The super-weak interaction includes three simple extensions of the standard model: gauge extension, fermionic extension, and scalar extension. All of these extensions are strongly influenced by their complex phenomenology. They can explain a number of unresolved questions in particle physics and cosmology, including the genesis of dark matter, cosmic inflation, asymmetry of matter and antimatter, neutrino masses, and vacuum stability, if combined into a single structure. This is an extension of the gauge group of the standard model $G_{\rm SM}$ by $G_{\rm SM}\otimes U(1)_Z$ without any anomalies. We investigate the implications of the development of a general Majorana mass renormalization group for neutrinos with masses in the range of 0.03 $eV$ and 0.1 $eV$, which fall within the recently published range as well as the range to be explored in future planned experiments.

For more than twenty years chemists use peptidic organocatalysts to transfer acyl groups onto alcohols. The goal was and still is the increase of selectivity towards the substrate of choice. One carefully designed example is a highly enantioselective tetrapeptide organocatalyst for the kinetic resolution of trans-cycloalkane-1,2-diols. Until now, the intermediate responsible for the acyl transfer of this tetrapeptide has never been directly observed. It was proposed computationally that a π-methylhistidine moiety is acylated as an intermediate step in the catalytic cycle. In this study we set out to investigate whether we can detect and characterize this key intermediate using NMR-spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Different mass spectrometric experiments using a nano-ElectroSpray Ionization (ESI) source and tandem MS-techniques allowed the identification of tetrapeptide acylium ions using different acylation reagents. The complexes of trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diols with the tetrapeptide were also detected. Additionally, we were able to detect acylated tetrapeptides in solution using NMR-spectroscopy and monitor the acetylation reaction of a trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diol. These findings are important steps towards the understanding of this organocatalyst and its high enantioselectivity.

Proteomic technology has improved at a staggering pace in recent years, with even practitioners challenged to keep up with new methods and hardware. The most common metric used for method performance is the number of peptides and proteins identified. While this metric may be helpful for proteomics researchers shopping for new hardware, this is often not the most biologically relevant metric. Biologists often utilize proteomics in the search for protein regulators that are of lower relative copy number in the cell. In this review, I re-evaluate untargeted proteomics data using a simple graphical representation of the absolute copy number of proteins present in a single cancer cell as a metric. By comparing single shot proteomics data to the coverage of the most in-depth proteomic analysis of that cell line acquired to-date we can obtain a rapid metric of method performance. Using a simple copy number metric allows visualization of how proteomics has developed in both sensitivity and overall dynamic range when using both relatively long and short acquisition times. To enable reanalysis beyond what is presented here, two available web applications have been developed for single and multi-experiment comparisons with reference protein copy number data for multiple cell lines and organisms.

Adults with obesity experience high rates of disability and rapid functional decline. Identifying movement dysfunction early can direct intervention and disrupt disability development, however subtle changes in movement are difficult to detect with the naked eye. This study evaluated how a portable, inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based motion capture system compares to a laboratory-based optokinetic motion capture (OMC) system for evaluating gait kinematics in adults with obesity. Ten adults with obesity performed overground walking while equipped with the OMC and IMU systems. Fifteen gait cycles for each participant were extracted for 150 total cycles analyzed. Kinematics were compared between OMC and IMU across the gait cycles (coefficient of multiple correlations), at clinically significant time points (interclass correlations), and over clinically relevant ranges (Bland Altman plots). Sagittal plane kinematics were most similar between systems, especially at the knee. Sagittal plane joint angles at clinically meaningful timepoints were poorly associated except for ankle dorsiflexion at heel strike (ρ=0.38) and minimum angle (ρ=0.83). Most motions had more than 5° difference between systems across the range of angles measured. IMU-based motion capture shows promise for detecting subtle gait changes in adults with obesity. However, more work is needed before this method can replace traditional OMC.

Many challenges in proteomics result from the high-throughput nature of the experiments. The paper first presents pre-analytical problems, which still occur, although the call for standardisation in omics has been ongoing for many years. This article also discusses aspects, which affect bioinformatic analysis, based on three sets of reference data measured with different orbitrap instruments. Despite continuous advances in mass spectrometer technology as well as analysis software, data set-wise quality control is still necessary and decoy-based estimation, although challenged by modern instruments, should be utilized. We draw attention to the fact that numerous young researchers perceive proteomics as a mature, readily applicable technology. However, it is important to emphasize that the maximum potential of the technology can only be realized by an educated handling of its limitations.

In this paper, a special recurrent neural network (RNN) called \emph{Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)} is used to design a virtual load sensor that estimates the mass of heavy vehicles. The estimation algorithm consists of a two-layer LSTM network, with the two layers based on sequence-to-sequence and sequence-to-one logic, respectively. The network estimates the vehicle mass based on the vehicle speed, longitudinal acceleration, engine speed, engine torque, and the accelerator pedal position. The network is trained and tested with a data set collected in a high-fidelity simulation environment called Truckmaker. Training data is generated in acceleration maneuvers in a range of speeds whereas test data is obtained by simulating the vehicle in a Worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycle (WLTC). Preliminary results show that, with the proposed approach, the heavy-vehicle mass can be estimated as accurately as commercial load sensors in a range of load mass as wide as four tons.

In this article, we give a brief review of the origin of the neutrino mass in some interesting non-linear supersymmetric models with R-symmetry. These models are able to address and solve the most important problems of the particle physics and provide mechanisms for neutrino mass generation and their mixing parameters in agreement with the current experimental data. Their prediction could be experimentally tested in the near future by collider experiments.

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a 20 kton liquid scintillator multi-purpose underground detector, under construction near the chinese city of Jiangmen, with data taking expected to start in 2021. The main goal of the experiment is the neutrino mass hierarchy determination, with more than three sigma significance, and the high precision neutrino oscillation parameters measurements, detecting electron anti-neutrinos, emitted from two near-by (baseline of about 53 km) nuclear power plants. Besides, the unprecedented liquid scintillator type detector performance in target mass, energy resolution, energy calibration precision and low-energy threshold, features a rich physics program for the detection of low-energy astrophysical neutrinos, such as galactic core-collapse supernova neutrinos, solar neutrinos and geo-neutrinos.

Malaria and Pneumonia are leading causes of serious illness in children and adults worldwide with their death rate and prevalence on the rise. Such alarming statistics may retard the milestones so far achieved in meeting the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 6 whose targets are to improve child survival and reverse the high prevalence of diseases such as pneumonia and malaria respectively. Two sub-models of malaria-pneumonia co-infection namely malaria model and pneumonia model were considered first and then followed by the full malaria-pneumonia co-infection model. The malaria model, pneumonia model and co-infection model basic reproduction numbers denoted by R_m, R_p and R_mp respectively was obtained using the Next Generation Matrix method. The model disease free equilibrium’s local and global stability was analysed using Descartes’ Rule of signs and Comparison method. The bifurcation analysis for the malaria, pneumonia and co-infection models was studied using the Centre Manifold Theory. The sensitivity indices of the model basic reproduction numbers R_m, R_p and R_mp to the parameters in the models were calculated. Optimal control theory was applied using the Pontryagins’ Maximum Principle to investigate optimal strategies for controlling the spread of malaria, pneumonia and co-infection models using insecticide treated bed nets (u₁(t)) spraying of mosquitoes insecticides (u₂(t)), sanitation (u₃(t)), vaccination (u₄(t)), anti-malaria drugs (u₅(t)), anti-pneumonia drugs (u₆(t)), both anti-malaria drugs and anti-pneumonia drugs (u₇(t)) as the system time control variables. Numerical simulations using a set of parameter values were provided to validate the analytical results.

Ionic liquid MIE-NH2 displays a new role of development of modification of glycoproteins of lactoferrin through a reductive amination mechanism to synthesize versatile pharmaceuticals. This work introduces a new strategy of modification of Lactoferrin by using methylimidazolium N-ethylamine, this ionic liquid MIE-NH2 linked to N-glycans in Lactoferrin derivatives. Using UPLC/ESI-QTOF and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to perform and detect the modifying of ionic liquid-linked glycoproteins. Relevantly, modifying the lactoferrin by MIE-H2 as a small molecule of ion liquid lactoferrin (IL-Lf), which could be a potential antiviral drug and it is achieved by inhibiting various targets. The probability of the lactoferrin modified as a small IL-Lf-molecule to inhibit any of these targets was investigated to find out its potency as a SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor. Molecular docking disclosed the activity of modifying glycoproteins - small IL-Lf-molecules containing amino groups and interaction with targeted Mpro, RdRp, TMPRSS2, and PLpro. Clinically, this study shows the a volubility to provide small IL-Lf-molecules as significantly important drugs that target main protease (Mpro), RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and Papain-like protease (PLpro).

A study was conducted on the power system of a forklift equipped with PEM fuel cells. A fuel cell assembly relies on several components for proper functioning, and among these, the air compressor holds paramount importance due to its significant energy consumption when compared to other Balance of Plant components. The air supply system, in turn, plays a critical role in ensuring the stable and efficient operation of the entire fuel cell system. To enhance system efficiency, we delved into the impact of varying the stoichiometric ratio of air and air pressure on the validated and optimized power module model. This investigation was carried out under real loading conditions, replicating the conditions experienced by the power module when fuel cells are in use within a forklift. The air compressor, being a pivotal component of a PEM fuel cell system, can be oper-ated at different excess air and pressure ratios, which in turn influence both the fuel cell's performance and the overall efficiency of the power module system. Our research focused on assessing the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells under different load cycles, adhering to the VDI60 requirements for forklift applications. This comprehensive examination encompassed the system's minimum and maximum load scenarios, with the primary goal of optimizing excess air and pressure ratio parameters, especially under dynamic load conditions. The results revealed that higher air pressures and lower excess air ratios were con-ducive to increasing system efficiency, shedding light on potential avenues for enhancing the performance of PEM fuel cell systems in forklift applications.

Recently, a new theory based on superluminal tunnelling has been proposed to explain the transition of highly energetic neutrinos propagating in matter to tachyonic states. In this work, we determine the possible mechanisms that lead neutrinos into a superluminal realm based on the assumption that ultrarelativistic particles travelling in matter lose part of their energy with the emission of Bremsstrahlung radiation. The obtained photons, in turn, can create neutrino-antineutrino pairs, one or both of which can be superluminal. We also prove that pair creation may occur with neutrino flavour oscillation provided that only one of them is a space-like particle. This suggests that mass oscillation and superluminal behaviour could be related phenomena. Finally, using the generalised Lorentz transformations, we formulate the Lagrangian of the kinematically allowed scattering processes. The structure of this Lagrangian is consistent with the formalism of the Standard Model. Based on this Lagrangian, at least one of the particles forming the pair must always be subluminal. The possibility that the pair creation process is mediated by a dark photon is also discussed.

