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We investigate optimal expansions of Kakeya sequences for the representation of real numbers. Expansions of Kakeya sequences generalize the expansions in non-integer bases and they display analogous redundancy phenomena. In this paper, we characterize optimal expansions of Kakeya sequences, and we provide conditions for the existence of unique expansions with respect to Kakeya sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of tobacco cigarettes produces locomotor muscle weakness and fatigue intolerance. Also, smokers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients have a greater incidence of muscle injury and a deficient myogenic response. However, the effects of smoke exposure on the recovery from eccentric exercise‐induced muscle injuries are unknown. Mice were exposed daily to cigarette smoke (CS) or room air (Air) for 4 months; the anterior crural muscles from one limb were injured by a lengthening contractions protocol (LCP) and recovered for 7 days. Lung compliance was greater, and body weights were lower, in CS‐exposed than in the Air group. In LCP‐subjected limbs, CS exposure lowered tibialis anterior myofiber cross‐sectional area, decreased the size of centrally nucleated myofibers, and decreased extensor digitorum longus (EDL) mass, but did not affect EDL force from both limbs. CS exposure upregulated the mRNA levels of several myogenic (Pax7, Myf5, nNOS) genes in the EDL. The combination of CS exposure and LCP decreased Myf5 and nNOS mRNA levels and exacerbated pro‐inflammatory mRNA levels. These data suggest that smoke exposure leads to an excessive pro‐inflammatory response in regenerating muscle that is associated with a lower muscle mass recovery from a type of injury that often occurs during strenuous exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Is there a circadian variation of serum progesterone (P) on the day of frozen embryo transfer (FET) in a modified natural cycle (mNC)? SUMMARY ANSWER There is a statistically significant diurnal variation of serum P on the day of a FET in an mNC protocol. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY In recent years, the proportion of FET cycles has increased dramatically. To further optimize pregnancy outcomes after FET, recent studies have focused on serum luteal P levels in both natural and artificially prepared FET cycles. Despite the different cut-off values proposed to define low serum P in the NC, it is generally accepted that lower serum P values (<10 ng/ml) around the day of FET are associated with negative reproductive outcomes. However, a single serum P measurement is not reliable given that P levels are prone to diurnal fluctuations and are impacted by patients' characteristics. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A prospective cohort study was conducted in a single university-affiliated fertility center, including 22 patients performing a single blastocyst mNC-FET from August 2022 to August 2023. Serum P levels were measured on the day of transfer at 08:00h, 12:00h, 16:00h, and 20:00h. Differences between P levels were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The sample size was calculated to detect a difference of 15% between the first and last P measurements with a 5% false-positive rate and a 95% CI. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Patients with a normal BMI, between 18 and 40 years old, without uterine diseases were eligible. Patients utilizing donated oocytes were excluded. The mNC-FET protocol involved monitoring the normal ovarian cycle and triggering ovulation with an injection of 250 μg of choriogonadotropin alfa when a pre-ovulatory follicle (16–20 mm diameter) was visualized. The blastocyst was transferred seven days later. The patients were not supplemented with exogenous P at any time before the day of the FET. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The mean age and BMI of the study population were 33.6 ± 3.8 years and 22.7 ± 1.8 kg/m2, respectively. Mean P values at 08:00h, 12:00h, 16:00h, and 20:00h were 14.6 ± 4.5, 14.7 ± 4.1, 12.9 ± 3.5, and 14.6 ± 4.3 ng/ml, respectively. The mean P levels at 16:00h were significantly lower compared to all other time points (P  < 0.05: P  = 0.007 between P at 8:00h and 16:00h; P  = 0.003 between P at 12:00h and 16:00h; P  = 0.007 between P at 16:00h and 20:00h). No statistically significant difference was observed between P values at the other time points (P  > 0.05: P  = 0.88 between P at 8:00h and 12:00h; P  = 0.96 between P at 8:00h and 20:00h; P  = 0.83 between P at 12:00h and 20:00h). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study's limitations include the small sample size that may cause a bias when the results are extrapolated to a larger subfertile population undergoing mNC-FET. Ideally, larger prospective trials including a more heterogeneous patient population would be necessary to validate our findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The current study demonstrates the existence of a diurnal fluctuation of serum P on the day of mNC-FET highlighting the importance of a standardized time point for its measurement. This is especially important for considering clinical actions, such as additional exogenous P supplementation, when encountering P values lower than 10 ng/ml on the day of FET. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No funding was obtained for the study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare regarding the content of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05511272. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-mobility plays an increasingly important role in the current energy transition thanks to its low energy consumption and reduced contribution to urban congestion. In this scenario, fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles have several advantages over state-of-the-art battery electric vehicles, such as increased driving ranges and reduced recharge times. In this paper, we study the conversion of a commercial electric moped (Askoll eS3®) into a fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle by finding the optimal design of the components through an optimization methodology based on backward dynamic programming. This optimal design and operation strategy can also be implemented with a rules-based approach. The results show that a system composed of a 1 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a 2000 Sl metal hydride hydrogen tank, and a 240 Wh buffer battery can cover the same driving range as the batteries in an electric moped (119 km). Such a hybrid system occupies considerably less volume (almost 40 L) and has a negligibly higher mass. The free volume can be used to extend the driving range up to almost three times the nominal value. Moreover, by using a high-pressure composite tank, it is possible to increase the mass energy density of the onboard energy storage (although compression can require up to 10% of the hydrogen's chemical energy). The fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle can be recharged with green hydrogen that is locally produced. In detail, we analyze a residential scenario and a shared mobility scenario in the small Italian city of Viterbo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Which reproductive treatment outcomes are observed in women who underwent elective oocyte cryopreservation (EOC) and who returned to the clinic with a desire for a child? SUMMARY ANSWER Whether to warm oocytes or to first use fresh own oocytes for ART depends on age upon returning, but both strategies result in favorable reproductive outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Most affluent countries have observed a trend toward postponement of childbearing, and EOC is increasingly used based on the assumption that oocytes cryopreserved at a younger age may extend a woman's reproductive lifespan and mitigate her age-related fertility decline. Although most follow-up studies after EOC have focused on women who requested oocyte warming, a substantial proportion of women who do not conceive naturally will embark on fertility treatment without using their cryopreserved oocytes. Reports on reproductive outcomes in past EOC users are scarce, and the lack of reproductive treatment algorithms in this group of women hampers counseling toward the most efficient clinical strategy. