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Interleukin-18 (IL-18) serves a dual function in the immune system, acting as a "double-edged sword" cytokine. Depending on the microenvironment and timing, IL-18 can either drive harmful inflammation or restore immune homeostasis. Pathologies characterized by elevated IL-18, recently proposed to be termed IL-18opathies, highlight the therapeutic potential for IL-18 blockade. IL-18 Binding Protein (IL-18BP) is one of only four natural cytokine antagonists encoded by a separate gene, distinguishing it from canonical soluble receptors. IL-18BP's exceptionally high affinity and slow dissociation rate make it an effective regulator of IL-18, essential for maintaining immune balance and influencing disease outcomes, and positions IL-18BP as a promising alternative to more aggressive treatments that carry risks of severe infections and other complications. Tadekinig alfa, the drug form of IL-18BP, represents a targeted therapy that modulates the IL-18/IL-18BP axis, offering a safe adverse-effect-free option. With orphan drug designation, Phase III clinical trial completion, and seven years of compassionate use, Tadekinig alfa holds promise in treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and genetically linked disorders. Levels of IL-18, free IL-18 and IL-18BP, may serve as biomarkers for disease severity and therapeutic response. Given its pivotal role in immune balance, the IL-18/IL-18BP dyad has attracted interest from over ten pharmaceutical companies and startups, which are currently developing innovative strategies to either inhibit or enhance IL-18 activity depending on the therapeutic need. The review focuses on the features of the dyad members and screens the therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is one of the most destructive wheat diseases worldwide. Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum Desf.) is a crucial gene donor for improving common wheat. Results: In this study, we investigated a durum wheat accession, DR88, which exhibits broad and high levels of resistance to powdery mildew. Using bulked segregant RNA-Seq (BSR-Seq), we identified a dominant gene, tentatively designated PmDR88, and localized it to 743–776 Mb interval on chromosome arm 2AL according to the reference genome of durum wheat cv. Svevo. Subsequently, PmDR88 was mapped in a genetic region of 3.9 cM flanked by the markers WGRE77410 and WGRC872 at genetic distances of 1.6 and 2.3 cM, respectively; it also co-segregated with JS717×JS718, the diagnostic marker for the Pm4 locus. Genotyping of a large population comprising 5,174 F2:3 families using JS717×JS718 confirmed that PmDR88 is located at the Pm4 locus on 2AL. Sequence alignment revealed that PmDR88 shares identical amino acid sequences with Pm4d, while qRT-PCR analysis suggested distinct expression patterns for PmDR88 compared with previously reported Pm4 alleles. Two complementary DNA markers, including the dominant co-segregating marker JS717×JS718 and a newly developed closely-linked co-dominant marker WGRE77410, were confirmed to be available for efficiently transferring PmDR88 into the tested wheat backgrounds by marker-assisted selection (MAS) strategy. Conclusions: PmDR88 was mapped in the Pm4 locus. Despite sharing identical amino acid sequences with Pm4d, PmDR88 exhibits distinct expression patterns. Moreover, DR88 shows broad and high levels of resistance to powdery mildew. Two complementary DNA markers were identified for MAS breeding. The molecular identification of PmDR88 will facilitate transfer of this Pm4 allele into susceptible cultivars for resistance improvement or into resistant cultivars for resistance-enhanced pyramiding breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tong sheep, known for their superior meat quality and disease resilience, face breeding challenges due to low prolificacy, unlike Hu sheep, which exhibit higher fertility and growth rates. This study identified over 700,000 genetic variants between these breeds through pooled whole-genome sequencing. Functional analysis reveals key differences in pathways related to fat metabolism, insulin signaling, and cell cycle regulation. Notable findings include unique microRNA variants (miR-1185-3p in Tong sheep and miR-487-5p in Hu sheep), with the miR-487-5p mutation potentially regulating KITLG, a fertility-related gene. These results suggest that non-coding RNA mutations contribute to phenotypic differences and provide a genomic foundation for molecular-assisted selection to improve Tong sheep breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mahila Arogya Samiti (MAS) is one of the key interventions under National Urban Health Mission aimed at improving the reach and utilization of health services among vulnerable and marginalized population in urban areas. Objectives: The study was done to assess the functioning of Mahila Arogya Samiti in Indore city which included the no. of households covered by MAS, there reason behind joining MAS, awareness of role and responsibilities of MAS among its members, awareness and utilization of untied funds. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done using a pretested structured Questionnaire to interview health care workers involved in Mahila Arogya Samiti like Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs), AWWs, Anganwadi Helpers(AWH), Chairperson and other MAS members maintaining their confidentiality. Results: 18(64.3%) ASHA, 15(57.7%) AWW(Anganwadi worker) said that MAS covers greater than 200 households. 91(41.72%) MAS members joined MAS because they were told by ASHA to do so. Majority of Chairperson 17(60.71%) roles and responsibility include ensuring regular monthly meetings of MAS, supporting ASHA in her functions. Conclusion: MAS was present and functional in most of the areas covered, there was little proactive participation of all the MAS members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Computed Tomography (CT) of the abdomen is one of the most frequently performed scans in adults for various abdominal pathologies. Its popularity stems from the immediate image reconstruction following acquisition. However, CT scans are known for their high radiation doses compared to other diagnostic X-ray procedures. This study aimed to analyze the effective dose in patients with varying body habitus during multidetector CT of the abdomen using automatic exposure control. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging from February 2017 to March 2018. Patients aged 18 and older, regardless of gender, undergoing routine Contrast-Enhanced CT (CECT) of the abdomen were included. Participants were categorized into three groups based on Body Mass Index (BMI): normal weight, overweight, and obese. RESULTS: A total of 168 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 49.8 ± 15.6 years, predominantly male (66.1%). Obese individuals exhibited significantly higher effective dose values (16.57 ± 2.27 mSv) compared to normal weight (9.45 ± 0.92 mSv) and overweight individuals (11.88 ± 0.77 mSv) (p < 0.01). Similarly, obese patients had significantly higher values for Computed Tomography Dose Index Volume (CTDIvol) (18.32 ± 2.54 mGy) and Dose Length Product (DLP) (1104.86 ± 151.84 mGycm) compared to normal weight (CTDIvol: 11.38 ± 1.24 mGy; DLP: 630.55 ± 61.57 mGycm) and overweight individuals (CTDIvol: 13.56 ± 1.15 mGy; DLP: 792.37 ± 51.56 mGy*cm) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The effective dose received by obese patients during abdominal CT exams with Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) is nearly double that of normal-weight patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of the scattering of an arbitrarily oriented and located Hertzian dipole from an impedance cavity with a circular aperture satisfying different impedance values at inner and outer spherical surfaces is solved with a method of auxiliary sources (MAS). The study of that canonical problem with Leontovich boundary conditions answers the effects of the location of the excitation, aperture size, and boundary conditions on the resonance and radiation characteristics of the semi-opened spherical cavity. The proposed approach employs the distribution of the two perpendicular Hertzian dipoles on auxiliary surfaces representing the scattered field inside and outside the spherical cavity with a circular aperture. As the numerical results, the total radar cross section and the near field distributions are provided for different cases including the aperture size, source location, and boundary conditions. The resonance characteristics are analyzed. The method is validated by other approaches for the limit cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of combining transcranial direct current stimulation with end-effector robot-assisted treatment on upper limb function, spasticity, and hand dexterity in chronic stroke patients. Design: This was a prospective, double-blind randomized trial with 20 equally allocated stroke patients. The experimental group received dual transcranial direct current stimulation (anode over affected M1, cathode over contralateral M1) alongside robot-assisted treatment, while the control group received sham transcranial direct current stimulation with the same electrode placement + robot-assisted treatment. Each patient underwent 20 combined transcranial direct current stimulation and robot-assisted treatment sessions. The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Upper Limb motor score, with secondary outcomes including AMADEO kinematic measures, Action Research Arm Test, and Functional Independence Measure. Assessments were conducted at baseline, after rehabilitation, and 3 mos later. Results: Combining bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation with robot-assisted treatment did not yield additional improvements in Fugl Meyer Upper Limb motor score, Functional Independence Measure, or Action Research Arm Test scores among stroke