The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the defining global health and socioeconomic crisis of our time and represents the greatest challenge faced by the world since the end of the Second World War. The academic literature indicates that climatic features, specifically the temperature and absolute humidity, are very important factors affecting infectious pulmonary disease epidemics (e.g., SARS, MERS); however, the influence of climatic parameters on COVID-19 remains extremely controversial. The goal of this study is to quantify the existing relationship between several daily climate parameters (temperature, relative humidity, accumulated precipitation, solar radiation, wind direction and intensity, and evaporation), local morphological parameters, and new daily positive swabs for COVID-19, which represents the only parameter that can be statistically used to quantify the pandemic. The daily deaths parameter was not considered because it is not reliable due to frequent administrative errors. Daily data on meteorological conditions and new cases of COVID-19 were collected for the Lombardy area from March 1, 2020, to April 20, 2020. This region in Italy exhibited the largest number of official deaths in the world per million inhabitants, with a value of approximately 1700 per million on june 30, 2020. Moreover, the apparent lethality was approximately 17% in this area, mainly due to the considerable housing density and the extensive presence of industrial and craft areas. The Mann-Kendall test and multivariate statistical analysis showed that none of the considered climatic variables exhibited statistically significant relationships with the epidemiological evolution of COVID-19, at least in the spring months in temperate subcontinental climate areas, with the exception of solar radiation, which was directly related and showed an otherwise low explained variability of approximately 20%. Furthermore, the average temperatures of two highly representative meteorological stations of Molise and Lucania, the most weakly affected by the pandemic. The temperatures at these stations were approximately 1.5°C lower than that in the cities in Lombardy of Bergamo and Brescia, again confirming that a significant relationship between the increase in temperature and decrease in virology from COVID-19 was not evident, at least in the Italian peninsula.

Aflatoxins continue to raise health concerns as unavoidable and widespread natural contaminants of foods and feeds with serious impact on health, agricultural and livestock productivity, and food safety. They are secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus species distributed on three main sections of the genus (section Flavi, section Ochraceorosei, and section Nidulantes). Aflatoxin-producing species, mainly A. flavus and A. parasiticus thrive under hot and humid conditions in the field or during storage, which are met in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Poor economic status of a country exacerbates the risk and the extent of crop contamination due to faulty storage conditions that are usually suitable for mold growth and mycotoxin production; temperature of 22 to 29°C and water activity of 0.90 to 0.99. This situation paralleled the prevalence of high liver cancer and the occasional acute aflatoxicosis episodes that have been associated with these regions. Few of the presently known aflatoxins (>18) have been sufficiently studied for their incidence, health-risk, and mechanisms of toxicity to allow effective intervention and control means that would significantly and sustainably reduce their incidence and adverse effects on health and economy. Among these, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has by far been the most studied; and yet, many aspects of the range and mechanisms of the diseases it causes remain to be elucidated. Its mutagenicity, tumorigenicity, and carcinogenicity, which are the best known still suffer from many limitations regarding the relative contribution of the oxidative stress and the reactive epoxide derivative (Aflatoxin-exo 8,9-epoxide) in the induction of the diseases, as well as its metabolic and synthesis pathways. Additionally, despite the well-established additive effects for carcinogenicity between AFB1 and other risk factors, e.g., hepatitis viruses B and C, and the algal hepatotoxic microcystins, the mechanisms of this synergy remain unclear. A review of publications on the incidence and concentrations of aflatoxins in selected foods and feeds from countries whose crops are classically known for their highest contamination with aflatoxins, reveals that despite the intensive efforts made to reduce such an incidence, there has been no clear tendency, with the possible exception of South Africa, towards sustained improvements. The levels and incidence are essentially influenced by the rainfall and temperature during the cultivation year or two successive years with alternating dry and wet seasons. This review aimed to update the main aspects of aflatoxin production, occurrence and incidence in selected countries, and associated adverse health effects. In addition to AFB1 which was the main focus of the review, other aflatoxins were addressed whenever relevant data were available.

Intestinal epithelial cell activities during homeostasis and regeneration are well described, but their potential interactions with stromal cells remain unresolved. Exploring the functions of these heterogeneous intestinal mesenchymal stromal cells (iMSCs) remains challenging due to the lack of specific markers for most functionally homogenous subpopulations. In recent years, however, novel clustering techniques such as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), confocal microscope, and computational remodeling of intestinal anatomy have helped identify and characterize some specific iMSC subsets. These methods help researchers learn more about the localization and functions of iMSC populations during intestinal morphogenic and homeostatic conditions. Furthermore, it is imperative to understand their cellular pathways for activation and how they interact with surrounding cellular components, particularly during intestinal epithelial regeneration that follows mucosal injury. This review provides insights into the spatial distribution and functions of some identified iMSC subtypes in intestinal morphogenesis, homeostasis, and regeneration. We reviewed related signaling mechanisms implicated during epithelial and subepithelial stromal cell crosstalk. Future research should focus on elucidating the molecular intermediates of these regulatory pathways to open a new frontier for potential therapeutic targets that can alleviate intestinal mucosa-related injuries.

This study leverages the relationships between the Great Plains low-level jet (GP-LLJ) and the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT) to enhance the 30-day rainfall forecast skill in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). The assessment of 30-day simulated precipitation using the Climate Forecast System (CFS) is contrasted with the North American Regional Reanalysis, searching for sources of precipitation predictability associated with extended wet and drought events. We analyze the 30-day sources of precipitation predictability using (1) the characterization of dominant statistical modes of variability of 900-mb winds associated with the GP-LLJ, (2) the large-scale atmospheric patterns based on 200-mb geopotential height (HGT), and (3) the use of GP-LLJ and CGT conditional probability distributions using a continuous correlation threshold approach to identify when and where the forecast of NGP precipitation occurs. Two factors contributing to the predictability of precipitation in the NGP are documented. We found that multi-scale geospatial interactions occur at the daily and sub-seasonal time windows. The CFS reforecast suggests that the ability to forecast sub-seasonal precipitation increases in response to the enhanced simulation of the GP-LLJ and CGT. Finally, the multi-dimensional analysis of covariance reveals that high-precipitation forecasting skill is associated with a better prognostic of GP-LLJ and CGT.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous malignancy with complex carcinogenesis. Although there has been significant progress in the treatment of HCC over the past decades, drug resistance to chemotherapy remains a major obstacle in its successful management. In this study we were able to reduce chemoresistance in cisplatin-resistant HepG2 cells by either silencing the expression of transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) using siRNA or by pre-treatment of cells with the TG2 enzyme inhibitor cystamine. Further analysis revealed that, whereas the full-length TG2 isoform (TG2-L) was almost completely cytoplasmic in its distribution, the majority of the short TG2 isoform (TG2-S) was membrane-associated in both parental and chemoresistant HepG2 cells. Following induction of cisplatin toxicity in non-chemoresistant parental cells, TG2-S together with cisplatin quickly relocated to the cytosolic fraction. Conversely, no cytosolic relocalisation of TG2-S or nuclear accumulation cisplatin was observed following identical treatment of chemoresistant cells, where TG2-S remained predominantly membrane-associated. This suggests that deficient subcellular relocalisation of TG2-S from membranous structures into the cytoplasm may limit the apoptic response to cisplatin toxicity in chemoresistant cells. Structural analysis of TG2 revealed the presence of binding motifs for interaction of TG-S with the membrane scaffold protein LC3/LC3 homologue that could contribute to a novel mechanism of chemotherapeutic resistance in HepG2 cells.

With the ongoing COVID pandemic, the emergence of a novel omicron variant in November 2021 has chaos the world. Despite mass vaccination, this omicron has spread rapidly raising concerns around the globe. The Omicron variant has a vast array of mutations as compared to another variant of concern with overall 50 mutations where 30 mutations are present in its spike protein. This mutation has led to immune escape and more transmissibility compared to other variants, including Delta. A cluster of mutations (H655Y, N679K, and P681H) present at the omicron spike protein could aid in transmission. Currently, no virus-specific data are available to predict the efficacy of anti-viral and mAbs drugs. However, two monoclonal antibody drugs: Sotrovimab and Evusheld are authorized for emergency use in COVID patients. This virus is not fading away soon. The easiest solution and less expensive measure to fight against this pandemic are following COVID appropriate protocols.There is need to strengthen the level of research for development of potential vaccines and anti-viral drugs. It is also important to monitor and expand genomic surveillance to keep track of the emergence of new variants thus avoiding the spread of new diseases worldwide. This article highlights the emergence of omicron and vast number of mutation in its protein. In addition, recent advancement in drugs approved by FDA to treat COVID patients has been listed and focused in this paper.

Despite the ongoing land administration reforms being implemented across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Ghana as viable pathway to achieve tenure security and greater efficiency in land administration, the subject of land dispute resolution has received relatively less attention. Whereas customary tenure institutions play a central role in land administration (controlling ~80% of all land in Ghana), they remain at the fringes of the formal land dispute adjudicatory process. Recognizing the pivotal role traditional institutions as development agents and potential vehicles for promoting good land governance, recent discourse on land tenure have geared towards mainstreaming traditional land disputes institutions into the architecture of formal judicial process via alternative dispute resolution pathways. Yet little is known at least empirically as to the operations of traditional dispute resolution institutions in the contemporary context. This study therefore explores the importance of traditional dispute resolution institutions in the management of land-related disputes in southcentral and western Ghana. Drawing on data collated from 380 farming households operating 746 plots. The results show that contrary to the conventional thinking that traditional institutions are anachronistic and not fit for purpose, they remain strong and preferred forum for land dispute resolution (proving resilient and adaptable) given the changing socio-economic and tenurial conditions. Yet these forums have differing implications for different actors within the customary spheres accessing them. The results highlight practical ways for incorporating traditional dispute resolution in the overall land governance setup in Ghana and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. This has implications for redesigning context-specific and appropriate land-use policy interventions that address local land dispute resolution.

This study investigated the speciation, transformation and availability of P during indigenous vegetable production by employing a combination of chemical and spectroscopic techniques. The study focused upon sites in two ecozones of SSA, the Dry Savanna (lna, Benin Republic) and Rainforest (Ilesha, Nigeria). Both sites were cultivated with two indigenous vegetable species; local amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus (AV)) and African eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon (SM)). The soils were treated with 5 t/ha poultry manure and urea fertilizer at the rate of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg N/ha. Soil samples were collected before planting and after harvest. Phosphorus K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was used to determine P speciation in these soils. Quantitative analysis showed that adsorbed and organic P were the two dominant P species in the manure amended Dry Savanna (DS) soils before planting and after harvest in soils cultivated with both AV and SM, with the addition of urea (40 kg N/ha) causing an increase in the organic P form in Dry Savanna soils cultivated with AV. Soils of the Rainforest (RF) cultivated with AV initially had large amounts of apatite P in the manure amended soils prior to planting which was transformed to adsorbed and organic P after harvest. Urea addition to the Rainforest soils shifted the dominant P species from organic P to adsorbed and apatite P, which is likely to limit P availability. Soils cultivated with SM had similar proportions of both organic and adsorbed P forms, with 40 kg N/ha addition slightly increased the proportion of adsorbed P.

In the present work we study the properties of geodesic sub-$ (\alpha,b,s) $-preinvex functions on Hadamard manifolds and establish some basic properties in both general and differential cases. Further, we study sufficient conditions of optimality and proved some new inequalities under geodesic sub-($ \alpha,b,s $)-preinvexity.

In this paper, we succeed to discover the new exact wave solutions to the truncated M-fractional complex three coupled Maccari’s system by utilizing the Sardar sub-equation scheme. The obtained solutions are in the form of trigonometric and hyperbolic forms. These solutions have many applications in nonlinear optics, fiber optics, deep water-waves, plasma physics, mathematical physics, fluid mechanics, hydrodynamics and engineering where the propagation of nonlinear waves is important. Achieved solutions are verified with the use of Mathematica software. Some of the achieved solutions are also described graphically by 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional and contour plots with the help of Maple software. The gained solutions are helpful for the further development of concerned model. Finally, this technique is simple, fruitful and reliable to handle the nonlinear FPDEs.

In this paper, we prove that the sub convexlikeness introduced by V. Jeyakumar [1], and the subconvexlikeness defined in V. Jeyakumar [2] are equivalent in loccallly convex topological spaces. And then, we work with set-valued vector optimization problems and obtain some vector saddle-point theorems and vector Lagrangian theorems.

The essential oils (EOs) obtained from aromatic plants are rich in natural compounds with interesting biological effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of EOs of Mentha pulegium (MP-EO) and Mentha suaveolens (MS-EO) collected from Morocco, and their antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity against Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. The EOs were extracted by hydro-distillation, while the chemical compositions were determined by GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assay. Antibacterial activity was tested with disc diffusion assay; determination of minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration and the evaluation of sub-lethally injured cell were also performed. The results of chemical composition showed the presence of compounds not still reported in EOs obtained from these plants. MS-EO was characterized by the best antioxidant and antibacterial activity vs S. enterica and L. monocytogenes respect to MP-EO. The EOs tested in this study were rich in compounds with interesting activities and they could be applied in the medical fields, as well as in food industries as natural preservatives against tested food borne pathogens.