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This retrospective observational single-center study encompasses 843 women who had elective oocyte vitrification between 2009 and 2019 at our fertility clinic. Women who underwent fertility preservation for medical or oncological reasons were excluded. This study describes the outcomes of the diverse reproductive treatment strategies performed until May 2022 in women returning to our clinic to attempt motherhood. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Using descriptive statistics, patient characteristics and data of ovarian stimulation (OS) of EOC cycles were analyzed, as well as data related to OS and laboratory data of ART in women who pursued fertility treatment with and/or without using their cryopreserved oocytes. The primary outcome was live birth rate (LBR) per patient after oocyte warming and after ART using fresh oocytes. Secondary outcomes were return rate, utilization rate of the cryopreserved oocytes, laboratory outcomes upon return, and LBR per embryo transfer. A multivariable regression model was developed to identify factors associated with the decision to thaw oocytes as the primary strategy and factors associated with ongoing pregnancy upon return to the clinic. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 1353 EOC cycles (mean ± SD, 1.6 ± 0.9 per patient) were performed. At the time of EOC, the mean age was 36.5 ± 2.8 years, mean anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was 2.3 ± 2.0 ng/ml, and 174 (20.6%) women had a partner. On average, 13.9 ± 9.2 mature oocytes were cryopreserved. Two hundred thirty-one (27.4%) women returned to the clinic, an average of 39.9 ± 23.4 months after EOC. Upon returning, their mean age was 40.4 ± 3.1 years, mean AMH was 1.5 ± 1.5 ng/ml, and 158/231 (68.3%) patients had a partner. As a primary approach, 110/231 (47.6%) past EOC users embarked on oocyte warming, 50/231 (21.6%) had intrauterine insemination, and 71/231 (30.7%) had ART using fresh own oocytes. Cumulative LBR (CLBR) was 45.9% (106/231) notwithstanding a miscarriage rate (MR) of 30.7% (51/166) in the entire cohort. In total, 141 women performed oocyte warming at some stage in their treatment trajectory. A subset of 90/231 (39.0%) patients exclusively had oocyte warming (41.6 ± 3.0 years, with 10.0 ± 5.2 oocytes warmed per patient). 52/231 (22.5%) patients exclusively had ART using fresh own oocytes (mean age of 39.0 ± 2.8 years, with 9.9 ± 7.4 mature oocytes retrieved per patient). CLBR was 37/90 (41.1%) in the oocyte warming-only group and 25/52 (48.1%) in the OS-only group. MR/transfer was 25.0% and 29.3% in the oocyte warming-only group and the OS-only group, respectively. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Both sample size and the retrospective design are limitations of this study. The decision to embark on a specific reproductive treatment strategy was based on patient preference, after counseling on their treatment options. This precludes direct comparison of the efficiency of reproductive treatment options in past EOC users in this study. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Reporting on clinical outcomes of women who underwent EOC and returned to the clinic to embark on divergent reproductive treatment strategies is mandatory to establish guidelines for best clinical practice in this growing patient population. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) None. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION How do plasma progesterone (P) and dydrogesterone (D) concentrations together with endometrial histology, transcriptomic signatures, and immune cell composition differ when oral dydrogesterone (O-DYD) or micronized vaginal progesterone (MVP) is used for luteal phase support (LPS)? SUMMARY ANSWER Although after O-DYD intake, even at steady-state, plasma D and 20αdihydrodydrogesterone (DHD) concentrations spiked in comparison to P concentrations, a similar endometrial signature was observed by histological and transcriptomic analysis of the endometrium. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY O-DYD for LPS has been proven to be noninferior compared to MVP in two phase III randomized controlled trials. Additionally, a combined individual participant data and aggregate data meta-analysis indicated that a higher pregnancy rate and live birth rate may be obtained in women receiving O-DYD versus MVP for LPS in fresh IVF/ICSI cycles. Little data are available on the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of O-DYD versus MVP and their potential molecular differences at the level of the reproductive organs, particularly at the endometrial level. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Thirty oocyte donors were planned to undergo two ovarian stimulation (OS) cycles with dual triggering (1.000 IU hCG + 0.2 mg triptorelin), each followed by 1 week of LPS: O-DYD or MVP, in a randomized, cross-over, double-blind, double-dummy fashion. On both the first and eighth days of LPS, serial blood samples upon first dosing were harvested for plasma D, DHD, and P concentration analyses. On Day 8 of LPS, an endometrial biopsy was collected for histologic examination, transcriptomics, and immune cell analysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS All oocyte donors were <35 years old, had regular menstrual cycles, no intrauterine contraceptive device, anti-Müllerian hormone within normal range and a BMI ≤29 kg/m2. OS was performed on a GnRH antagonist protocol followed by dual triggering (1.000 IU hCG + 0.2 mg triptorelin) as soon as ≥3 follicles of 20 mm were present. Following oocyte retrieval, subjects initiated LPS consisting of MVP 200 mg or O-DYD 10 mg, both three times daily. D, DHD, and P plasma levels were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Histological assessment was carried out using the Noyes criteria. Endometrial RNA-sequencing was performed for individual biopsies and differential gene expression was analyzed. Endometrial single-cell suspensions were created followed by flow cytometry for immune cell typing. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 21 women completed the entire study protocol. Subjects and stimulation characteristics were found to be similar between groups. Following the first dose of O-DYD, the average observed maximal plasma concentrations (C max) for D and DHD were 2.9 and 77 ng/ml, respectively. The C max for D and DHD was reached after 1.5 and 1.6 h (= T max), respectively. On the eighth day of LPS, the first administration of that day gave rise to a C max of 3.6 and 88 ng/ml for D and DHD, respectively. For both, the observed T max was 1.5 h. Following the first dose of MVP, the C max for P was 16 ng/ml with a T max of 4.2 h. On the eighth day of LPS, the first administration of that day showed a C max for P of 21 ng/ml with a T max of 7.3 h. All 42 biopsies showed endometrium in the secretory phase. The mean cycle day was 23.9 (±1.2) in the O-DYD group versus 24.0 (±1.3) in the MVP group. RNA-sequencing did not reveal significantly differentially expressed genes between samples of both study groups. The average Euclidean distance between samples following O-DYD was significantly lower than following MVP (respectively 12.1 versus 18.8, Mann–Whitney P  = 6.98e−14). Immune cell profiling showed a decrease of CD3 T-cell, γδ T-cell, and B-cell frequencies after MVP treatment compared to O-DYD, while the frequency of natural killer (NK) cells was significantly increased. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The main reason for caution is the small sample size, given the basic research nature of the project. The plasma concentrations are best estimates as this was not a formal PK study. Whole tissue bulk RNA-sequencing has been performed not correcting for bias caused by different tissue compositions across biopsies. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This is the first study comparing O-DYD/MVP, head-to-head, in a randomized design on a molecular level in IVF/ICSI. Plasma serum concentrations suggest that administration frequency is important, in addition to dose, specifically for O-DYD showing a rapid clearance. The molecular endometrial data are overall comparable and thus support the previously reported noninferior reproductive outcomes for O-DYD as compared to MVP. Further research is needed to explore the smaller intersample distance following O-DYD and the subtle changes detected in endometrial immune cells. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Not related to this work, C.Bl. has received honoraria for lectures, presentations, manuscript writing, educational events, or scientific advice from Abbott, Ferring, Organon, Cooper Surgical, Gedeon-Richter, IBSA, and Merck. H.T. has received honoraria for lectures, presentations, manuscript writing, educational events, or scientific advice from Abbott, Ferring, Cooper Surgical, Gedeon-Richter, Cook, and Goodlife. S.M. has received honoraria for lectures, presentations, educational events, or scientific advice from Abbott, Cooper Surgical, Gedeon-Richter, IBSA, and Merck and Oxolife. G.G. has received honoraria for lectures, presentations, educational events, or scientific advice from Merck, MSD, Organon, Ferring, Theramex, Gedeon-Richter, Abbott, Biosilu, ReprodWissen, Obseva, PregLem, Guerbet, Cooper, Igyxos, and OxoLife. S.V.-S. is listed as inventor on two patents (WO2019115755A1 and WO2022073973A1), which are not related to this work. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER EUDRACT 2018-000105-23 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P. Erdős et al. proved in 1990 that every nontrivial number has a continuum of expansions on two-letter alphabets in every base smaller than the Golden ratio, and that this property fails for the Golden ratio base. It was shown in a recent paper of Baiocchi et al. that if we replace the powers of the Golden ratio by the closely related Fibonacci sequence, then the resulting integer base expansions still have the continuum expansion property. The proof heavily relied on the special properties of the Golden ratio. The difficulty came from the fact that the new expansions do not have any more the ergodic structure of non-integer base expansions. In this paper we introduce a new "quasi-ergodic" approach that allows us to handle many more general cases. We apply this approach to Baker's generalized Golden ratios. • In small bases on two-letter alphabets each number has a continuum of expansions. • This property fails in the limiting case of the Golden ration base. • But the property was restored for the closely related Fibonacci expansions. • By a new approach we extend the last result for larger alphabets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing integration of software within medical devices introduces the potential for cybersecurity threats. How significant is this risk, and to what extent are citizens currently exposed? In this study, we adopt a new data-gathering methodology using datasets provided in Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS). This allowed us to perform an extensive analysis across over 36 countries within a 12-year range, searching 92 million public administration purchase records for potentially vulnerable medical devices. The findings reveal a concerning landscape wherein numerous medical devices purchased by national health services possessed or still possess 661 distinct vulnerabilities—more than half of which are deemed critical or high-severity. These vulnerabilities enable relatively simple attacks to impact data confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility severely. Even if patches were applied immediately upon discovery, these vulnerabilities would still result in roughly 3.2 years of system exposure from the time a device is purchased until a software vulnerability is announced, with all classes of devices affected, including high-risk IIB and III devices which accounts for 74% of instances. While a full analysis requires interactivity, this noninvasive methodology enables a large-scale study, emphasizing the need to move faster from the safety to the security of medical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-energy systems that combine different energy sources and carriers to improve the overall technical, economic, and environmental performance can boost the energy transition. In this paper we posit an innovative multi-energy system for green hydrogen production that achieves negative carbon emissions by combining bio-fuel membrane-integrated steam reforming and renewable electricity electrolysis. The system produces green hydrogen and carbon dioxide, both at high purity. We use thermo-chemical models to determine the system performance and optimal working parameters. Specifically, we focus on its ability to achieve negative carbon emissions. The results show that in optimal operating conditions the system can capture up to 14.1 g of CO 2 per MJ of stored hydrogen and achieves up to 70% storage efficiency. Therefore, we prove that a multi-energy system may reach the same efficiency of an average electrolyzer while implementing carbon capture. In the same optimal operating conditions the system converts 7.8 kg of biogas in 1 kg of hydrogen using 3.2 kg of oxygen coming from the production of 6.4 kg of hydrogen through the electrolyzer. With such ratios we estimate that the conversion of all the biogas produced in Europe with our system, could result in the installation of additional dedicated 800 GWp - 1280 GWp of photovoltaic power, or of 266 GWp - 532 GWp of wind power, without affecting the distribution grid and covering yearly the 45% of the worldwide hydrogen demand while removing from the atmosphere more than 2% of the European carbon dioxide emissions. • A Multi-energy system that produce hydrogen with negative CO 2 emissions. • More than 800 GWp of new photovoltaic power without grid burdens. • More than 800 GWp of new wind power without grid burdens. • Capture 56 Mton/year of CO 2 from the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the direct and inverse observability inequality for a network connecting one string with infinitely many beams, at a common point, in the case where the lengths of the beams are all equal. The observation is at the exterior node of the string and at the exterior nodes of all the beams except one. The proof is based on a careful analysis of the asymptotic behavior of the underlying eigenvalues and eigenfunctions, and on the use of a Ingham type theorem with weakened gap condition [C. Baiocchi, V. Komornik and P. Loreti, Acta Math. Hung.97 (2002) 55–95.]. On the one hand, the proof of the crucial gap condition already observed in the case where there is only one beam [K. Ammari, M. Jellouli and M. Mehrenberger, Networks Heterogeneous Media4 (2009) 2009.] is new and based on elementary monotonicity arguments. On the other hand, we are able to handle both the complication arising with the appearance of eigenvalues with unbounded multiplicity, due to the many beams case, and the terms coming from the weakened gap condition, arising when at least 2 beams are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive the model for fractional beam equations by making use of a modified constitutive assumption, that is the relationship between stress and strain depending on the creep compliance given by a fractional power-type function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that are encoded by endogenous miRNA genes and regulate gene expression through gene silencing, by inducing degradation of their target messenger RNA or by inhibiting its translation. Some miRNAs are mobile molecules inside the plant, and increasing experimental evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs represent molecules that are exchanged between plants, their pathogens, and parasitic plants. It has also been shown that miRNAs are secreted into the external growing medium and that these miRNAs regulate gene expression and the phenotype of nearby receiving plants, thus defining a new concept in plant communication. However, the mechanism of miRNA secretion and uptake by plant cells still needs to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our goal is to establish a hidden regularity result for solutions of time fractional Petrovsky systems. The order α of the Caputo fractional derivative belongs to the interval (1, 2). We achieve such result for a suitable class of weak solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC) it can origin from a mandibular odontogenic cyst. We report the case of a 63‐year‐old man with MEC of the right retromolar trigonum of the mandibula. We performed a wide mandibular excision and immediate reconstruction with a fibula bone free flap. Treatment of mandibular mucoepidermoid carcinoma central type can be carried out safely and aesthetical valid through a wide segmental mandibular excision with an immediate reconstruction with fibula bone‐free flap and a postoperative RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the Software Tool for the Analysis of Robustness in the unKnown