patients. However, the real transcranial direct current stimulation group showed enhanced finger flexion in the affected hand based on AMADEO kinematic measures. Conclusions: The addition of transcranial direct current stimulation to robot-assisted treatment did not result in significant overall functional improvements in chronic stroke patients. However, a benefit was observed in finger flexion of the affected hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a major disease of wheat in North America. FHB infection causes fusarium damaged kernels (FDKs), accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON) in the grain, and a reduction in quality and grain yield. Inheritance of FHB resistance is complex and involves multiple genes. The objective of this research was to identify QTL associated with native FHB and DON resistance in a 'D8006W'/'Superior', soft white winter wheat population. Results: Phenotyping was conducted in replicated FHB field disease nurseries across multiple environments and included assessments of morphological and FHB related traits. Parental lines had moderate FHB resistance, however, the population showed transgressive segregation. A 1913.2 cM linkage map for the population was developed with SNP markers from the wheat 90 K Infinium iSelect SNP array. QTL analysis detected major FHB resistance QTL on chromosomes 2D, 4B, 5A, and 7A across multiple environments, with resistance from both parents. Trait specific unique QTL were detected on chromosomes 1A (visual traits), 5D (FDK), 6B (FDK and DON), and 7D (DON). The plant height and days to anthesis QTL on chromosome 2D coincided with Ppd-D1 and were linked with FHB traits. The plant height QTL on chromosome 4B was also linked with FHB traits; however, the Rht-B1 locus did not segregate in the population. Conclusions: This study identified several QTL, including on chromosome 2D linked with Ppd-D1, for FHB resistance in a native winter wheat germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motile aeromonad septicemia (MAS), caused by the Aeromonas species, has been a serious problem in fish health management, particularly in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). This study characterized an Aeromonas species isolated from farmed tilapia fingerlings in Binangonan, Rizal, Philippines, and tested for its pathogenicity in tank trials. The isolate, designated as Aeromonas veronii DFR01 (Diseased Fish Rizal), was identified based on 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, 16S rRNA homology, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Its biochemical profile was generated from API and Biolog Gen III systems. A median lethal dose of A. veronii DFR01 was determined to be 107 CFU/mL in tank trials and was utilized as a whole-cell inactivated antigen for oral vaccine development. The immunized tilapia fingerlings produced elevated levels of immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the blood as determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There was a significant increase in IgM levels 14 days post-vaccination. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed increasing levels of IgM gene expression after vaccination until 38 days of culture. Vaccinated fish showed 25–35% cumulative mortality after the challenge, while non-vaccinated-challenged fish showed 75% mortality. The findings of this research suggest that the fish oral vaccine may prove beneficial for farmed tilapia populations. The vaccine elicited improved immune responses in the fish and resulted in higher survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon is classified as either pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) or non-PCNA on the basis of the loss of astringency in fruit. PCNA trait of persimmon has attracted much research attention owing to its economical merit, as there is no cost in removing astringency. To efficiently develop new PCNA cultivars in crossbreeding, marker-assisted selection plays a crucial role. Here, we describe a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker that can be used to select PCNA persimmon. A sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker used to screen for PCNA offspring is unsuitable for populations recently derived from two non-PCNA parents ('Yoshidagosho' and 'Toyoichi'), resulting in the selection of non-PCNA offspring as PCNA. To detect specific polymorphisms for these non-PCNA offspring, we analyzed fragment sizes of SCAR marker products by capillary DNA sequencing. A slightly lower-molecular-weight fragment at 353 bp was specifically detected in non-PCNA offspring but not in PCNA offspring. We treated the SCAR marker products with the StuI restriction enzyme and demonstrated that the smaller 353-bp fragment corresponded to allele a353-1, one of four previously identified sequence polymorphisms at the 353-bp peak, and a353-1 is linked to non-PCNA trait. Comprehensive analysis of 130 germplasms by the CAPS marker, detecting the truncated fragment after StuI treatment, indicated the presence of a353-1 in 38 non-PCNA cultivars. Our findings suggest the potential use of the CAPS marker for selecting PCNA offspring derived from these 38 non-PCNA cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To improve our understanding of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)‐macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Methods: A systematic review was performed, to retrieve all those papers on patients with SLE‐MAS, in individual or aggregated form. The data in each of these medical records were extracted and analyzed to identify the characteristics of SLE‐MAS. Results: A total of 86 SLE‐MAS patients were included (25 males and 61 females. The mean (±standard error of the mean) age was 31.21 ± 1.694 years. MAS occurred as the initial presentation of SLE in 47 people (54.65%) and during the course of SLE in 39 (45.35%). A coinfection was reported in 23 (26.74%) patients. The mean Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI‐2K) score was 16.54 ± 0.9462. Overall, 10 patients (11.63%) died. The SLEDAI‐2K score was higher in patients with MAS as an initial manifestation of SLE than in those where MAS occurred during the course of SLE. The proportion of patients receiving steroid pulse therapy was lower in patients with coinfections. The deceased group demonstrated lower platelet and ferritin levels. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age and thrombocytopenia were independent factors associated with poor prognosis. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, a platelet count cutoff value of ≤47 × 109/L was a predictor of poor outcome. Conclusions: SLE‐MAS patients demonstrated high lupus activity, and lupus activity was especially higher in patients with MAS as an initial manifestation. Lupus activity was the predominant trigger of lupus MAS. Thrombocytopenia was an independent factor for poor prognosis. Highlights: Lupus activity was especially high in patients with macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) as an initial manifestation.Lupus activity is the predominant trigger for lupus‐MAS.Thrombocytopenia is a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus‐MAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke frequently leads to hospital admission and subsequent rehabilitation in order to overcome poststroke sequelae, such as motor impairments. Efficient planning of the steps following hospital admission includes early prediction of whether the patient can be discharged home or not. Early assessment of motor performance in patients with stroke‐induced motor deficits may be able to function as a predictor of discharge destination but is less explored. Objective: The primary objective was to assess the predictive validity of the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS) on discharge destination both regarding total score and regarding subscores (transfer‐mobility items and upper extremity items). Design: The study was designed as a prospective cohort study. Subjects: Thirty‐seven consecutively recruited patients with stroke are the subjects of the study. Methods: Logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds of being discharged to own home upon hospital admittance. The predictive ability was examined with a receiving operator characteristic (ROC) curve, and cut‐points from the curve were employed in Cox regression. Results: A one‐unit higher score on the total MAS significantly increased the odds of being discharged home upon hospital admittance (odds ratio (OR) 1.14, 95% CI 1.04–1.25). The same pattern was observed with the summed items of 1–5 and 6–8. The total MAS showed sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 68.0%. Patients having a total MAS score ≥ 24 were 17 times more likely to be discharged home (HR 17.64, 95% CI 2.23–139.57) compared to patients with a lower score. Conclusion: Motor function measured by the MAS can be applied as a predictor of discharge destination upon hospital admission after stroke in Danish setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Arabic translation of the Mukbang Addiction Scale (MAS) among Arabic-speaking adults from the general population. Specifically, it aimed to assess the factorial structure through a confirmatory factor analysis, determine the composite reliability through Cronbach alpha and McDonald's omega scores, assess gender invariance, and evaluate the convergent validity by examining its correlation to eating addiction and psychological distress. Methods: A total of 370 individuals with a mean age of 21.94 ± 2.29 years participated in this study, which was conducted using an online platform. The participants were surveyed on demographic information, mukbang addiction, food addiction, and psychological distress. Translation was conducted using the forward and backward technique. Results: The findings demonstrated excellent internal consistency of the Arabic MAS (McDonald's omega coefficient = 