demand of the car; secondly, the Voronoi diagram is introduced to classify the service scope of the electric-hydrogen charging station to determine the equipment capacity of the electric-hydrogen charging station, while taking into account the electric-hydrogen charging and refueling capacity. Secondly, a Voronoi diagram is introduced to divide the service scope of the EHRIS, determine the capacity of the equipment in the EHRIS, and consider the distance constraints between the sites of EHRIS, so as to make the division of the site and service scope more reasonable. Finally, a dynamic optimal current model framework for distribution networks based on second-order cone relaxation is established, and each element of the active distribution network is planned, so that the distribution network can operate safely and stably after being connected to the EHRIS. With the objective of minimizing the total social cost of EHRIS and considering the constraints of the charging equipment and hydrogen production and injection equipment of the EHRIS, a siting and capacity model to meet the electric-hydrogen energy demand of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is developed, and solved by a particle swarm algorithm. Finally, the simulation planning is carried out with Sioux Falls city and IEEE33 network, which ensures the stable operation of the power grid while meeting the energy demand of automobiles, and the results verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

Hemolysin II (HlyII) – one of the pathogenic factors of Bacillus cereus, a pore-forming β-barrel toxin – possesses a C-terminal extension of 94 amino acid residues, designated as the C-terminal domain of HlyII (HlyIICTD), which plays an important role in the functioning of the toxin. Our previous work described a monoclonal antibody (HlyIIC-20), capable of strain-specific inhibi-tion of hemolysis caused by HlyII, and demonstrated the dependence of the efficiency of hemol-ysis on the presence of proline at position 324 in HlyII outside the conformational antigenic de-terminant. In this work, we studied 16 mutant forms of HlyIICTD. Each of the mutations, ob-tained by multiple site-directed mutagenesis leading to the replacement of amino acid residues lying on the surface of the 3D structure of HlyIICTD, led to a decrease in the interaction of HlyIIC-20 with the mutant form of the protein. Changes in epitope structure confirm the high conformational mobility of HlyIICTD required for the functioning of HlyII. Comparison of the effect of the introduced mutations on the effectiveness of interaction between HlyIICTD and HlyIIC-20 and a control antibody recognizing a non-overlapping epitope enabled identifying the amino acid residues N339, K340 included in the conformational antigenic determinant rec-ognized by HlyIIC-20.

Published data or available literature on sustainable building plan-design, construction, performance, and renovation criteria have covered some stages or some parts of each stage. These data usually have been published partially in many different papers―there have not been any papers that published these data together. Hence, this paper aims to collectively review these data and publish them together. The collection and review of these data were carried out by our twenty-five team members who specialized in sustainable urban, architectural, and civil engineering and construction management. The gathered and reviewed outputs were combined and validated based on a general group consensus. This consensus decision-making proceeded through two major group meetings with several follow-up meetings. The first major meeting was to combine and improve the gathered reviewed sustainable building criteria for Cambodia. The second major meeting was to validate the improved reviewed sustainable building criteria for Cambodia. The several follow-up meetings were to discuss the relevance and importance of the validated data “criteria and their classifications and descriptions” in all stages and more focused on their importance and applicability to Cambodia. The collective reviewed data in this paper would be useful to researchers in the fields. They could also be useful collective knowledge and information for policymakers from governmental agencies and development partners, particularly for sustainable building and construction companies.

We analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein amino acid sequence extracted from 11,542 viral genomic sequences submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database through April 27, 2020. Consistent with prior reports, we found a major S protein mutation, D614 to G614, that was represented in 56% of all the analyzed sequences. All other mutations combined were less than 10%. After parsing the data geographically, we found most of the Chinese patient samples showed D614 (97%). By contrast, most patient samples in many European countries showed G614 (51 to 88%). In the United States, the genotypic distribution in California and Washington was similar to Asian countries, while the distribution in other US states was comparable to Europe. We observed a dramatic increase in the frequency of G614 over time in multiple regions, surpassing D614 when both were present, suggesting G614 S protein virus outcompetes D614 S protein virus. To gain insight into the consequences of the D614G mutation, homology modeling using a multi-template threading mechanism with ab initio structural refinement was performed for a region of the S protein (S591 to N710) spanning the D614G mutation and the S1 furin cleavage site. Molecular models of this region containing D614 or G614 revealed a major difference in secondary structure at the furin domain (RRARS, R682 to S686). The D614 model predicted a random coil structure in the furin domain whereas the G614 model predicted an alpha helix. Critical residues in the cleavage domain of G614 model were found to better align with the PDB structure of a furin inhibitor. Thus, homology modeling studies suggest a potential mechanism whereby the D614G mutation may confer a competitive advantage at the furin binding domain that may contribute to the rise of the D614G SARS-CoV-2 mutant.