environment (Stark), our Java tool for the specification, analysis and verification of robustness properties of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs). Stark includes: (i) a specification language for systems behaviour, perturbations, distances on systems behaviours, and requirements on systems behaviour expressed in the Robustness Temporal Logic (RobTL), a temporal logic for the specification and verification of properties on the evolution of distances between the behaviours of CPSs, and thus also of robustness properties; (ii) a module for the simulation of system behaviours and their perturbed versions; (iii) a module for the evaluation of distances between behaviours; (iv) a statistical model checker for RobTL formulae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods affected more than 2 billion people worldwide from 1998 to 2017 and their occurrence is expected to increase due to climate warming, population growth and rapid urbanization. Recent approaches for understanding the resilience of transportation networks when facing floods mostly use the framework of percolation but we show here on a realistic high-resolution flood simulation that it is inadequate. Indeed, the giant connected component is not relevant and instead, we propose to partition the road network in terms of accessibility of local towns and define new measures that characterize the impact of the flooding event. Our analysis allows to identify cities that will be pivotal during the flooding by providing to a large number of individuals critical services such as hospitalization services, food supply, etc. This approach is particularly relevant for practical risk management and will help decision makers for allocating resources in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient production of high purity hydrogen from reforming of natural or synthetic hydrocarbons is an enabling technology for the competitiveness of hydrogen-based systems. Specifically, fuel processors based on membrane-integrated reformers are one of the most promising technologies being potentially more efficient than state-of-the-art fuel processors. The effects of the operating parameters on the performance of the complete membrane-integrated fuel processor are relevant and have not been properly investigated, especially in terms of mutual interactions. Therefore, we analyze the effects of the pressure and temperature of the steam reforming reactor as well as of the steam to fuel and air to fuel ratios, on the system efficiency. To this aim, we use a steady state model developed in Aspen Plus® that implements a hybrid lumped-distributed parameter approach. To generalize our results to diverse system sizes and fuel compositions we conduct a dimensional analysis to express all the parameters in non-dimensional form. The results show that the fuel processor efficiency based on lower heating value varies between 75 % and 84 % as a function of the operating parameters. Notably, it always exceeds 75 % that is the reference value for a state-of-the-art fuel processor based on pressure swing adsorption purification. We also note that the retentate composition has a relevant impact on the fuel processor operation. Specifically, when the retentate is rich in fuel content the fuel processor can turn in exothermic regime or can suffer oxygen starvation in the catalytic oxidation reaction. However, when the fuel processor operates in regular conditions the only relevant mutual interaction is between the steam to fuel and air to fuel ratios. Also, the fuel processor efficiency is mostly sensitive to the operating temperature and to the steam to fuel ratio. The 770 °C optimal temperature implies that only dense ceramic membranes can be used to build a fuel processor that operates at the maximum possible efficiency. Finally, leveraging on such results we evaluate the preliminary design of an innovative tubular plug flow reactor with layer catalysts. [Display omitted] • The eciency of the membrane-integrated fuel processor varies between 75% and 84%. • The retentate composition has a relevant impact on the fuel processor operation. • The eciency is mostly sensitive to the temperature and to the steam to fuel ratio. • Dense ceramic membranes can withstand the optimal parameters of the fuel processor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogas needs to be reformed before electro-chemical conversion in the solid-oxide fuel cell, which can be promoted efficiently with wise thermal management and reforming conditions. To ensure the system safety and catalysts durability, additional mineral-bearing water and carbon deposition should be avoided. This paper conducted a detailed biogas-SOFC CHP system analysis considering four layouts, featuring hot and cold recirculation of the anode off-gas, partial oxidation and complete internal reforming. The process optimization and sensitivity analysis are performed with the design variables including the recirculation ratio, and external reformer temperature. The anode supported SOFC operates at 800 °C and 0.4 A/cm2 current density. The results show that pre-reforming with hot recirculation and cold recirculation schemes achieve the highest system efficiency between 56% and 63%. The pre-reforming with hot recirculation scheme has a broader self-sufficient water range eliminating the carbon deposition risk at the recirculation ratio of 42–78% and reforming temperature of 400–650 °C. The no pre-reforming with hot recirculation scheme achieves maximum system efficiency of 58% due to the fuel dilution. Moreover, the partial oxidation with hot recirculation scheme maximum efficiency is limited to 58.9%, given that the partial oxidation reaction is less efficient than steam and dry reforming reactions. The proposed system layout could demonstrate the feasibility of biogas-SOFC with different reforming options especially on small scale with high efficiency and optimal thermal integration opportunities. [Display omitted] • Four biogas reforming concepts evaluated for biogas-SOFC plants. • Operating windows obtained to avoid carbon deposition without external water fed. • Carbon deposition avoided with high reforming temperature and anode recirculation. • System efficiencies of cold and hot pre-reforming schemes achieve over 60%. • System efficiencies of partial oxidation and internal reforming schemes below 59%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of precisely computing the worst-case blocking time that tasks may experience is one of the fundamental issues of schedulability analysis of real-time applications. While exact methods have been proposed for more sophisticated protocols, the problem is indeed complex in case of the Priority Inheritance Protocol, even restricting the attention to uniprocessor systems, non-nested resource accesses, and non-self-suspending tasks. Besides a very simple method leading in general to loose upper bounds, only one algorithm of exponential complexity has been so far reported in literature to tighten such bounds. In this article, we describe a novel approach which, leveraging an operational research technique for modeling the problem, computes the same tight bounds in polynomial time. We then discuss the scenarios in which, assuming no conditional statements in the tasks’ code, the computed bounds derive from an actually impossible blocking chain, and we refine the initial model to more precisely compute the worst-case blocking times for any task set in any possible operating condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host-directed therapies aiming to strengthen the body's immune system, represent an underexplored opportunity to improve treatment of tuberculosis (TB). We have previously shown in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infection models and clinical trials that treatment with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, phenylbutyrate (PBA), can restore Mtb-induced impairment of antimicrobial responses and improve clinical outcomes in pulmonary TB. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of different groups of HDAC inhibitors to reduce Mtb growth in human immune cells. A panel of 21 selected HDAC inhibitors with different specificities that are known to modulate infection or inflammation was tested using high-content live-cell imaging and analysis. Monocyte-derived macrophages or bulk peripheral blood cells (PBMCs) were infected with the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Mtb strains H37Ra or H37Rv and treated with HDAC inhibitors in the micromolar range in parallel with a combination of the first-line antibiotics, rifampicin, and isoniazid. Host cell viability in HDAC inhibitor treated cell cultures was monitored with Cytotox-red. Seven HDAC inhibitors were identified that reduced Mtb growth in macrophages > 45–75% compared to average 40% for PBA. The most effective compounds were inhibitors of the class III HDAC proteins, the sirtuins. While these compounds may exhibit their effects by improving macrophage function, one of the sirtuin inhibitors, tenovin, was also highly effective in extracellular killing of Mtb bacilli. Antimicrobial synergy testing using checkerboard assays revealed additive effects between selected sirtuin inhibitors and subinhibitory concentrations of rifampicin or isoniazid. A customized macrophage RNA array including 23 genes associated with cytokines, chemokines and inflammation, suggested that Mtb-infected macrophages are differentially modulated by the sirtuin inhibitors as compared to PBA. Altogether, these results demonstrated that sirtuin inhibitors may be further explored as promising host-directed compounds to support immune functions and reduce intracellular growth of Mtb in human cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove a "hidden" regularity result for weak solutions of time fractional diffusion-wave equations where the Caputo fractional derivative is of order α ∈ (1, 2). To establish such result we analyse the regularity properties of the weak solutions in suitable interpolation spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In partnership with the Regional Co‐operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA), the IAEA has been supporting Member States in the Asia and Pacific region to prepare, initiate and expand radiotherapy services safely and effectively. Education and training are essential components in IAEA‐RCA projects and have been delivered through various initiatives both online and offline. In addition to building capacity and enabling technology transfer, these initiatives provided opportunities to foster collaboration at the regional level, leading to the initiation of professional societies and education/training schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cryptococcal meningitis is a leading cause of HIV-related mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, however, screening for cryptococcal antigenemia has not been universally implemented. As a result, data concerning cryptococcal meningitis and antigenemia are sparse, and in Mozambique, the prevalence of both are unknown. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data from a point-of-care cryptococcal antigen screening program at a public hospital in Maputo, Mozambique. HIV-positive patients admitted to the emergency department underwent CD4 count testing; those with pre-defined abnormal vital signs or CD4 count ≤ 200 cells/μL received cryptococcal antigen testing and lumbar punctures if indicated. Patients with CM were admitted to the hospital and treated with liposomal amphotericin B and flucytosine; their 12-week outcomes were ascertained through review of medical records or telephone contact by program staff made in the routine course of service delivery. Results: Among 1,795 patients screened for cryptococcal antigenemia between March 2018—March 2019, 134 (7.5%) were positive. Of patients with cryptococcal antigenemia, 96 (71.6%) were diagnosed with CM, representing 5.4% of all screened patients. Treatment outcomes were available for 87 CM patients: 24 patients (27.6%) died during induction treatment and 63 (72.4%) survived until discharge; of these, 38 (60.3%) remained in care, 9 (14.3%) died, and 16 (25.3%) were lost-to follow-up at 12 weeks. Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia and meningitis among patients screened at an emergency department in Maputo, Mozambique. High mortality during and after induction therapy demonstrate missed opportunities for earlier detection of cryptococcal antigenemia, even as point-of-care screening and rapid assessment in an emergency room offer potential to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The major consequence of hypoxia is a dramatic reduction in energy production. At the onset of hypoxia, both oxygen and ATP availability decrease. Oxygen and energy sensing therefore converge to induce an adaptive response at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Oxygen sensing results in stabilization of the transcription factors that activate hypoxia‐response genes, including enzymes required for efficient sugar metabolism, allowing plants to produce enough energy to ensure survival. The translation of the resulting mRNAs is mediated by SnRK1, acting as an energy sensor. However, as soon as the sugar availability decreases, a homeostatic mechanism, detecting sugar starvation, dampens the hypoxia‐dependent transcription to reduce energy consumption and preserves carbon reserves for regrowth when oxygen availability is restored. See also the Editorial on this article by Sasidharan et al., 229: 5–7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral equivalences were introduced as a simple and elegant proof methodology for establishing whether the behavior of two processes cannot be distinguished by an external observer. The knowledge of observers usually depends on the observations that they can make on process behavior. Furthermore, the combination of nondeterminism and probability in concurrent systems leads to several interpretations of process behavior. Clearly, different kinds of observations as well as different interpretations lead to different kinds of behavioral relations, such as (bi)simulations, traces and testing. If we restrict our attention to linear properties only, we can identify three main approaches to trace and testing semantics: the trace distributions , the trace-by-trace and the extremal probabilities approaches. In this paper, we propose novel notions of behavioral metrics that are based on the three classic approaches above, and that can be used to measure the disparities in the linear behavior of processes with respect to trace and testing semantics. We study the properties of these metrics, like compositionality (expressed in terms of the non-expansiveness property), and we compare their expressive powers. More precisely, we compare them also to (bi)simulation metrics, thus obtaining the first metric linear time – branching time spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embryonic cell fate specification and axis patterning requires integration of several signaling pathways that orchestrate region-specific gene expression. The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) plays important roles during early development, but it is unclear how Stat3 is activated. Here, using Xenopus as a model, we analyzed the post-translational regulation and functional consequences of Stat3 activation in dorsoventral axis patterning. We show that Stat3 phosphorylation, lysine methylation, and transcriptional activity increase before gastrulation and induce ventral mesoderm formation. Down syndrome critical region gene 6 (DSCR6), a RIPPLY family member that induces dorsal mesoderm by releasing repressive polycomb group proteins from chromatin, bound to the Stat3 C-terminal region and antagonized its transcriptional and ventralizing activities by interfering with its lysine methylation. Enhancer of zeste 2 polycombrepressive complex 2 subunit (Ezh2) also bound to this region; however, its methyltransferase activity was required for Stat3 methylation and activation. Loss of Ezh2 resulted in dorsalization of ventral mesoderm and formation of a secondary axis. Furthermore, interference with Ezh2 phosphorylation also prevented Stat3 lysine methylation and transcriptional activity. Thus, inhibition of either Ezh2 phosphorylation or Stat3 lysine methylation compensated for the absence of DSCR6 function. These results reveal that DSCR6 and Ezh2 critically and posttranslationally regulate Stat3 transcriptional activity. Ezh2 promotes Stat3 activation in ventral mesoderm formation independently of epigenetic regulation, whereas DSCR6 specifies dorsal fate by counteracting this ventralizing activity. This antagonism helps pattern the mesoderm along the dorsoventral axis, representing a critical facet of cell identity regulation during development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gathering ecological data for species of