0.93). Confirmatory factor analyses validated the one-factor structure of the scale, while establishing measurement invariance across sex at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. No sex differences were observed in the Mukbang addiction levels. Lastly, the MAS scores were significantly and positively correlated with food addiction and psychological distress, supporting their convergent validity. Conclusion: The current research provides evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the MAS as a self-report method for assessing addictive Mukbang watching. While further validations are needed to corroborate the present findings, this measure can be effectively utilized across different fields, including schools, mental health centers, and researchers aiming to understand this global phenomenon. Plain English Summary: Mukbang refers to individuals or hosts consuming large quantities of food while interacting with their audiences through recorded video or a live stream. The Mukbang phenomenon has gained substantial popularity among young individuals over the past years, rising concerns about its potential impact on their eating habits and health, especially when overconsumed. Overconsumption of mukbang content, or Mukbang addiction, aligns with the core features of addiction, including compulsive engagement, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms, making it comparable to other addictive behaviors. Mukbang addiction can lead to detrimental effects on mental and physical health, including neglect of balanced nutrition, disordered eating habits, obesity, feelings of guilt, shame, poor self-esteem, distorted self-images, body dissatisfaction, heightened anxiety or depression, and social isolation. Given these significant impacts, valid and reliable tools are crucial to enable an accurate assessment of Mukbang addiction. This study proposes to translate, adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Mukbang Addiction Scale (MAS) in a sample of Arabic-speaking individuals from the general population. Findings showed that the six MAS items loaded on a single factor with strong internal consistency and good convergent validity, preliminarily indicating its potential validity and reliability for assessing addictive mukbang-watching among Arabic-speaking individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving rice quality remains a crucial breeding objective, second only to enhancing yield, yet progress in quality improvement lags behind yield. The high temperature and ripening conditions in Southern China often result in poor rice quality, impacting hybrid rice production and utilization. Therefore, to address this challenge, analyzing the molecular basis of high-quality traits is essential for molecular design breeding of high-quality hybrid rice varieties. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of grain shape, amylose content, gel consistency, gelatinization temperature, and aroma, which influence rice quality. We discovered that quality related alleles gs3, GW7TFA, gw8, chalk5, Wxb, ALKTT, and fgr can enhance rice quality when applied in breeding programs. Polymerization of gs3, GW7TFA, gw8, and chalk5 genes improves rice appearance quality. The gs3 and GW7TFA allele polymerization increasing the grain's length-width ratio, adding the aggregation of gw8 allele can further reducing grain width. The chalk5 gene regulates low chalkiness, but low correlation to chalkiness was exhibited with grain widths below 2.0 mm, with minimal differences between Chalk5 and chalk5 alleles. Enhancing rice cooking and eating quality is achieved through Wxb and ALKTT gene polymerization, while introducing the fgr(E7) gene significantly improved rice aroma. Using molecular marker-assisted technology, we aggregated these genes to develop a batch of indica hybrid rice parents with improved rice quality are obtained. Cross-combining these enhanced parents can generate new, high-quality hybrid rice varieties suitable for cultivation in Southern China. Therefore, our findings contribute to a molecular breeding model for grain quality improvement in high-quality indica hybrid rice. This study, along with others, highlights the potential of molecular design breeding for enhancing complex traits, particularly rice grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key challenges in aquaculture is the selection of individuals with superior traits, including rapid growth rate, high flesh quality, and disease resistance. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) using molecular markers (e.g., simple sequence repeats; SSR) is known to be more effective in identifying individuals with specific traits based on their genetic makeup. The current study aimed to examine SSR markers across different linkage groups in their efficiency in characterizing the Nile tilapia fish with superior growth performance traits for usage as effective tools for MAS. A total of 152 Nile tilapia samples with identical ages but contrasting growth performances were collected from a fish farm in Kafr El-Sheik Governorate, Egypt. The collected genotypes were evaluated for growth performance metrics such as weight and length, and their microsatellite allelic patterns were also analyzed. A total of 13 microsatellite markers were assessed in the two sampled Nile tilapia categories. The t-test of growth performance traits between the two fish categories revealed highly significant differences in body weight and length. The average number of alleles per locus in the large and small populations was 2.6 and 2.2, respectively. The analyzed populations showed a significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.Only seven markers showed private alleles unique to either small or large populations, indicating the suitability of these markers for association genetic studies. The studied markers showed low to moderate gene diversity (H), which ranged between 0.25 and 0.48, with an average of 0.41. The discrimination power of the studied loci was relatively high (D = 0.888). The discrepancies in growth parameters between the investigated populations were aligned with the disparities in allele frequency, indicating a possible correlation between certain allele(s) and growth performance characteristics. The present study highlighted the effectiveness of specific SSRs in addressing growth parameters during the planning for the Nile tilapia selection in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating neurological disease causing severe sensorimotor dysfunction and cognitive decline, yet there is no effective treatment strategy to alleviate outcomes of these patients. The Mas axis-mediated neuroprotection is involved in the pathology of various neurological diseases, however, the role of the Mas receptor in the setting of ICH remains to be elucidated. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the ICH model by injection of collagenase into mice striatum. The Mas receptor agonist AVE0991 was administered intranasally (0.9 mg/kg) after ICH. Using a combination of behavioral tests, Western blots, immunofluorescence staining, hematoma volume, brain edema, quantitative-PCR, TUNEL staining, Fluoro-Jade C staining, Nissl staining, and pharmacological methods, we examined the impact of intranasal application of AVE0991 on hematoma absorption and neurological outcomes following ICH and investigated the underlying mechanism. Results: Mas receptor was found to be significantly expressed in activated microglia/macrophages, and the peak expression of Mas receptor in microglia/macrophages was observed at approximately 3–5 days, followed by a subsequent decline. Activation of Mas by AVE0991 post-treatment promoted hematoma absorption, reduced brain edema, and improved both short- and long-term neurological functions in ICH mice. Moreover, AVE0991 treatment effectively attenuated neuronal apoptosis, inhibited neutrophil infiltration, and reduced the release of inflammatory cytokines in perihematomal areas after ICH. Mechanistically, AVE0991 post-treatment significantly promoted the transformation of microglia/macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory, phagocytic, and reparative phenotype, and this functional phenotypic transition of microglia/macrophages by Mas activation was abolished by both Mas inhibitor A779 and Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. Furthermore, hematoma clearance and neuroprotective effects of AVE0991 treatment were reversed after microglia depletion in ICH. Conclusions: Mas activation can promote hematoma absorption, ameliorate neurological deficits, alleviate neuron apoptosis, reduced neuroinflammation, and regulate the function and phenotype of microglia/macrophages via Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway after ICH. Thus, intranasal application of Mas agonist ACE0991 may provide promising strategy for clinical treatment of ICH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen overdose is a leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF). Despite the pivotal role of the inflammatory microenvironment in the progression of advanced acetaminophen‐induced liver injury (AILI), a comprehensive understanding of the underlying cellular interactions and molecular mechanisms remains elusive. Mas is a G protein‐coupled receptor highly expressed by myeloid cells; however, its role in the AILI microenvironment remains to be elucidated. A multidimensional approach, including single‐cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and hour‐long intravital imaging, is employed to characterize the microenvironment in Mas1 deficient mice at the systemic and cell‐specific levels. The characteristic landscape of mouse AILI models involves reciprocal cellular communication among MYC+CD63+ endothelial cells, MMP12+ macrophages, and monocytes, which is maintained by enhanced glycolysis and the NF‐κB/TNF‐α signaling pathway due to myeloid‐Mas deficiency. Importantly, the pathogenic microenvironment is