‘Inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2 like’ (IMMP2L) is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial peptidase that has been conserved through evolutionary history as has its target enzyme ‘mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2’ (GPD2). IMMP2L is known to cleave the mitochondrial transit peptide from GPD2 and another nuclear encoded mitochondrial respiratory related protein cytochrome C1 (CYC1). However, it is not known whether IMMP2L peptidase activates or alters the activity or respiratory related functions of GPD2 or CYC1. Previous investigations found compelling evidence of behavioural change in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse and in this study EchoMRI analysis found that many organs of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse were smaller and that the KO mouse had significantly less lean mass and overall body weight compared with wildtype littermates (p<0.05). Moreover, all of the organs analysed from the Immp2lKD-/- KO had lower relative levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS). The kidneys of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed the greatest decrease in mitoROS levels that were over 50% less compared with wildtype litter mates. Mitochondrial respiration was also lower in the kidney of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse compared with other tissues when using succinate as the respiratory substrate, whereas respiration was similar to wildtype when glutamate was used as substrate. When glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) was used as the substrate for Gpd2 we observed ~20% and ~7% respective decreases in respiration in female and male Immp2lKD-/- KO mice over time. Together these findings suggest that the respiratory related functions of mGpd2 and Cyc1 have been compromised to different degrees in different tissues in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Structural analyses using AlphaFold2-Multimer further predicted that the interaction between Cyc1 and mitochondrial encoded cytochrome b (Cyb) in Complex III had been altered as had the homodimeric structure of the mGpd2 enzyme within the inner mitochondrial membrane of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. mGpd2 functions as an integral component of the glycerol phosphate shuttle (GPS) which positively regulates both mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. Interestingly, we found that nonmitochondrial respiration (NMR) was also dramatically lowered in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Primary mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines derived from the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed a ~27% decrease in total respiration comprised of a ~50% decrease in NMR and a ~12% decrease in total mitochondrial respiration where the latter was consistent with the decreases in substrate specific mitochondrial respiration reported here. This study is the first to report the role of Immp2l in enhancing Gpd2 structure and function, mitochondrial respiration, nonmitochondrial respiration, organ size and homeostasis.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pathophysiology comprises clinical and genetic factors. In fact, GDM has been associated with several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study aimed to build a prediction model of GDM combining clinical and genetic risk factors. A total of 1588 pregnant women from the San Carlos Cohort participated in the present study, 1069 (67.3%) Caucasian (CAU) and 519 (32.7%) Latin American (LAT), 255 (16.1%) with GDM. The incidence of GDM was similar in both groups (16.1% CAU and 16.0% LAT). Genotyping was performed by IPLEX Mass ARRAY PCR selecting 110 SNPs based on literature references. The SNPs showing the strongest likelihood of GDM development were the rs10830963, rs7651090 and rs1371614 in CAU and rs1387153 and the rs9368222 in LAT. Clinical variables including age, pre-pregnancy body mass index and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at 12 gestational weeks predicted the risk of GDM (AUC 0.648, 95%CI 0.601-0.695 in CAU; AUC 0.688, 95%CI 0.628-9.748 in LAT) and adding the SNPs modestly improved prediction (AUC 0.722, 95%CI 0.680-0.764 in CAU; AUC 0.769, 95%CI 0.711-0.826 in LAT). In conclusion, adding genetic variants enhanced the prediction model of GDM risk in CAU and LAT pregnant women. An RCT is underway to demonstrate its usefulness

Aberrant glycosylation affects cancer progression and immune evasion. Approximately 15% of colorectal cancers (CRCs) demonstrate microsatellite instability (MSI) and display major differences in outcomes and therapeutic responses as compared to corresponding microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors. We compared the N-glycan profiles of stage II and IV MSI CRC tumors, further subdivided into BRAFV600E wild-type and mutated subgroups (n=10 in each subgroup), with each other and with those of paired non-neoplastic mucosal samples using mass spectrometry. Further, the N-glycans of BRAFV600E wild-type stage II MSI tumors were compared to corresponding MSS tumors (n=9). Multiple differences in N-glycan profiles were identified between MSI CRCs and control tissues, as well as between stage II MSI and MSS samples. MSI CRC tumors showed a lower relative abundance of high-mannose N-glycans than the control tissues or the MSS CRCs. Among MSI CRC subgroups, acidic N-glycans showed tumor stage and BRAF mutation status dependent variation. Especially large, sulfated/phosphorylated, and putative terminal N-acetylhexosamine containing acidic N-glycans differed between the MSI CRC subgroups, showing opposite changes in stage II and IV, when comparing BRAF mutated and wild-type tumors. Our results show that molecular subgroups of CRC have characteristic glycan profiles that may explain certain carcinogenic properties of MSI tumors.

This paper proposes a data-driven approach to the calculation of ship overtaking boundary conditions in narrow channels based on ship overtaking characteristics by the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. First, we collect the ship tracking process data in a narrow channel by processing the original AIS data, followed by a normality test and correlation analysis, and finally, the boundary conditions are obtained using a weighted K-means clustering algorithm. to identify the relevant data. We applied the proposed approach to estimate the overtaking boundary conditions of ships in the straight channel section of Shanghai South Passage. The method yields boundary conditions that significantly reduce collision risk when a ship engages in pursuit behavior in narrow waterways, providing a scientific basis for the overtaking of Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) in autonomous navigation within such environments, further promoting the automation level of USVs and autonomous vessels.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) formula has been developed by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet and published in 1840 [1] as a law of nature and society, based on statistics about the weight and height of the population of that time, the first part of the 19^th century. He called it “social physics”. From then, for nearly two centuries, the BMI had been the most important formula describing the normal relations and ratio of weight to the square of the height for humans. The problem arises if the BMI formula, developed in the first part of the 19^th century is still good today when the type of work people perform is very different? In modern times, most people are less muscular than at the time when the BMI was developed because they do not work physically as heavy as at that time. In many cases, the Body Mass index can predict mortality, morbidity and illness but not always, for example cases such as (a) the obesity paradox for some cardiovascular problems and (b) the U shape mortality paradox as well as (c) false positive obesity diagnostic in regard to people who are strong and muscular, have low body fat percentage but are classified as obese by the BMI and (d) cases where BMI is normal but people have an “obese metabolism” (e) BMI normal but high fat percentage. The objective is to develop a formula good for all body types, a formula that makes the difference between fat and non-fat body weight such as muscle and body frame and quantifies the effect of strength and fitness, which BMI does not. Another objective is to develop a formula to predict the health risks and fitness status of people, better than BMI. The first generalizations of BMI using anthropometric metrics could be found in [2], where I discuss and analyze many formulae, developed, tested, and simulated by me, using similar new methods, accounting for body shape, physical shape and body function, making the difference between muscle mass and fat, fat and non fat body weight. Nearly all formulae and methods developed and proposed in this new model are new, never published before. Many experiments published before, in highly cited papers show that grip strength and muscle strength is a predictor of health, mortality, morbidity, endocrine and metabolic disease outside the BMI and anthropometric measures. The purpose of my formula is to explain the outcome of those experiments and create a formula which predicts these experiments [21-41].

The mass of the nucleons is calculated from first principles by defining the quark as a non-gravitational particle, subject to Dirac’s equation with non-canonical gamma matrices. Unlike the canonical electron-type, this Dirac particle has two real dipole moments, which allows a structural modelling of hadrons. It is shown how such modelling reveals striking correspondences and differences between dually related particles and properties like electrons and quarks, photons and gluons, pions and nucleons, spin and isospin and protons and neutrons. It is a stepping stone to the actual calculation, which competes in precision with lattice QCD. The appendix contains a Lorentz covariance proof of hadrons composed by such particular Dirac-type quarks.

We report the application of a recently proposed approach for modeling biological systems using a maximum entropy production rate principle in lieu of having in vivo rate constants. The method is applied in four steps: (1) a new ODE-based optimization approach based on Marcelin’s 1910 mass action equation is used to obtain the maximum entropy distribution, (2) the predicted metabolite concentrations are compared to those generally expected from experiment using a loss function from which post-translational regulation of enzymes is inferred, (3) the system is re-optimized with the inferred regulation from which rate constants are determined from the metabolite concentrations and reaction fluxes, and finally (4) a full ODE-based, mass action simulation with rate parameters and allosteric regulation is obtained. From the last step, the power characteristics and resistance of each reaction can be determined. The method is applied to the central metabolism of Neurospora crassa and the flow of material through the three competing pathways of upper glycolysis, the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway are evaluated as a function of the NADP/NADPH ratio. It is predicted that regulation of phosphofructokinase (PFK) and flow through the pentose phosphate pathway are essential for preventing an extreme level of fructose 1, 6-bisphophate accumulation. Such an extreme level of fructose 1,6-bisphophate would otherwise result in a glassy cytoplasm with limited diffusion, dramatically decreasing the entropy and energy production rate and, consequently, biological competitiveness.

According to Quantum Mechanics a narrow wave-package of the center of mass of macroscopic objects, due to their heavy mass, remains stable over astronomical times. However Quantum Mechanics allows and energetically even prefers largely smeared out c.m. states that never been seen. Why is this the real state of the world we know? Does it suggest a micro-macro threshold with different theoretical descriptions?

A deep relationship is identified between the Coulomb Force and Gravity. A gravitational constant for strong gravity is calculated from the relationship. The equivalence between mass and charge is explored. Implications are given for the expansion of Einstein's Field Equations to include vector gravity.

After proposing the Principle of Minimum Gravitational Potential, in a pursuit to find the explanation behind the correction to Newton's gravitational potential that accounts for Mercury's orbit, by finding all the higher-order corrections it is shown that the consequences of the existence of speed of light for gravity are not yet fully explored.

Estimates of dog population sizes are a prerequisite for delivering effective canine rabies control. However, dog population sizes are generally unknown in most rabies-endemic areas. Several approaches have been used to estimate dog populations but without rigorous evaluation. We compare post-vaccination transects, household surveys and school-based surveys to determine which most precisely estimates dog population sizes. These methods were implemented across 28 districts in southeast Tanzania, in conjunction with mass dog vaccinations, covering a range of settings, livelihoods and religious backgrounds. Transects were the most precise method, revealing highly variable patterns of dog ownership, with human: dog ratios ranging from 12.4:1 to 181.3:1 across districts. Both household and school-based surveys generated imprecise and sometimes inaccurate estimates, possible due to low sample size. Transect data were subsequently used to develop a predictive model for estimating dog populations in districts lacking transect data. We predicted a dog population of 2,316,000 (95% CI 1,573,000-3,122,000) in Tanzania and an average human: dog ratio of 20.7:1. Our modelling approach has the potential be applied to predicting dog population size in other districts where mass dog vaccination is carried out, given census and livelihood data. We recommend transects as a rapid and effective method to refine dog population estimates across large geographic areas and guide dog vaccination programs.

In recent years, novel food is becoming an emerging trend increasingly more demanding in developed countries. Food proteins from vegetables (pulses, legumes, cereals), fungi, bacteria and insects are being researched to introduce them in meat alternatives, beverages, baked products and others. One of the most complex challenges for introducing novel foods on the market is to assure food safety. New alimentary scenarios drive the detection of novel allergens that need to be identified and quantified with the aim of appropriate labelling. Allergenic reactions are mostly caused by proteins of great abundance in foods, most frequently of small molecular mass, glycosylated, water-soluble and with high stability to proteolysis. The most relevant plant and animal food allergens such as lipid transfer proteins, profilins, seed storage proteins, lactoglobulins, caseins, tropomyosins and parvalbumins from fruits, vegetables, nuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, and fish have been investigated. New methods for massive screening in the search of potential allergens must be developed particularly concerning protein databases and other online tools. Moreover, several bioinformatic tools based on sequence alignment, motif identification or 3-D structure predictions should be implemented as well. Finally, targeted proteomics will become a powerful technology for the quantification of these hazardous proteins. The ultimate objective is to build an effective and resilient surveillance network with this cutting-edge technology.

Despite the increasing popularity of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based lipidomics, there is a lack of accepted and validated method for lipid extract quality and quantity assessment prior to LC-MS. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) has been reported for quantification of pure lipids, however, the sample complexity and purity complex lipid extract quantification in lipidomics experiments could be impact quantification accuracy. Here, we report comprehensive assessment of the sample matrix on the accuracy of lipid quantification using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Pure lipids are characterized by CH-and C=O-stretching vibrations on FTIR, with quantitative range of 40–3000 ng and a limit of detection of 12 ng. Sample extraction method and local baseline subtraction during FTIR spectral processing significantly impact lipid quantification by CH-stretching. To facilitate sample quality screening, we developed the Lipid Quality (LiQ) score from a spectral library of common contaminants, using a ratio of peak heights between CH-stretching vibrations maxima and the collective vibrations from amide/amine, CH-stretching minima and sugar moieties. We evaluated LiQ score as a rapid sample quality control method by comparing to total LC-MS intensity of targeted lipidomics of 107 human plasma lipid extracts. Exclusion of poor-quality samples based on LiQ score improved the correlation between FTIR and LC-MS quantification. Finally, the uncertainty of absolute quantification by FTIR was estimated using a 795 ng SPLASH LipidoMix standard to be <10%. In summary, this study identified key parameters for accurate FTIR-based quantification of complex lipid mixture, and developed a rapid workflow requiring only 1 µL of MS-ready sample and < 5 minutes for routine lipidomics sample quality and quantity assessment.