Effective discharge, which represents the flow, or range of flows, that transport the most sediment over long term, was determined based on the mean daily flow discharge and mean daily suspended sediment discharge recorded between 1994 and 2014 at four gauging stations along the Trotuș River. This study proposes an efficient method for the estimation of effective discharge based on observed values of the suspended sediment load. By employing this method the suspended sediment load is no longer either under- or overestimated as in the cases when the assessment is based on sediment rating curves. The assessment on effective discharge was performed at two distinct levels: for the entire data series during the investigated time spans and, subsequently, for flows less than the bankfull discharge. The effectiveness curves of the suspended sediment transport characteristics revealed highly multimodal characteristics with many peaks, indicating ample ranges for the effective discharges. The main effective discharge corresponded to large flood events, which are typical for the upper end of the discharge range, whereas the secondary effective discharges corresponded to sub-bankfull flows, which are more frequent. The changes that occurred in the channel bed are reflected by the temporal variations in the effective discharge.

The main objective of this study was to compare the removal efficiency of nutrients using Lactuca sativa, Medicago sativa and Phragmites australis in subsurface flow constructed wetlands with horizontal flow. In order to test water quality, fabricated reactors designed and the plants cultivated in the soil while their root were inside the wastewater. A long time study carried out from spring till end of autumn (9 months) in order to evaluate the difference in removal rate based on the seasonal changes. The highest removal rate was during summer which followed by spring and autumn. Thus, the effect of plants on the removal efficiency of organic matter (COD, BOD), TSS and nutrient (P and TN) appeared to be dependent on the seasonal growth. Phragmites australis the most sensitive species in order the removal of nutrient from wastewater.

Maize is an important staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the average grain yield on farmers’ fields falls considerably short of the demand of the region’s population. In addition, the normal endosperm maize widely consumed in SSA is deficient in vitamin A. Drought, a consequence of climate change, is a major constraint to maize production, resulting in seasonal low grain yield in farmers’ fields. The objectives of this study were to assess the performance of newly developed extra-early maturing provitamin A hybrids under managed drought and well-watered conditions, compare the outcomes of multiple trait base-index and multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index selection procedures, and identify drought-tolerant hybrids with stable performance across contrasting environments for commercialization in SSA. One hundred and ninety provitamin A hybrids and six checks were evaluated under managed drought and well-watered conditions at Ikenne for two seasons between 2021 and 2023. A 14*14-lattice design was used for the field evaluations under both research conditions. Drought stress was achieved by the complete withdrawal of irrigation water 25 days after planting. Results revealed significant differences among the hybrids under drought and well-watered conditions. Grain yield, ears per plant, and plant aspect under managed drought were correlated to the same traits under well-watered conditions suggesting that the expression of these traits is governed by common genetic factors. Twenty-nine hybrids were identified as top-performing drought-tolerant hybrids by the multiple trait base index and multiple-trait genotype–ideotype distance index. Of the selected outstanding 29 hybrids, 34% were derived from crosses involving the tester TZEEIOR 197, demonstrating the outstanding genetic potential of this inbred line. Further analysis of the 29 selected hybrids revealed TZEEIOR 509 × TZEEIOR 197 as the hybrid that combined the most drought-tolerant adaptive traits. However, the hybrids TZEEIOR 526 × TZEEIOR 97, TZEEIOR 384 × TZEEIOR 30, TZEEIOR 515 × TZEEIOR 249, TZEEIOR 510 × TZEEIOR 197, TZEEIOR 479 × TZEEIOR 197, and TZEEIOR 458 × TZEEIOR 197 were identified as the most stable hybrids across drought and well-watered conditions. These hybrids should be extensively tested in multi-location trials for deployment and commercialization in SSA.

This paper presents a design and performance analysis of a 10-element 5G massive MIMO antenna array for sub-6GHz mobile handsets, specifically for LTE bands 42 (3400-3600 MHz), 43 (3600-3800 MHz), 48/49 (3550-3700 MHz) applications. The proposed antenna array consists of 10 closely spaced linearly polarized inverted-F antennas with a compact size of 20 × 9 mm2 of a single element. The proposed antenna array provides high gain, high efficiency, and low correlation between the antenna elements, which results in improved channel capacity, increased data rate, and enhanced signal quality. The performance of the antenna array is evaluated in terms of the radiation pattern, gain, efficiency, and correlation coefficient. The simulation and measured results show that the proposed antenna array achieves an approximate peak gain of 3.1 dBi at the resonance frequency, a total efficiency of 65 %, and a low correlation coefficient of 0.06 between the antenna elements. Therefore, the proposed 5G massive MIMO antenna array is a promising candidate for sub-6 GHz mobile handsets, particularly for LTE bands 42/43/48/49 applications.

The holy grail of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been to mimic human intelligence using computing machines. Autopoiesis which refers to a system with well-defined identity and is capable of re-producing and maintaining itself and cognition which is the ability to process information, apply knowledge, and change the circumstance are associated with resilience and intelligence. While classical computer science (CCS) with symbolic and sub-symbolic computing has given us tools to decipher the mysteries of physical, chemical and biological systems in nature and allowed us to model, analyze various observations and use information to optimize our interactions with each other and with our environment, it falls short in reproducing even the basic behaviors of living organisms. We present the foundational shortcomings of CCS and discuss the science of infor-mation processing structures (SIPS) that allows us to fill the gaps. SIPS allows us to model su-per-symbolic computations and infuse autopoietic and cognitive behaviors into digital machines. They use common knowledge representation from the information gained using both symbolic and sub-symbolic computations in the form of system-wide knowledge networks consisting of knowledge nodes and information sharing channels with other knowledge nodes. The knowledge nodes wired together fire together to exhibit autopoietic and cognitive behaviors.

Mental health and emotional responses to the effects of COVID-19 lockdown in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are of serious public health concern and may negatively affect the mental health status of people. Hence, this study assessed the prevalence of mental health symptoms as well as emotional reactions among sub-Saharan Africans (SSAs) and associated factors among SSAs during the COVID-19 lockdown period. This was a web-based cross-sectional, a study on mental health and emotional features from 2005 respondents in seven SSA countries. This study was conducted between April 27 and May 17, 2020 corresponding to the lockdown period in most SSA countries. Respondents aged 18 years and above and the self-reported symptoms were feeling anxious, being worried, angry, bored and frustrated. These were the main outcomes and were treated as dichotomous variables. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with these symptoms. We found that over half (52.2%) of the participants reported any of the mental health symptoms in SSA and the prevalence of feeling bored was 70.5% followed by feeling anxious (59.1%), being worried (57.5%), frustrated (51.5%) and angry (22.3%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multivariate analysis revealed that males, those aged >28 years, Central and Southern Africans, those who were not married, the unemployed, those living with more than six persons in a household, had higher odds of mental health and emotional symptoms. Similarly, people who perceived low risk of contracting the infection, and those who thought the pandemic would not continue after the lockdown had higher odds of mental health and emotional symptoms. Health care workers had lower odds for feeling angry than non-healthcare workers. During COVID-19 lockdown periods in SSA, about one in two participants reported mental health and emotional symptoms. Public health measures can be effectively used to identify target groups for prevention and treatment of mental health and emotional symptoms. Such interventions should be an integral component of SSA governments’ response and recovery strategies of any future pandemic.

On 9 March 2020, two cases of COVID-19 were reported in Burkina Faso. As of 10 April 2020, a total number of 484 cases (404 cases in the Kadiogo province) were reported nationwide. Real-time forecasts of COVID-19 are important to inform decision-making in the country. Here, we propose an approach that tests the performance of four models (Exponential Growth model, the Generalized Growth model (GGM), the Generalized Logistic Growth, and Richards Growth model) to select the model that best fit data and to generate short-term forecasting (5-, 10-, and 15-day forecasts from 11 to 25 April 2020) in Kadiogo, the epicenter of the outbreak. Using daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the results suggests that GGM performed the best out of the 4 models. Overall, our GGM predictions suggested an average total number of cumulative cases of 514 (95% CI, 464–559), 629 (95% CI, 559–691), and 750 (95% CI, 661–840) between 11 to 15 April, 16 to 20 April, and 20 to 25 April 2020, respectively. COVID-19 in this province was best approximated by sub exponential growth rather than exponential or logistic growth. Current data suggest that COVID-19 cases would continue to increase over the next 15-days.

Titanium micro-scale topography results in excellent osteoconductivity and bone-implant integration. However, the biological effects of sub-micron topography are unknown. We compared osteoblastic phenotypes and in vivo bone and implant integration abilities between titanium surfaces with micro- (1–5 µm) and sub-micro-scale (0.1–0.5 µm) topographies and machined titanium. Average roughness was 12.5 ± 0.65 nm, 123 ± 6.15 nm, and 24 ± 1.2 nm for machined, micro-rough, and sub-micro-rough surfaces, respectively. The micro-rough surface showed the fewest cells attaching during the initial stage and the lowest proliferation. Calcium deposition and expression of osteoblastic genes were highest on the sub-micro-rough surface and lowest on the machined surface. Bone-to-implant integration was strongest for the micro-rough surface, consistent with it having the greatest ability to retain cells in vitro. Thus, the biological effects of titanium surfaces are not necessarily proportional to the degree of roughness in osteoblastic cultures or in vivo. Sub-micro-rough titanium ameliorates the disadvantage of micro-rough titanium by restoring cell attachment and proliferation and enhances the rate of osteoblastic differentiation over that of micro-rough titanium; however, bone integration and the ability to retain cells are compromised due to its lower interfacial mechanical locking compared to that of micro-rough titanium.

By imposing the condition of non-vanishing expectation values for the amplitude and phase of field operators, pure quantum states are identified composed of two consecutive number states. These pure states also deliver noise-free radiation modes restricting the “half-photon noise” to the expectation value of the lowest level of dynamic and coherent number states. As a result, instantaneous phase-sensitive amplification of photons is easily controlled and direct evaluation of time or distance - varying wavefront distributions of photons and phases can be carried out for sub-Poissonian distributions of photons without the need for quasi-probabilities.

Technology is in the way to reaching in its climax but the basic understanding of science in many phenomena is still awaited. Scientific research reveals strong analogy between electron and photon. Atoms that execute suitable electronic transitions, on absorbing heat energy at shunt level, excite their electrons. De-excitation of an electron under the gravitational force of its nucleus, where inertia is involved, results depicting energy in the shape like Gaussian distribution. The wavelength of photon remains in inter-state electron’s gap where the source of generating energy in wave-like fashion is due to electronic transitions under confined electron-dynamics; energy configures under electron’s trajectory in the excitation period is due to inertia-levitation-inertia behaviours while energy configures under electron’s trajectory in the de-excitation period is due to inertia-gravitation-inertia behaviours. Silicon atom is a model system of it. Uninterrupted confined inter-state electron-dynamics results into configure energy in a wave-like fashion that can travel immeasurable length and on interruption from the point of generation, it becomes a photon. Such photons increase wavelength on decreasing energy while travelling through inherently built gap of splitted inert gas atoms where they give light (glow) on reaching wavelength in the visible range. Here, I discuss that heat energy is due to merged photons, photons characteristic current are due to photons having wavelength in inter-state electron’s gap and light is due to photons, following the wavelength in the visible range. Force of repulsion or attraction in certain materials engages the phenomenon of levitism or gravitism where inertia is exempted. All structural motifs and dynamics are subjected to characteristic photons as long as atoms are under neutral behavior of field force. A structural design delivers straight-forward application on dealing photons at different wavelengths. Here, materials science explores matter at electronic level while absorbing heat energy and generating photon energy. Thus, devise science to describe.

Very heavy stratiform precipitation (> 200 mm/per day) occurred in the Hokitika region on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand on 18 June 2015, under north-westerlies with small CAPE (< 25 J/kg). Analyses of model simulations and observations showed that this heavy rainfall was due to cold front lifting enhanced by orographic lifting over the Southern Alps. At 1.5 km grid-length, the model terrain underestimated the average height of the 103 tallest mountains over the South Island by ~ 800 m. This leads to weaker orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a faster-moving and stronger cold front in the Hokitika region. As a result, large errors in the heavy rainfall prediction occur. By increasing either the resolved or the sub-grid mountain heights, the simulated rainfall errors were largely reduced through stronger orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a better simulation of the cold front movement and strength. All the experiments have the same “flow-over” regime with mountain waves and/or wave breaking (Fm ranges 0.61 – 1.21). However, the rainfall amount and distribution on the windward side of mountains altered significantly. Our new findings were that the Southern Alps can have significant indirect effects on heavy rainfall by altering the speed and strength of the cold front, in addition to the well-known direct dynamical effects (i.e., orographic lifting and mountain blocking). A combination of these direct and indirect effects makes the heavy rainfall simulation sensitive to mountain heights even under the same “flow-over” regime.