delineated in samples obtained from patients with ALF, demonstrating its clinical relevance. In summary, these findings greatly enhance the understanding of the microenvironment in advanced AILI and offer potential avenues for patient stratification and identification of novel therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing penetration of new energy, the role of microgrids in the operation control of distributed energy resources (DERs) has become increasingly prominent, but the access of distributed energy will also bring disturbance to the operation of microgrids. Therefore, a two-level decentralized coordinated control scheme based on multi-agent system (MAS) was proposed to ensure the high security and stability of microgrid. The upper agent was based on Petri-net (PN). According to the different working modes of various energy sources, the PN model of DERs was constructed, and the coordination logic control instruction set was designed based on the PN model. The optimal coordination logic control instruction was selected by mesh adaptive direct search filter algorithm (MADSFA). The lower agent was responsible for local continuous control, and different droop control strategies were adopted for inverters with different power characteristics DERs. In order to ensure the stability of the microgrid under transient and steady states, a preset performance controller was added between the inverter and the droop controller to ensure that the output power error of the inverter can be stabilized within the preset error range whether in transient or steady state. At the same time, in order to improve the stability of the microgrid system, the interaction between the two layers adopts the communication mode of master-slave and non-fixed master-slave combination. This interaction mechanism improves the timeliness and flexibility of MAS in the real-time monitoring process of the system. Finally, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of the two-level decentralized coordinated control strategy based on MAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture has been one of the fastest-growing sectors in agriculture and plays an important role in supplying high quality proteins for humans. Genetic improvement for important traits is essential for increasing aquaculture production. The aquaculture of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) has become important in Southeast Asia and Australia and has expanded to other countries. In Singapore, a breeding program was initiated in 2004, aimed at improving growth rates, high omega-3 content, and disease resistance within Asian seabass populations. Many genomic resources have been developed to achieve these goals. The breeding program was established with a broodstock of 549 broodfish collected from the wilds of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Through four generations of family-based selection, utilizing a combination of conventional selective breeding, molecular parentage analysis, marker-assisted selection, and genomic selection techniques, three distinct elite lines of Asian seabass were successfully established. Each line consisted of approximately 200 broodfish. These lines were selected for growth, higher omega-3 content, and disease resistance, respectively. These traits have been improved without dramatically reducing genetic variation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the methodologies adopted and status of the genetic improvement of the above-mentioned traits. Concurrently, certain gaps in the existing body of research have been identified. In the future, additional traits related to the ability to use feeds with reduced fishmeal, as well as adaptation to climate change and resistance against emerging diseases should be included in the breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular markers are effective tools used to 'flag' the location of a specific gene or the inheritance of a definite trait. Markers are unique DNA fragments that can be identified inside the entire genome. The development of molecular markers combined with high throughput technologies have paved the way for achieving the desirable traits as well as induced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in plant, which enhanced the crop breeding. Highly polymorphic molecular markers are developed for gene mapping, estimation of genetic diversity, finding out the evolution and phylogeny of crop, analysis of heterosis, assessment of diploid/haploid crops and genotyping of cultivars along with Marker Assisted Breeding (MAB)/Marker Assisted Selection (MAS). These are the most significant objectives for crop breeding. This review reveals about the role of various recently developed molecular markers in the improvement of crop. Molecular markers act as a "milestone" for the researchers who aim to enhance crop breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a principal food crop for more than half of the global population. Grain number and grain weight (2Gs) are the two complex traits controlled by several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and are considered the most critical components for yield enhancement in rice. Novel molecular biology and QTL mapping strategies can be utilized in dissecting the complex genetic architecture of these traits. Discovering the valuable genes/QTLs associated with 2Gs traits hidden in the rice genome and utilizing them in breeding programs may bring a revolution in rice production. Furthermore, the positional cloning and functional characterization of identified genes and QTLs may aid in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the 2Gs traits. In addition, knowledge of modern genomic tools aids the understanding of the nature of plant and panicle architecture, which enhances their photosynthetic activity. Rice researchers continue to combine important yield component traits (including 2Gs for the yield ceiling) by utilizing modern breeding tools, such as marker-assisted selection (MAS), haplotype-based breeding, and allele mining. Physical co-localization of GW7 (for grain weight) and DEP2 (for grain number) genes present on chromosome 7 revealed the possibility of simultaneous introgression of these two genes, if desirable allelic variants were found in the single donor parent. This review article will reveal the genetic nature of 2Gs traits and use this knowledge to break the yield ceiling by using different breeding and biotechnological tools, which will sustain the world's food requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substantial morbidity and mortality associated with refractory systemic JIA underlies the need for new treatment approaches. However, progress in this area has been limited by the difficulty of enrolling these patients in clinical trials with traditional designs, particularly in patients presenting with the life-threatening macrophage activation syndrome. At the NextGen 2022 conference, there was group consensus that using historical cohorts as a control group to avoid the need for a placebo-arm or drug withdrawal was highly desirable and might be acceptable for clinical trials in MAS to support medication efficacy and safety. However, if historic controls were used in a trial, it would be important to ensure that the historic cohort matches the study group in terms of clinical characteristics (such as disease severity and exposure to other medications), and that disease outcome in both groups is assessed using the same outcome measures. The discussions at the NextGen 2022 conference focused on the potential strategies to achieve these goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) emerged from a diverse coalition of social movements centered on cocalero unions and their participatory organizational structure. Some scholars argue that the MAS became a topdown ruling party that relegated and weakened social movements. This article challenges these predominate claims about MAS relations with social organizations. Based on a case study of the Asociación Departmental de Productores de Coca (ADEPCOCA), the article develops two main claims. First, it examines the political divisions within the cocalero sector, which contradict a common view of cocaleros as united with the MAS, and which therefore presented a governance dilemma for the MAS. Second, the article considers how, in the ADEPCOCA case, rural social organizations were able to both remain autonomous under the MAS and confront government power. These findings have implications for understanding how the MAS shaped Bolivian political development leading up to the 2019 crisis; namely, that there was significant tension between the MAS's commitments to state-building and participatory governance, and that this tension contributed to resistance from within the MAS coalition, leaving the regime vulnerable to overthrow in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: to study risk factors for mortality in SAM children within the first 72 hours of hospitalization. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on data from 0-59-month-old SAM children hospitalized from June 1th, 2016, to May 31th, 2019, at CHUSourô Sanou of Bobo-Dioulasso. A logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for death. Variables with odds ratio (OR) > 1, and p <0.05 were predictors of death. Results: Of 646 SAMs included, most were 12-23-monthyearold (34.83%). Death rate was 19.04%. Deep coma [OR :27.2, 95%IC: 9.62-91.1], OAP [OR :16.3, 95%IC: 1.58-383], Signs of in particular low pulse volume [OR :5.45, 95%IC: 1.74-17. 