The question of how many deaths were averted by interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic carries important implications for policies going forward. Given that the interventions of lockdowns and mass vaccination carry acknowledged downsides, it is important to balance these against potential upsides, which were the putative reasons for health officials to implement these policies. Several attempts have been made to quantify the impact of mass vaccination on averted mortality both globally, and in specific countries/regions, using different methodologies. Here, we examine the assumptions of these models and look for areas of improvement, while understanding that simplifications are inherent in model building. We find that several assumptions greatly overstate the degree of averted mortality due to vaccination and perform an empirical analysis of country level data in Europe to test if vaccination was associated with lower excess mortality. We show a positive and statistically significant correlation between number of vaccine doses given and 2022 excess mortality, calling into question estimates of positive averted mortality due to mass vaccination. Our results show several assumptions which work to systematically overstate the level of averted mortality from Covid-19 vaccines. This work aims to improve epidemiological modeling on the impact of vaccination, and to ground the public health response to infectious diseases in robust and rigorous analysis.

According to known laws of physics, chronic positive mass balance is the actual etiology of obesity, not positive energy balance. The relevant physical law in terms of body mass regulation is the Law of Conservation of Mass, not the Law of Conservation of Energy. A recently proposed mass balance model (MBM) describes the temporal evolution of body weight and body composition under a wide variety of feeding experiments, and it seems to provide a highly accurate description of the very best experimental human feeding data. By shifting to a mass balance paradigm of obesity, a deeper understanding of this disease may follow in the near future. The purpose of this living review is to present the core issues of the upcoming paradigm shift as well as some practical applications related to the topic.

Taraxacum kok-saghyz, a rubber-producing plant with excellent potential, emerges as a viable substitute for rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). While natural rubber is a desirable material, conventional techniques for assessing rubber content have faced challenges in meeting practical production requirements. To address this issue, we have developed a pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (PY-MS) instrument for the quantitative evaluation of natural rubber (NR) content in rubber-producing plants. The derived standard curve equation, established through external standard calibration, demonstrates a correlation coefficient (R2) surpassing 0.99. The method exhibits commendable recovery rates (93.27%-107.83%), relative standard deviations (RSD≤ 3.39%), and a swift analysis time of merely 10 minutes per sample, thereby enabling accurate and efficient quantification of NR. This approach possesses significant potential for extensive utilization in the assessment of rubber content in rubber-producing plants other than TKS. The integration of pyrolysis-mass spectrometry for the identification of polymers with high molecular weight offers a valuable pathway for the examination of diverse polymers.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is secreted from activated immune cells, necrotic cells, and certain cancers. Previous studies have reported that different patterns of post-translational modification, particularly acetylation and oxidation, mediate HMGB1 release and confer distinct extracellular HMGB1 signaling activity. Here we report that cisplatin but not carboplatin induces secretion of HMGB1 from human A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Cisplatin-mediated HMGB1 secretion was dose-dependent and was regulated by nuclear exportin 1 (XPO1) also known as chromosomal maintenance 1 (CRM1) rather than adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation, acetylation, or oxidation. HMGB1, as well as lysine acetylation and cysteine disulfide oxidation of secreted HMGB1, were monitored by sensitive and specific assays using immunoprecipitation, stable isotope dilution, differential alkylation, and nano liquid chromatography parallel reaction monitoring/high-resolution mass spectrometry (nano-LC-PRM/HRMS). A major fraction of the HMGB1 secreted by low dose cisplatin treatment of A549 NSCLC cells was found to be in the fully reduced form. In contrast, mainly oxidized forms of HMGB1 were secreted by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-mediated apoptosis. These findings suggest that inhibition of XPO1 could potentiate the anti-tumor activity of cisplatin by increasing the nuclear accumulation of HMGB1 protein, an inhibitor of cisplatin DNA-adduct repair. Furthermore, low-dose cisplatin therapy could modulate the immune response in NSCLC through the established chemokine activity of extracellular reduced HMGB1. This could potentially enhance the efficacy of subsequent immunotherapy treatment.

Biotin-based proximity labeling approaches, such as BioID, have demonstrated their use for the study of mitochondria proteomes in living cells. The use of genetically engineered BioID cell lines enables the detailed characterization of poorly characterized processes such as mitochondrial co-translational import. In this process, translation is coupled to the translocation of the mitochon-drial proteins, alleviating the energy cost typically associated with the post-translational import relying on chaperone systems. However, the mechanisms are still unclear with only few actors identified but none that have been described in mammals yet. We thus profiled the TOM20 prox-isome using BioID, assuming that some of identified proteins could be molecular actors of the co-translational import in human cells. The obtained results showed a high enrichment of RNA bind-ing proteins close to the TOM complex. However, for the few selected candidates, we could not demonstrate a role in the mitochondrial co-translational import process. Nonetheless, we were able to demonstrate additional uses of our BioID cell line. Indeed, the experimental approach used in this study is thus proposed for the identification of mitochondrial co-translational import effec-tors and for the monitoring of protein entry inside mitochondria with a potential application in the prediction of mitochondrial protein half-life.

Pregnant women with diabetes often present impaired fetal growth, which is less common if maternal diabetes is well-controlled. However, developing strategies to estimate fetal body composition beyond fetal growth that could better predict metabolic complications later in life is essential. This study aimed to evaluate subcutaneous fat tissue (femur and humerus) in fetuses with normal growth among pregnant women with well-controlled diabetes using a reproducible 3D-ultrasound tool and offline TUI (Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging) analysis. Additionally, three artificial intelligence classifier models were trained and validated to assess the clinical utility of the fetal subcutaneous fat measurement. A significantly larger subcutaneous fat area was found in three-femur and two-humerus selected segments of fetuses from women with diabetes compared to the healthy pregnant control group. The full classifier model that includes subcutaneous fat measure, gestational age, fetal weight, fetal abdominal circumference, maternal body mass index, and fetal weight percentile as variables, showed the best performance, with a detection rate of 70%, considering a false positive rate of 10%, and a positive predictive value of 82%. These findings provide valuable insights into the impact of maternal diabetes on fetal subcutaneous fat tissue as a variable independent of fetal growth.

The recently discovered Gaia BH1 binary system, a Sun-like star and a dark object (presumably a black hole), may significantly change our understanding of the population of low-q binaries. The paper presents the components mass ratio distributions of binary systems of different observational classes. They all demonstrate a significant shortage of low-q systems. It is shown that this shortage can be filled with the help of search and study of objects like Gaia BH1.

Karakoram highway (K.K.H.) the only road link between two countries China and Pakistan. This road network is essential for two countries due to its strategic location and socioeconomic. The highway is more vulnerable due to landslide disasters, especially in rain and snow melting seasons, and different kinds of mass movement activities have occurred along K.K.H., such as rockfall, debris flow, and snow avalanche. The slope stability problems are widespread along with Karakorum (K.K.H.) between Besham city and the Dasu area because of the high seismic zone, rainfall, snow melting, and complex geology slope geometry, week, and adverse discontinuities sets. The detailed fieldwork was done along the Karakorum highway to minimize the risk of slope stability and for planning purposes in Besham to Dasu area and selected nine road-cut slopes. However, in these nine selected roadcut slopes, three slopes were already failed, four slopes are partially stable, and two slopes were stable. Both kinematic and empirical approaches are applied on all these nine road cut slopes and their discontinuities. The kinematic result has shown that all kinds of mode failure such as Toppling, Planar, and Wedge failure mode occurred in these slopes. The RMRb result has shown that all discounters lie in between fair to good rock. Both discrete and continuous (S.M.R.) results show that all discontinuity sets lie between the unstable, partially stable, and stable conditions.

Urinary peptides are the products of systemic protein turn over which are excreted out of the body and hence can serve as an important biomarker for various pathophysiology. These peptides in other species of bovine have been reported to possess several bioactive properties. To investigate the potential of urinary peptides we generated a peptidome profile from the urine of Murrah Buffaloes (n=10). Urine samples were processed using <10 kDa MWCO filter, filtrate obtained was used for peptide extraction using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). Eluate, obtained after SPE was extracted using ethyl acetate and the peptide-containing aqueous phase was collected. We extensively assessed the antimicrobial properties of the urinary aqueous phase. The nLC-MS/MS of the aqueous phase from 10 animals resulted in the identification of 8165 peptides originating from 6041 parent proteins. 76 Proteases responsible for the release of these sequences from precursor proteins were also identified. We further analyzed these peptide sequences to identify bioactive peptides and classify them into anti-cancerous, anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory groups with a special emphasis on antimicrobial properties. With this in mind, we simultaneously conducted experiments to evaluate antimicrobial properties of urinary aqueous extract on three pathogenic bacterial strains S. aureus, E. coli, & S. agalactiae.

Brimonidine, a selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, used for treatment of open-angle glaucoma, has been shown to cause neurological side effects such as unresponsiveness, lethargy, hypoventilation, and stupor, mimicking opioid toxicity. We report one case of transient encephalopathy in a toddler, in whom brimonidine accidental toxicity was sus-pected and then confirmed by a toxicology study. The 8-month-old healthy girl child was taken to the pediatric ER since she was drowsy and hypotonic, with miosis. Brain CT scan and toxicological work-up on blood and urine were negative. Starting from hour +4, the child progressively improved, and by hour +6, she recovered to a normal state of consciousness. A survey of available drugs at the child’s reach showed the presence of brimonidine. Thus, ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was applied to quantify brimonidine in urine and plasma samples, showing 8.40 ng/mL level and 0.79 ng/mL, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report for determining brimonidine levels in urine and plasma by UPLC-MS/MS. Insufficient knowledge of the family members about the potential hazards of an apparently innocuous, topical medication such as eye drops may put children at a greater risk of poisoning. Necessary warnings should be better given to parents when prescribing this medication.

This paper presents one of the approaches to solution of the problem of the repulsion origin in gravity. The approach is based on the property of compactness characteristic for a self-gravitating object in General Relativity. Here we understand compactness as estimation of the upper boundary for mass such an object in a static two--dimensional sphere. Repulsion originates when this boundary is violated. The main hypothesis is formulated in the form of the principle of maximal mass within a two-dimensional static sphere. It is demonstrated that the principle is true for Schwarzschild black holes on absorption of the matter in the process of accretion, both in the classical case and with due regard for quantum-gravitational corrections. The results have been extended to black holes with the Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric in the early Universe. The applicability of the principle suggested is analyzed for the early and for the present Universe.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness with a heavy social burden, but its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics is providing new insights into the heterogeneous pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of MDD by revealing multi-parametric biomarker signatures at the metabolite level. In this comprehensive review, recent developments of MS-based metabolomics in MDD research are summarized from the perspective of analytical platforms (liquid chromatography-MS, gas chromatography-MS, supercritical fluid chromatography-MS, etc.), strategies (untargeted, targeted, and pseudotargeted metabolomics), key metabolite changes (monoamine neurotransmitters, amino acids, lipids, etc.), and antidepressant treatments (both western and traditional Chinese medicines). Depression sub-phenotypes, comorbid depression, and multi-omics approaches are also highlighted to stimulate further advances in MS-based metabolomics in the field of MDD research.

Peptide mapping is an important tool to confirm the correct sequence expressed for a protein and to evaluate protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) that may arise during production, processing, or storage of protein drugs. Our new orally administered drug (Ab-1), a single-domain antibody, is highly stable and resistant to proteolysis. Analysis by the commonly used tryptic map method did not generate sufficient sequence coverage. Alternative methods were needed to study the Ab-1 drug substance (75 mg/mL) and drug product (3 mg/mL). To meet analytical needs, we developed two new peptide map methods with lysyl endopeptidase (Lys-C) digestion. These newly developed protein digestion protocols do not require desalting/buffer-exchange steps, thereby reducing sample preparation time and improving method robustness. Additionally, the protein digestion was performed under neutral pH with methionine acting as a scavenger to minimize artifacts, such as deamidation and oxidation, which are induced during sample preparation. Further, the method for low concentration samples performs comparably to the method for high concentration samples. Both methods provide 100% sequence coverage for Ab-1, and therefore, enable comprehensive characterization for its product quality attributes (PQA) assessment. Both methods can be used to study other antibody modalities.

Within the framework of the previously proposed formulation of the quantum theory of gravity in terms of world histories, it was suggested that the universe has its own mass. This quantity is analogous to the mass of a particle in relativistic mechanics. The mass of the universe is a distribution of non-zero values of gravitational constraints, which arises and changes in time as a consequence of the initial conditions for fundamental dynamic variables. A formulation of the Euclidean quantum theory of gravity is also proposed to determine the initial state, which can be the source of the universe’s own mass. Being unrelated to ordinary matter, the distribution of its own mass affects the geometry of space and forms a dedicated frame of reference. The existence of selected reference systems is taken into account by the corresponding modification of the system of quantum gravitational constraints. A variant of such a modification of the Wheeler-De Witt equation is the operator representation of gravitational constraints, which, together with the state of the universe, determines the parameters of the reference system in the form of a distribution of the spinor field on a spatial section.