This paper studies the performance improvement of the IEEE 802.15.4 nonbeacon-enabled mode originated by the inclusion of the Request-To-Send/Clear-To-Send (RTS/CTS) handshake mechanism resulting in frame concatenation. Under IEEE 802.15.4 employing RTS/CTS, the backoff procedure is not repeated for each data frame sent but only for each RTS/CTS set. The maximum throughput and minimum delay performance are mathematically derived for both the Chirp Spread Spectrum and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Physical layers for the 2.4 GHz band. Results show that the utilization of RTS/CTS significantly enhances the performance of IEEE 802.15.4 applied to healthcare in terms of bandwidth efficiency.

Chikungunya virus is an Alphavirus belonging to the family Togaviridae that is transmitted to humans by an infected Aedes mosquito. Patients develop fever, inflammatory arthritis, and rash during the acute stage of infection. Although the illness is self-limiting, atypical and severe cases are not uncommon, and 60% may develop chronic symptoms that persist for months or even for longer durations. Having a distinct periodical epidemiologic outbreak pattern, chikungunya virus reappeared in Thailand in December 2018. Here, we describe a cohort of acute chikungunya patients who had presented to the Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases during October 2019. Infection was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR using serum collected at presentation to the Fever Clinic. Other possible acute febrile illnesses such as influenza, dengue, and malaria were excluded. We explored the sequence of clinical manifestations at presentation during the acute phase and associated the viral load with the clinical findings. Most of the patients were healthy individuals in their forties. Fever and arthralgia were the predominant clinical manifestations found in this patient cohort, with a small proportion of patients with systemic symptoms. Higher viral loads were associated with arthralgia, and arthralgia with the involvement of the large joints was more common in female patients

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) was recently detected in Mozambique and appears to be limited to the provinces of Gaza, Maputo and Zambezia, but it has great potential to spread to other provinces. Despite its importance, nothing is known about the BBTV isolates that occur in Mozambique. In this study, the sequences of the S and R genes of 40 isolates chosen as representatives of samples collected previously from eleven farms of the four administrative posts of the district of Chóckwè, Gaza province, were sequenced and analyzed. The S-DNA nucleotide sequences of the analyzed isolates were highly conserved, with identity ranging from 97% to 100%. The same was observed for the R-DNA sequences, with most identities ranging between 98% and 100% among the isolates from Chókwè and above 90% when compared to the isolates from GenBank. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Mozambican BBTV isolates belong to the Pacific-Indian Oceans (PIO) group, showing greater proximity to the isolate JQ820453 from Malawi than to the isolates from sub-Saharan countries, which were grouped in a distinct subclade. This is the first study conducted to determine the molecular characteristics of BBTV isolates present in Mozambique.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of the frailty syndrome in older patients hospitalized in the geriatric ward depending on the diagnostic criteria used, the feasibility of particular diagnostic scales in hospitalized patients, and their compatibility. Material and methods: Patients admitted to the Department of Geriatrics of Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Bialystok within eight months were included in the study. Four diagnostic scales were used to identify the frailty syndrome: Fried criteria, 7-point Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), 40-item Frailty Index (FI), and FRAIL Scale. The compatibility of the scales was determined using Cohen's Kappa statistics. Results: 416 patients (mean age 81.2 ± 6.91 years, 77.4% women) were included in the study. Depending on the scale, the prevalence of frailty syndrome varied from 26.8% ( FRAIL Scale), 52.3% (Clinical Frailty Scale), and 58.1% (Fried criteria) up to 62.9% (Frailty Index). We observed the highest feasibility for CFS (100%), intermediate for Frailty Index (95.2%), FRAIL Scale (89.7%), and the lowest for Fried scale (79.8%). The highest level of agreement was found between the CFS and Fried scale, with 70.2% consistent ratings (Cohen Kappa 0.49). Conclusions: Patients in the geriatric ward are characterized by a high prevalence of frailty, although it differs depending on the criteria. The Frailty Index found the highest prevalence and the lowest in the case of the FRAIL scale. The feasibility of scales and their comparability differed; the most difficult to use in daily practice was the Fried scale, while the Clinical Frailty Scale was determined feasible in all patients. The highest agreement was observed between the Fried criteria and the Clinical Frailty Scale and the lowest between the FRAIL scale and the remaining ones.

The determination and classification of seafloor sediment types are crucial for the exploitation of marine resources, construction of marine engineering, and maintenance of marine ecological en-vironments. Automatic classification of seafloor sediment based on acoustic telemetry data is an important method to quickly understand the type of a large range of sediment. Currently, most studies on sediment classification are based on multi-beam backscattering intensity data, which is a relatively single data type. Besides, the low-dimensional details of standard U-Net gradually weaken in the propagation process, limiting the accuracy of sediment classification. Therefore, this study proposes an automatic classification method of seafloor sediment types based on an im-proved U-Net and K-means clustering algorithm, using multi-beam water depth, sub-bottom profile, and sample test data in the Northern Slope of the South China Sea. Six sediment types, including gravelly muddy sand, sand, silty sand, less muddy silt, muddy silt, and silty mud, were identified in the study area. Additionally, the study area was divided into four sedimentary en-vironment zones, including the shelf sedimentary area, the upper shelf slope break sedimentary area, the lower shelf slope break mixed sedimentary area, and the slope deposition area, based on the results of sediment classification and geological background. The sedimentary environment zones were found to be distributed along the trend of the shelf slope break line. The results of this study not only provide an important supplement to the existing classification methods of seafloor sediments but also contribute to the understanding of the sedimentary environment and process of the Northern Slope of the South China Sea.

– Every physical theory involving quantum fields does require a model of the quantum vacuum. The vacuum associated to quantum gravity must incorporate the prescriptions from both the theory of relativity and quantum physics. In this work, starting from the hypothesis of nucleation of sub-Planckian bubbles from a de Sitter vacuum, we study the necessary conditions to obtain baby universes, black holes and particles. The de Sitter-Planck background is described by an “infinite” Quantum Boltzmann statistics that generates fermions and bosons, and manifests itself as a deformation of the geometry that leads to a generalized uncertainty principle and a unified expression for the generalized Compton wavelength and event horizon size, drawing a connection between quantum black holes and elementary particles, the latter seen as a collective organization of the bubbles of the vacuum described by the generalized Compton wavelength. The quantum thermodynamics of black holes is then outlined and the physical history of each bubble is found to depend on the cosmological constant described in terms of thermodynamic pressure. Finally, a suggestive treatment of the Casimir effect is provided in the de Sitter-Planck background with Quantum-Boltzmann statistics and wormholes are explored as bubble coalescence processes.

Fertility management techniques being promoted in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) seek to grow indigenous vegetables economically and sustainably. This study was conducted in a phytotron chamber and compared yield, soil carbon (C) speciation and greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂)) emissions from SSA soils of two ecoregions; the dry savanna (lna, Republic of Benin) and rainforest (Ife, Nigeria) cultivated with local amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) under manure (5 t/ha) and/or urea (80 kg N/ha) fertilization. Vegetable yield ranged from 1753 kg/ac to 3198kg/ac in the rainforest, RF, soils and 1281 kg/ac to 1951 kg/ac in the dry savanna, DS, soils. Yield in the urea treatment was slightly higher compared to the manure+urea treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant. Cumulative CO₂ emissions over 21 days ranged from 497.06 to 579.47 g CO₂ in the RF, and 322.96 to 624.97 g CO₂ in the DS, while cumulative N₂O emissions ranged from 60.53 to 220.86 mg N₂O in the RF, and 24.78 to 99.08 mg N₂O in the DS. In the RF samples, the combined use of manure and urea reduced CO₂ and N₂O emissions but led to an increase in the DS samples. ATR-FTIR analysis showed that the combined use of manure and urea increased the rate of microbial degradation in the soils of the DS, but no such effect was observed in soils of the RF. We conclude that combining manure and urea fertilization has different effects on soils of the two ecoregions, and that RF farmers can reduce agricultural emissions without compromising soil productivity and yield potential.

In this work it is acknowledged that important attempts to devise an emergent quantum (gravity) theory require space-time to be discretized at the Planck scale. It is therefore conjectured that reality is identical to a sub-quantum dynamics of ontological micro-constituents that are connected by a single interaction law. To arrive at a complex system-based toy-model identification of these micro-constituents, two strategies are combined. First, by seeing gravity as an entropic phenomenon and generalizing the dimensional reduction of the associated holographic principle, the universal constants of free space are related to assumed attributes of the micro-constituents. Second, as the effective field dynamics of the micro-constituents must eventually obey Einstein’s field equations, a sub-quantum interaction law is derived from a solution of these equations. A Planck-scale origin for thermodynamic black hole characteristics and novel views on entropic gravity theory result from this approach, which eventually provides a different view on quantum gravity and its unification with the fundamental forces.

We are introducing a highly efficient 48-channel ultrasound beamforming system ideal for ultrasound endoscopy applications. The system includes a transmitter and a receiver, which allow for low-area, high-resolution imaging acquisition. The transmitter uses a charge redistribution HV (high voltage) scheme to generate three-level pulses that actuate the transducer, implemented with the standard CMOS process for optimal cost and power savings. Meanwhile, the receiver features a sub-array structure and a delay generator that reduces area usage. To achieve high-resolution ultrasound imaging acquisition with low computational power, we developed the Shift Coherence Factor (SCF) algorithm, which is hardware-friendly. This approach delivers a lateral resolution over 20% better than the conventional delay and sum (DAS) algorithm, with a contrast ratio of over 30 dB. The system was implemented in a 180 nm standard CMOS process with an area of 24.98 mm2, power consumption of 8.23 mW per channel, achieving a delay resolution of 8.33 ns, and a low-area implementation of 0.52 mm2 per channel. The system offers high-quality imaging acquisition with minimal additional area and power consumption, which has great potential for 3D imaging or catheterized ultrasound systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of individuals globally, and primary healthcare (PHC) nurses play a critical role in providing mental healthcare services. However, limited research has explored the experiences of PHC nurses in providing mental healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the experiences of PHC nurses in providing mental healthcare services during the pandemic in Durban, South Africa. The aim was to identify the challenges faced by healthcare providers and the potential for innovative approaches to improve access to care. A qualitative, exploratory design guided the study, and data were collected through in-depth interviews with twelve PHC nurses purposively selected. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings from interviews with primary healthcare nurses reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing challenges, including medication adherence issues, fear and uncertainty among patients, vaccine hesitancy, decreased clinic visits, and the mental and emotional toll on both patients and healthcare workers. PHC nurses adapted their services by increasing outreach efforts, prioritising patient care, and utilising technology and non-governmental organisations’ (NGO) support. Challenges included reduced patient visits, complexities in healthcare provision, and lack of adequate support. Positive changes observed include increased mental health awareness among healthcare professionals and younger generations. Recommendations include implementing outreach and awareness campaigns, providing accurate information about COVID-19 and vaccinations, and promoting cultural sensitivity in mental healthcare provision.

Thrombosis is characterized by the pathological formation of fibrin clots within a blood vessel, leading to the obstruction of blood flow. Fibrinolytic enzymes from microorganisms have exhibited promising effects to dissolve clots in a more efficient and safe way. Then, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biomass and fibrinolytic enzyme production of Tetradesmus obliquus under autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions using different concentration of corn steep liquor (CSL). Different extraction and precipitating methods were tested, and the enzyme was purified by ion exchange chromatography. More advantageous culture condition was mixotrophic using 0.25% CSL, showing the highest values of biomass productivity (Px = 169.3 ± 44.36 mg∙L-1day-1) and specific growth rate (µmax = 0.17 ± 0.00 day-1), and significant fibrinolytic production (391.34 ± 40.03 U∙mg-1). Moreover, fibrinolytic activity was higher when extracted by homogenization and precipitated using acetone, which exhibited clear zone of fibrin degradation in the fibrinolytic plate assay. Additionally, the purified enzyme showed specific activity of 1176.90 ± 140.37 U∙mg-1 and molecular weight around 97 kDa. Finally, the enzyme has higher enzymatic activity than various fibrinolytic enzymes, and the obtained enzyme has potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent in thrombosis treatment. Additional studies are need to investigate the biochemical properties and biological profile of this enzyme.

In this paper, new types of M-fractional wave solutions of mathematical physics model named as truncated M-fractional (1+1)-dimensional non-linear simplified Modified Camassa-Holm model are achieved by applying the modified simplest equation (MSE), Sardar sub-equation and generalized Kudryashov techniques. The gained solutions containing dark, bright, periodic and mixed wave solitons. Effect of fractional order derivative is also discussed. Achieved wave solitons are verified by Mathematica tool. Few of the gained wave solitons are also described through 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional and contour graphs through Mathematica tool. The gained solutions are helpful for the further development of concerned model. Finally, these techniques are simple, fruitful and effective to deal with non-linear FPDEs.