1], cold extremities [OR :4.66, 95%IC: 1.03-20.8], capillary refilling time (CRT) >3seconds [OR :3.55, 95%IC: 1.50-8.27], sepsis[OR :3.39, 95%IC: 1.33-8.50]were the risk factors predictive of mortality. Conclusion: Training and ongoing supervision of healthcare staff in the management of paediatric emergencies, the use of the WHO SAM management protocol and the availability of emergency kits could improve SAM management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La lymphohistiocytose hémophagocytaire est un syndrome rare, de pronostic péjoratif, caractérisée par une dérégulation incontrôlée du système immunitaire. La rareté de cette maladie rend difficile l'obtention de cohorte de grande taille. Dans cette étude, nous avons analysé les données de 66 patients ; l'objectif étant d'en décrire les caractéristiques épidémiologiques, cliniques, biologiques et thérapeutiques puis de comparer nos résultats à ceux de la littérature. Nous avons conduit une étude rétrospective au CHU de Montpellier de 2015 à 2021. Les patients étaient inclus lorsque le diagnostic de HLH était mentionné sur le compte rendu d'hospitalisation et lorsque le HSCORE était supérieur à 50 % (169). Les analyses pronostiques ont été effectuées en comparant les patients décédés ou non. Parmi les 66 patients, 62 % sont des hommes ; l'âge moyen est de 49,2 ans. Le pourcentage de décès était de 45,9 %. Les lymphomes représentaient la principale étiologie, suivis des infections, puis des maladies auto-immunes/auto-inflammatoires. Cliniquement, la fièvre, la splénomégalie, l'hépatomégalie et les défaillances d'organes étaient majoritairement retrouvées. Une pancytopénie était présente dans 62 % des cas. La ferritine, les triglycérides, les LDH et les ASAT étaient très augmentés. L'âge avancé, un lymphome associé, ainsi que la présence et la sévérité des cytopénies étaient associés à un pronostic défavorable. L'étude des données clinicobiologiques, épidémiologiques et de survie des patients de notre cohorte a permis de confirmer des données déjà publiées mais également d'en discuter d'autres. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a rare syndrome with a poor prognosis, characterized by an uncontrolled dysregulation of the immune system. The rarity of this disease makes it difficult to obtain large cohorts. In this study, we analyzed the data of 66 patients: the objective was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, biological and therapeutic characteristics and to compare our results with those already published. We conducted a retrospective study at the University Hospital of Montpellier from 2015 to 2021. Patients were included when the diagnosis of HLH was mentioned on the hospitalization report and when the HSCORE was higher than 50% (169). Prognostic analyses were performed by comparing the patients who died from HMH to those who didn't. The mean age the 66 patients included was 49.2 years, 62% were men. The percentage of deaths was 45.9%. Lymphoma was the main etiology, followed by infections, then autoimmune/autoinflammatory diseases. Fever, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and organ failure were the main clinical manifestations. Pancytopenia was present in 62% of cases. Ferritin, triglycerides, LDH and AST were highly increased. Advanced age, associated lymphoma, and the severity of cytopenias were linked to a poor prognosis. The study of the clinico-biological, epidemiological and survival data of the patients in our cohort allowed us to confirm previously published data but also to discuss some of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory distress is the major cause of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission of full-term neonates for which they require different levels of mode of ventilation. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the demographic profile, clinical spectrum, and outcome of term neonates, requiring continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in tertiary care teaching hospitals. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective observational study conducted from December 2020 to November 2022 in the neonatal section of the department of pediatrics. Results: A total of 261 neonates were included in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1, the range of birth weight was between 2.1 kg and 3 kg (60.91%), the gestation age was 38 weeks (59.2%), and 73.6% were lower-segment cesarean section born. The age of starting CPAP in most of the newborns was at admission to NICU (in 69.73% of cases). The success rate of CPAP therapy was high (60.9%) and the rest 39.08% of patients did not settle with CPAP and required higher modes of respiratory support such as nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) (5.89%) and IPPV (94.11%). Conclusion: In the resource-limiting settings, due to the non-availability of higher levels of ventilatory gadgets, the early use of CPAP as a mode of ventilation in full-term babies with transient tachypnea of newborns is well-documented and it can be safely used in other common neonatal conditions which can cause respiratory distress in full-term neonates. The low-middle-income countries are facing challenges to improve comprehensive neonatal care; there is a dire need for simple and cost-effective methods of respiratory support. Bubble CPAP is one such promising ventilatory support intervention, which may reduce the need for costly mechanical ventilators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The presence of meconium in amniotic fluid of intrapartum patient is of concern to both the obstetricians and neonatologist as it is associated with poor fetal outcome. The passage of meconium can occur before or during labour meconium aspiration syndrome is believed to result from aspiration of meconium during intrauterine gasping or at the first breath. Amnioinfusion done for meconium stained liquor has been found to be useful in reducing the perinatal morbidity and mortality Material and method The present study entitled "Amnioinfusion in meconium stained liquor and fetal outcome" was a prospective case control study conducted in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Hitech Medical College and hospital, bhubaneswar. The study period extended from December 2019 to December 2022. A total of 143 patients were included in this study. These patients were divided into two groups: a) Study group which consisted of 50 patients and b) Control group which included 93 patients Result Perinatal mortality and morbidity: Although there was one still birth and one neonatal deaths in our study but they were not related to the procedure itself (Table 6). Wu et al (1991) found no perinatal deaths in the infused group babies while 2.8% babies died in the noninfused group. The overall perinatal morbidity was low in our study for infused group patients. In one study by Hofmeyer et al (1998) there was no perinatal deaths neither in study nor in control group in another study conducted by Mohamed et al (1998) there were 4(1.2%) of 324 and 12(3.6%) of 335 perinatal death. Mode of delivery verses perinatal outcome: Perinatal mortality does seem to be affected by mode of delivery since the only still birth in the study group and all perinatal deaths in the control group occurred in babies delivered by cae The significance of meconium stained amniotic fluid during labour is a widely debated subject and the management has evolved with time and is still evolving. There has been no agreement on one particular type of management. However at the end of the present study it is opined that amnioinfusion is useful in reducing perinatal morbidity without any maternal risk. Conclusion The significance of meconium stained amniotic fluid during labour is a widely debated subject and the management has evolved with time and is still evolving. There has been no agreement on one particular type of management. However at the end of the present study it is opined that amnioinfusion is useful in reducing perinatal morbidity without any maternal risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the potential of markers associated with floral traits for parental selection in a cut rose breeding program. We analysed six Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers for three important floral traits, petal length, petal number and scent, derived from experiments in a garden rose population. The six markers were applied to genotype a collection of 384 parental genotypes used for commercial cut rose breeding. We phenotyped a selection of progeny derived from pairs of parents having either high or low dosages of (contrasting) marker alleles associated with these traits. Significant differences were found between the contrasting progeny groups for each of the traits, although parents with the optimal allele dosage combinations could not always be used for the crosses. This not only supports the robustness of these marker‒trait associations but also demonstrates their potential for commercial rose breeding. It also demonstrates the use of marker information generated in garden rose populations for cut rose breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most nutritious crops having versatile use. Its yield is mostly exaggerated by two foliar fungal diseases i.e., early and late leaf spot. In present investigation 96 germplasm lines were screened for early and late leaf spot diseases along with diverse biochemical parameters including protein, oil, fatty acids, proline and sugar contents. Methods: Early and late leaf spot diseases have been screened under field condition as well as employing SSR molecular markers. Nutritional profiling has also been done for protein, oil, fatty acids viz., oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid, proline and sugar contents. Result: In correlation analysis, oleic acid is negatively correlated with linoleic acid (r= -0.911) and palmitic acid (r= -0.688) at 1% level of significance, whereas stearic acid is positively and highly significantly correlated with oil percentage (r= 0. 0.381) at 1% significance level. The gene diversity value varied between 0.1866 to 0.4837 for markers ipahm103 and GM1536 with an average of 0.4014 and polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged between 0.1692 to 0.3855 for the markers pahm103 to GM1536 respectively with a mean value of 0.3183. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of the connections between Angiotensin peptides with the receptors in the Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is not clear yet. The ACE2/Ang (1-7)/MAS axis, commonly referred to as the protective arm of the RAS, plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis within the cardiovascular system. Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) is a heptapeptide an integral part of the protective arm of RAS and acts as a ligand binding to the MAS receptor. Understanding the signaling system of the ACE2/Ang (1-7)/MAS axis, which occupies an important place in the RAS, can be considered a serious putative target for the development of new cardiovascular and cancer drugs. It is very important to understand whether the Ang (1-7) ligand binds stably to MAS and, if so, how this affects the dynamics of the receptor. Therefore, we investigated how Ang (1-7) binding affects the stability and communication of the MAS receptor by utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and various computational techniques. Results indicated that Ang (1-7) was stably bonded to the MAS receptor over the 300 ns simulation period. It was also observed that ligand binding caused a reduction in the fluctuations of the MAS residues. Major changes include a reduction in flexibility of the N-terminal domain, ICL1, ECL1, ECL2, ECL3, TM6 and C-terminal domain residues. Our findings presented in this study may provide a contribution to future studies seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the role of Ang (1-7) interaction with the MAS receptor in the RAS. Angiotensin (1-7) binds stably to the human MAS proto-oncogene receptor for 300 ns and Ang (1-7) binding stabilizes the MAS receptor compared to the ligand-free state. In MAS receptor dynamics, ligand binding reduces the flexibility of the N-terminal domain, ICL1, ECL1, ECL2, ECL3, TM6, and C-terminal domain residues. The TM5, ICL3, and TM6 residues may act as a channel for signal transduction from the ligand binding site to the intracellular region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) has a potentially high mortality rate. Anakinra, an interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist, is now recommended early in HLH/MAS, with intravenous (IV) use proposed in critically unwell patients. This systematic review establishes the literature relating to IV anakinra in secondary HLH/MAS (sHLH/MAS). Methods: We screened Embase, PubMed, and Medline, including all reports of IV anakinra for HLH or MAS. We extracted age, HLH/MAS trigger, continuous infusion or bolus dosing, and survival. Results: Twenty‐nine case reports/series identified 87 patients (median age 22 years, range 22 months to 84 years), all with sHLH. Amongst identifiable triggers, 43% were systemic infection, 33% rheumatological, 9% oncological. Children had predominantly a rheumatological trigger (48%), whilst adults were more commonly infection‐driven (50%). Overall, rheumatologically triggered disease showed greater survival (83.3%), particularly compared with oncological triggers (42.9%). Children had a greater survival, particularly under 10 years (83%, vs. adults, 63%). Conclusions: Despite IV anakinra recipients likely to be critically unwell, this cohort had similar disease triggers and survival compared to large historical cohorts, and enhances awareness of age and trigger‐specific survival patterns. IV anakinra had a wide therapeutic dosing range and tolerability, regardless of trigger, demonstrating substantial utility in severe sHLH/MAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between body parameters and the current–time product (mAs) in chest digital radiography using a non-contact infrared thickness-measurement sensor. An anthropomorphic chest phantom was first used to understand variations in mAs over multiple positionings during chest radiography when using the automatic exposure control (AEC) technique. In a human study, 929 consecutive male subjects who underwent regular chest examinations were enrolled, and their height (H), weight (W), and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. In addition, their chest thickness (T) was measured at exhalation using a non-contact infrared sensor, and chest radiography was then performed using the AEC technique. Finally, the relationship between four body parameters (T, BMI, T*BMI, and W/H) and mAs was investigated by fitting the body parameters to mAs using three curve models. The phantom study showed that the maximum mAs was 1.76 times higher than the lowest mAs during multiple positionings in chest radiography. In the human study, all chest radiographs passed the routine quality control procedure and had an exposure index between 100 and 212. In curve fitting, the comparisons showed that W/H had a closer relationship with mAs than the other body parameters, while the first-order power model with W/H fitted to mAs performed the best and had an R-square of 0.9971. We concluded that the relationship between W/H and mAs in the first-order power model may be helpful in predicting the optimal mAs and reducing the radiation dose for chest radiography when using the AEC technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is an important dietary source of the toxic mineral cadmium (Cd) for populations in which rice is the main staple food. When grown in agricultural soils that are contaminated with Cd, rice often accumulates excessive Cd into the grains, which is a serious threat to agricultural sustainability and human health. To limit Cd accumulation in rice grains, studies on the genetic basis of Cd accumulation in rice have been carried out extensively, and some low-Cd rice varieties have also been developed in recent years. However, the challenges in low-Cd rice breeding still exist because the outcomes of the current genetic improvements for low-Cd rice cannot fully meet the requirements for the development of Cd-safe rice at present. In this review, we outline the progress in understanding the physiological mechanisms and the genetic nature of Cd accumulation in rice and summarize the strategies and outcomes of low-Cd rice breeding over the past decade. By graphing the physiological mechanism of Cd transport in the rice plant, three key steps and some underlying genes are summarized and discussed. Also, two genetic features of the natural variation in rice grain-Cd accumulation, the phenotypic plasticity and subspecies divergence, and the potential genetic explanations for these features are also discussed. Finally, we summarize and discuss current progress and the potential issues in low-Cd rice breeding using different breeding strategies. We hope to propose strategies for future success in the breeding of low-Cd rice varieties over the next decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the multi-agent system fuzzy-constraints offer negotiation of Workflow Scheduling in Fog-Cloud environment, called (Fuzzy-Cone) approach, to solve the workflow scheduling problem with conflicting constraints in Fog-Cloud IT infrastructures. A client agent and a supplier agent are created to represent the client and supplier sides respectively, with a win–win strategy based on negotiation. The novelty of this approach is the design of a multi-agent system with agents supervised by a strategy based on a fuzzy inference system modeling all possible cases, thus facilitating decision-making. The workflow scheduling problem is treated as a set of fuzzy constraint satisfaction problems (FCSP). Each agent has an FCSP modeling a set of fuzzy constraints based on the negotiation with other agents by proposing offers or counter-offers. The proposed negotiation approach is implemented to respect all the imposed restrictions and represent the imprecise preferences of the approach entities by pre-defining the fuzzy constraints and optimizing the workflow scheduling solution in terms of time and cost. of compiling. The proposed approach has been tested with different experiments and compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. The experimental results show that the negotiation between the solutions, of mutually satisfactory scheduling, considerably improved the values of time and cost of compilation, while respecting the set of the imposed constraints. The proposed approach achieves a workflow scheduling scheme that reduces compilation time by 37% and increases cost by 6% compared to state-of-the-art algorithms. The different solutions we have proposed respect the constraints of time and budget by executing workflows of different sizes in reasonable time and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the containment control problem of multi-agent systems (MASs), the convergence of followers is always a potential threat to the security of system operations. From the perspective of system topology, the inherently non-linear properties of the algebraic connectivity of the follower2follower (F2F) network, combined with the influence of the leader2follower (L2F) topology on the system, make it difficult to design the convergence positions of the followers through mere mathematical analysis. Therefore, in the background of temporary networking tasks for large-scale systems, to achieve the goal of forecasting the performance of the whole system when networking is only completed with local information, this paper investigates the application and effectiveness of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) in the containment control system performance identification, thus improving the efficiency of system networking while ensuring system security. Two types of identification models based on two types of neural networks (NNs), MLP and standard RNN are developed, according to the range of information required for performance identification. Evaluation of the models is carried out by means of the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) as well as the root-mean-square error (RMSE). The results