Being a valuable source of inulin, fructose and pectin, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is one of the most promising bioenergy crops for common usage. Animals have been reported to eat both Jerusalem artichoke green mass and tubers with pleasure. On the one hand, Jerusalem artichoke is cultivated on the area of about 3 thousand hectares in Russia. On the other hand, there are more than 200 crop species. So it is critical to choose a proper variety suitable both for soil and climatic conditions. The purpose of the research is to study Jerusalem artichoke, taking into account varietal characteristics appropriate for forage production. Research objects – varieties of Jerusalem artichoke: early ripening Skorospelka (RF); mid-early Vylgortskiy (RF); mid-season Dieticheskiy (RF), Kaluzhskiy (RF), Korenevskiy (RF), Nadezhda (RF), Nakhodka (RF), Podmoskovniy (RF), Sireniki (RB), Blank Brekos (France), Violet de Rense (France); late ripening Interest (RF), Interest 21 (RF), Novosti VIRa (RF), Tadzhikskiy Krasniy (USSR), Spindle (Germany). The soil for evaluating Jerusalem artichoke varieties was from experimental plot base "Korenevo". It is characterized as sod-slightly podzolic sandy loam. The field trial was established and the records and observations were carried out in accordance with the requirements of the field experiment methodology (1985), and the Program and methodology for evaluating Jerusalem artichoke varieties in test nurseries (2014). The varieties Vylgortskiy, Dieticheskiy, Nadezhda, Nakhodka, Sireniki, Skorospelka, Blank Brekos and Kaluzhskiy were found to reach due height of 155 - 170 cm at the end of the growing season; the varieties Podmoskovniy, Interest reached proper height of 175 - 208 cm; the varieties Interest 21, Tadzhikskiy and Violet de Rense were about 220 - 235 cm in hight; as for the varieties Korenevskiy, Novost VIRa, Spindlу their hight was 270 - 280 cm. According to aggregate amount of feed units per 1 ha, the following varieties have been shown to be the most reasonable for fodder production: Novost VIRa (22,438 fodder units), Nadezhda (19,928 fodder units), Korenevskiy (17,798 fodder units), Shpindle (16,887 fodder units), Dieticheskiy (16,395 fodder units), and Interest (16,116 fodder units). The highest total coefficient of energy efficiency has been found in the following varieties: Novost VIRa – 3.09, Tadzhikskiy – 2.78; Spindle – 2.68; Korenevskiy – 2.43; Interest – 2.10; Skorospelka – 1.98. The results of experimental and theoretical studies obtained were verified on-the-farm conditions based on a seed-speciality farm LLC Kaluga-Agro (the Kaluga region) and demonstrated beneficial effect.

Trypanosome brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, harbours a highly ordered, subpellicular microtubule cytoskeleton that defines many aspects of morphology, motility and virulence. This array of microtubules is associated with a large number of proteins involved in its regulation. Employing proximity-dependent biotinylation assay (BioID) using the well characterized cytoskeleton-associated protein CAP5.5 as a probe we identified CAP50 (Tb927.11.2610). This protein colocalizes with the subpellicular cytoskeleton microtubules but not with the flagellum. Depletion by RNAi results in defects in cytokinesis, morphology and partial disorganization of microtubule arrays. Published proteomics data indicate a possible association of CAP50 with two other, yet uncharacterized, cytoskeletal proteins, CAP52 (Tb927.6.5070) and CAP42 (Tb927.4.1300), which were therefore included in our analysis. We show that their depletion causes phenotypes similar to those described for CAP50 and that they are essential for cellular integrity.

A given problem in physics can be solved if it is well formulated. Well formulated means that it has a bijective correspondence to physical reality. Mass Gap Problem has no bijective correspondence with the physical reality and is that’s why not solvable mathematically. It can be solved in the frame of quantum mechanics by the formulation of the photon’s mass accordingly to the Planck-Einstein relation.

Extremely sensitive food-allergic patients may react to very small amounts of allergenic foods. Precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) warns from possible allergenic contaminations. We explored the ability of proteomic methods to identify minute amounts of milk/egg allergens in a brand of PAL-labelled milk- and egg-free biscuits. We evaluated the reactivity of children with severe milk and egg allergy, by oral food challenge. Traces of milk and/or egg allergens in biscuits were measured by two different liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry methods. The binding of patient's serum with egg/milk proteins was assessed at immunoblotting. None of the patients reacted to biscuits. Egg and milk proteins were found under the limit of detection of 0.6 µg/g for milk and egg (method A), and of 0.1 and 0.3 µg /g for milk and egg, respectively (method B). The immunoblots did not show milk/egg proteins in the studied biscuits. Our biscuits did not contain allergens of clinical significance. Their milk/egg content is far lower than 4 µg of milk or egg protein per gram of product, the minimal doses considered theoretically capable of causing reactions. With high sensitivity, proteomic assessments predict the harmlessness of very small amount of allergenic foods and can be used to avoid unnecessary PAL.

The association between obesity and clinical as well as radiological outcomes in patients suffering non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) remains unclear. The obesity paradox suggests a protective effect regarding in-hospital mortality. This study evaluates the impact of body mass index (BMI) on functional long-term outcome and bleeding volume in patients with non-traumatic ICH. A retrospective cohort study including all consecutive patients with spontaneous ICH treated at a tertiary referral centre between December 2017 and June 2021, aged 80 years or younger (n = 218), were included. Patients were dichotomized into overweight (OW, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and normal weight (NW, BMI < 25 kg/m2). Functional outcomes were assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS), extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS-E) and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) at 1, 3, 6 and 12-months follow-up. Bleeding volumes were calculated as ABC/2. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess clinical predictors of favourable outcome in the long-term. Of 218 patients (66.04 ± 15.18 years) suffering non-traumatic ICH, 115 (52.75%) were OW (29.72 ± 3.82). Female sex (p = 0.1), NIHSS (p = 0.69), cardiovascular risk factors (p = 0.55), ICH volume (p = 0.19), and presence of anticoagulation (p = 0.67) did not significantly differ between the OW and NW cohort. At discharge, functional outcome did not significantly differ between both cohorts (NW, mRS 3.92 ± 2.54 vs. OW, mRS 3.21 ± 2.43, (p = 0.28)). Multivariate analysis revealed that haemorrhage volume (p = 0.01) was the only robust risk factor to predict functional outcome after 1 year. Our data suggests that in ICH patients, neither obesity nor patient’s age are negative predictors for functional outcome in the long-term. Instead, bleeding volume is a robust risk factor predicting poor functional status after ICH. Therefore, prospective randomized trials analysing this coherence are highly warranted.

An evanescent wave is a non-propagating wave with an imaginary wave vector. In this study, we prove that these are solutions of the tachyon-like Klein–Gordon equation, and that in the tunneling of ultrarelativistic spin-1/2 particles they describe superluminal states arising from interactions between a particle and barrier. These states decay as a particle emerges from the opposite side of a potential barrier, conserving the same initial energy but not necessarily the same mass. The obtained theory is applied to the neutrino, to explain flavor oscillations during free flight and determine the conditions that maximize the probability of their occurrence.

Dengue virus (DENV) was detected in Senegal in 1979 for the first time. Since 2017, unprecedented frequent occurrence of DENV outbreaks was noticed yearly. In this context, epidemiological and molecular evolution data are paramount to decipher virus diffusion route. In the current study, a dengue outbreak occurred in Senegal in 2018 in the context of the largest religious gathering with 263 confirmed DENV cases out of 832 collected samples, including 25 life-threatening cases and 2 deaths. It was characterized by a co-circulation of dengue serotypes 1 and 3. Phylogenetic analysis based on the E gene revealed that the main detected serotype in Touba city was DENV-3 and belonged to Genotype III. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis was performed and suggested one viral introduction around 2017.07 (95 % HPD = 2016.61 – 2017.57) followed by cryptic circulation before identification of the first case on 01 October 2018. DENV-3 strains are phylogenetically related, with strong phylogenetic links between strains retrieved from Burkina Faso and West African countries. These phylogenetic data substantiate epidemiological data of the DENV-3 origin and spread between African countries and subsequent diffusion after religious mass events. The study also highlighted the usefulness of the Mobile Laboratory during outbreak response allowing rapid diagnosis resulting in improved patient management.

Community-level mass treatment with azithromycin has been associated with a mortality benefit in children. However, antibiotic exposures result in disruption of the gut microbiota and repeated exposures may reduce recovery of the gut flora. We conducted a nested cohort study to examine associations between mass drug administration (MDA) with azithromycin and the gut microbiota of rural Malawian children aged between 1-59 months. Fecal samples were collected from the children prior to treatment and 6 months after two or four biannual rounds of azithromycin treatment. DNA was extracted from fecal samples and V4-16S rRNA sequencing used to characterize the gut microbiota. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla while Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium were the most prevalent genera. There were no associations between azithromycin treatment and changes in alpha diversity, however, four biannual rounds of treatment were associated with increased abundance of Prevotella. The lack of significant changes in gut microbiota after four biannual treatments supports the use of mass azithromycin treatment to reduce mortality in children living in low- and middle-income settings.

Gangliosides are highly abundant in the human brain where they are involved in major biological events. In brain cancers, alterations of ganglioside pattern occur, some of which being correlated with the neoplastic transformation, while others with the tumor proliferation. Of all the techniques, mass spectrometry (MS) has proven to be one of the most effective in gangliosidomics, due to its ability to characterize heterogeneous mixtures and discover species with biomarker value. This review highlights the most significant achievements of MS in the analysis of gangliosides in human brain cancers. The first part presents the state-of-the-art in the MS development for discovery of ganglioside markers in primary brain tumors, with a particular emphasis on the ion mobility separation (IMS) MS and its contribution to the elucidation of the gangliosidome associated with aggressive tumors. The second part is focused on the MS of gangliosides in brain metastases, highlighting the ability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MS, microfluidics-MS and tandem MS to decipher and structurally characterize species involved in the metastatic process. In the end, several conclusions and perspectives are presented, among which the need for development of a reliable software and a user-friendly structural database as a search platform in brain tumor diagnostics.

For a hierarchy of large scale structures, like galaxies, galaxy clusters, super-clusters, etc. the requirement that their gravitational (binding) self-energy density must at least equal or exceed the background repulsive dark energy density implies a universal mass-radius relation given by M/R² ~ 1g/cm². Here we point out that this mass-radius relation also holds for important individual biological structures, and even various organisms as a whole such as humans, trees, and to behemoths like whales, even though the physics is different. Here we try to understand this universality from two different physical considerations. We also point out the coincidence that the densities of most biological entities are close to that of water, and that the average density of main-sequence stars and giant planets are close to this density. We give a physical basis for the same.

Obesity is a serious problem of our society. A long-term positive trend in body weight gain continues to persist. Paediatric obesity arises from a changed lifestyle of children, characterised by an important restriction of their spontaneous physical activity. A lack of physical activity is one of the most important causes of paediatric obesity associated with a number of serious disorders. The paper evaluates the effect of physical activity on obesity in second stage pupils of elementary schools in the region of Ústí nad Labem. In their research survey, the authors determine the incidence of obesity and overweight as well as the relationship between physical activity and obesity in second stage pupils of elementary schools in the region of Ústí nad Labem. The data collection was based on questions of the CAV 2001 questionnaire and BMI-for-age. As revealed by the research survey, problems with obesity and overweight are present particularly in boys. Only a third of boys and girls engage in sufficient physical activity. At the same time, differences were shown in the study group where groups with higher BMI values had lower values of physical activity. Subsequently, a relationship was shown between those who use their bicycle as a means of transport and spend their leisure time bicycling at the same time. More than two thirds of the study subjects reported using a bicycle as a means of transport and using their bicycle in their leisure time as a means of being active; 93% of these subjects had normal body weight. Our results confirm the continued pandemic prevalence of obesity and indicate that appropriate physical activity should be included in the everyday life of children both at school and outside of school.