In light of the current situation where no testing equipment is available for measuring thermal deformation of objects, this paper proposes a novel method for accurate and precise measurement. The method overcomes the limitations of previous approaches that relied on pitch angle. By utilizing the principle of biplane multiple reflections, a bivariate laser spot displacement analysis algorithm is devised to attain highly precise measurements of bivariate angles. Additionally, a temperature gradient comparison algorithm is introduced to calculate the indicator test results under specific temperature conditions. To validate the effectiveness and reliability of this method, a testing system is constructed and utilized. The results demonstrate that the thermal deformation angle change test achieves an impressive accuracy of 0.015″ and a rate of thermal deformation angle change of 0.3247″/°C. These values are in close agreement with the previously simulated analysis result of 0.359″/°C, with only a relative error of 9.55%. Therefore, the test results confirm the efficacy and reliability of this testing method along with the feasibility of the algorithm processing.

It is widely believed that the dramatic transformation of the spherical outflows of AGB stars into the extreme aspherical geometries seen during the planetary nebula (PN) phase is linked to binarity and driven by the associated production of fast jets and central disks/torii. The key to understanding the engines that produce these jets and the jet-shaping mechanisms lies in the study of objects in transition between the AGB and PN phases. I discuss the results of our recent studies with high-angular-resolution (with ALMA & HST) and at high-energies (with GALEX, XMM-Newton & Chandra) of several such objects, which reveal new details of close binary interactions and high-speed outflows. These include two PPNe (the Boomerang Nebula and IRAS16342-3814), and the late carbon star, V Hya. The Boomerang is notable for a massive, high-speed outflow that has cooled below the microwave background temperature, making it the coldest object in the Universe. IRAS16342 is the prime example of the class of water-fountain PPNe (very young PPNe with high-velocity H₂O masers) and shows the signature of a precessing jet. V Hya ejects high-speed bullets every 8.5 years associated with the periastron passage of a companion in an eccentric orbit. I discuss our work on AGB stars with strongly-variable high-energy (FUV, X-ray) emission, suggesting that these objects are in the early stages of binary interactions that result in the formation of accretion disks and jets.

The article obtains large deviation asymptotic for sub-critical communication networks modelled as signal-interference-noise-ratio(SINR) random networks. To achieve this, we define the empirical power measure and the empirical connectivity measure, as well as prove joint large deviation principles(LDPs) for the two empirical measures on two different scales. Using the joint LDPs, we prove an Asymptotic equipartition property(AEP) for wireless telecommunication Networks modelled as the subcritical SINR random networks. Further, we prove a Local Large deviation principle(LLDP) for the sub-critical SINR random network. From the LLDPs, we prove the large deviation principle, and a classical McMillan Theorem for the stochastic SINR model processes. Note that, the LDPs for the empirical measures of this stochastic SINR random network model were derived on spaces of measures equipped with the $\tau-$ topology, and the LLDPs were deduced in the space of SINR model process without any topological limitations. We motivate the study by describing a possible anomaly detection test for SINR random networks.

This paper presents the design and experimental results of a long cavity length Nd: YAG laser with large stable zone for water jet guided laser (WJGL) applications. The design is based on the light transmission matrix and resonator stability conditions, aiming to achieve a large stable zone and a short cut-off thermal focal length (CTFL). A folded concave resonator is researched to enhance the cavity length, and the influence of the tun-able cavity arm length on the oscillating beam in the resonator and in the YAG crystal is theoretically studied. Moreover, the effects of the output mirror curvature and the cavity arm length on the range of the stable area and the cut-off thermal focal length are also investigated. Experimental results show that a stable green laser output is obtained after second harmonic generation (SHG), with a pulse width ranging from 43ns to 143ns within the laser operating frequency range of 5-20kHz. At an operation frequency of 10kHz, the output power is 21.33W, and the instability of the output power within 400 minutes is 0.88%. The laser source achieves a maximum power of 25.7W at 20kHz, and the maximum single pulse energy reaches 2.7mJ at 6kHz. Finally, this is used as the laser source to couple with a water jet with a diameter of 100 microns, achieving a lossless water conductivity transmission over 60mm length with a peak power density of 0.742GW/cm2. These results demonstrate the suitability of the designed laser source for WJGL technology research.

In the present paper, we introduce the phytoscreening and antiradical characteristics of conker extracts prepared from 2-, 1-year stored and just collected plants as well as the anti-inflammatory effect of oinment composition based on the extract.

This interdisciplinary investigation of the human remains of Balduin Helm, one of the most important abbots of Fürstenfeld monastery, provides novel information on that historic individual. This is particularly interesting since Balduin, during early 18th century, was involved in the renovation of this large Bavarian monastery. Metastatic prostate cancer was found as evidenced by multiple mixed osteolytic-osteoblastic bone lesions in all available vertebral bodies, fragments of both hemipelvises and isolated metastases in skull bones. Distribution, radio- and histomorphology, and especially the immunohistochemical detection of prostate-specific antigen in those metastases, definitively confirm this diagnosis. Further investigation, especially by stable isotope analysis, showed a balanced high-level diet with considerable contribution from animal protein and significant freshwater fish. These additional findings suggest a significant radiocarbon reservoir effect as an explanation for a “too old” radiocarbon dating. Finally, the obviously high-level protein diet may have contributed to the tumorigenesis which caused the death of the abbot at an advanced age.

Satellite altimetry is successfully developing during the past three decades for the sea level, ocean dynamics, coastal oceanography, planetary waves, ocean tides, wind and wave, ice cover, Earth’s gravity field, and climatology research. We propose a new essential add-on of satellite altimetry related to the peculiarities of the orbits of the Topex/Poseidon and Jasons’ satellite missions which were not mentioned before in the scientific publications. Derived subsets of “self-crossover” and “inter-crossover” points in sub-polar latitudes are discussed in detail in the context of water exchange, and wind-wave dynamics, and potential challenges to be solved. The relatively short time lags between measurements at these crossovers provide additional information on anomalies of magnitudes and directions of ocean currents, and characteristics of wind-driven waves. Resulting data snapshots with constant space and time intervals can be regarded as time series of virtual buoys, an analog of continuous buoy measurements of the sea level, wind speed, and wave height. Areas of the World Ocean where these specific crossovers occur are described in the context of water exchange, wind wave studies, and potential challenges to be solved. The value of these special crossovers for studies and monitoring of the sub-polar seas is illustrated by a case study.

This research aims to estimate the micro-motion (m-m) of ships. The problem of motion and m-m detection of targets is usually solved using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) along-track interferometry (ATI) which is observed employing two radars spatially distanced by a baseline extended in the azimuth direction. This paper is proposing a new approach where the m-m estimation of ships, occupying thousands of pixels, is measured processing the information given by sub-pixel tracking generated during the coregistration process of several re-synthesized time-domain and overlapped sub-apertures. The SAR products are generated splitting the raw data, according to a small-temporal baseline strategy, observed by one single wide-band staring spotlight (ST) SAR image. The predominant vibrational modes of different ships are estimated and results are promising to extend this application in performing surveillance also of land-based industries activities. Experiments are performed processing one ST SAR image observed by the COSMO-SkyMed satellite system.

The compatibility of graphene or graphene oxide with its dispersion medium (polymer) plays a critical role in the formation nanocomposite materials with significant property improvements. Environmentally friendly miniemulsion polymerization, which allows a formation of nanoencapsulation in an aqueous phase and high molecular weight polymer/composite production is one promising method. In this study, we screened a series of amphiphilic modifiers and found that the quaternary ammonium (ar-vinyl benzyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (VBTAC) pending carbon double bonds could effectively modify the graphene oxide (GO) to be compatible with the organophilic monomer. After that, free radical miniemulsion polymerization could successfully synthesize stable latex of exfoliated poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/ GO nanocomposite. The final latex had an extended storage life and a relatively uniform particle size distribution. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of this latex and its films indicated successful encapsulation of exfoliated nano-dimensional graphene oxide inside a polymer matrix.

Thanks to advanced semiconductor microfabrication technology, chip-scale integration and miniaturization of lab-on-a-chip components, silicon-based optical biosensors have made significant progress for the purpose of point-of-care diagnosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in evanescent field biosensing technologies including interferometer, microcavity, photonic crystal, and Bragg grating waveguide-based sensors. Their sensing mechanisms and sensor performances, as well as real biomarkers for label-free detection, are exhibited and compared. We also review the development of chip-level integration for lab-on-a-chip photonic sensing platforms, which consist of the optical sensing device, flow delivery system, optical input and readout equipment. At last, some advanced system-level CMOS-chip packaging examples are presented, indicating the commercialization potential for the low cost, high yield, portable biosensing platform leveraging CMOS processes.

Reading is a complex cognitive task involving processes from different systems. The present work aims to identify some points of divergence reported in the reading literature and discuss them in a new experimental paradigm framework. Inspired by the paradigms of perceptual identification and rapid parallel presentation (RPVP), we emphasize that the originality of our experimental paradigm lies in the recruitment of multi-stable Arabic percepts within the region where low-level processing occurs (i.e., the visual span area). With good flexibility, the current paradigm has reached higher-order processing levels. In agreement with previous works highlighting the parafoveal-on-foveal effect, results suggest parallel word processing. Furthermore, they suggest a rapid extraction of syntactic and semantic information from words in sentences while attributing an advantage to semantic processing in the emergence of the sentence superiority effect.

Relations between nutrient assimilation and growth rate in fishes may vary with abiotic factors such as temperature. The effects of feeding status, ontogeny and temperature regimes (15, 18 and 21 °C) on stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) patterns were assayed and modelled in juveniles of the seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus. The use of effective day degrees (D°eff) and chronological time (age) were compared as development progress indices. Newborn seahorses were maintained at three temperature levels both deprived of food (5 days) or fed (30 days) on copepods or/and Artemia. Isotopic signatures in fed seahorses clearly differed from those in unfed juveniles. Temperature had a significant effect on δ13C values in fed juveniles throughout the experimental period. δ15N values also varied significantly with age, but not with temperature level. Faster growth and food assimilation in seahorses held at 18 and 21 °C were supported by faster variations in isotopic values. Our findings demonstrate that effective day degrees should be preferred over chronological time as index of developmental progress in temperature fluctuating scenarios or for comparative studies.

Isotopic stable analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool in the assessment of different types of ecological and physiological studies. For that, different preservative methods for the samples are commonly used prior to isotopic analysis. The effects of various preservative methods (drying, freezing, ethanol and formaldehyde) have been analyzed for C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N on a variety of tissues including dorsal fins (three seahorse and two pipefish species), seahorse newborns (three seahorses species), and prey (copepods and different stages of Artemia) commonly used to feed the fishes in rearing conditions. The aims of the study were to: (i) evaluate isotopic effects of preservation methods across tissues; and (ii) construct the first conversion models available in syngnathid fishes. The preservation in ethanol and to a lesser extend in formaldehyde significantly affected δ13C values, whereas δ15N signatures were not affected significantly. Due to their low lipid content, the isotopic signals in fish fins were almost unaffected, supporting the suitability of dorsal fins as a convenient tool in isotopic studies on vulnerable species such as syngnathids. The regression equations provided permit the successful conversion of δ13C and δ15N values between preservative treatments. The conversion models can be applied to isotopic studies in the field and in the laboratory.

Water resources management is one of the most important challenges worldwide because water represents a vital resource for sustaining life and environment. In the aim of sustainable groundwater management, the identification of aquifer recharge areas is a useful tool for water resources protection. In a well-developed karst aquifer, environmental isotopes provide support for identifying aquifer recharge areas, residence time and interconnections between aquifer systems. This study deals the use of environmental isotopes to identify the main recharge area of a karst aquifer in the Upper Valley of Aniene River (Central Italy). The analysis of 18O/16O and 2H/H values and their spatial distribution in the aquifer, make it possible to trace back groundwater recharge areas based on average isotope elevations. The Inverse Hydrogeological Balance Method was used to validate spring recharge elevations obtained by the use of stable isotopes. Areas impacted by direct and rapid rainfall recharge into the study area were delineated, showing groundwater flowpaths from the boundaries to the core of the aquifer. The results of this study demonstrate the contribution that spatial and temporal isotope changes can provide to the identification of groundwater flowpaths in a karst basin, taking into account the hydrogeological setting

Beaches are among the habitats most frequented by migratory birds for breeding and/or wintering. However, threats such as human pressure and sea level rise can reduce the availability of these habitats for different species. The presence of alternative areas, such as salt pans and brackish habitats, is essential for many migratory shorebird populations. This study addresses the post-breeding dispersal of the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) in the Iberian Peninsula by analysing C and N isotopes in feathers. The study was conducted at six locations along the Iberian coast, which were categorized in three areas: NW Atlantic coast, the Atlantic coast of Andalusia and the Mediterranean coast. Although linear mixed models did not reveal any significant effects of sex or coastal area on isotopic levels, the variability in the data suggests different habitat-use strategies in the post-reproductive period. Birds from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula exhibit greater fidelity to a single habitat type, i.e. coastal beaches, while populations from the Mediterranean coast and the Atlantic coast of Andalusia show different individual dispersal strategies, occupying coastal habitats and freshwater wetlands. The lack of alternative habitats for the northwest Iberian population, the reduction in available habitat due to rising sea levels and human pressure together pose a serious threat to the survival of this species, already with an unfavourable conservation status.