show that each model may produce a better forecasting accuracy than the other models in specific cases, with models based on the standard RNN possessing smaller errors. With the proposed method, model identification can be achieved, but in-depth development of the model in further studies is still necessary to the extent the accuracy of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the periodic pulse diffraction from the circular dielectric object radiated by the horn antenna is investigated and experimental verification is provided. The pulse spectrum with Hamming weight function (Hamming window) form occupies the frequency band of 38 – 52 GHz. The problem is solved using the Method of Auxiliary Sources, and the results of the computer simulation are obtained. The fundamental advantage of the method is to eliminate the singularity problem during the solution of the integral equation obtained by boundary conditions on each scatterer. The comparison is done with the experimental data, which shows good agreement between the simulation outcomes and the experimental ones. The correctness of the determination of the electric size of the object by the analysis of the scattered pulse echo serves as the verification of the approach. The outcomes reveal that less than a 3% deviation is observed between numerical and experimental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the advances in DNA markers, kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers could accelerate breeding programs and genetically improve drought tolerance. Two previously reported KASP markers, TaDreb-B1 and 1-FEH w3, were investigated in this study for the marker-assisted selection (MAS) of drought tolerance. Two highly diverse spring and winter wheat populations were genotyped using these two KASP markers. The same populations were evaluated for drought tolerance at seedling (drought stress) and reproductive (normal and drought stress) growth stages. The single-marker analysis revealed a high significant association between the target allele of 1-FEH w3 and drought susceptibility in the spring population, while the marker–trait association was not significant in the winter population. The TaDreb-B1 marker did not have any highly significant association with seedling traits, except the sum of leaf wilting in the spring population. For field experiments, SMA revealed very few negative and significant associations between the target allele of the two markers and yield traits under both conditions. The results of this study revealed that the use of TaDreb-B1 provided better consistency in improving drought tolerance than 1-FEH w3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the fruit species with the oldest cultural history. There are many traits to determine the quality of pomegranate fruits. Among them, soft-seeded feature of pomegranate fruit is important trait for the market value of the fruit. For this reason, the demand for pomegranate varieties with soft seeds has been increasing, especially in recent years. In this study, molecular markers associated with seed hardness were developed to distinguish pomegranate cultivars with soft-seeded feature based on genomic DNA at the early stages of the pomegranate breeding process. For this purpose, pomegranate genotypes and/or cultivars from the population involved in reciprocal crosses of hard-seeded Ernar, medium-hard-seeded Hicaznar, and soft-seeded Fellahyemez cultivars were grouped as soft-seeded or hard-seeded. Further, leaf samples were collected from individuals belonging to each group. Then, the genomic DNA was isolated from each plant separately, and equal amount of genomic DNA from individuals with the similar seed hardness were mixed for bulked segregant analysis (BSA). The bulked genomic DNAs of opposite characters were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using random decamer primers to develop random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers associated with soft-seeded or hard-seeded pomegranates. A total of three RAPD markers were determined to distinguish the individuals having soft- or hard-seeded pomegranate genotypes and/or cultivars. As a result of the comparison of the DNA sequences of these RAPD markers, insertion-deletions (inDels) primers were designed to developed and validate a PCR assay to distinguish the soft- and hard-seeded pomegranate genotypes/cultivars from each other. The molecular markers developed in this study will enable us to distinguish soft-seeded pomegranate types easily in a short time at the early stages of the pomegranate breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Vitality is a characteristic that in newborn animals demonstrates their vigor and their general state of health (heart rate, respiratory rate, skin color, time that they take to stand up) during the first hours of life. It can be measured by numerical scores based on some scales made for babies and then adapted for various animals. Vitality can be affected by several factors. The objective of this review is to analyze pharmacological and physical therapies used to increase vitality in newborn farm animals, as well as understand the factors affecting their vitality, such as hypoxia, depletion of glycogen, birth weight, dystocia, neurodevelopment, hypothermia, and finally, the physiological mechanism to achieve thermostability. It is essential to evaluate vitality in newborns because it can contribute to implementing interventions to reduce newborn mortality. Vitality is the vigor newborn animals exhibit during the first hours of life. It can be assessed by a numerical score, in which variables, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, mucous membranes' coloration, time the offspring took to stand up, and meconium staining, are monitored. Vitality can be affected by several factors, and therapies are used to increase it. This manuscript aims to review and analyze pharmacological and physical therapies used to increase vitality in newborn farm animals, as well as to understand the factors affecting this vitality, such as hypoxia, depletion of glycogen, birth weight, dystocia, neurodevelopment, hypothermia, and finally, the physiological mechanism to achieve thermostability. It has been concluded that assessing vitality immediately after birth is essential to determine the newborn's health and identify those that need medical intervention to minimize the deleterious effect of intrapartum asphyxia. Vitality assessment should be conducted by trained personnel and adequate equipment. Evaluating vitality could reduce long-term neonatal morbidity and mortality in domestic animals, even if it is sometimes difficult with the current organization of some farms. This review highlights the importance of increasing the number of stock people during the expected days of parturitions to reduce long-term neonatal morbidity and mortality, and thus, improve the farm's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-parental population is an innovative tool for mapping large numbers of loci and genetic modifications, particularly where they have been used for breeding and pre-breeding in crops. Frost injury is an environmental stress factor that greatly affects the growth, development, production efficiency, and geographical distribution of crops. No reported study has focused on genetic mapping and molecular marker development using diallel populations of potatoes. In this study, 23 successful cross combinations, obtained by a half diallel cross among 16 parents, including eight frost-tolerant advanced breeding lines and eight cultivars, were used to map the genetic loci for frost tolerance and to create a molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) system. Three candidate regions related to frost tolerance on chromosomes II, V, and IX were mapped by bulked segregant analysis (BSA). Furthermore, six SNP markers associated with frost tolerance from candidate regions were developed and validated. Above all, a MAS system for the frost tolerance screening of early breeding offspring was established. This study highlights the practical advantages of applying diallel populations to broaden and improve frost-tolerant germplasm resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Begomoviruses, viz. squash leaf curl China virus and tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus causative diseases are major concerns of quantitative and qualitative losses in pumpkin (Cucurbita mose hata) worldwide. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in India has identified a resistant source PVR-1343) against mixed infection (MI-Sq/To) of these begomoviruses. Introgression of resistance in diverse genetic backgrounds requires the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with MI-Sq/To resistance. Phenotyping of 229 F21 progenies derived from the PVR-1343 P-135 cross revealed digenic recessive inheritance against MI - Sqfro resistance in PVR-1 343. To identify the genomic region, resistant and susceptible bulks were subjected to whole-genome resequencing along with their parents. The whole -genome resequence analysis of parents and bulks using QTLseq/QTLseqr approaches identified an overlapping 1.52 Mb region on chromosome 7 lqMI-Sqf[07. 1), while chromosomal region spanning 0. 87 Mb on chromosomel 7 0!MI-Sq/Toll. 1) was additionally identified by QTLseqr. However, the highest peak value on chromosome 7 with three algorithms {G', 8(SNP-index) and -logio (P value)} high-lighted the major contribution of qMI-Sqn-07. j in MI -Sq/To resistance. Nine polymorphic SNPs identified within the highly significant qM/- Sq/T07. 1 region were converted into KASP markers. KASP genotyping of Fi individuals narrowed down the qMI-scin'07. 