conservation concern inhabiting remote regions can be daunting and, sometimes, logistically infeasible. We built a custom-made GPS tracking device that allows to remotely and accurately collect animal position, environmental, and ecological data, including animal temperature and UVB radiation. We designed the device to track the critically endangered Galápagos pink land iguana, Conolophus marthae. Here we illustrate some technical solutions adopted to respond to challenges associated with such task and present some preliminary results from controlled trial experiments and field implementation. Results: Our tests show that estimates of temperature and UVB radiation are affected by the design of our device, in particular by its casing. The introduced bias, though, is systematic and can be corrected using linear and quadratic regressions on collected values. Our data show that GPS accuracy loss, although introduced by vegetation and orientation of the devices when attached to the animals, is acceptable, leading to an average error gap of less than 15 m in more than 50% of the cases. Conclusions: We address some technical challenges related to the design, construction, and operation of a custom-made GPS tracking device to collect data on animals in the wild. Systematic bias introduced by the technological implementation of the device exists. Understanding the nature of the bias is crucial to provide correction models. Although designed to track land iguanas, our device could be used in other circumstances and is particularly useful to track organisms inhabiting locations that are difficult to reach or for which classic telemetry approaches are unattainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, hypoxia can be induced by submergence, and the lack of oxygen impairs mitochondrial respiration, thus affecting the plant's energy status. Hypoxia has major effects on gene expression; these changes induce key responses that help meet the needs of the stressed plant. However, little is known about the possible role of RNA signaling in the regulation of gene expression under limited oxygen availability. Here, we report the contribution of ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) to hypoxia-induced gene regulation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Submergence induced changes in levels of the microRNAs miR2936 and miR398, but this had no obvious effects on their putative target mRNA levels. However, we found that ago1-27 plants are intolerant to submergence and transcriptome analysis identified genes whose regulation requires functional AGO1. Analysis of mutants affected in various branches of RNA signaling highlighted the convergence of AGO1 signaling with the AGO4-dependent RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway. AGO4-dependent RdDM represses the expression of HOMOLOG OF RPW8 4 (HR4) and alters its response to submergence. Remarkably, methylation of the second exon of HR4 is not only reduced in ago4-1 but also in plants overexpressing a constitutively stable version of the oxygen sensor RELATED TO APETALA2 12 (RAP2.12), indicating convergence of oxygen signaling with epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Therefore, our results identify a role for AGO1 and AGO4 RNA-silencing pathways in low-oxygen signaling in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "High burden of cryptococcal antigenemia and meningitis among patients presenting at an emergency department in Maputo, Mozambique." The correction addresses errors in the Funding and Competing Interests statements. The correct statements clarify that the work was conducted with resources and funding provided by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in collaboration with the Mozambican Ministry of Health (MoH). MSF provided support in the form of salaries for several authors and programmatic funding for laboratory testing and database management. The authors declare no competing interests or associations with patents or marketed products. [Extracted from the article]

We consider a solution u to an initial boundary value problem in a bounded domain Ω over a time interval (0 , T) for a time-fractional wave equation where the order of time derivative is between 1 and 2. We prove that if u | ω × (0 , T) = 0 for arbitrarily chosen subdomain ω ⊂ Ω , then u = 0 in Ω × (0 , T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the intra-day variation of serum progesterone related to vaginal progesterone administration on the day of frozen embryo transfer (FET) in an artificial cycle? A prospective cohort study was conducted including 22 patients undergoing a single blastocyst artificial cycle (AC)–FET from August to December 2022. Endometrial preparation was achieved by administering oestradiol valerate (2 mg three times daily) and consecutively micronized vaginal progesterone (MVP; 400 mg twice daily). A blastocyst FET was performed on the 6th day of MVP administration. Serum progesterone concentrations were measured on the day of transfer at 08:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00 hours. The first and last blood samples were collected just before MVP was administered. The mean age and body mass index of the study population were 33.95 ± 3.98 years and 23.10 ± 1.95 kg/m2. The mean P -values at 08:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00 hours were 11.72 ± 4.99, 13.59 ± 6.33, 10.23 ± 3.81 and 9.28 ± 3.09 ng/ml, respectively. A significant decline, of 2.41 ng/ml (95% confidence interval 0.81–4.00), was found between the first and last progesterone measurements. A statistically significant intra-day variation of serum progesterone concentrations on the day of FET in artificially prepared cycles was observed. This highlights the importance of a standardized procedure for the timing of progesterone measurement on the day of AC–FET. Of note, the study results are applicable only to women using MVP for luteal phase support; therefore it is necessary to confirm its validity in comparison with the different existing administration routes of progesterone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) by the LGBTQ+ community, especially among lesbian couples, challenges societal norms and promotes inclusivity. The reception of oocytes from partner (ROPA) technique enables both female partners to have a biological connection to their child. A systematic review was conducted of the literature on ROPA IVF to provide the latest data and a SWOT analysis was subsequently performed to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with ROPA IVF. Publications from 2000 to 2023 with relevant keywords were reviewed and 16 records were included. Five studies provided clinical information on couples who used ROPA IVF. ROPA IVF provides a unique opportunity for a biological connection between the child and both female partners and addresses concerns related to oocyte donation and anonymity. Weaknesses include limited cost-effectiveness data and unresolved practical implications. Opportunities lie in involving both partners in parenthood, advancing ART success rates and mitigating risks. Threats encompass increased pregnancy complications, ethical concerns, insufficient safety data, legal or cultural barriers, and emotional stress. In conclusion, ROPA IVF offers a promising solution for lesbian couples seeking to create a family in which both partners want to establish a biological connection with their child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The backbone infrastructure of an assisted living system for elderly is presented. • Smart object's interoperability is realized through a semantic message routing engine. • The decision support system combines Complex Event Processing and Event Calculus. • The adopted approach simplifies the formulation of temporal properties. • A practical overview of some relevant real-world scenarios is provided. Abstract While the increasing average age of population is posing new challenges to societies and healthcare systems, the emergence of the Internet of Things research area is generating the hope for automated assisted environments, which could combine the advances in sensors networks with that of runtime monitoring systems, in order to create smart houses able to take care of their older inhabitants and delay the recourse to hospitals and nursing homes. However, although various assisted living systems have been proposed in the last decade, the goal of realizing an effective domestic support system for elderly is still far