The illegal wildlife trade is a significant threat to global biodiversity, often targeting already threatened species. In combating the trade, it is critical to know the provenance of the traded animal or part, to facilitate targeted conservation actions, such as education and enforcement. Here we present and compare two methods, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and stable isotope analysis (SIA), to determine both the geographic and source provenance (captive or wild) of traded animals and their parts. Using three critically endangered, frequently illegally traded Philippine species, the Palawan forest turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis), the Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), and the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensisis) we demonstrate that using these methods we can more accurately assign provenance using pXRF data (x ̅ = 83%), than SIA data (x ̅ = 47%). Our results indicate that these methods provide a valuable forensic tool that can be used in combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Chemical safety is related to public health, safety and environmental concerns, and the dangerous chemicals safety problem is becoming the one that people commonly pay attention to. Strengthening chemical safety supervision not only involves safe production, but also is an important link to maintain social safety. Most related studies focus on chemical safety under normal regulation, this paper addresses the perspective of ‘special rectification’ and ‘normal regulation’, and establishes an evolutionary game model between chemical enterprises and government supervision departments under different supervision modes. Based on the evolutionary game theory, this paper studies the evolution process of the two game players' strategy choices, and compares and analyzes the evolution, stability and equilibrium between the chemical safety and the behavior strategies of government regulatory departments. The model is effectively analyzed based on numerical simulation, and the results show that: Under the ‘special rectification’ mode, the strategic choice of chemical enterprises engaging in safety without investment depends on the difference between the benefits and costs of safety without investment; In the ‘normal regulation’ mode, the choice of its safety non-investment strategy depends on the difference between the cost of engaging in safety investment and the cost of safety non-investment; Increasing the government's punishment will encourage chemical enterprises to take safety investment behavior under the two supervision modes. Increasing the punishment has a significant impact on the safety investment behavior of chemical enterprises under the ‘normal regulation’ mode, but it has no significant impact on the behavior of chemical enterprises under the ‘special rectification’ mode. At the same time, increasing the punishment will inhibit the strict supervision behavior of the government. The research conclusion provides important decision support for government departments to effectively supervise the safety production of chemical enterprises.

Variations in geochemical signatures of fossil brachiopod shells may be due to diagenesis and/or biological processes (i.e. ‘vital effects’). Characterize them is crucial to identify reliable areas into the shell suitable to paleoclimatological studies. This investigation contributes to an in-depth understanding of geochemical variations of Gigantoproductus sp. shells (SW Spain, Serpukhovian age), which could affect to the Late Paleozoic Ice Age interpretation. Microstructural, crystallographic, cathodoluminescence and geochemical (minor and trace elements, δ18O, δ13C, and strontium isotopes) characterisation have been performed on the tertiary layer of the ventral valve, to assess the preservation state. Poorly-preserved areas exhibit microstructural and geochemical changes such as recrystallisation, fracturing and higher Mn and Fe enrichment. Moreover, these areas have higher dispersion of ⁸⁶Sr, ⁸⁷Sr, δ18O and δ13C than well-preserved areas. Three structural regions have been identified in well-preserved areas of ventral valve by differences in valve curvature and thickness, such as the umbonal, thick and thin regions. These regions have different proportions of Mg, S, Na, δ18O, and δ13C, whom are interpreted as ‘vital effects’ and probably are related with growth rate differences during shell growth. Gigantoproductus tertiary layer seems the best suitable to paleoclimatological studies because it retains the original microstructure and geochemistry.

The initial development of seahorse juveniles is characterized by low digestion capabilities. Stable isotope analysis is an effective tool in studies of trophic food webs and animal feeding patterns. The present study provides new insights for the understanding of growth and food assimilation in early developing seahorses following a laboratory diet switch. The study was performed in early life stages of the seahorse Hippocampus reidi by assessing the influence of diet shift on changes and turnovers in carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope in juveniles. Newborn seahorses were fed for 60 days following two feeding schedules (A6 and A11) based initially on copepods Acartia tonsa and subsequently on Artemia nauplii (since days 6 and 11, respectively). After prey shift, we determined δ13C and δ15N turnover rates as functions of change in either body mass (fitting model G) and days of development (fitting model D), contributions of metabolism and growth to those turnover rates, and diet-tissue discrimination factors. Survival, final dry weight and final standard length for diet A11 were higher compared to diet A6. The shift from copepods to Artemia lead to fast initial enrichments in δ13C and δ15N. Afterwards, the enrichment was gradually reduced until reaching the isotopic equilibrium with diet. In most cases, both fitting models performed similarly. The isotopic analysis revealed that 100% of tissue turnover was attributed to growth in diet A11, whereas 19-25% was endorsed to metabolism in diet A6. Diet-tissue discrimination factors were estimated for the first time in seahorse juveniles, resulting in higher estimates for diet A11 (2.9 ± 0.7‰ for δ13C; 2.5 ± 0.2‰ for δ15N) than in diet A6 (1.8 ± 0.1‰ for δ13C; 1.9 ± 0.1‰ for δ15N). This study highlights the relevance of feeding on copepods and their effect on isotopic patterns and discrimination factors in seahorse juveniles after a dietary shift. Regarding the application of the results achieved to feeding schedules in the rearing of H. reidi, a long period of feeding on copepods during the first days of development is highly recommended.

Cesiumtrifluoroacetate (CsTFA) is a key chemical for RNA-based stable isotope analyses to link the structure and function of microbial communities. We report a protocol to easily synthesize CsTFA from Cesiumcarbonate (Cs₂CO₃₎ and Trifluoroacetate (TFA) and show that self-synthesized CsTFA behaves similar to commercial CsTFA in the separation of isotopically labelled and unlabelled E. coli RNA.

The liver is a key node of whole-body nutrient and fuel metabolism and is also the principal site for detoxification of xenobiotic compounds. As such, hepatic metabolite concentrations and/or turnover rates inform the status of both hepatic and systemic metabolic diseases as well as the disposition of medications. As a tool to better understand liver metabolism in these settings, in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers a non-invasive means of monitoring hepatic metabolic activity in real time both by direct observation of concentrations and dynamics of specific metabolites as well as by observation of their enrichment by stable isotope tracers. This review summarizes the applications and advances in human liver metabolic studies by in vivo MRS over the past 35 years and discusses future directions and opportunities that will be opened by the development of ultra-high field MR systems and by hyperpolarized stable isotope tracers.

Little in the scholarly economics literature is directed specifically to the performance of sta­ble value funds, although they occupy a leading place among retirement investment vehicles. They are currently offered in more than one-third of all defined contribution plans in the USA, with more than $800 billion of assets under management. This paper rigorously ex­amines their performance throughout the entire period since their inception in 1973. We produce a composite index of stable value returns. We next conduct mean-variance analysis, Sharpe and Sortino ratio analysis, stochastic dominance analysis, and optimal multi-period portfolio composition analysis. Our evidence suggests that stable value funds dominate (on average) two major asset classes based on a historical analysis, and that they often occupy a significant position in optimized portfolios across a broad range of risk aversion levels. We discuss factors that contributed to stable value funds’ past performance and whether they can continue to perform well into the future. We also discuss considerations regarding whether or not to include stable value as an element in target date funds within defined con­tribution pension plans.

Diagnostics is believed to drive about 70% of medical interventions, but this may not be true for all demographics. With more than 30% of the African population living in extreme poverty ($1.9 per day - 2022); and healthcare costs competing unfavorably against unbridled access to antibiotics and herbal concoctions, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, how do you convince such a people to choose diagnostics first? More importantly, how do you design a medical device targeted at meeting the diagnostic needs of this demographic? In developing diagnostic devices for such a market, what is worth sacrificing? How dire is the need for advanced technologies in devices developed for such a demographic? These are questions that remain unaddressed by the technological breakthroughs and current research in medical device development, especially for infectious disease diagnostics. The objective of this paper is to underscore critical concerns which must be considered in the bid to successfully design medical diagnostic devices for Africa and perhaps, other limited-resource settings. It is also written as a suggestive guidance document for researchers whose interest is in the development of infectious disease diagnostic platforms for rural Africa and similar limited-resource environments.

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) can provide unique insights into the cycling of elements including carbon and nitrogen. One approach for CSIA is the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate compounds of interest, followed by analysis of these compounds using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. A key component of this technique is the fraction collector, which automatically collects compounds as they are separated by HPLC. Here we present a fraction collector which is a simple adaptation of a 3D printer, and thus can be easily adopted by any laboratory already equipped for HPLC. In addition to the much lower cost compared to commercial alternatives, this adaptation has the advantage for CSIA that the 3D-printer is able to heat the collected fractions, which is not true for many commercial fraction collectors. Heating allows faster evaporation of the solvent, so that the dried compounds can be measured by EA-IRMS immediately. The procedure can be repeated consecutively so that dilute solutions can have the compounds concentrated for analysis. Any computer-controlled HPLC can be integrated to the fraction collector used here by means of AutoIt.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate patterns and mechanisms driving seasonal and inter-annual variations of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the zooplankton crustacean commu-nity of Lake Maggiore (Italy), during the period 2009-2020. Different zooplankton taxa and groups revealed different ranges of d13C signatures, giving an insight into food sources and niche partition. In particular, cyclopoids had a restricted range with most negative d13C‰ values and increase in d13C fractionation with the establishment of water thermal vertical stratification, high-lighting the importance of vertical distribution as key factor for taxa coexistence in a vertically heterogenous environment. d13C of the zooplankton community and of Daphnia were positively related to water temperature (R2=0.58 p <0.0001 and R2=0.68 p <0.0001, respectively) and d13C Daphnia signature to chlorophyll-a (R2=0.32, p < 0.0001). Decomposition of time series data for zooplankton carbon and nitrogen signatures and environmental parameters identified increasing trends in water temperature, chlorophyll-a and water conductivity and decrease in nitrate, that matched changes in carbon isotopic signature trend in some zooplankton taxa (Bosmina, Daphnia and diaptomids). Overall, the observed patterns in zooplankton isotopic signatures were interpreted as integrations of climate warming effects in Lake Maggiore, affecting both food sources availability and environmental conditions.

The challenge of achieving ultrafast switching of electric polarization in ferroelectric materials remains unsolved, as there is no experimental evidence of such switching to date. In this study, we have developed an enhanced model that describes switching within a two-dimensional space of generalized coordinates. Our findings indicate that stable switching in barium titanate cannot be achieved through a single linearly polarized pulse. When the intensity of the linearly polarized pulse reaches a certain threshold, the sample experiences depolarization, but not stable switching. Our study also reveals that phonon friction plays a minor role in the switching dynamics and provides an estimate of the optimal parameters of the perturbing pulse with the lowest intensity that results in depolarization of an initially depolarized sample.

We examined PT parameters, geochemical peculiarities, and fluid sources of the Ulug-Sair ore occurrence attributable to class of intrusion-related gold deposits and according to ore mineral assemblages corresponding to Au-Bi type with wide Bi minerals (AgBiTe, Bi2Te2Se, Cu3,07BiS3, Bi), tellurides (Au and Ag), Se-tellurides (Ag and Bi), and selenides (Au, Ag, and Hg). We identified that ‘pre-gold’ quartz-tourmaline veins were deposited using an aqueous Mg-Na-K-chloride fluid with a salinity of 8–10 wt % NaCl eq. At 325–370 °C; host breasts were formed due to a CO2-water fluid containing CH4 and N2, with a salinity of 0,18–6,1 wt % NaCl eq. at least 200–400 °C. Gold-bearing mineral assemblages were formed at P ~ 0,75–1,0 kbar (~ 2,3–3 km) due to CO2-water chloride (Na-K±Fe, Mg) fluid with CH4, Na2SO4, and Na2B2O5, and salinities 1,7–12,5 wt % NaCl eq. during the decreasing temperatures from 360 up to 115 °C (gold-sulfide-quartz veins – 360–130 °С, and gold-telluride-sulfide-quartz veins – 330–115 °C) and variations fO2, fS2, fSe2, and fTe2. The isotopic composition of δ34SH2S fluid (-0,7…+2,5 ‰) indicates the juvenile or magmatic origin of fluid and ore elements. The δ34OH2O fluid indicates that, at an early substage, the formation of ore occurrence involved a fluid of magmatic or metamorphic origin (+7,3…+11,4 ‰), and, in the later substage, it mixed with meteoric waters (-2,3…+9,1 ‰).

Zagros is an important region with high quality and quantity karstic water resources in the Middle East. This region provides a dominant part of potable and agricultural water needs for its inhabitants as well as agricultural water needs for nearby regions. Therefore, studying karstic water resources in Zagros by accurate methods such as stable isotopes techniques is very important. In this investigation, hydrological characteristics of groundwater resources including groundwater origin, recharge rate and recharge elevation have been studied using stable isotopes (¹⁸O and ²H). The results show that stable isotopes signatures in groundwater resources show notable variations across Zagros and groundwater resource mainly plot on south and west Zagros meteoric water lines. In addition, recharge elevation and recharge rate in groundwater resources also show significant variations in Zagros. Finally, the stable isotopes signatures in precipitation and groundwater has been used to study the role of each dominant air mass (contribution percentage of precipitation events originate from each air mass) in groundwater resources recharge using Simmr package in R language. Overall, groundwater resources in Zagros is recharged by precipitation events originate from various air masses and they have various recharge rates and recharge elevations.