A variety of techniques have been utilized in metal additive manufacturing (AM) for melt pool size management, including modeling and feed-forward approaches. In a few cases, closed-loop control has been demonstrated. In this research, closed-loop melt pool size control for large-scale, laser-wire based Directed Energy Deposition is demonstrated with a novel modification: site-specific changes to the controller set-point were commanded at trigger points, the locations of which were generated by the projection of a secondary geometry onto the primary 3D-printed component geometry. The present work shows that, through this technique, it is possible to print a specific geometry that occurs beyond the actual toolpath of the print head. This is denoted as an extra-toolpath geometry and is fundamentally different from other methods of generating component features in metal AM. A proof-of-principle experiment is presented in which a complex oak leaf geometry was embossed on an otherwise ordinary double-bead wall made from Ti-6Al-4V. The process is introduced and characterized primarily from a controls perspective with reports on the performance of the control system, the melt pool size response, and the resulting geometry. The implications of this capability, which extend beyond localized control of bead geometry to the potential mitigations of defects and functional grading of component properties, are discussed.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by oral ingestion of gluten, with certain gluten residues resistant to digestive tract enzymes. Within the duodenum, the remaining peptides incite immunogenic responses, including the generation of autoantibodies and inflammation, leading to irreversible damage. Our previous exploration unveiled a glutenase called Bga1903 derived from the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia gladioli. The cleavage pattern of Bga1903 indicated its moderate ability to mitigate the toxicity of pro-immunogenic peptides. The crystal structure of Bga1903, along with the identification of subsites within its active site, was determined. To improve its substrate specificity toward prevalent motifs like QPQ within gluten peptides, the active site of Bga1903 underwent site-directed mutagenesis according to structural insights and enzymatic kinetics. Among the double-site mutants, E380Q/S387L exhibits an approximately 38-fold increase in its specificity constant toward the QPQ sequence, favoring glutamines at the P1 and P3 positions compared to the wild type. Not only does the heightened specificity of E380Q/S387L improve the hydrolytic activity against pro-immunogenic peptides, but also holds this version of the enzyme as a promising candidate as an oral therapy enzyme for celiac disease.

Important first phases in the process of implementing CO2 subsurface and ocean storage projects include selecting of best possible location(s) for CO2 storage, site selection evaluation. Sites must fulfil a number of criteria that boil down to the following basics: they must be able to accept the desired volume of CO2 at the rate at which it is supplied from the CO2 source(s); they must as well be safe and reliable; and must comply with regulatory and other societal requirements. They also must have at least public acceptance and be based on sound financial analysis. Site geology; hydrogeological, pressure, and geothermal regimes; land features; location, climate, and access, etc. can all be refined from these basic criteria. In addition to aiding in site selection, site characterization is essential for other purposes, such as foreseeing the fate and impacts of the injected CO2, and informing subsequent phases of site development, including design, permitting, operation, monitoring, and eventual abandonment. According to data from the IEA, in 2022, emissions from Africa and Asia's emerging markets and developing economies, excluding China's, increased by 4.2%, which is equivalent to 206 million tonnes of CO2 and were higher than those from developed economies. Coal-fired power generation was responsible for more than half of the rise in emissions that were recorded in the region. The difficulty of achieving sustainable socio-economic progress in the developing countries is entwined with the work of reducing CO2 emissions, which is a demanding project for the economy. Organisations from developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, and Nigeria, have formed partnerships with organisations in other countries for lessons learn and investment within the climate change arena. The basaltic rocks, coal seams, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, soils, deep saline aquifers, and sedimentary basins that developing countries (Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, and Nigeria etc) possesses all contribute to the individual country's significant geological sequestration potential. There are limited or no carbon capture and storage or clean development mechanism projects running in these countries at this time. The site selection and characterization procedure are not complete without an estimate of the storage capacity of a storage location. Estimating storage capacity relies on volumetric estimates because a site must accept the planned volume of CO2 during the active injection period. As more and more applications make use of site characterization, so too does the body of written material on the topic. As the science of CO2 storage develops, regulatory requirements are implemented, field experience grows, and the economics of CO2 capture and storage improve, so too will site selection and characterisation change.