Higher order femtoscopy measured to examine the heat exchanger characterization of the fluid debris produced in the collisions and investigated a remarkable suppression in the bosons interferences measurement. The analogous suppression can be analyzed to explore the coherence of boson thermal particle production sources at unprecedented energies. We illustrate the particles emissions from radiated sources with statistical coherence which induce the thermal particles interferences to probe the peculiarity of the heated sources as well as the distinctions about the heat exchangers in the collisions at higher temperature. We perspicacious that the bosons seem to the pertinent aspirant of heat exchanger, and the normalized three particles correlators evaluate the existence of such hybrid phases significantly. The key point of this research is that we analyze the three particles correlations with their normalized correlations by difference equations to determine the characteristics of heat exchanger and its applications. With such distinctive and efficient approach, we observe a significant difference in the correlation functions at higher temperature and momenta regimes.

We report cyclic growth/retraction phenomena observed for saline droplets placed on the cured PDMS membrane with the thickness of 7.8±0.1 µm floating on pure water surface. Osmotic mass transport across the micro-scaled floating PDMS membrane provided the growth of the sessile saline droplets followed by evaporation of the saline droplets. The observed growth/retraction cycle was reversible. The model of the osmotic mass transfer across the cured PDMS membrane is suggested. The model explains semi-quantitatively the time evolution of a droplet.

Background: Vitamin D and calcium are important dietary compounds that affect bone mass, even if other minerals (potassium, zinc, etc.) and other vitamins (A, C and K) are also involved. Vitamin D and other minerals, in fact, play an important role in calcium homeostasis and calcium absorption. Hip fractures incidence is higher in western countries, where calcium is frequently included in human diet, while the occurrence of these fractures is lower in developing countries, where diets are often poor in calcium. This situation is known as the “calcium paradox”, and may be partially explained considering phosphate toxicity, that can induce a disorder of mineral metabolism. It is important to maintain adequate dietary calcium-phosphate balance in order to perform a healthy life, reducing the risk of osteoporotic fracture in older people. Vitamin D can also act as a hormone; vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is derived from the UV-B radiation of ergosterol, the vitamin D precursor naturally found in plants, fungi, and invertebrates. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is originated by sunlight exposure from 7-dehydrocholesterol, a precursor of cholesterol that can also act as a provitamin D3. Dietary intake of vitamin D3 is very important when skin is exposed for short times to ultraviolet B light (UV-B) one of the three kinds of invisible light rays together with UV-A and UV-C. This can be considered the usual situation in northern latitudes and in winter season, or the typical condition for older people and/or for people with very white delicate skin. Actually, the recommended daily intake of dietary vitamin D is strictly correlated with age, ranging from 5 μg for infants, children, teen-agers and adults, including women during pregnancy and lactation, to 15 μg for people over 65 years.

In 2014, McCulloch showed, in a new and interesting way, how to derive a gravity theory from Heisenberg's uncertainty principle that is equivalent to Newtonian gravity. McCulloch utilizes the Planck mass in his derivation and obtains a gravitational constant of hbar*c/m_p^2. This is a composite constant, which is equivalent in value to Newton's gravitational constant. However, McCulloch has pointed out that his approach requires an assumption on the value of G, and that this involves some circular reasoning. This is in line with the view that the Planck mass is a derived constant from Newton's gravitational constant, while big G is a universal fundamental constant. Here we will show that we can go straight from the McCulloch derivation to measuring the Planck mass without any knowledge of the gravitational constant. From this perspective, there are no circular problems with his method. This means that we can measure the Planck mass without Newton's gravitational constant, and shows that the McCulloch derivation is a theory of quantum gravity that stands on its own. Even more importantly, we show that we can easily measure the Schwarzschild radius of a mass without knowing its mass, or Newton's gravitational constant, or the Planck constant. The very essence of gravity is linked to the Planck length and the speed of light, but here we will claim that we do not need to know the Planck length itself. Our conclusion is that Newton's gravitational constant is a universal constant, but it is a composite constant of the form G=l_p^2*c^3/hbar where the Planck length and the speed of light are the keys to gravity. This could be an important step towards the development of a full theory of quantum gravity.

Control of autonomous robot motion in radial mass density field is presented. In that sense the robot motion is described as the function of the radial mass density parameters. The radial mass density field is between the maximal radial mass density and the minimal radial mass density. Between these two limited values one can use n points (n = 1, 2, . . . nmax) and calculate the related radial mass density for each point. The radial mass density is maximal at the minimal gravitational radius and minimal at the maximal gravitational radius. This conclusion is valid for Planck scale, but also for the scales that are less or higher of that one. Using the ratio of the Planck mass and Planck radius it is generated energy conservation constant with value κ = 0.99993392118. Further, in this theory it is possible to connect Planck’s and gravitational parameters as functions of the maximal (or minimal) radial mass density. In that sense the autonomous robot motion in radial mass density field is important for the control of the robot motion at micro and nano scales.

Leishmania infantum is causative of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar), the most severe form of leishmaniasis, lethal if untreated. Few years ago, re-sequencing and de novo assembling of the L. infantum (strain JPCM5) genome was accomplished, and now we aimed to describe and characterize the experimental proteome of this species. In this work, we have performed a proteomic analysis from axenic cultured promastigotes and carried out a detailed comparison with other Leishmania experimental proteomes published to date. We identified 2,352 proteins based on the search of mass spectrometry data against a database built from the six-frame translated genome sequence of L. infantum. We have detected many proteins belonging to organelles such as glycosomes, mitochondria or flagellum, as well as many metabolic enzymes, and a large number of putative RNA binding proteins and molecular chaperones. Moreover, we listed the proteins presenting post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylations, acetylations and methylations, among others. On the other hand, the identification of peptides mapping to genomic regions previously annotated as non-coding has allowed to correct annotations, leading to N-terminal extension of protein sequences, and the uncovering of eight novel protein-coding genes. The alliance of proteomics, genomics and transcriptomics has resulted in a powerful combination for improving the L. infantum reference genome annotation.

After a long a glorious history, marked by the first direct proofs of neutrino existence and of the mixing between the first and third neutrino generations, the reactor antineutrino experiments are still well alive and will continue to give important contributions to the development of elementary particle physics and astrophysics. In parallel to the SBL experiments, that will be dedicated mainly to the search for sterile neutrinos, a new kind of experiments will start playing an important role: the medium baseline reactor experiments, aiming to study the neutrino mass ordering. The first example of this kind, the liquid scintillator JUNO experiment, characterized by a very high mass and unprecedented energy resolution, will soon start data taking in China. Its main aspects are discussed here, together with its potentialities for what concerns the mass ordering investigation and also the other issues that can be studied with this detector, spanning from the accurate oscillation parameter determination, to the study of solar neutrinos, geoneutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos and neutrinos emitted by supernovas and to the search for signals of potential Lorentz invariance violation.

Over the past decade, the One Strain Many Compounds (OSMAC) approach has been established for silent gene cluster activation and elicitation of secondary metabolite production, but so far the full secondary metabolome of a biosynthetically promising bacterium has not been elucidated yet. Here, we investigate the ability of seven categories of OSMAC conditions to enhance the diversity of new mass features from bacterial strains with little literature coverage but high biosynthetic potential. The strains Bacillus. amyloliquefaciens DSM7, Corallococcus. coralloides DSM2259, Pyxidicoccus. fallax HKI727, Rhodococcus. jostii DSM44719, and Streptomyces. griseochromogenes DSM40499 were selected after genome mining with antiSMASH. After cultivation under OSMAC conditions, the generated extracts were subjected to LC-MS and MZmine analysis to determine new mass features and evaluate the tested culture conditions. 4 predicted compounds, bacillibactin, desferrioxamine B, myxochelin A, and surfactin, were identified and up to 147 new mass features were detected in the generated extracts, which greatly surpasses the number of predicted gene clusters. Among the new mass features are bioactive compounds that were so far unreported for the strains such as cyclo-(Tyr-Pro) from DSM7 and nocardamin from DSM2259. Furthermore, the tested culture conditions were evaluated regarding their suitability for the generation of new mass features from the selected strains and promising new starting points for further screenings are postulated. Especially culture conditions with little prior literature coverage are responsible for the activation of predicted gene clusters

Burkholderia andropogonis is a severe plant pathogen that can infect more than 50 plant species. Although its genome has been sequenced and annotated, various mechanisms underlying its physiology and pathogenicity remain unknown. Some of these mechanisms can be uncovered through understanding its proteome. In this study, sodium dodecyl polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry analysis were used to profile the proteome of B. andropogonis. Exactly 538 proteins, which belong to 190 protein families performing 88 different functions were identified. The resulting STRING network analysis identified 28 proteins having highly connected interactions with adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding-cassette and (ABC) transport system. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first comprehensive proteomic study on B. andropogonis.

The study of mechanical properties of rock mass can be effectively carried out through rock-like material model test. The similarity of mechanical properties between rock-like material and protolith is dependent on the appropriate selection of composition and content of rock-like materials. In this research, X-Ray diffraction test was conducted to analyze the composition of deep rock, which confirmed silica, quartz, and dolomite as the primary components of deep sandstone. An orthogonal design test was used to execute the ratio test of rock-like material. River sand was used as an aggregate, cement as a binder, gypsum powder as a regulator, and polystyrene foam (EPS) as rock damage simulation material. The influencing factors considered in the orthogonal mechanical tests were the proportion of aggregate and binder, ratio of binder and regulator, quantity of damage simulation material, and size of damage simulation material. Three levels were set for each factor, and mechanical parameters such as compressive strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus, axial strain, and Poisson's ratio were tested for each group of samples. The changes of those parameters with the levels of the above four factors were studied. The study revealed that adjusting the size of polystyrene foam (EPS) can adjust the values of elastic modulus, tensile strength, and Poisson's ratio of rock-like material. Similarly, changing the ratio of binder and regulator can adjust the values of axial strain and compressive strength of rock-like material. The rock-like material developed in the study can simulate the mechanical properties of different rock masses such as granite, sandstone, shale, and limestone.

Orbitrap mass spectrometers have been widely used in environmental component analysis . This paper presents an enhanced data acquisition system for in-situ detection of Orbitrap mass spectrometry, which enables in-suit real-time signal processing and analysis for atmospheric molecules with small mass numbers.During previous space atmospheric explorations, quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) was usually utilized for analyzing isotopic compositions and complicated compounds in the mixture. However, the inevitable ion scattering and drift during mass transfer, as well as the QMS attenuator loss, result in a relatively lower signal-to-noise ratio of the produced mass spectrum. In recent years, a novel mass spectrometer, called an Orbitrap mass spectrometer, has been gradually accepted and used because of its non-destructive detection ability, high mass resolution, and accuracy. Nevertheless, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) is preferred over the Orbitrap mass spectrometry for ground applications, especially for detecting low-mass components (e.g. below 50 atomic mass units) due to the former’s superior resolution. As the mass number decreases, the detection system demands a higher sampling and processing rate. Additionally, in ground-based scenarios, mass spectrometry analysis software on computers is often employed to analyze the signals. Therefore, in order to achieve in-situ detection of the space atmospheric environment using the Orbitrap mass spectrometer, this paper proposes a real-time signal acquisition and processing system for mass spectrometry analysis. The system comprises of signal conditioning circuits, analog-to-digital conversion circuits, programmable logic circuits, and related software. These components perform spectrum analysis and process the signal in real-time on hardware components, allowing for high-speed acquisition and analysis of the signals produced by the Orbitrap mass spectrometer.

Abstract: Formation of DNA adducts is a key event for a genotoxic mode of action and its formation is often use as surrogate for mutation and cancer. Interest in DNA adducts are twofold, first, to demonstrate exposure, and second, to link DNA adduct location to subsequent mutations or altered gene regulation. High chemically specific mass spectrometry methods have been established for DNA adduct quantitation and elegant bio-analytic methods utilizing enzymes, various chemistries, and molecular biology methods to visualize the location of DNA adducts. Traditionally, these highly specific methods cannot be combined, and the results are incomparable. Initially developed for single-molecule DNA sequencing, nanopore-type technologies are expected to enable simultaneous quantitation and location of DNA adducts across the genome. We will briefly summarize the current methodologies for state-of-the-art quantitation of DNA adduct levels and mapping of DNA adducts and describe novel single-molecule DNA sequencing technology that is expected to achieve both measures simultaneously. Emerging technologies are expected to soon provide a comprehensive picture of the exposome and identify gene regions susceptible to DNA adduct formation.