Nested structure is a structural feature that is conducive to system stability formed by the co-evolution of species in mutualistic ecosystems, and reflects the ability of ecosystem stability to be restored to a stable state again after being destroyed. The co-opetition relationship and value flow between industrial sectors in the global value chain are similar to the mutualistic ecosystem, and the pattern of the global economic system is always changing in dynamic equilibrium. Nestedness theory is used in this article to define the generalist and specialist sectors in the global value chain to analyze the changes in the global supply pattern. Then we study the mechanism of the global economic system to reach a stable equilibrium and the role of different sectors in the steady of the economic system, so as to provide countermeasures for enhancing the stability of the global economic system. At the end of the article, the domestic trade network, export trade network and import trade network of each country are extracted, and an econometric model is designed to analyze how the microstructure of the production system affects a country’s macroeconomic performance, thereby deriving the conclusion that the stability of the international trade network is crucial to a country's economic development.

In order to obtain stable super-hydrophobicity, suitable hydrophobic treatment agent should be selected according to different materials. In this paper, cotton and poly (-ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric was respectively coated by dodecyl methacrylate (LMA) via argon combined capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), and the surface hydrophobicity and durability of treated cotton and polyester fabrics were also discussed. An interesting phenomenon was happened that LMA coated cotton fabric (Cotton-g-LMA) had better water repellency and mechanical durability than LMA coated PET fabric (PET-g-LMA), and LMA coated hydroxyl grafted PET fabrics (PET fabrics were successively coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and LMA, PET-g-PEG&amp;LMA) had similar performance to those of cotton fabrics. The water contact angle (WCA) of Cotton-g-LMA, PET-g-LMA and PET-g-PEG&amp;LMA was 156 °, 153 ° and 155 °, respectively, and after 45 washing cycles or 1000 rubbing cycles, the corresponding WCA was decreased to 145 °, 88 °, 134 °and 146 °, 127 °, 143 °, respectively. Also, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polyamides-6 (PA6) fabrics were all exhibited the same properties to PET fabric. Therefore, the grafting of hydroxyl can improve the hydrophobic effect of LMA coating and the binding property between LMA and fabrics effectively without changing the wearing comfort..

There are numerous yeast species related to wine making, particularly non-Saccharomyces, that deserve special attention due to the great potential they have when it comes to making certain changes in the composition of the wine. Among them, Schizosaccharomyces pombe stands out for its particular metabolism that gives it certain abilities such as regulating the acidity of wine through maloalcoholic fermentation. In addition, this species is characterized by favouring the formation of stable pigments in the wine and releasing large quantities of polysaccharides during ageing on lees. Moreover, its urease activity and its competition for malic acid with lactic acid bacteria make it a safety tool by limiting the formation of ethyl carbamate and biogenic amines in wine. However, it also has certain disadvantages such as its low fermentation speed or the development of undesirable flavours and aromas. In this chapter, the main oenological uses of Schizosaccharomyces pombe that have been proposed in the last years will be reviewed and discussed.

Background: Coronary tortuosity is a common angiographic finding. Scarce data is available on clinical profile of patients with coronary tortuosity (CT) and its relation with coronary artery disease (CAD). Method: A total 224 patients undergoing angiography for suspected CAD were included in the study. CT was defined by the presence of ≥3 consecutive bends of > 45 degree measured at end-diastole in an epicardial artery ≥2 mm in diameter. CT was present in 45(20.08%) patients in the study and another 45 patients without CT was randomly selected as control (NCT group). Clinical profile of CT and NCT group was compared. Results: Incidence of CT was significantly higher in females (p=0.000) and hypertensives (p=0.001) patients. CT was most commonly seen in Left circumflex coronary artery. Incidence of CAD was significantly lower in CT group as compare to NCT group (0.02). Risk factors for CAD was associated with reduced incidence of CT. Majority (88.46%) patient with CT without CAD presented with chronic stable angina out of which (65.21%) had an objective evidence of myocardial ischemia. Conclusion: CT is more commonly seen females and hypertensive patients. It has negative correlation with CAD. Risk factors of CAD do not predict CT. CT itself can lead to myocardial ischemia.

Many engineering systems are described by using differential models whose solutions, generally obtained after discretization, can exhibit a noticeable deviation with respect to the response of the physical systems that those models are expected to represent. In those circumstances one possibility consists of enriching the model in order to reproduce the physical system behavior. The present paper considers a dynamical system, and proposes enriching the model solution by learning the dynamical model of the gap between the system response and the model-based prediction, while ensuring that the time integration of the learnt model remains stable. The proposed methodology is applied on the simulation of the top-oil temperature evolution of a power transformer, whose data is provided by RTE, the French Electricity Transmission System Operator.

NaClO3 and NaBrO3 are believed to form a complete solid solution from RT to fusion. The unique solid phase can thus be written: NaClO3 (1-x)-NaBrO3 (x) with: 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. This study shows that at high temperature this statement might be valid. Nevertheless, up to 50°C and probably up to 160°C and even higher temperature, this is not true when the system is in thermodynamic equilibrium. A large miscibility gap exists at room temperature (RT). This gap could be reduced up to a complete disappearance by fast crystallization, for instance by spray-drying. The necessary conditions to access to equilibrium including homochirality are also discussed.

The great pipefish Syngnathus acus is one of the most representative European syngnathid, being highly associated with seagrass and macroalgal beds. Surprisingly, the ecology of this ovoviviparous marine fish has received scanty attention. The population inhabiting three sites on Cíes Archipelago (Atlantic Islands National Park, NW Spain) was monitored in 2017-2018 for spatial and temporal changes in abundances, reproduction traits, trophic niche occupancy and dietary regimes across reproduction states through an isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) approach. Abundances were highly variable across seasons and sites, decreasing significantly from mid-autumn. The population consisted almost exclusively of large adults that migrate by the end of the breeding season, which extended from mid-spring to summer. Operational sex ratios suggest that the species is sex-role reversed. S. acus is a secondary consumer (Trophic position= 3.36 ± 0.05) preferring amphipods but displaying annual and seasonal dietary plasticity. Mature fish were less selective than immatures (especially females) with a higher preference for amphipods (36-68%) in the former. The second most preferred prey were carideans, copepods or isopods, depending on the year and reproduction state. Overall, the wider trophic niches in females and immature specimens compared to males and mature fish would indicate a higher variability in both the use of prey resources and/or their origin. The present study highlights the trophic plasticity and unique features of S. acus population in Cíes Archipelago, especially regarding the outstanding size of the fish and the exceptional occurrence of breeders.

Proteins possess complex three-dimensional structures, and these structures are stable only within specific ranges of temperature which mostly correspond to the temperature ranges of the host organisms. However, few exceptional proteins, called heat-stable proteins, are stable at temperatures that are substantially higher than those tolerated by the host organisms themselves. Most of the heat-stable proteins possess heat stability to perform their functions at high temperatures, but some of them are intrinsically heat-stable due to their structure. Heat-stable proteins are usually divided into three or four groups depending upon the intricacies of their structures and thermal behaviors. Their peculiar property, i.e. heat-stability, makes them very valuable in applications such as polymerase chain reaction, industrial processes requiring high temperature, and protein engineering. Heat-stability also makes it feasible to purify such proteins, from the rest of the heat-labile proteins, using a simple heat-treatment method. Moreover, heat treatment can be used as a combined cell-lysis and protein purification step which, as compared to conventional methods, can result in a higher yield of heat-stable proteins. Furthermore, some special heat-stable proteins, i.e. intrinsically disordered proteins (which include the proteins involved in important neurodegenerative diseases), need heat-treatment step, in some cases, as the only way for their successful purification and study. Hence, this paper provides a first-ever comprehensive review of all major aspects of heat-stable proteins, i.e., their structure, evolution, classification, significance, and heat-treatment mediated purification.

Change orders have received considerable attention from researchers thus far, but none have considered pricing strategies of change orders through the interaction between general contractors and subcontractors. Previous studies found that contractors’ opportunistic bidding considering beyond-contractual reward (BCR) in the execution stage can be reduced by improving the construction management system and strengthening the supervision of contractors’ performance. However, the BCR remains in ecology of construction engineering. This study proposes an integrated evolutionary game theory-system dynamics model (ET-SD model) and simulates the pricing strategy of change orders between general contractors and subcontractors to explore the root cause of BCR phenomenon. Sensitivity analysis on the evolutionary dynamics of payoff is explored. Results reveal that change orders with BCR maintain Nash equilibrium and evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) unless changing the payoff structure between general and subcontractors’ pricing strategies. This study presents important managerial insights from the evolutionary game perspectives, nature of change orders, and payoff of the alternative.

Stable isotope concentrations in the soil, rain and ground water have been used to trace the water extraction zones of plants in different environments. The need to identify the plant water use by plants in afforestation programs to control desertification increases the importance of sap water partitioning of plants in sand dune areas. However, the introduction of new plant covers exerts pressure on the water resources and can affect the local soil water conditions. In this study, we analyzed the isotope concentrations in rain, soil, sap, and ground water after the summer of 2010. Two experimental plots established in the Hailiutu catchment (Shaanxi province, northwest China) were selected to gather the water samples between September and October 2010. One plot is dominated by Salix bushes (Salix psammophila C. Wang \& Chang Y. Yang) and the other by the tree species Willow (Salix matsudana Koidz.). The total precipitation at the experimental site was 401 mm/yr during 2010, while 88.7 mm was collected in total for the period September to October. Willow trees transpired 12.82 kg/d being almost three times larger than Salix shrubs (4.57 kg/d). Despite the transpiration rates of both plant species and the few rain events in the region, the soil water beneath the plant covers is not depleted. Stable isotope signature of soil water beneath both covers shows the fractionation front in Salix at 20 cm depth and at Willow at 40 cm depth. However, soil water signature is closer to the groundwater than the collected rain water.

The central limit theorem (CLT) and its generalization to stable distributions have been widely described in literature. However, many variations of the theorem have been defined and often their applicability in practical situations is not straightforward. In particular, the applicability of the CLT is essential for a derivation of heterogeneous ensemble of Brownian particles (HEBP). Here, we analyze the role of the CLT within the HEBP approach in more detail and derive the conditions under which the existing theorems are valid.

This study aimed to produce single-chain recombinant eel follicle-stimulating hormone (rec-eel FSH) analogs with high activity in Chinese hamster ovary DG44 (CHO DG44) cells. We recently reported that an O-linked glycosylated carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP) of the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) β-subunit plays contributes on high activity and time-dependent secretion in mammalian cells. We constructed a mutant (FSH-M) in which a linker including the eCG β-subunit CTP region (amino acids 115 to149) was inserted between the β-subunit and α-subunit of wild-type single chain eel FSH (FSH-wt). Plasmids containing eel FSH-wt and eel FSH-M were transfected into CHO DG44 cells. Single cells expressing each protein were isolated from 10 and 7 clones, respectively. Secretion increased gradually during the cultivation period and peaked at 4,000–5,000 ng/mL on day 9. The molecular weight of eel FSH-wt was 34–40 kDa, while that of eel FSH-M increased substantially, with two bands at 39–46 kDa. Treatment with PNGase F to remove the N glycosylation sites decreased the molecular weight remarkably to approximately 8 kDa. The EC50 value and maximal responsiveness of eel FSH-M were approximately 1.23- and 1.06-fold higher than those of eel FSH-wt, indicating that the mutant showed slightly higher biological activity. Phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase (pERK1/2) activation exhibited a sharp peak at 5 min, followed by a rapid decline. These findings indicate that the new rec-eel FSH molecule with the eCG β-subunit CTP linker showed potent activity and could be produced in massive quantities using the stable CHO DG44 cell system.