It is crucial to forecast the water demand accurately for supplying water efficiently and stably in a water supply system. In particular, accurately forecasting short-term water demand helps in saving energy and reducing operating costs. With the introduction of the Smart Water Grid (SWG) in a water supply system, the amount of water consumption is obtained in real time through an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) sensor, which can be used for forecasting the short-term water demand. The models widely used for water demand forecasting include the autoregressive integrated moving average, radial basis function-artificial neural network, quantitative multi-model predictor plus, and long short-term memory. However, there is a lack of research on assessing the performance of models and forecasting the short-term water demand by applying the data on the amount of water consumption by purpose and the pipe diameter of an end-use level of the SWG demonstration plant in each demand forecasting model. Therefore, in this study, the short-term water demand was forecasted for each model using the data collected from the AMI, and the performance of each model was assessed. The Smart Water Grid Research Group installed ultrasonic-wave-type AMI sensors in the block 112 located in YeongJong Island, Incheon, and the actual data used for operating the SWG demonstration plant were adopted. The performance of the model was assessed by using the residual, root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) as indices. The water demand forecast was slightly underestimated in models that employed the assessment results based on the RMSE and NRMSE. Furthermore, the forecasting accuracy was low for the NSE due to a large number of negative values; the correlation between the observed and forecasted values of the PCC was not high, and it was difficult to forecast the peak amount of water consumption. Therefore, as the short-term water demand forecasting models using only time and the amount of water consumption have limitations in reflecting the characteristics of consumers, a water supply system can be managed more precisely if other factors (weather, customer behavior, etc.) influencing the water demand are applied.

The preservation of the authenticity of a building artefact is a responsible practice. On the other side, the need to save the building artefact from the natural and anthropic degradation, to ensure the structural reliability to the different actions, to define an efficient maintenance program are big challenges, that involves the cooperation of several professionals, responsible use of innovative techniques and materials that are nowadays available. This paper focuses on a specific design approach for the rehabilitation works of ancient constructions in archaeological sites. The proposed conceptual design approach implies different steps that allow the optimization of the design at an increasing level of knowledge on the existing structures and their materials. The design procedure on historical constructions generally includes the following steps: the collection of data, the structural identification, hazard, and vulnerability analysis, damage and risk analysis, a cost-benefit analysis, so only at the end of the process, the final design is achieved. In the archaeological area, some important design aspects cannot be defined before the execution work phase, since some elements could be revealed and identified during work execution, as a consequence, the final design has been often optimized after all this information has been acquired. A studied case in the archaeological site of Pompeii is herein presented to prove the efficiency of the proposed approach.

Modules composed of a resistance gene flanked by Xer site-specific recombination sites, the vast majority of which were found in Acinetobacter baumannii, are thought to behave as elements that facilitate horizontal dissemination. The A. baumannii xerC and xerD genes were cloned, and the recombinant clones used to complement the cognate Escherichia coli mutants. The complemented strains supported resolution of plasmid dimers, and, as is the case with E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae plasmids, the activity was enhanced when cells were growing in low osmolarity growth medium. Binding experiments showed that partially purified A. baumannii XerC and XerD proteins (XerC_Ab and XerD_Ab) bound synthetic Xer site-specific recombination sites, some of them with a nucleotide sequence deduced from existing A. baumannii plasmids. Incubation with suicide substrates resulted in covalent attachment of DNA to a recombinase, probably XerC_Ab, indicating that the first step in the recombination reaction took place. The results described show that XerC_Ab and XerD_Ab are functional proteins and support the hypothesis that they participate in horizontal dissemination of resistant genes among bacteria.