Phoenixin-14 (PNX) - a bioactive peptide recently discovered in the rat brain, is highly conserved among many animal species: rodents (rat, mouse), pig, dog as well as humans. In rodents, PNX is expressed in areas responsible for the transmission of sensory information dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, where it is present at relatively high levels and may preferentially suppress visceral pain. However, so far the presence of PNX has not been investigated in DRG in pigs, a species which, due to its anatomical and histological similarity to humans, is considered a better model for biomedical studies than rodents. The present study aimed to investigate the immunoreactivity of PNX in the DRG of the domestic pig. The collected spinal ganglia from the cervical (C), thoracic (Th), lumbar (L) and sacral (S) sections were transversely divided into serial sections of 10 μm thickness. DRG sections from each level of the spinal cord were double-labeled immunohistochemically using antibodies to PNX in a mixture with antibodies to: cocaine and amphetamine related transcript (CART), calretinin (CRT), calcytonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), galanin (GAL), nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), pituitary adenylate cyclase-acrivating polypeptide (PACAP), substance P (SP) or somatostatin (SOM), respectively. Immunohistochemical studies revealed PNX immunoreactivity in approximately 20% of nerve cells in all DRG examined, highlighting mainly the presence of the peptide in cells of small diameter (approximately 74% of all PNX-positive neurons found). Double labeling of DRG sections showed that PNX-immunopositive neurons stained also for CGRP (96.1%), SP (88.5%), nNOS (52.1%), GAL (20.7%), CRT (10.05%), PACAP (7.4%), CART (5.1%), or SOM (4.7%). Our research revealed for the first time the presence of the new peptide PNX in the sensory ganglia of the domestic pig, its co-localization with other important neurotransmitters involved in sensory transmission and its percentage distribution in ganglion domains. The exact function of PNX in DRG is not yet known, however, the high degree of co-localization of this peptide with the main nociceptive transmitters SP and CGRP may indicate its function in modulation of pain transmission.

An understanding of the mechanism underlying fruit ripening is critical for fruit quality improvement. Although post-harvest ethylene application is known to enhance the onset of fruit ripening, exact mechanisms remain unclear. To characterize the fruit ripening process and mechanism, we investigated the effects of exposing kiwifruit cultivars ‘Hayward’ and ‘Gamrok’ to exogenous ethylene treatment post-harvest using comprehensive proteomic analyses. Comparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that most of the proteins aggregated in ethylene-treated samples compared to the control (non-treated). We observed that among all ethylene treatments, 95 proteins from ‘Hayward’ and 106 from ‘Gamrok’ were differentially expressed. Interestingly, among the elicited protein successfully identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry, 50% from “Hayward’ and 60% from ‘Gamrok’ are associated with fruit ripening. Furthermore, 18% and 10% of proteins, respectively, are associated with defense response, whereas other major proteins are related to protein biosynthesis and photosynthesis/Calvin cycle. Interactions between identified proteins were demonstrated by bioinformatic analysis, providing insights into biological pathways and molecular functions in post-harvest kiwifruit ripening elicited by ethylene application. The present proteomic study in accordance with physiological analysis provides a quantitative evaluation of fruit ripening in response to exogenous ethylene in post-harvest kiwifruit.

In this study, a tuned mass damper is proposed as a seismic acceleration mitigating technique of an electrical cabinet inside the nuclear power plant. In order to know the mitigation performance, the electrical cabinet and the tuned mass damper were modeled using SAP2000. The sine sweep wave was used to confirm the vibration characteristics of the cabinet over a wide frequency range, and the several various earthquakes were applied to the cabinet to verify the control performance of the tuned mass damper. After analyzing the numerical results, it is summarized that the application of the proposed technique can reduce the acceleration response of the cabinet.

Background: Affective states play a role in dietary behaviors. Yet, little research has studied within-subjects associations between affect and diet during pregnancy. We examined the acute bidirectional relationships between affect and food intake and moderation by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in low-income, Hispanic pregnant women using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Methods: Women (N=57) completed four days of EMA during their first trimester. Women responded to five random prompts per day about their current affect and past two-hour food intake. Results: Higher positive affect (PA) or lower negative affect (NA) predicted greater likelihood of fruit/vegetable consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and lower likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Higher PA predicted less likelihood of fast food consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and slightly higher likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI had higher PA when they reported consuming chips/fries in the past two hours, and women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI had lower PA when they reported consumption of chips/fries in the past two hours. Conclusions: Results showed differential relationships between affect and food intake as a function of pre-pregnancy BMI.

The gravitational charge should be the energy instead of mass. This modification will lead to some different results and the experiments to test are also presented. Especially, we propose a scheme to achieve the negative energy and gravitational repulsive force in the lab.

This paper seeks to investigate the questions of: How does the constancy of the speed of light come about? Why does time dilation and length contraction occur? Are they physical effects with a mechanism? Does mass have a role is in these effects? Is Relativity an emergent phenomenon? The enquiry is along a different tact than the standard Lorentzian invariance canon but in the realm of readily known experimental facts or analogies and theory in the domain of wave propagation and solid state physics. These analogies, to almost prosaic physics, have a small following and are called Ether Theories, which modern physics has implicitly reinstated by General Relativity and Quantum Field Theories. In the category of Ether Theories based on analogies to solid state physics, this presentation is unique in not being Lorentz invariant; it is based on earlier papers by the author enquiring into the speed of coincidence counting of the Bell Inequality and a communication protocol. It is believed that Lorentz invariance emerges from the Ether and all Relativistic Mechanics can be built from the bottom up. The conclusion is that space-time is not really curved but the effects are all ascribable to mass gain.

The study of exogenous metabolites of algae-bacterial communities in the laboratory accumulative culture obtained from natural river water was done using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Exometabolites of the algae-bacterial community (including microalgae and cyanobacteria) in the culture medium were represented by saturated, unsaturated, and aromatic hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, phenolic, and terpene compounds and their derivatives. Possible biological activities of the discovered exometabolites are considered. The study has demonstrated that an increase in the number of main groups of microorganisms, along with changes in the composition of algae and cyanobacteria, are responsible for the increase in the composition and concentration of metabolites in the microecosystem's culture medium after one month of cultivation. The presence of octacosane in high concentration (0.0603 mg/l; 23.78% of the total content of low molecular weight organic compounds) by the end of exposure accumulative culture is associated with the strong development of the cyanobacterium Gloeocapsa sp. in the presence of diatom algae of the genus Navicula and green algae of the genera Chlorella and Scenedesmus. Due to the need to comprehend the ecological and biochemical mechanisms of the formation and functioning of algae-bacterial communities, as well as to predict potential paths of transformation and evolution of aquatic ecosystems, the specificity of exometabolite complexes of algae and microorganisms, as well as their allelopathic and other biochemical interactions in freshwater ecosystems, requires further serious study.

The effect of the negative effective mass emerging in the gravitating core-spring-shell system is considered. The effect appears when the entire system is exerted to the external harmonic force and the frequency of external force approaches to the critical frequency from above. The critical frequency depends on the density of the self-gravitating system only. The scaling law predicting the value of for condensed phases is derived. The generalization of the effect for the Coulomb-like forces is reported

Image processing is a field of which its popularity increases and continues and, that grows dynamically with new technologies. Nowadays, image processing finds itself in use in almost every field. One of these uses is undoubtedly in the field of medicine, where diagnosis and treatment planning are made from images and, which is constantly changing with newly developed techniques. Of course, the most important factor in using this so widely in the medical field is the acquisition of images on every medical field. With the help of these images, the complaints can be seen more easily and the doctor can follow a path in the treatment of the disease. In our study, we used the Region Growing segmentation method to detect the intestinal mass. This study compares the area determined by the specialist with the area obtained with the segmentation process and, it is seen that the created software system can be used as an auxiliary system to specialist doctors.

The present investigation has been conducted on one hundred tissue fragments of breast cancer, collected and immediately cryopreserved following the surgical resection. The fragments were selected from patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, the most common and potentially aggressive type of mammary cancer, with the objective to increase the knowledge of breast cancer molecular markers, useful for diagnostic and prognostic categorization of patients, in assessing post-surgical therapeutic regimes. The proteomic screening, by 2D-IPG and mass spectrometry, allowed us to identify two main classes of protein clusters: proteins expressed ubiquitously at high levels in all patients, and proteins expressed sporadically among the same patients. Within the group of ubiquitous proteins, glycolytic enzymes and proteins with anti-apoptotic activity were predominant. Among the sporadic ones, proteins involved in cell motility, molecular chaperones and proteins involved in the detoxification appeared prevalent. The data of the present study indicates that the primary tumor growth is generally supported by two concurrent pathways: the inhibition of apoptosis and the stimulation of cellular proliferation. The second phase of the evolution of the tumor can be prematurely scheduled by the occasional presence of proteins involved in cell motility and in the defenses of the oxidative stress. To our knowledge this report on large-scales proteomics of breast cancer is currently a unique approach in the literature that offers the opportunity to evaluate the presence and recurrence of proteins to be used as prognostic indicators and susceptibility to metastasis in patients operated on for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Steroid analysis is important in the clinical assessment of endocrine function in health and disease. Although tandem mass spectrometry methods coupled with chromatographic separation are considered the gold standard analytical technique in this setting, enabling profiling of multiple steroids in a single sample, sample processing can be labour-intensive. Here we present a simple, efficient automated 96-well Supported Liquid Extraction method with dichloromethane/isopropanol as organic solvent, carried out on a Extrahera automated sample handler (Biotage), which completes sample preparation of 80 plasma samples (200µL) in 90 minutes. Compounds were separated on a Kinetex C18 column (150x3mm;2.6um) using a mobile phase of methanol and water (0.1% formic acid). The run time was 16 minutes on a Nexera uHPLC system (Shimadzu) with a QTrap 6500+ linear ion trap mass spectrometer (AB Sciex). Precisions ranged 8.1 to 18.1% RSD, bias -10.1-5.8%, and extraction recoveries 73.5-111.9%. LOQs ranged between 0.025–0.500 ng/mL.

Anticipating and planning for the urgent response to large-scale disasters is critical to increase the probability of survival in these events. These incidents present various challenges that complicate the response, such as unfavorable weather conditions, difficulties in accessing affected areas, and the geographical spread of the victims. Furthermore, local socioeconomic factors such as insufficient prevention education, limited disaster assets, and inadequate coordination between public and private emergency services may complicate these situations. In large-scale emergencies, multiple hotspots are usually observed, which requires efforts to coordinate the strategic allocation of human and material resources in different geographical areas. Therefore, the precise management of these resources based on the specific needs of each area becomes fundamental. To address these complexities, this paper proposes a methodology that models these scenarios as an optimization problem, focusing on the location and allocation of resources in mass casualty incidents. The proposed case study is Mexico City in a post-earthquake scenario, using voluntary geographic information, open government data, and historical data from the September 19, 2017 earthquake. Additionally, it is assumed that the resources that require optimal location and allocation are ambulances, which focus on medical issues that affect the survival of victims. The designed solution involves the use of a metaheuristic optimization technique, along with a parameter tuning technique, to find configurations that perform at different instances of the problem, i.e., different hypothetical scenarios that can be used as a reference for future possible situations. Finally, the objective is to present the different solutions graphically, accompanied by relevant information to facilitate the decision-making process of the authorities responsible for the practical implementation of these solutions.

Cities are important sources of anthropogenic methane emissions. Municipal governments can play a role in reducing those emissions to support climate change mitigation, but they need information on the rate of emissions to context mitigation actions and track progress. Here, we examine the application of satellite data from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to estimate city-level methane emissions rates in a case study of the City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. While satellites are touted as a global methane monitoring system, we found limited observational coverage over Calgary that precluded the reliability of measurement-based models to track the annual emissions. In this work, we integrated valid observations over three years (2020-22) and used mass balance modeling to derive a long-term averaged emission estimate. The column-averaged dry-air mole fraction (XCH4) enhancement over Calgary was small, 4.7 ppb, but within the city boundary, we identified local hot spots in the vicinity of known sources (wastewater treatment facility and landfills). The city-scale emissions estimate from mass balance was 215.4 ± 132.8 t/d CH4. This estimate is approximately four- and six-times larger than estimates from Canada's gridded national inventory report of anthropogenic CH4 emissions and the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v8.0), respectively. Valid observations are more common in warmer months and occur during a narrow daily overpass timeslot over Calgary – these effects may bias the emissions estimate. Overall, the findings from this case study highlight the challenge of deriving routine (sub-annual to annual) satellite-based estimates of city-scale methane emissions in similar geographic settings and suggest that more granular emissions inventories are needed to improve methane reporting.