from reached. In this work, we present a project aiming to re-engineer a set of everyday life objects, equipping them with environmental and wearable sensors, thus to monitor the condition of older people in their domestic residences and provide security while preserving the autonomy and independence of the subjects. The main focus of the paper at hand is on the requirements and solutions implemented to realize the backbone infrastructure of such system as regards both the adopted semantic message routing mechanism and the newly conceived approach to event analysis, which combines Complex Event Processing and a reactive implementation of Event Calculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cogeneration power plants based on fuel cells are a promising technology to produce electric and thermal energy with reduced costs and environmental impact. The most mature fuel cell technology for this kind of applications are polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, which require high-purity hydrogen. The most common and least expensive way to produce hydrogen within today's energy infrastructure is steam reforming of natural gas. Such a process produces a syngas rich in hydrogen that has to be purified to be properly used in low temperature fuel cells. However, the hydrogen production and purification processes strongly affect the performance, the cost, and the complexity of the energy system. Purification is usually performed through pressure swing adsorption, which is a semi-batch process that increases the plant complexity and incorporates a substantial efficiency penalty. A promising alternative option for hydrogen purification is the use of selective metal membranes that can be integrated in the reactors of the fuel processing plant. Such a membrane separation may improve the thermo-chemical performance of the energy system, while reducing the power plant complexity, and potentially its cost. Herein, we perform a technical analysis, through thermo-chemical models, to evaluate the integration of Pd-based H 2 -selective membranes in different sections of the fuel processing plant: (i) steam reforming reactor, (ii) water gas shift reactor, (iii) at the outlet of the fuel processor as a separator device. The results show that a drastic fuel processing plant simplification is achievable by integrating the Pd-membranes in the water gas shift and reforming reactors. Moreover, the natural gas reforming membrane reactor yields significant efficiency improvements. Highlights • Efficient fuel processing is pivotal for high efficiency FC-based cogeneration. • Syngas purification impacts the system efficiency, complexity, and costs. • Pd-based membrane reactors reduce the plant complexity and improve the efficiency. • 84% natural gas reforming efficiency with membrane integrated in the reformer reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Thermally drive refrigeration integrated with low temperature FC. • Thermo chemical modeling of half effect absorption chillers. • The behavior of the energy systems is studied in real energy management scenarios. • The control strategy optimized through a graph-based methodology. • Absorption chiller boosts environmental and economic benefits of cogeneration. Abstract Fuel cell based trigeneration plants, that utilize absorption chillers to convert waste heat into cooling energy, are a promising technology to satisfy heat, power, and cooling demand in warm climates. Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, that operate at low temperature (< 100 ° C), are the most technologically mature among the several types of fuel cells. Thermally activated cooling technologies are widely utilized in trigeneration plants to improve their efficiency. However, absorption chillers require relatively high grade thermal energy and their coupling with low temperature fuel cells is relatively untapped. Herein, we perform a techno-economic analysis of a trigeneration plant based on low temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and half-effect absorption chillers. A thermo-chemical model is developed to estimate the performance of a cogeneration plant based on low temperature fuel cells and of the half-effect absorption chiller. The behavior of such combined heat, cooling, and power plant is also analyzed within real energy management scenarios, considering different energy demands, climatic conditions, energy costs, and plant layouts. The control strategy of the power plant is optimized through a graph-based methodology previously developed and validated by the authors. Total energy cost and CO 2 emissions are then compared to those of a reference scenario where electricity is acquired from the distribution grid, thermal energy is produced through a natural gas boiler, and a mechanical chiller is used for cooling. The results show that the utilization of half-effect absorption chillers boosts the environmental and economic benefits for all the considered scenarios. We also demonstrate that the utilization of the absorption chiller reduces the imbalance between the results obtained for the different scenarios (i.e. climates), although economic and environmental benefits associated to distributed generation are strongly influenced by the energy context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we solve in the convergence set, the fractional logistic equation making use of Euler’s numbers. To our knowledge, the answer is still an open question. The key point is that the coefficients can be connected with Euler’s numbers, and then they can be explicitly given. The constrained of our approach is that the formula is not valid outside the convergence set. The idea of the proof consists to explore some analogies with logistic function and Euler’s numbers, and then to generalize them in the fractional case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dependence of the strength of agglomerates on material properties, interfacial properties and structure of the agglomerate is critical in many processes involving agglomerates. For example, for manufacturing of pharmaceutical tablets and pellets with dry granulation, understanding the relationship between the ribbon properties and the properties of granules is critical in controlling the granulation behaviour, and the ribbon properties (e.g. tensile strength and density distribution) is determined by the material properties of feed powders, interfacial properties between particles and the process condition, which determine the structure of ribbons. This study aims to investigate the effect of surface energy and porosity on the bending strength of pharmaceutical ribbons, for which three-dimensional discrete element modelling with a cohesive particle model based upon the JKR theory was performed. Simulations were carried out using specimens of various porosities and surface energies. The dependence of the bending strength on the surface energy and the ribbon porosity was examined. It was found that there is a strong correlation between the bending strength with the porosity and the surface energy. In particular, the bending strength is proportional to the surface energy and is an exponential function of the porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article (West, 2015), the author has obtained a function as the solution to fractional logistic equation (FLE). As demonstrated later in Area et al. (2016), this function (West function) is not the solution to FLE, but nevertheless as shown by West, it is in good agreement with the numerical solution to FLE. The West function indicates a compelling feature, in which the exponentials are substituted by Mittag-Leffler functions. In this paper, a modified fractional logistic equation (MFLE) is introduced, to which the West function is a solution. The proposed fractional integro-differential equation possesses a nonlinear additive term related to the solution of the logistic equation (LE). The method utilized in this article, may be applied to the analysis of solutions to nonlinear fractional differential equations of mathematical physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The order of fractional differential equations (FDEs) has been proved to be of great importance in an accurate simulation of the system under study. In this paper, the orders of some classes of linear FDEs are determined by using the asymptotic behaviour of their solutions. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the decay rate of the solutions is influenced by the order of fractional derivatives. Numerical investigations are conducted into the proven formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulnar tunnel syndrome indicates ulnar neuropathy at different sites within the wrist. Several classifications of ulnar tunnel syndrome are present in literature, based upon typical nerve anatomy. However, anatomical variations are not uncommon and can complicate assessment. The etiology is also complex, due to the numerous potential causes of entrapment. Clinical examination, neurophysiological testing, and imaging are all used to support the diagnosis. At present, many therapeutic approaches are available, ranging from observation to surgical management. Although ulnar neuropathy at the wrist has undergone extensive prior study, unresolved questions on diagnosis and treatment remain. In the current paper, we review relevant literature and present the current knowledge on ulnar tunnel syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants respond to hypoxia, often caused by submergence, by expressing a specific set of genes that contribute to acclimation to this unfavorable environmental condition. Genes induced by low oxygen include those encoding enzymes for carbohydrate metabolism and fermentation, pathways that are required for survival. Sugar availability is therefore of crucial importance for energy production under hypoxia. Here, we show that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants require starch for surviving submergence as well as for ensuring the rapid induction of genes encoding enzymes required for anaerobic metabolism. The starchless pgm mutant is highly susceptible to submergence and also fails to induce anaerobic genes at the level of the wild type. Treating wild-type plants under conditions inducing sugar starvation results in a weak induction of alcohol dehydrogenase and other anaerobic genes. Induction of gene expression under hypoxia requires transcription factors belonging to group VII ethylene response factors (ERF-VII) that, together with plant Cys oxidases, act as an oxygen-sensing mechanism. We show that repression of this pathway by sugar starvation occurs downstream of the hypoxia-dependent stabilization of ERF-VII proteins and independently of the energy sensor protein kinases SnRK1.1 (SNF1-related kinase 1.1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In hopyard management, surplus shoots are generally considered a useless by-product once hop bine training has been completed. Considering the rising interest towards healthy and traditional foods, they may be a valuable resource, especially for small scale hop farming. Despite this economic and nutritional interest, there is a lack of information about hop shoot yield potential both in the heartlands and new growing areas such as the Mediterranean basin. A 2-year field trial was conducted in Central Italy to investigate the shoot yield potential of nine commercial hop cultivars and how this yield is related to other traits such as earliness of shoot emergence and shoot number and weight. Cone yield potential was also assessed. The results showed that there was significant variability among the genotypes for all characters investigated. Cascade was the highest yielding variety producing 470 g of cones per plant (two-year mean) at 10% moisture. The number of shoots per plant varied from 14 of H. Aroma to 29 of Cascade over a two year average, while green shoot yield ranged from 15 g per plant of H. Aroma in 2014 to 37.5 g per plant of Cascade in 2013. Marketable shoot yield was positively correlated with number of shoots, while no significant correlation was found with average shoot weight. Since the number of shoots was negatively correlated with growing degree days (GDD) to shoot emergence, the early emerging genotypes such as Cascade, Yeoman and H. Magnum outperformed the other cultivars when grown in the Mediterranean environment for shoot production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic soft tissue wounds of the lower limbs are debilitating, painful and often unresponsive to advanced dressing treatments. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) could represent an alternative treatment. Ten patients with chronic soft tissue wounds of the legs, unresponsive to advanced dressing treatments for more than 3 mo, underwent three defocused ESWT sessions at 72-h intervals. In every session, the sum of 300 standard pulses + 100 pulses per square centimeter was applied at 0.15 mJ/mm2 and 4 Hz over the edge of the wound. The wound size in square centimeters, Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool and visual analogue scale were used as outcome measures. A significant reduction in wound size and Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool and visual analogue scale values from pre-treatment to 90 d was observed. Seven of ten ulcers healed completely and nine of ten patients reported complete pain relief. Defocused ESWT represents a non-invasive, feasible strategy for difficult-to-treat soft tissue wounds of the lower limbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusion is a candidate base-load and load-following energy source for the future carbon-free energy mix, and stellarators are promising magnetic fusion reactors. Unlike all other fusion devices, which are pulsed, the stellarator is inherently steady-state. Thus it requires a different downstream power conversion system compared to tokamaks. In this paper, we conceive and optimize such a system for a stellarator power plant equipped with plasma-facing liquid metal walls in the 700–900 °C temperature range. We rely on a supercritical CO 2 Brayton–Rankine Combined Cycle, and optimize the power plant via a genetic algorithm. We also compare the effect of the characteristic parameters on the stellarator performance. The efficiency of the power conversion system is 51% and net electrical efficiency of the complete plant (including reactor auxiliaries) is 34%. Such figures are remarkably higher compared to the state-of-the-art designs in the field of thermo-nuclear fusion plants, considering that the most optimistic and recent estimate foresee a heat-to-power conversion efficiency of about 34% for tokamak-like reactors. Finally, we discuss the technical feasibility of the two most critical components for operations: (i) the large-scale supercritical CO 2 Gas Turbine, and (ii) the compact heat exchanger for the Brayton cycle. We obtain compact machines since the maximum diameter calculated for the s-CO 2 compressor is about 1.2 m with a rotational speed of 3000 rpm, and the volume required to accommodate the heat exchange surface could achieve 40 m 3 with an area density of 7900 m 2 /m 3. • Supercritical CO2 Brayton–Rankine Combined Cycle for nuclear fusion application. • Higher than 50% global power conversion system efficiency. • Higher than 35% steady state fusion power conversion rate. • Preliminary design of critical system (turbo-machinery, heat exchangers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our goal is to show partial observability results for coupled systems with memory terms. To this end, by means of non-harmonic analysis techniques we prove Theorem 3.2 and Theorem 3.7 below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plant species cannot survive prolonged submergence or soil waterlogging. Crops are particularly intolerant to the lack of oxygen arising from submergence. Rice can instead germinate and grow even if submerged. The molecular basis for rice tolerance was recently unveiled and will contribute to the development of better rice varieties, well adapted to flooding. The oxygen sensing mechanism was also recently discovered. This system likely operates in all plant species and relies on the oxygen-dependent destabilization of the group VII ethylene response factors (ERFVIIs), a cluster of ethylene responsive transcription factors. An homeostatic mechanism that controls gene expression in plants subjected to hypoxia prevents excessive activation of the anaerobic metabolism that could be detrimental to surviving the stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider Trigonometric series with real exponents λk: Σk=1+∞ xkeiλkt. Under an assumption on the gapγM between λk, we show the inequality ... and we show for a class of problems that the limit as leads to the Parseval's equality. The role of constants cM in the above formula is one of the key points of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]