We are witnessing the severe third outbreak mediated by coronaviruses affecting global public health with unprecedented economic consequences. A better understanding of its phylogenetics, exploration of sequence features and mutational changes could unveil its genealogy to gain insights into the mechanism of transmission and development of possible interventions. Our comparative genomic analyses of >160 isolates of SARS-CoV-2 reveal phylogenetic kinship with other coronaviruses and emergence of evolutionary divergence in clinical isolates. t-SNE-based clustering revealed different clades but no continent specific clusters. Amino acid substitutions at RBD of spike protein provide possible reasons for rapid transmission. Few proteins specific to SARS-CoV-2 were identified which could have implications as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. Virtual screening identified repurposed drugs, known nutraceuticals, for specific interventions. These phylogenetic observations reveal the ancestry and computational studies reveal the emergency measures to interject this emerging pathogen that pose threat to whole of mankind.

Increased nutrient withdrawal by rapidly expanding intensive cropping systems, in combination with imbalanced fertilization, is leading to potassium (K) depletion from agricultural soils in Asia. There is an urgent need to better understand the soil K-supplying capacity and K-use efficiency of crops to address this issue. Maize is increasingly being grown in rice-based systems in South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh and North East India. The high nutrient extraction, especially K, however, causes concerns for the sustainability of maize production systems in the region. The present study was designed to estimate, through a plant-based method, the magnitude, and variation in K-supplying capacity of a range of soils from the maize-growing areas and the K-use efficiency of maize in Bangladesh. Eighteen diverse soils were collected from several upazillas (or sub-districts) under 11 agro-ecological zones to examine their K-supplying capacity from the soil reserves and from K fertilization (@ 100 mg K kg-1 soil) for successive seven maize crops grown up to V10-V12 in pots inside a net house. A validation field experiment was conducted with five levels of K (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha-1) and two fertilizer recommendations based on “Nutrient Expert for Maize-NEM” and “Maize Crop Manager-MCM” decision support tools (DSSs) in 12 farmers’ fields in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Comilla districts in Bangladesh. Grain yield and yield attributes of maize responded significantly (P < 0.001) to K fertilizer, with grain yield increase from 18 to 79% over control in all locations. Total K uptake by plants not receiving K fertilizer, considered as potential K-supplying capacity of the soil in the pot experiment, followed the order: Modhukhali >Mithapukur >Rangpur Sadar >Dinajpur Sadar >Jhinaidah Sadar >Gangachara >Binerpota >Tarash >Gopalpur >Daudkandi >Paba >Modhupur >Nawabganj Sadar >Shibganj >Birganj >Godagari >Barura >Durgapur. Likewise in the validation field experiment, the K-supplying capacity of soils was 83.5, 60.5 and 57.2 kg ha-1 in Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Comilla, respectively. Further, the order of K-supplying capacity for three sites was similar to the results from pot study confirming the applicability of results to other soils and maize-growing areas in Bangladesh and similar soils and areas across South Asia. Based on the results from pot and field experiments, we conclude that the site-specific K management using the fertilizer DSSs can be the better and more efficient K management strategy for maize.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally, often necessitating mastectomy and subsequent breast reconstruction. Silicone mammary implants (SMIs) play a pivotal role in breast reconstruction, yet their interaction with the host immune system and microbiome remains poorly understood. This study investigates the impact of SMI surface topography on host antimicrobial responses, wound proteome dynamics, and microbial colonization. Biological samples were col-lected from ten human patients undergoing breast reconstruction with SMIs. Mass spectrometry profiles were analyzed for acute and chronic wound proteomes, revealing a nuanced interplay between topography and antimicrobial respondseproteins. 16S rRNA sequencing assessed mi-crobiome dynamics, unveiling topography-specific variations in microbial composition. Surface topography alterations influenced wound proteome composition. Microbiome analysis revealed heightened diversity around rougher SMIs, emphasizing topography-dependent microbial inva-sion. In vitro experiments confirmed staphylococcal adhesion, growth, and biofilm formation on SMI surfaces, with increased texture correlating positively with bacterial colonization. This comprehensive investigation highlights the intricate interplay between SMI topography, wound proteome dynamics, and microbial transmission. The findings contribute to understanding host-microbe interactions on SMI surfaces, essential for optimizing clinical applications and minimizing complications in breast reconstruction.