Despite saltmarshes being considered as nature-based solutions (NbS) towards climate change mitigation, India’s saltmarsh ecosystems are least studied. This study quantifies the seasonal variation in carbon stocks mono-specific saltmarsh species (Porteresia coarctata) and its potential to play an important role in India’s climate change mitigation plans. Seasonal (pre-and post-monsoon) sampling of P. coarctata surface water, biomass and 30 cm sediment core was collected across four locations on the east coast of India to quantify sediment dry bulk density (DBD), organic matter (OM%), organic carbon (Corg%), Corg stocks of sediment and biomass, total carbon (C%) and nitrogen (N%) and stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N. In general, the sediment DBD, OM and Corg of P. coarctata meadows was higher in post-monsoon and was influenced by salinity and pH changes. Isotope (δ¹³C) modelling of various sediment C sources suggested, particulate organic matter (POM) contribution was highest (0.04-0.79%) followed by P. coarctata (0.01–052%) and other macrophytes across our study locations. The seasonal variation of δ¹³C showed increased contribution of marine derived particulate and dissolved organic matter into P. coarctata meadows in post-monsoon season. Heavier δ¹⁵N values were observed in post-monsoon season suggesting anthropogenic input, that was utilized by P. coarctata to increase its above and below-ground biomass and shoot density. The combined ecosystem (30 cm sediment + biomass) Corg stocks of P. coarctata was 1.7-fold higher in post-monsoon (4021.20± 917 Mg C) compared to pre-monsoon (2297.36 ±647 Mg C) season among the four locations with a sediment Corg contribution >70%. Based on the International Panel for Climate Change Tier II assessment the P. coarctata meadows (443 ha) can help in avoiding the pre and post-monsoon emissions of 8431.34 and 14757.84 Mg CO₂ respectively. The combined price of the total CO₂ equivalent stored in P. coarctata meadows in pre- and post-monsoon is US$ 14.50 and US$ 25.38 million respectively. Further studies quantifying the NbS potential of P. coarctata mono-specific and mixed meadows of India’s coast is needed along with integration of saltmarsh ecosystems into India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Femtoscopy is a unique tool to investigate the space-time geometry of the matter created in ultra-relativistic collisions. If the probability density distribution of hadron emission is parametrized, then the dependence of its parameters on particle momentum, collision energy, and collision geometry can be given. In recent years, several measurements came to light that indicated the adequacy of assuming a Lévy-stable shape for the mentioned distribution. In parallel, several new phenomenological developments appeared, aiding the interpretation of the experimental results, or providing tools for the measurements. In this paper we review and discuss some of these advances, phenomenological and experimental.

The study of trophic relationships among closely related species plays an important role in deepening our understanding of the resource utilization characteristics, differentiation patterns, and population dynamics of co-occurring species in the same habitat. This research uses two congeneric fish species, Pennahia pawak and Pennahia anea, as examples. Based on stomach content analysis and carbon-nitrogen stable isotope analysis, a comparative analysis of their feeding habits and trophic niches is conducted. Additionally, spatial niche analysis is employed to explore the coexistence and competitive mechanisms between these two closely related fish species. The results showed that both P. pawak and P. anea had similar feeding habits, mainly feeding on Pisces and Macrura, but there were some feeding preferences between the two species. Interspecific prey overlap was meaningful but not significant, with an overlap coefficient of 0.56. There were significant differences in feeding habits between the two species during different seasons. Based on stable isotope analyses, body length of both species had a significant positive correlation with δ15N (Pearson r=0.65, P&lt;0.01; Pearson r=0.44, P&lt;0.01), but not with δ13C (P&gt;0.05). Standard ellipse corrected area (SEAc) of P. pawak and P. anea were 0.65 and 1.16, while the trophic niche overlap was only 0.29, which was not significant; the spatial niche width of the two was 1.19 and 0.58, respectively, and the spatial niche overlap was only 0.20, which was not significant. Intra-species competition was intense in P. pawak and P. anea, but reduced feeding specialization had a mitigating effect on intra-species competition. Interspecific competition was present but not significant, and was mitigated by trophic and spatial niche differentiation.

A key response to glucose stress is an increased production of unsaturated fatty acids to balance the increase of saturated fatty acids in the membrane. The C. elegans homolog of stearoyl-CoA desaturase, FAT-7, introduces the first double bond into saturated C18 fatty acids yielding oleic acid and is a critical regulatory point for surviving cold and glucose stress. Here, we incorporated 13C stable isotopes into the diet of nematodes and quantified the 13C-labelled fatty acid by GC-MS and HPLC/MS-MS to track the metabolic response to various concentrations of glucose. Previous work has analyzed membrane composition of C. elegans when responding to mild glucose stress and showed few alterations in overall fatty acid composition in the membrane. Here, in nematodes exposed to higher concentrations of glucose, a specific reduction of oleic acid and linoleic acid was observed. Using time courses and stable isotope tracing, the response of fatty acid me-tabolism to increasing levels of glucose stress has been characterized, revealing a funneling of monounsaturated fatty acids to preserve polyunsaturated fatty acid abundance. Taken together, higher levels of glucose unveil a specific reduction of oleic and linolenic acid in the metabolic re-wiring required to survive glucose stress.

In this work, an entropy-stable and well-balanced numerical scheme for a one-dimensional blood flow model is presented. Such scheme is obtained from an explicit entropy conservative flux along with a second order discretization of the source term by using centered finite differences. We prove that the scheme is entropy-stable and preserves steady-states solutions. In addition, some numerical examples are included to test the performance of the proposed scheme.

Groundwater plays a crucial role in triggering and reactivating deep-seated landslides. However, classical hydrogeological investigations have limitations in their applicability to deep-seated landslides due to anisotropic and heterogeneous media[16]. The Huangtupo landslide in the Three Gorges reservoir area has garnered significant attention in China due to its large volume, complex geological structure, and high hazard potential. Recent monitoring data has shown notable deformation in the NO.1 Riverside Sliding Mass (HTP-1), one of the four parts of the Huangtupo landslide, making it the primary focus of landslide research. This study aimed to investigate the water sources in the HTP-1 landslide using environmental stable isotopes as tracers. The isotopic analysis results indicated that the groundwater in the landslide area (LGW) is a mixture of remote karst groundwater (KGW) from the adjacent up-slope and local precipitation (LP). The karst groundwater is a major contributor to the recharge of the landslide groundwater system, causing a high slope groundwater level that can easily exceed the critical level during heavy rainfall events. Furthermore, based on the differential distribution of the LP fraction of LGW at different locations, the groundwater in the landslide can be classified into three groups. Groundwater at the sliding rupture surface has the highest fractions of local precipitation, followed by the groundwater at the rear of the landslide. Combined with the monitoring data of groundwater level in boreholes during the rainy season, this indicates that fissures and fractures in the sliding rupture zone and at the back of the landslide are well connected, which could be a critical factor in the mass movement of the creeping slope.

The decline in Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in the introduction area has had a high profile in recent years. For the ecological restoration, management and silvicultural design of Mongolian pines in the introduction area, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth study on the ecological adaptation mechanism of Mongolian pines in provenances. The ecological process of water and nutrient accumulation as well as the influence of environmental factors on the photosynthetic physiology are the key to revealing the ecological adaptation mechanism of Mongolian pines. According to the differences of climate in the distribution area of Mongolian pines, sampling sites were set up, the effects of environmental factors on leaf δ13C and the relationship between leaf δ13C and nutrient content were analyzed. The results showed that leaf δ13C values were ranging from - 29.7 ‰ to - 23.76 ‰. The ecological stoichiometry, including LC (522.81 mg·g-1), LN (16.04 mg·g-1), LP (1.19 mg·g-1) and L-N:P (13.56), indicated that leaf photosynthesis and water use efficiency is greatly affected by environmental conditions, Mongolian pines had strong ability of carbon fixation, and its growth was obviously restricted by nitrogen. Although there was no significant correlation between δ13C with stoichiometric parameters in leaf, photosynthesis was the key link in the process of carbon fixation. It also showed that Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica was a stomatal limited plant. Leaf δ13C had significant correlation with climatic factors. VPD is the dynamic factor affecting the photosynthetic physiological process in leaves. Air and soil moisture are the dominate factors affecting the leaf stomatal conductance and determines leaf δ13C value, while other factors indirectly affect leaf δ13C by its impact on relative humidity or soil water content. Soil phosphorus content affected by clay is a key factor affecting soil water availability and soil nutrient cycling. Photosynthetic process in leaf is the dynamic process affecting the nutrient accumulation.

Stable-isotope dimethyl labeling is a highly reactive and cost-effective derivatization procedure that could be utilized in proteomics analysis. In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode (LC-MS-MRM) platform for the quantification of kiwi allergens was first developed using this strategy. Three signature peptides for target allergens Act d 1, Act d 5, and Act d 11 were determined and were derivatized with normal and deuterated formaldehyde as external calibrants and internal standards, respectively. The results showed that sample preparation with the phenol method provided comprehensive protein populations. Recoveries at four different levels ranging from 72.5–109.3% were achieved for the H-labeled signature peptides of Act d 1 (SPA1-H) and Act d 5 (SPA5-H) with precision ranging from 1.86–9.92%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was set at 8 pg mL–1 for SPA1-H and at 4 ng mL–1 for SPA5-H. The developed procedure was utilized to analyze seven kinds of hand-made kiwi foods containing 0.0175–0.0515 mg g–1 of Act d 1 and 0.0252–0.0556 mg g–1 of Act d 5. This study extended the applicability of stable-isotope dimethyl labeling to the economical and precise determination of food allergens and peptides.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient and plays an important role in plant growth and physiology. In addition, N is also the limiting nutrient in most terrestrial ecosystems. The increasing use of N fertilizers increases agricultural production, but also has negative impacts on biodiversity, water quality and increases emissions of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. N2O is a strong greenhouse gas and the product of microbial transformation processes of N introduced into soil and groundwater (nitrification and denitrification). The production of N2O in soils is highly dependent on oxygen and water content, soil temperature and texture and the available amount of reactive nitrogen (NO3- or NH4+). In agricultural soils, N2O emissions are also influenced by the type of fertilizer used, crops grown, soil pH and NO3- concentration. Refined forms of land management, such as the cultivation of legumes, can reduce the use of fertilizers and thus also the emission of N2O. Legumes can use symbiotic nodule bacteria (rhizobia) to bind atmospheric N2 and make it available to the plant. Non-symbiotic soil microorganisms such as cyanobacteria or other heterotrophic and autotrophic prokaryotes are also able to fix N2. Furthermore, the N2-fixing enzyme nitrogenase, which is specific for most organisms, is not specific for other N2 compounds, especially N2O. To study the N2 and N2O fixation potential of soils and legumes, experiments with isotope-enriched N-gases (100 mol% 15N2 and 15N2O) were performed. Three different soil types (forest, meadow and wetland) as well as legume plants inoculated with rhizobia bacteria (Rhizobium leucaneae) (Leucaena leucocephala) were incubated in microcosms with different mixing ratios of N2 and N2O over a period of one week. The measured 15N enrichment was then used to determine the biological uptake rates. Both in plants and in soils admixtures of up to 40% N2O had no influence on the N2 fixation rate. N2 uptake rates were 1.2 ± 0.4 ug N gdw-1 d- 1in forest and grassland soils and 3.9 ± 1.2 ug N gdw-1 d- 1 in wetland soils. In contrast, the N2 fixation rates of leguminous plants were significantly higher (130 ± 40 ug N gdw-1 d- 1), with the highest accumulation not in root nodules but in the roots. In both plants and soil, the N2O fixation of 0.2 ± 0.1 ug N gdw-1 d- 1 could only be measured from a concentration of 4 vol%. The results indicate that both soils and legumes have a high potential to bind atmospheric nitrogen in the form of both N2 but not N2O. The fate of nitrogen in soil needs to be further investigated. N2 fixation seems to play an important role in wetland soils. Legumes in particular have the potential for NH4+ input and N2O reduction, as most of the solid nitrogen has been transferred to the roots, which can contribute significantly to soil nutrient input.

Global warming poses a threat to plant survival, impacting growth and agricultural yield. Protein turnover, a critical regulatory mechanism balancing protein synthesis and degradation, is crucial for cellular response to environmental changes. We investigated the effects of elevated temperature on proteome dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings using 15N-stable isotope labeling and ul-tra-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, coupled with the ProteinTurnover algorithm. Analyzing different cellular fractions from plants grown under 22°C and 30°C growth conditions, we found significant changes in the turnover rates of 571 proteins, with a median 1.4-fold increase, indicating accelerated protein dynamics under thermal stress. Notably, soluble root fraction proteins exhibited smaller turnover changes, suggesting tissue-specific adap-tations. Significant turnover alterations occurred with redox signaling, stress response, protein folding, secondary metabolism, and photorespiration, indicating complex responses enhancing plant thermal resilience. Conversely, proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism and mito-chondrial ATP synthesis showed minimal changes, highlighting their stability. This analysis high-lights the intricate balance between proteome stability and adaptability, advancing our under-standing of plant responses to heat stress and supporting the development of improved thermo-tolerant crops.

Numerous studies were published suggesting that troponin level is related to adverse outcomes in chronic cardiac and non-cardiac conditions. Our study investigated whether troponin levels gathered from an unselected blood sample taken during outpatient care are associated with adverse outcomes in a population with stable coronary artery disease. In a cohort of 949 patients with stable coronary artery disease, average age of 67.5 ± 9.5 years, 69.5% male, 52.1% diabetics, 51.6% with previous myocardial infarction, 57.9% with triple-vessel disease, 21.7% of patients encountered new events during an average period of monitoring of 2.07 ± 0.81 years. Troponin I/99th percentile categorized into tertiles emerged as an independent predictor of death and combined events risk (hazard ratio: 2.02 (1.13-3.60), p=0.017; 2.30 (1.37-3.88, p=0.002, respectively). A troponin ratio > 0.24 was able to identify 53.3% of patients at risk of death and heart failure hospitalization. In patients with stable coronary artery disease and adherent to treatment, troponin level is independently associated with death and heart failure hospitalization in a medium-term follow up.