The literature was scoped to help place mass spectrometric (MS) platforms in the spotlight of the life sciences, as a tool of OMICS and OMICS 2.0 technologies. Moreover, today’s appliances are so handy, that they literally place a whole lab on a single chip. Methods of OMICS (and the most recently developed term OMICS 2.0) are tackled, having in mind their aptness for educational purposes, as well as their feasibility. This same topic was highlighted in many reviews that have been periodically published. The author’s initial interest was the forensic application of MS, but since these interests changed, terms such as “biosensors” were also examined, so the review included means of discovery of efficient biomarkers and clinical therapeutic targets. Aside from simply reviewing the research status and the future perspectives, this article tackles terms such as Society 5.0 and OMICS 2.0. However, within the framework of this review, physical chemistry, bioinformatics, or specific software solutions were not specifically studied. Since the topic of generating permanent collections of digital content for retrospective analysis was also reviewed, the need for loads of data – cloud storage was discussed in the context of MS. These large quantities of data are easier to operate with if generated by MS, rather than by any other commercially available assay. In this manner, the review has strengthened an in-depth understanding of the applications of MS.

Overweight/obesity is one of the most important health problem worldwide. Birth by cesarean section has been shown to influence long-term health outcome including obesity. The aim of this systematic review-meta-analysis is to examine whether cesarean section increases the risk of offspring’ s overweight/obesity. The study follows the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A systematic literature search was con-ducted on Scopus, PubMed, and WoS until December 2020. For inclusion, studies must have re-ported either (I) both Birth by cesarean section and adult (≥ 18 years) offspring BMI, (II) cohort or case–control study design and (III) a risk estimate. Heterogeneity testing was performed using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Publication bias was assessed by Egger’s test and Begg’s test. Me-ta-analysis was performed through a random effect model. Eleven studies with a combined population of 180.408 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The overall analysis (n = 18) yielded a combined risk estimate for overweight/obesity of 1.19 (95% CI 1.08-1.31) and the test of heterogeneity resulted Q=53,37 (I2 = 70,37 %, P≤0•0001). The risk of offspring obesity is 1.23 (95% CI 1.09-1.39) and the test of heterogeneity resulted Q=39.50 (I2= 72,15%, P≤0•0001). Children born by cesarean section have an increased risk of developing obesity in adulthood

A membrane ozonation contactor was built to investigate ozonation using tubular membranes and to inform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies. Non-porous tubular polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes of 1.0 – 3.2 mm inner diameter were tested at ozone gas concentrations of 110 – 200 g m−3 and liquid side velocities of 0.002 m s−1 – 0.226 m s−1. The dissolved ozone concentration could be adjusted to up to 14 mg O3 L−1 and increased with decreasing membrane diameter and liquid side velocity. Experimental mass transfer coefficients and molar fluxes of ozone were 1.1∙10−5 mol m−2 s−1 and 2.4∙10−6 m s−1, respectively, for the smallest membrane. CFD modelling could predict the final ozone concentrations but slightly overestimated mass transfer coefficients and molar fluxes of ozone. Model contaminant degradation experiments and UV absorption measurements of ozonated water samples in both ozone (O3) and peroxone (H2O2/O3) reaction systems in pure water, river water, wastewater effluent and solutions containing humic acid show that the contactor system can be used to generate information on the reactivity of ozone with different water matrices. Combining simple membrane contactors with CFD allows predicting ozonation performance under a variety of conditions leading to improved bubble-less ozone systems for water treatment.

Direct mass spectrometry-based metabolomics has been widely employed in the last years to characterize metabolic alterations underlying to Alzheimer’s disease development and progression. This high-throughput approach presents a great potential for fast and simultaneous fingerprinting of a vast number of metabolites, which can be applied to multiple biological samples such as serum/plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and tissues. In this review article we present the main advantages and drawbacks of metabolomics based on direct mass spectrometry compared with conventional analytical techniques, and provide a comprehensive revision of the literature on the application of these tools in Alzheimer’s disease research.

Psychological wellbeing can be impacted substantially by changes in body image during youth, which can be a predictive factor for positive or negative attitudes, such as for self-esteem and satisfaction. In this study, adherence to the thinness model and to healthy behaviours were analysed in terms of the emotional patterns and body management of the young female Italian population (N = 2287). Skinny girls fitting better with the thinness model tended to develop higher positive emotional patterns, but their body management was low. Findings suggest the urgent need for preventive programmes to enhance awareness of healthy behaviours against appearance models.

Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) is a form of radiation therapy performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via selective intra-arterial injection of Yttrium-90 loaded microspheres. This was a multicenter retrospective study of consecutive patients with HCC who underwent TARE between July 2009 and May 2019. Using pre-treatment computed tomography imaging, the total cross-sectional area (cm2) of the abdominal skeletal muscle at the third lumbar vertebra was measured. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated by normalizing the muscle area to patient height. In total, 347 patients (median age, 65 years; 284 male) were included in the study. A total of 108 (31.1%) patients had portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and 126 (36.3%) were classified as sarcopenic. The median overall survival (OS) was 28.1 months (95% CI, 24.8-35.7) and median progression-free survival was 8.0 months (95% CI, 6.4-9.4). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.00-1.85, p = 0.05), PVTT (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.33-2.49, p &lt; 0.01), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥200 ng/mL) (HR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.04-1.92, p = 0.03), and albumin-bilirubin grade (2-3) (HR 1.74; 95% CI, 1.24-2.43, p &lt; 0.01) were independently associated with poor OS. TARE provided favorable long-term outcomes for patients with advanced HCC. Pre-treatment sarcopenia independently associated with survival, suggesting its utility as a surrogate biomarker for identifying TARE candidates.

According to the World Health Organisation ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world. More frequent it is caused by brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) atherosclerosis. Timely detection of the atherosclerosis and it`s unstable course can allow a timely response to potentially dangerous changes and reduce the risk of vascular complications. Omics technologies allow us to identify new biomarkers that we can use in diagnosing diseases. The research included 90 blood plasma samples. The first group - 52 patients with severe atherosclerotic lesions, second group - 38 patients with no BCA atherosclerosis. Targeted and panoramic lipidomic profiling of blood plasma was carried out. There is a statistically significant difference (р

We present a Machian model of Quantum Cosmology with full dark matter and light speed expansion and rotation. During galaxy formation and evolution, fraction of dark matter transforms to visual matter with a relation of the form, m_vis = constant * (m_dark)^2/3. Using this relation and replacing MOND’s ‘critical acceleration’ with “current cosmic maximum angular acceleration”, galactic flat rotation speed range of (50 to 500) km/sec can be fitted well. Estimated flat rotation speeds of DD168, Milky Way and UGC12591 are 49.96 km/sec, 199.66 km/sec and 521.75 km/sec respectively. Based on these striking coincidences, it is possible to say that, MOND’s approach is implicitly connected with cosmological estimation of 95% invisible matter. Considering galactic total matter and current cosmic maximum angular acceleration, galactic working radii, angular velocity and visual matter density can be estimated. Even though, this model is free from ‘big bang’, ‘inflation’, ‘dark energy’, ‘flatness’ and ‘red shift’ issues, at 2.722 K, estimated present Hubble parameter is 66.24 km/sec/Mpc, cosmic radius is 146.3 times the Hubble radius, angular velocity is 146.3 times lower than the Hubble parameter and cosmic age is 146.3 times the Hubble age. With future observations and advanced telescopes, it may be possible to see far distant galaxies and very old stars far beyond the current observable cosmic radius.

Conformal radiotherapy is a primary treatment in head and neck cancer, which putative adverse effects depend on relatively low doses of radiation delivered to increased volumes of normal tissues. Systemic effects of such treatment include radiation-induced changes in serum lipid profile, yet dose- and volume-dependence of these changes remain to be established. Here we analyzed levels of choline-containing phospholipids in serum samples collected consecutively during the radiotherapy used as the only treatment modality. The LC-MS approach applied in the study enabled the detection and quantitation of 151 phospholipids, including (lyso)phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins. No statistically significant differences were found in the pre-treatment samples from patients with different location and stage of cancer. To compensate for potential differences between schemes of radiotherapy the biologically effective doses were calculated and used in the search of correlations with specific lipid levels. We found that the levels of several phospholipids depended on the maximum dose delivered to the gross tumor volume and total radiation energy absorbed by the patient’s body. Increased doses correlated with increased levels of sphingomyelins and reduced levels of phosphatidylcholines. Noteworthy, serum phospholipid levels were associated mainly with volumes of normal tissues irradiated with relatively low doses (i.e., total accumulated dose 20 Gy), which indicated the importance of such effects on the systemic response of the patient’s organism to IMRT.

It is suggested that physical properties of common elementary particles can be associated with microscopic Primordial Black Holes (PBH) which is inferred to have formed between 10⁻²⁴ to 10⁻²⁰ seconds from Big bang in the early universe. This is also found to be related to the phenomenon of Hawking radiation from these PBH. We have revisited the properties of minimons and maximons introduced by Markov [1] in this context. Planck particles which is inferred to form near Planck time (3.857 ×10⁻⁴³ seconds) are identified as maximons with a mass √πm_p where m_p is the Planck mass. The minimons are associated with a PBH with Hawking temperature identical with the cosmic microwave background temperature of the universe. The mass of the minimons are found to be comparable to that of the lightest neutrinos (0.0185 eV). They also possess highest Compton wavelength (10⁻⁴ m) known for an elementary particle.

SPME analysis of the scent Ophrys orchids gave the following results: O. apifera: benzyl benzoate, -copaene, caryophyllene, and cyclosativene. O. crabronifera subsp. biscutella: pentadecene, pentadecane, heptadecane, nonadecane, and heinecosane. O. bertolonii subsp. bertolonii: pentadecane, heptadecane and nonadecane. O. passionis subsp. garganica: i-propyl palmitate, caryophyllene, pentadecane, and heptadecane. O. holosericea subsp. apulica: -copaene, pentadecane, caryophyllene, and heptadecane. O. lacaitae: -copaene, pentadecane, heptadecane, and caryophyllene. O. bombyliflora: cyclosativene, pentadecane, and ethyl dodecanoate. O. insectifera: 8-heptadecene, pentadecane, and heptadecane. O. lutea: heptadecane, 8-heptadecene, nonadecane, and docosane. O. tenthredinifera subsp. neglecta: -copaene, caryophyllene, and i-propyl palmitate.

A nonlinear MEMS multimass sensor is investigated. The MEMS design consists of an array of nonlinear microcantilevers clamped to a shuttle mass which, in turn, is attached to a linear spring and a dashpot. The microcantilevers are made of a polymeric hosting matrix reinforced by aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) with different CNT volume fractions in each cantilever so as to suitably tune the frequency bandwidth of the device. The advantages of a single input-single output (SISO) system are here exploited for the design, actuation and detection principles as in previous literature.

The quality of yarn is essential in the control of the fabrics processes. There is some commercial equipment that measures the quality of yarn based on sensors, of different types, used for collecting data about some yarn characteristic parameters. The existing equipment, for the above-mentioned purpose, is characterized by its high size and cost, and for allowing the analysis of only few yarn quality parameters. Thus, this paper presents the development and results obtained with the design of a mechatronic prototype integrating a computer vision system that allows, among other parameters, the analysis and classification, in real time, of the hairs of the yarn using artificial intelligence techniques. The system also determines other characteristics inherent to the yarn quality analysis, such as: linear mass, diameter, volume, twist orientation, twist step, average mass deviation, coefficient of variation, hairiness coefficient, average hairiness deviation and standard hairiness deviation, as well as performs spectral analysis. A comparison of the obtained results with the designed system and a commercial equipment was performed validating the undertaken methodology.