Although the statistical methods of downscaling climate data have progressed significantly, the development of high-resolution precipitation products continues to be a challenge. This is especially true when interest centres on downscaling value over several study sites. In this paper , we report a new downscaling method termed the multi-site Climate Generative Adversarial Network (MSCliGAN), which can simulate annual maximum precipitation to the regional scale during the 1950-2010 period in different cities in Canada by using different AOGCM's from the Coupled Model Inter-Comparison Project 6 (CMIP6) as input. Auxiliary information provided to the downscaling model included topography and land-cover. The downscaling framework uses a convolution encoder-decoder U-net network to create a generative network and a convolution encoder network to create a critic network. An adversarial training strategy is used to train the model. The critic/discriminator used Wasserstein distance as a loss measure and on the other hand the generator is optimized using a summation of content loss on Nash-Shutcliff Model Efficiency (NS), structural loss on structural similarity index (SSIM), and adversarial loss Wasserstein distance. Downscaling results show that downscaling AOGCMs by incorporating topography and land-use/land-cover can produce spatially coherent fields close to observation over multiple-sites. We believe the model has sufficient downscaling potential in data sparse regions where climate change information is often urgently needed.

Background: Application of enhanced recovery after surgery principles decrease postoperative complications (POCs), length of stay (LOS), and readmissions. Pharmacoprophylaxis decreases morbidity, but the effect of specific regimens on clinical outcomes is unclear. Methods and Materials: Records of 476 randomly selected adult patients who underwent elective colorectal surgeries (ECRS) at 10 US hospitals were abstracted. Primary outcomes were surgical site infection (SSI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain, and ileus rates. Secondary outcomes included LOS and 7- and 30-day readmission rates. Results: POC rates were SSI (3.4%), VTE (1.5%), PONV (47.9%), pain (58.1%), and ileus (16.1%). Cefazolin 2g/metronidazole 500mg and ertapenem 1g were associated with the shortest LOS; cefotetan 2g and cefoxitin 2g with the longest LOS. No SSI occurred with ertapenem and cefotetan. More Caucasians than Blacks received oral antibiotics before intravenous antibiotics without impact. Enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously daily was the most common inpatient and discharge VTE prophylaxis. All in-hospital VTEs occurred with unfractionated heparin. Most received rescue rather than around the clock antiemetics. Scopolamine patch, spinal opioids, and IV lidocaine continuous infusion were associated with lower PONV. Transversus abdominis plane block with long-acting local anesthetics, celecoxib, non-anesthetic ketamine bolus, ketorolac IV, lidocaine IV, and pregabalin were associated with lower in-hospital pain severity rate. Gabapentinoids and alvimopan were associated with lower ileus rate. Acetaminophen, alvimopan, famotidine, and lidocaine patch were associated with shorter LOS. Conclusions: Significant differences in pharmacotherapy regimens that may improve primary and secondary outcomes in ECRS were identified. Future research should identify latent pharmacotherapy variables that impact patient outcomes.

Labelling techniques such as electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer, allow access to distances in the range of tens of angstroms, corresponding to the size of proteins and small to medium-sized protein complexes. Such measurements do not require long-range ordering and are therefore applicable to systems with partial disorder. Data from spin-label-based measurements can be processed into distance distributions that provide information about the extent of such disorder. Using such information in modelling presents several challenges, including a small number of restraints, the influence of the label itself on the measured distance and distribution width, and balancing the fitting quality of the long-range restraints with the fitting quality of other restraint subsets. Starting with general considerations about integrative and hybrid structural modelling, this review provides an overview of recent approaches to these problems and identifies where further progress is needed.

Buildings can generate heats which are mostly generated from the machinery using inside the buildings, and these heats generally released to the atmosphere. Buildings can also block the wind flow by their canopies and trap the heat by using low albedo materials. These causes pointedly contribute to urban heat island and greenhouse effects. Likewise, urban development and building construction in Cambodia are growing rapidly. The construction has been recognized as a key development sector while thousands of buildings are being built and have been operated in the main cities. However, those buildings mostly have not been considered to incorporate sustainability concepts while the major final energy consumers in the country are buildings. The buildings’ energy consumption is also projected to increase more than double until 2040. Hence, sustainable building promotion in Cambodia is necessary, and sustainable building criteria are completely required. This research aims to find out significant sustainable building criteria for Cambodia and focused on planning and design criteria because having proper planning and design is a smart start leading to achieving building sustainability in all stages. This research used the Delphi methods to validate the relevant sustainable building criteria available in the literature and then select the significant ones for Cambodia based on the Delphi consensus. The results showed that ninety-nine consensus planning and design criteria were found to be significant for sustainable buildings in Cambodia.