Sedimentation processes have negative socioeconomic and environmental consequences, ranging from eutrophication phenomena, loss of water quality in surface water bodies, effects on the potential for hydroelectric generation, etc. Frequently, anthropic activity is the main cause that enhances these processes through changes in land use that can lead to landscape modifications. Therefore, it is relevant to evaluate this phenomenon and to be able to discriminate the influence of different land uses on the contributions to sediment loads at different scales. The novel Compound Specific Stable Isotopes technique allows the evaluation of sediment inputs associated with different land use changes in a study region. In the present work this technique was used in the Alhajuela Lake sub-basin, within the Panama Canal Watershed. The contribution levels of three (3) representative land uses (forest, pasture and sediment) in the study area were evaluated for the sediments present in sixteen (16) selected mixing points. The main contributions of the sources to the sediments present in the main rivers and tributaries flowing into Alhajuela Lake, in the sub-basin of the same name, were identified. The results obtained are consistent with observations and measurements of sedimentation in the study area.

Maxwell's electric equation and Schrödinger quantum equation are used to find useful expressions for the probability of electrons existence and the electrons transport. The first expression which uses special relatively also shows that the probability of the electrons existence is higher for lower energy states compared to higher energy states where the probability is low. This means that electrons transport takes place from higher energy states to lower states. This conforms to the laws of chemistry where the atom tends to be stable by forcing electrons to occupy lower energy states. The second expression used the momentum velocity relation instead of special relatively. This expression shows also electrons transport from higher to lower states. It also shows that the probability of the electrons existence is higher for lower electrons density regions and lower for higher electrons density regions. This means that the electrons transport is from higher density regions to lower density regions. This conforms to the diffusion law.

Paleoclimate information is key to understanding the climate system and predicting future climate. Currently, stable isotope analysis of whole molecules in tree rings is among the most advanced paleoclimate tools. Still, it only enables reconstructions of one climate parameter at a time (univariate climate reconstruction), a fundamental limitation. Here, we investigated whether this limitation can be overcome by analysing isotope variability at the level of intramolecular carbon positions in tree-ring glucose. We found that drought governs isotope variability at glucose C-1 to C-3, whereas radiation governs isotope variability at glucose C-5 to C-6. These isotope-climate relationships are statistically and mechanistically robust. According to cross-validation analysis, they can be reconstructed with high accuracy and precision. Thus, intramolecular isotope analysis enables multivariate climate reconstructions (proof of concept).

Cordyceps sinensis is one rare medicinal fungus produced in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Its quality and price varies hugely with different habitat, and its numerous substitutes have sprung up in functional food markets. This paper aims to discriminate the geographic origin of wild C. sinensis and its substitutes via the element analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The δ¹³C values of major fatty acids in the lipids of Cordyceps sinensis are characterized unanimously by the variation relation C_18:0 ﹤ C_18:2 ≈ C_16:0 ﹤ C_18:1; while their fluctuation intervals are notably different between those of neutral and polar lipids. The comparative analysis of the δ¹³C ratios of major fatty acids in lipids of Cordyceps sinensis suggests that the δ¹³C patterns may be sensitive potential indicators to discriminate its geographical origin. The δ¹³C values of individual major fatty acids of lipids from the cultivated stromata of Cordyceps militaris (SCM), the fermented mycelia of Hirsurella sinensis (FMH) and Paecilomyces epiali (FMP) range from −31.2‰ to −29.7‰, −16.9‰ to −14.3‰, and −26.5‰ to −23.9‰, respectively. Their δ¹³C pattern of individual major fatty acids may be used as a potential indicator to discriminate the products of natural C. sinensis and its substitutes.

p-type Ag-N dual acceptor doped ZnO thin films with long electrical stability were deposited by DC magnetron reactive co-sputtering technique. After deposition, the films were annealed at 400 °C for one hour in a nitrogen-controlled atmosphere. The deposited films were amorphous. However, after annealing they crystallize in the typical hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. The Ag-N dual acceptors were incorporated substitutionally in the structure of zinc oxide and achieving that the three samples presented the p-type conductivity in the ZnO. Initial electrical properties showed a low resistivity of from 1 to10^{−3} Ω.cm, Hall mobility of tens cm2/V.s and a hole concentration from 10^{17} to 10^{19} cm^{−3}. The electrical stability analysis reveals that the p-type conductivity of the ZnO:Ag,N films is very stable and does not revert to n-type, even after 36 months of aging. These results reveal the feasibility of using these films for applications in short-wavelength or transparent optoelectronic devices.

Olive trees have a unique reproductive pattern marked by biennial fruiting. This study delves into the repercussions of alternate fruit bearing on the water relations of olive trees and the associated ecophysiological mechanisms. The experiment spanned two consecutive years: the "ON" year, characterized by a high crop load, and the "OFF" year, marked by minimal fruit production. Key ecophysiological parameters, including sap flow, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate, were monitored in both years. Pre-dawn water potential was measured using continuous stem psychrometers and the pressure chamber technique. Biochemically, non-structural carbohydrate concentrations (starch, sucrose, and mannitol) and the carbon-stable isotope ratio (δ13C) in olive leaves were examined. Results unveiled heightened leaf gas exchange during the "ON" year, leading to increased water consumption and photosynthetic rates. This escalated water usage during the "ON" year significantly reduced leaf water potential. Sucrose and starch concentrations were notably elevated in the "ON" year, with no significant impact on mannitol concentration. Regarding the carbon stable isotope ratio, leaves from the "OFF" year exhibited significantly higher δ13C abundance, indicative of heightened resistance to the CO2 pathway from the atmosphere to carboxylation sites compared to the "ON" year plants.

The aim of the study is to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model and to investigate the influence of CYP3A5/CYP3A4 and ABCB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the Tacrolimus PK parameters after LCP-Tac formulation in stable adult renal transplant patients. The model was developed using NONMEM v7.5, from full PK profiles from a clinical study (n=30) and trough concentrations (C0) from patient follow-up (n=68). The PK profile of the LCP-Tac formulation was best described by a two-compartment model with linear elimination, parameterised in elimination (CL/F) and distributional (CLD/F) clearances and central compartment (Vc/F) and peripheral compartment (Vp/F) distribution volumes. A time lagged first order absorption process was characterized using transit compartment models. According to the structural part of the base model, the LCP-Tac showed an absorption profile characterized by 2 transit compartments and a mean transit time of 3.02 hours. Inter-individual variability was associated with CL/F, Vc/F and Vp/F. Adding inter-occasion variability (IOV) on CL/F caused a statistically significant reduction in the model minimum objective function MOFV (p<0.001). Genetic polymorphism of CYP3A5 and cluster of CYP3A4/A5 SNPs statistically significantly influenced Tac CL/F. In conclusion a PopPK model was successfully developed for LCP-Tac formulation in stable renal transplant patients. CYP3A4/A5 SNPs as a combined cluster including three different phenotypes (high, intermediate, and poor metabolizers) was the most powerful covariate to describe part of inter-individual variability associated with apparent elimination clearance. Incorporating this covariate in the initial dose calculation and during the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) would probably optimize Tac exposure attainments.

We present evidence of the anchoring bias and disposition effect (DE) in investor trading decisions across different asset markets (stable and volatile assets) and market scenarios (stable and volatile markets), as well as how these biases affect investors' portfolio performance. The study employs a quasi-experimental design, allowing subjects to engage in interactive trading with four securities, two with potential negative returns and two with potential positive returns, within a simulated asset market. Our findings reveal the presence of the disposition effect and anchoring bias among individual investors in India. Second, market scenarios or volatility can influence the investors’ behavioral biases. The disposition effect was more prominent in volatile markets and the total market, while the anchoring bias was significant in stable and total markets. Additionally, investors exhibiting the disposition effect exhibit lower portfolio performance, while those demonstrating anchoring bias perform relatively better. The study's findings can help individual investors understand their behavioral biases, avoid them in future trading decisions, and improve portfolio performance. Financial institutions and regulatory agencies could identify investment products and supportive investor interactions towards better market trade decisions.

Moose (Alces alces) are generalist herbivores but are important aquatic-terrestrial ecotone specialists. Aquatic macrophytes are a high-quality food source for moose during the summer, however their relative importance to moose diet is difficult to study. We used stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen from moose hooves and forage (terrestrial plants, aquatic macrophytes, and arboreal lichen) to estimate the diet of moose at Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA, and to evaluate the isotopic variability along chronologies of serially sampled hooves. We hypothesized that aquatic macrophyte consumption and winter body condition (as measured by bone marrow fat content) would be greater at the eastern end of the island where aquatic habitats were most abundant. We were unable to evaluate spatial differences in aquatic macrophyte consumption, but overall, our mixing model results suggest that between 13% and 27% of summer moose diet was from aquatic sources. Among moose that died during winter, body condition was impaired and hoof δ¹⁵N (measured at the hairline) was higher at the western end of the island, where aquatic habitats are sparse. Although isotope chronologies preserved in hooves could significantly enhance our understanding of ungulate foraging ecology, interpretation of such chronologies is presently limited by our lack of knowledge pertaining to hoof growth rate and seasonal dynamics in relation to age and health. Significant isotope distinction among terrestrial plants, aquatic macrophytes, and arboreal lichens indicate that continued methodological advances in stable isotope ecology will lead to more precise estimates of the contribution of aquatic feeding to moose population dynamics.

We present a new analytical method to find the asymptotic stable equilibria states based on the Markov chain technique. We reveal this method on the SIR-type epidemiological model that we developed for viral diseases with long-term immunity memory pandemic. This is a large-scale model containing 15 nonlinear ODE equations, and classical methods have failed to analytically obtain its equilibria. The proposed method is used to conduct a comprehensive analysis by a stochastic representation of the dynamics of the model, followed by finding all asymptotic stable equilibrium states of the model for any values of parameters and initial conditions.

The aim of this work is to study generalizations of the notion of mean. Kolmogorov proposed a generalization based on an improper integral with a decay rate for the tail probabilities. This weak or Kolmogorov mean relates to the Weak Law of Large Numbers in the same way that the ordinary mean relates to the Strong Law. We propose a further generalization, also based on an improper integral, called the doubly weak mean, applicable to heavy-tailed distributions such as the Cauchy distribution and the other symmetric stable distributions, We also consider generalizations arising from Abel-Feynman type mollifiers that damp the behavior at infinity and alternative formulations of the mean in terms of the cumulative distribution and the characteristic function.

UAV cooperative control has been an important issue in UAV-assisted sensor network, thanks to the considerable benefit obtained from cooperative mechanism of UAVs being applied as a flying base station. In coverage scenario, the tradeoff between coverage performance and transmission performance often makes deployment of UAVs fall into a dilemma, since both indexes are related to the distance between UAVs. To address this issue, UAV coverage and data transmission mechanism is analyzed in this paper, then an efficient multi-UAV cooperative deployment model is proposed. The problem is also modeled as a coalition formation game (CFG). The CFG with Pareto order is proved to have a stable partition. Then, an effective approach consisting of coverage deployment and coalition selection is designed, wherein UAVs can decide strategies cooperatively to achieve better coverage performance. Combining analysis of game approach, a coalition selection and position deployment algorithm based on Pareto order (CSPDA-PO) is designed to execute coverage deployment and coalition selection. Finally, simulation results are shown to validate the proposed approach based on efficient multi-UAV cooperative deployment model.

Many empirical and theoretical studies indicate that Brownian motion and diffusion models as its mean field counterpart provide appropriate modelling techniques for individual insect movement. However, this traditional approach has been challenged and conflicting evidence suggests that an alternative movement pattern such as Lévy walks can provide a better description. Lévy walks differ from Brownian motion since they allow for a higher frequency of large steps, resulting in a faster movement. Identification of the ‘correct’ movement model that would consistently provide the best fit for movement data is challenging and has become a highly controversial issue. In this paper, we show that this controversy may be superficial rather than real if the issue is considered in the context of trapping or, more generally, survival probabilities. In particular, we show that almost identical trap counts are reproduced for inherently different movement models (such as the Brownian motion and the Lévy walk) under certain conditions of equivalence. This apparently suggests that the whole ‘Levy or diffusion’ debate is rather senseless unless it is placed into a specific ecological context, e.g. pest monitoring programmes.

Understanding surface water evaporation in tropical catchments is pivotal for effective water management, but limited research exists on stable isotopic (δ2H and δ18O) assessment of water evaporation losses. Our study bridges that gap, examining stable isotopes in meteoric water and surface waters across tropical regions, both humid and semi-arid. Using the Craig-Gordon model, we calibrated evaporation-to-inflow (E/I) ratios, identifying distinct E/I variations between seasons and regions. Notably, the semi-arid region consistently exhibited higher E/I ratios due to climatic characteristics. By integrating the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo and the No-U-Turn Sampler, we were able to quantify uncertainties in isotopic and meteorological parameters, resulting in E/I estimates within 68% and 95% confidence intervals. Our Bayesian model insights are critical for freshwater resource optimization and hydrological modeling in tropical regions.