In this paper we show that the Schwarzschild radius can be extracted easily from any gravitationally-linked phenomena without having knowledge of the Newton gravitational constant or the mass size of the gravitational object. Further, the Schwarzschild radius can be used to predict any gravity phenomena accurately, again without knowledge of the Newton gravitational constant and also without knowledge of the size of the mass, although this may seem surprising at first. Hidden within the Schwarzschild radius are the mass of the gravitational object, the Planck mass (their relative mass), and the Planck length. We do not claim to have all the answers, but this seems to indicate that gravity is quantized, even at a cosmological scale, and this quantization is directly linked to the Planck units. This also supports our view that the Newton gravitational constant is a universal composite constant of the form $G=\frac{l_p^2{c}^3}{\hslash }$ , rather than relying on the Planck units as a function of G. This does not mean that Newton’s gravitational constant is not a universal constant, but that it is instead a composite universal constant that depends on the Planck length, the speed of light, and the Planck constant. Further, $\frac{G\times 1\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{weight}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{unit}}{c^2}=\frac{G}{c^2}$ is the Schwarzschild radius off one weight unit. So G is only needed when we want to use gravity to find the weight of an object, such as weighing the Earth. This is, to our knowledge, the first paper that shows how a long series of major gravity predictions and measurements can be completed without any knowledge of the mass size of the object, or Newton’s gravitational constant. As a minimum we think it provides an interesting new angle for evaluating existing gravity theories, and it may even give us a small hint on how to combine quantum gravity with Newton and Einstein gravity.

“Gray zone” category tumors in thyroid follicular tumors are difficult to diagnose, especially to distinguish between follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of metabolite enzymes using imaging mass spectrometry to distinguish FTA from FTC and determine the association between metabolite enzyme expression with thyroid follicular borderline tumor diagnosis. Air flow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AFAIDESI-MSI) was used to develop a classification model for the characteristics of thyroid follicular tumors among 24 samples. We analyzed the expression of metabolic enzyme markers in an independent validation set of 133 cases and evaluated the potential biological behavior of 19 borderline thyroid lesions. Phospholipids and fatty acids (FAs) were more abundant in FTA than in FTC (P<0.001). The metabolic enzyme panel—including FA synthase and Ca²⁺-independent PLA2, which are closely associated with altered metabolic pathways—was further identified in follicular thyroid tumors. The marker combination showed optimal performance in the validation group (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity: 73.6%, 82.1%, 60.6%, respectively). The diagnostic strategy suggested considering a putative role of AFAIDESI-MSI in routine clinical triage for strict follow-up, with low metabolic enzyme expression combined with diagnostic in patients with a thyroid follicular borderline tumor diagnosis.

Cyanobacteria are microorganisms able to adapt to a wide variety of environmental conditions and abiotic stresses. They produce a very large number of metabolites that can participate in the adaptation of cyanobacteria to a large range of resources such as light, temperature, or nutrient. The metabolites variation is one way to understand the physiological status and adaptation of cells. In this study, we aim to understand how the diversity and the dynamics of the whole metabolome is dependent of the growth phases and under control of abiotic factors (e.g. light intensity and temperature). The cyanobacteria Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14 was selected for its large number of biosynthetic gene clusters. Metabolomes were analyzed by using mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS/MS) combined with untargeted analysis to investigate the metabolite dynamics. Significant variations were characterized between exponential and stationary phases, whatever the culture conditions (“control”, “higher light”, or “higher temperature”). ”Higher light” and “higher temperature” favored the synthesis of metabolites belonging to the same molecular families. Among highly regulated metabolites, we observe the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), and various variants of somamides, microginins, and microviridins. Through Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14, this study shows the importance of knowing the physiological state of cyanobacteria for comparative global metabolomics and questions the regulation processes involve into metabolite families production. Our results also open up new perspectives in the context of the production of targeted bioactive metabolites.

The Self-Forming Dynamic Membrane BioReactor (SFD MBR) is a cost-effective alternative to conventional MBR, where the synthetic membrane is replaced by the “cake layer”, an accumulation of the biological suspension over a surface of inert low-cost support, caused by a suction force. Under optimized conditions, the cake layer reveals easy to remove and quick to form again, resulting a “dynamic membrane”. The permeate of SFD MBR has chemo-physical characteristics comparable to those of conventional MBR. In this paper, two nylon meshes with a pore-size of 20 and 50 µm respectively were tested in a bench scale SFD MBR where a periodic air mass load (AML) was supplied tangential to the filtration surface to maintain filtration effectiveness. The SFD MBR equipped with the 20 µm nylon mesh coupled to 5 min of AML every 4 hours showed the best performance both ensuring a permeate with turbidity values always below 3 NTU and revealing no critical fouling. A benchmark test, conducted in the same experimental time, with identical operating conditions, and the only difference of a suction break (relaxation) instead of the AML. This latter test produced a permeate of very good quality, but it needed frequent mesh cleanings, showing that a periodic AML coupled with the use of a 20 µm mesh can be a good strategy for long term operation of SFD MBR.

Efforts to quantify and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the built environment often neglect embodied emissions, instead focusing on reducing emissions from building operations. Utilizing sustainably sourced mass timber offers low embodied carbon alternatives to traditional concrete and steel structural systems, however the variability in embodied carbon for different mass timber approaches remains understudied. In this study, we used life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare the whole building embodied carbon of nine mass timber design options and two typical concrete and steel reference cases for an eight-story mixed-use building, ensuring structural, acoustic, thermal, programmatic, and fire-rating equivalence between the designs. The study found that the mass timber designs vary significantly, ranging between a 14-52% reduction in whole building embodied carbon from the most impactful reference case, and a 31-73% reduction when considering the structural systems alone. This study demonstrates the value that whole building LCA (WBLCA) provides as a primary driver for low-carbon structural system design and architectural development of mass timber buildings, beyond that of single material comparisons using environmental product declarations (EPDs).

In rock blasting for mining production, stress waves play a major role in rock fracturing along with explosion gases. Better energy distribution improves fragmentation and safety, lowers production costs, increases productivity, and controls ore losses and dilution. Blast outcomes vary significantly with the choice of the explosive and the properties of the rock mass encountered. This study analyzes the effects of rock mass and explosives properties on the blast outcomes through numerical simulation using data from the case study and later validates the simulation results from the field blast fragmentation. The outcomes suggest that, for a given set of rock properties, the choice of explosive has a major influence on the resulting fragmentation. Strong explosives favor large fracture extents in hard rocks, while less strong explosives offer a better distribution of explosive energy and fractures. The presence of rock structures such as rock con-tacts and joints influences the propagation of stress waves and fractures depending on the structures' material properties, intensity and orientations, and the direction and strength of the stress wave. To achieve effective fragmentation, the blast design should mitigate the effect of variability in the rock mass by ensuring adequate energy distribution within the limits of geo-metrical design.

In the recent years, Cannabis and hemp-based products have become increasingly popular for various applications ranging from recreational use, edibles, beverages to health care products and medicines. The rapid detection and differentiation of phytocannabinoids is, therefore, essential to assess the potency, therapeutic and nutritional values of cannabis cultivars. Here, we implemented the SpiderMass technology for the in vivo detection of cannabidiol acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA) and other endogenous organic plant compounds to access distribution gradients within the plants and differentiate cultivars. The SpiderMass system is composed of an IR- laser handheld microsampling probe connected to the mass spectrometer through a transfer tube. The analysis was performed in situ on different plant organs from freshly cultivated Cannabis plants in only a few seconds. SpiderMass analysis easily discriminated the two acid phytocannabinoid isomers by MS/MS and the built statistical models differentiated between four Cannabis cultivars. Different abundancies of acid phytocannabinoids were also found along the plant as well as between different cultivars. All together, these results introduce the direct analysis by SpiderMass as a compelling analytical alternative for forensic and hemp industrial analysis.

The hygrothermal transfer is very important for the design of a building envelope for thermal comfort and economic and energy analysis of the building envelope. The applications of various materials in building envelope have been studied extensively. The study presents several models for the hygrothermal transfer for various building walls. Several energy and mass conservation equations with different boundary conditions and input considerations were presented in this paper for concrete, bricks and wooden walls. The effect of hysteresis was ignored in developing most model equations, while few considered flow pattern of fluid through the wall surfaces. Due to the flexibility of Luikov models, it formed the basis for modelling the coupled heat and mass transfer for porous material independent of hygroscopic nature with different boundary conditions defined according to the geometry and orientations. The influence of type of wall, orientation, thickness, the density of the material and climatic variations on the temperature and moisture evolutions within the building materials was more pronounced. Literature, presenting imaging models using imagery software like COMSOL multi-physics, CFD etc. were scarce considering that microscopic imagery is now deployed to measure the heat and moisture evolution in materials. Future models should include shrinkage or expansion influence on the fibrous material like wood due to their behaviour under environmental condition.

The application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) as a direct method for detecting reactive intermediates is a technique of developing importance in the routine monitoring of solution-phase reaction pathways. Here, we utilize a novel on-line photolysis ESI-MS approach to detect the photoproducts of riboflavin in aqueous solution under mildly alkaline conditions. Riboflavin is a constituent of many food products, so its breakdown processes are of wide interest. Our on-line photolysis setup allows for solution-phase photolysis to occur within a syringe using UVA LEDs, immediately prior to being introduced into the mass spectrometer via ESI. Gas-phase photofragmentation studies via laser-interfaced mass spectrometry of deprotonated riboflavin, [RFH], the dominant solution-phase species under the conditions of our study, are presented alongside the solution-phase photolysis. The results obtained illustrate the extent to which gas-phase photolysis methods can inform our understanding of the corresponding solution-phase photochemistry. We determine that the solution-phase photofragmentation observed for [RFH] closely mirrors the gas-phase photochemistry, with the m/z 241 ion being the only major condensed-phase photoproduct. Further gas-phase photoproducts are observed at m/z 255, 212, and 145. The value of exploring both the gas- and solution-phase photochemistry to characterize photochemical reactions is discussed.

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.

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is used to assess glycemic control in Type 1 diabetes (DM1) patients. Apolipoproteins play an essential role in DM1 pathophysiology and may be associated with complications, as well as HbA1c. This cross-sectional observational study consisting of 81 children and adolescents of both sexes diagnosed with DM1 investigated the relationship between body fat distribution and lean mass with HbA1C and apolipoprotein values analyzing biochemical and body composition measurements. Shapiro-Wilk test with Lilliefors correction, non-parametric Mann-Whitney test, and others were used with a significance level of 5%. The sample had a diagnosis time of 4.32 years and high blood glucose levels (mean 178.19 mg/dL) and HbA1c (mean 8.57%). Subjects also had a moderate level of adiposity, as indicated by arm and thigh fat areas. The study also found significant differences in the distribution of patients concerning levels of apolipoproteins A and B, with a smaller proportion of patients having undesirable levels. Finally, the study found a significant difference in the distribution of patients with estimated cardiovascular risk based on the ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio. Conclusively, visceral fat in children and adolescents with DM1 may increase the risk of DM1 long-term complications owing to its association with elevated HbA1C and apolipoprotein values.

Microbial competition within plant tissues affects invading pathogens' fitness. Metabolomics is a great tool for studying their biochemical interactions by identifying accumulated metabolites. Xylella fastidiosa, a Gram-negative bacterium causing Pierce's disease (PD) in grapevines, secretes various virulence factors including cell wall degrading enzymes, adhesion proteins, and quorum sensing molecules. These factors, along with outer membrane vesicles, contribute to its pathogenicity. Previous studies demonstrated that co-inoculating X. fastidiosa with Paraburkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN suppressed PD symptoms. Here, we further investigated the interaction between the phytopathogen and the endophyte by analyzing the exometabolome of wild-type X. fastidiosa and a diffusible signaling factor (DSF) mutant lacking quorum sensing, cultivated with 20% P. phytofirmans spent media. LC-MS and MAGI were used to detect and map metabolites to genomes revealing a total of 121 metabolites, of which 25 were further investigated. These metabolites potentially relate to host adaptation, virulence, and pathogenicity. Notably, this study presents the first comprehensive profile of X. fastidiosa in the presence of P. phytofirmans spent media. The results highlight that P. phytofirmans and the absence of a functional quorum sensing affect the ratios of glutamine to glutamate (Gln:Glu) in X. fastidiosa. Additionally, two compounds with plant metabolism and growth properties, 2-Aminoisobutyric acid and Gibberellic Acid, were downregulated when X. fastidiosa interacted with P. phytofirmans. These findings suggest that P. phytofirmans-mediated disease suppression involves modulation of the exometabolome of X. fastidiosa, impacting plant immunity.