Illicit drug consumption is posing critical concerns in our society causing health issues, crime-related activities, and the disruption of border trade. The smuggling of illicit drugs urges the development of new tools for rapid on-site identification in cargos. Current methods used by law enforcement officers rely on presumptive color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques. However, these methods sometimes exhibit inaccurate results due to commonly used cutting agents, the colorful nature of the sample or because the drugs are smuggled (hidden or mixed) in common goods. Interestingly, electrochemical sensors can deal with these specific problems. Herein, an electrochemical device is presented that uses affordable screen-printed electrodes for the electrochemical profiling of illicit drugs by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The identification of the illicit compound is based on the oxidation potential of the analyte. Hence, a library of electrochemical profiles is built upon the analysis of illicit drugs and common cutting agents. This library allows the design of a tailor-made script that enables the identification of each drug through a user-friendly interface (laptop or mobile phone). Importantly, the electrochemical test is compared by analyzing 48 confiscated samples with other portable devices based on Raman and FTIR spectroscopy as well as a laboratory standard method (i.e. gas chromatography – mass spectrometry). Overall, the electrochemical results obtained through the analysis of different samples from confiscated cargos at an end-user site, present a promising alternative to current methods, offering low-cost and rapid testing in the field.

Until recently, the classic approach to mineral exploration studies is to bring the field samples/drill cores collected during field studies to the laboratory followed by laborious analysis procedures to generate the analytical data. This is very expensive, time consuming and difficult for exploring vast areas. But rapid technological advances in field portable analytical instruments such as portable ultraviolet–visible and near-infrared spectrophotometers, gamma ray spectrometer, pXRF, pXRD, pLIBS, and µRaman spectrometer have changed this scenario completely and increased their on-site applications in mineral exploration studies. These instruments are currently providing direct, rapid, on-site, real-time, non-destructive, cost-effective identification, and determination of target elements, indicator minerals and pathfinder elements in rock, soil, and sediment samples. These portable analytical instruments are currently helping to obtain accurate chemical and mineralogical information directly in field with minimal or no sample preparation, and providing decision-making support during field work as well as during drilling operations in several successful mineral exploration programs. In this article, the developments in these portable devices, and their contributions in the platinum group elements (PGE), rare earth elements (REE), gold, base metals, and lithium exploration studies both on land and on ocean bed have been summarized with examples.

This systematic literature review explores the impact of social media use (SMU) and practices (SMPs) on team feedback (TF) and performance (TP) in construction project management. The study delves into the intricate dynamics between SMU and SMPs and their influence on communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement within construction projects. It investigates how these digital practices reshape the traditional methods of team interaction, feedback mechanisms, and overall team performance in the complex and multifaceted environment of construction sites. The review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of social media in modern construction project management, highlighting its significance in enhancing team communication, coordination, and performance. This research is crucial for understanding the evolving landscape of construction management, where digital tools and platforms are increasingly integral to successful project outcomes. The findings are expected to offer valuable insights for professionals in the construction industry, helping them leverage social media effectively for improved project management and team collaboration.

(1) Background: This work aimed to conduct the first comparative study providing long-term data about patient reported outcome measures as well as donor-site scar assessment and aesthetic evaluation of the reconstructed breasts in patients with DIEP versus PAP flap breast reconstruction. (2) Methods: This prospective, single-center, matched cohort study included a total of 36 patients after DIEP and PAP flap breast reconstruction. Evaluation was done using the Breast-Q and POSAS questionnaire as well as the Breast Aesthetic Scale for cosmetic analysis by four plastic surgeons. (3) Results: Post-operative Breast-Q evaluation revealed no significant differences between both patient groups for the categories physical well-being donor-site, physical well-being breast and satisfaction with the breast. Scar evaluation of the donor-site region showed equivalent results for the thigh and the abdomen concerning the overall opinion of patients and observers. There was no significant difference between both methods of reconstruction for all aspects of breast aesthetics. (4) Conclusions: Similar results of donor-site morbidity, scar quality and aesthetic outcome of the breast in both the DIEP and PAP patient group have been demonstrated. Hence, in cases suitable for both types of reconstruction, the decision can be based on factors such as patients’ lifestyle, leisure activities and preferences.

Livestock management is challenging for resource-poor (R-P) farmers due to unavailability of quality feed, limited professional advice and rumor-spreading about animal health condition in a herd. This research seeks to improve animal health in southern Africa by promoting sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), a nutraceutical fodder legume. An automated geospatial model for precision agriculture (PA) can identify suitable locations for its cultivation. Additionally, a novel approach of radio frequency identifier (RFID) supported telemetry technology can track animal movement, and the analyses of data using artificial intelligence can determine sickness of small ruminants. This RFID-based system is being connected to a smartphone app (under construction) to alert farmers of potential livestock health issues in real-time so they can take immediate corrective measures. An accompanying Decision Support System (DSS) site is being developed for R-P farmers to obtain all possible support on livestock production, including the designed PA and RFID-based DSS.

Highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are naturally restricted to H5 and H7 subtypes with a polybasic cleavage site (CS) in the hemagglutinin (HA) and any AIV with an intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) ≥1.2. Only few non-H5/H7 viruses fulfill the criteria of HPAIVs; nevertheless, it remains unknown why these viruses did not spread in domestic birds. In 2012, a unique H4N2 virus with a polybasic CS 322PEKRRTR/G329 was isolated from quails in California which, however, was avirulent in chickens. This is the only known non-H5/H7 virus with four basic amino acids in the HACS. Here, we investigated the virulence of this virus in chickens after expansion of the polybasic CS by substitution of T327R (322PEKRRRR/G329) or T327K (322PEKRRKR/G329) with or without reassortment with HPAIVs H5N1 and H7N7. The impact of single mutations or reassortment on virus fitness in vitro and in vivo was studied. Efficient cell culture replication of T327R/K carrying H4N2 viruses increased by trypsin, particularly in MDCK cells, and reassortment with HPAIV H5N1. Likewise, replication, virus excretion and bird-to-bird transmission of H4N2 was remarkably compromised by the CS mutations, but restored after reassortment with HPAIV H5N1, although not with HPAIV H7N7. Viruses carrying the H4-HA with or without R327 or K327 mutations and the other gene segments from HPAIV H5N1 exhibited high virulence and efficient transmission in chickens. Together, increasing the number of basic amino acids in the H4N2 HACS was detrimental for viral fitness particularly in vivo but compensated by reassortment with HPAIV H5N1. This may explain the absence of non-H5/H7 HPAIVs in poultry.

A separate group consists of compounds that are able to simultaneously interact with both orthosteric and allosteric sites, which are classified as bitopic GPCR ligands [74, 76-81]. They have two pharmacophores, one of which binds with high affinity to the orthosteric site, while the other, with lower affinity, binds to the allosteric site. If these sites are spatially separated in the receptor, then the pharmacophores in the bitopic ligand must be connected with a flexible linker, the length of which exactly corresponds to the distance between the orthosteric and allosteric sites. At the same time, it is important that the linker does not significantly affect the conformational rearrangements in the receptor caused by its activation by orthosteric and (or) allosteric agonists [74, 79].

Health services research is a multidisciplinary discipline that aims to improve population health by studying healthcare services' organization, delivery, and financing. Over time, the field has worked to define its boundaries and establish a set of core research topics and methods addressing population wellbeing, access, quality, and cost. Although the influence of health technology is significant, our literature survey on health services research showed that SCs in general—containing their management, cost, and policy—had received little attention. Importantly, our assessment also showed that the system’s readiness to handle supply policy and supply device deficiencies like those encountered during pandemic was hardly ever mentioned. Reduced open areas and water bodies, deteriorating infrastructure, and changes in the biological morphology all affect cities’ uncontrollable and unplanned growth. Urban amenities, facilities, and healthcare services were unevenly distributed due to this unchecked urban population development. In light of this, this research suggests two reliable models for site selection issues for one of Hong Kong’s main hospitals. Levels of uncertainty, infeasibility tolerance, and reliability are taken into consideration. Then, two categories of uncertainty—symmetric and bound-ed—were examined. As a result, the challenge of scheduling in uncertainty has been considered, and potential solutions have been presented using a specified probability distribution function. The paper concludes by introducing the specific justice and health problems and outlining four typical strategies. In order to ensure that medications and other healthcare supplies are produced, distributed, and given to patients, a vast network of systems, components, and procedures must be effectively managed. This research contributes in this regard. Also, its grantee fairness in health systems and the populations health locally, nationally, and globally. It highlights health inequity, advances the measurement of health inequity, and promotes public dialogues on health inequity.