1 interval to [03 kb region flanked by two markers, Cnio3914729 and Cm04018182. which contained 16 annotated genes and accounted for 59.84% of phenotypic variation. The Cmo4018182 KASPmarkeraccurately predicteddisease reaction in 91% of diverse Cucurbita genotypes and showed nonsynonym substitutions in the coding region of putative candidate SYNTAXIN- 121 gene. These findings pave the way for marker-assisted breeding and elucidating the underlying mechanism of begomovirus resistance in C. moschata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This work proposes a distributed adaptive estimation algorithm for multi‐agent system (MAS) architecture using online measurements in a continuous‐time setting. Classical adaptive parameter estimation algorithms demand to satisfy persistence of excitation (PE) or its distributed variant cooperative persistent of excitation (C‐PE) for parameter convergence. PE, C‐PE, are restrictive in nature since it requires excitation (richness of information content) over the entire time span of the signal/data, making it unrealistic in most real‐world applications, especially in robotics and cyber‐physical systems. Unlike past literature, the proposed work ensures parameter convergence under a slackened condition, coined as cooperative initial excitation (C‐IE), which demands information richness only in the initial time‐window (transient period) suitable for practical scenarios. A distributed differential parameter estimator algorithm is designed, which with the help of stable closed‐loop filter dynamics and strategic switching guarantees global exponential stability (GES) of the parameter estimation error dynamics in the sense of Lyapunov. The formulation is further augmented by providing an online optimization perspective. A novel cost function is constructed in such a way that the proposed distributed parameter estimator acts as a distributed continuous‐time gradient‐descent algorithm based on the cost function and the true uncertain parameter vector is the global minima of the cost function. Simulation results validate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm in contrast to the PE/C‐PE based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sweet cherry plant (Prunus avium L.) is primarily self-incompatible, with so-called S-alleles responsible for the inability of flowers to be pollinated not only by their own pollen grains but also by pollen from other cherries having the same S-alleles. This characteristic has wide-ranging impacts on commercial growing, harvesting, and breeding. However, mutations in S-alleles as well as changes in the expression of M locus-encoded glutathione-S-transferase (MGST) can lead to complete or partial self-compatibility, simplifying orchard management and reducing possible crop losses. Knowledge of S-alleles is important for growers and breeders, but current determination methods are challenging, requiring several PCR runs. Here we present a system for the identification of multiple S-alleles and MGST promoter variants in one-tube PCR, with subsequent fragment analysis on a capillary genetic analyzer. The assay was shown to unequivocally determine three MGST alleles, 14 self-incompatible S-alleles, and all three known self-compatible S-alleles (S3′, S4′, S5′) in 55 combinations tested, and thus it is especially suitable for routine S-allele diagnostics and molecular marker-assisted breeding for self-compatible sweet cherries. In addition, we identified a previously unknown S-allele in the 'Techlovicka´ genotype (S54) and a new variant of the MGST promoter with an 8-bp deletion in the ´Kronio´ cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A-kinase anchoring protein 13 (AKAP13) is one of the AKAP protein family members, which is correlated with estrogen receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptor (PR) activity. Consequently, the AKAP13 gene is considered to be one of the candidate genes for regulating female fertility. Hence, the objectives of this study were to discover the potential insertion/deletion (indel) variants within the AKAP13 gene and evaluate their associations with litter size of Shaanbei white cashmere goats (SBWC) to screen candidate genes for the molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). Ultimately, we found the 16-bp deletion of AKAP13 gene which displayed three genotypes (II, ID and DD). However, it was not confirmed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in the tested population. Statistical analysis demonstrated that this 16-bp indel locus was significantly associated with litter size in goats (p < 0.05), in which the ID genotype was a key genotype for increasing litter size in goats. Besides, independent χ2 tests between different genotypes and litter size showed that high-prolific groups had higher frequency of the 'D' allele (p < 0.05). Briefly, AKAP13 gene is a candidate gene for improving fertility, and its 16-bp indel locus can be used as a valid DNA molecular marker for the MAS in goat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soybean is a source of several dietary components, including milk, protein, and oil. Cold stress has significantly curtailed soybean growth and yield in large areas and caused a high risk to global food security. The main objective of soybean breeders is to improve soybean resistance to cold stress. Conventional breeding approaches have made significant progress in developing cold tolerance in soybean; however, the high cost and complex genetic mechanism of cold tolerance hindered the large scale of these techniques. Molecular tools like quantitative trait loci (QTL), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcription factors (TFs), genetic engineering, and transcriptome have been used to identify cold tolerant genes/QTL and to develop soybean cultivars tolerant to cold stress. Clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9) is used to increase the abiotic stress tolerance in soybean; however, its use to edit the cold tolerance genes in soybean is limited. Mapping of QTL has accelerated the master-assisted selection (MAS) in soybean. This review presents a detailed overview of molecular techniques and their use in developing cold-tolerant soybean cultivars. Using CRISPR/Cas9 would increase the speed of molecular breeding for cold tolerance in soybean. This information will assist soybean researchers in uncovering the basis of cold stress tolerance in soybean and adopting the most suitable way to breed the cold tolerant cultivars which can thrive under the extreme pressure of cold stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) make it possible to perceive, collect, share, consolidate and revise information from multiple smart devices through the design of smart objects as agents within the Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Although multi-agent systems and related tools significantly change the paradigms used in systems optimization, the existing literature on MAS is not sufficient to explain modern distributed computing methods describing enhanced collaboration of IoT devices. This article presents comprehensive research that explains how smart objects such as sensors, smartphones, and data centers in IoT will affect the system's performance if they are integrated with MAS technology. In this context, general information about MAS and IoT technologies, the importance of interoperability in MAS, and how multi-agent technology can be used for various purposes, from capturing sensor data to decision making, specific to manufacturing systems, are explained. Afterward, technical, semantic, syntactic, and platform interoperability approaches that will enable communication and interaction of smart objects in IoT systems and how MAS can contribute to the establishment of these collaborations are expressed. Finally, it is presented how agent-based interoperability models affect the system's performance with a centralized and decentralized approach, specific to the manufacturing sector. The research has revealed that multi-agent systems can be integrated into each layer of the IoT, and in this way, it can increase the effectiveness of IoT in many areas from information security to efficient use of energy, from routing to increase system efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI); however, treatment options are limited. Mas is a G protein-coupled receptor whose role in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity has not yet been examined. Intrahepatic Mas expression was determined in both human and mouse DILI models. Mas1 -/-, Alb cre Mas1 f/f, Ppara -/-, Mas1 -/- Ppara -/- and wild-type mice were challenged with APAP for the in vivo analyses of Mas-AKT-FOXO1 axis-dependent lipophagy and fatty acid oxidation (FAO), using pharmacological compounds and genetic tools. Liver samples were collected for RNA-sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and metabolic flux analysis. Live-imaging of liver and histological, biochemical, and molecular studies were performed to evaluate APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Primary hepatocytes and hepatic cell lines were exposed to APAP for in vitro analysis. Intrahepatic Mas expression was significantly upregulated in human and mouse DILI models. Mice with systemic, liver-specific, or hepatocyte-specific Mas1 deficiency were vulnerable to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. They exhibited substantially impaired lipophagy and downstream FAO, which was accompanied by the activation of AKT and suppression of FOXO1. In addition, the prophylactic activation of Mas conferred strong protection against APAP challenge in mice, with remarkably enhanced lipophagy and FAO dependent on the AKT-FOXO1 axis. Moreover, the protective effects of AVE0991 were substantially diminished by the inhibition of either lipophagy or FAO. The activation of Mas on hepatocytes enhanced AKT-FOXO1-dependent lipophagy and downstream FAO, protecting mice from APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and indicating that hepatocyte-specific Mas might be a novel therapeutic target for DILI. Mas signalling arises as a novel therapeutic target for patients with APAP-induced liver injury. The Mas-AKT/FOXO1-fatty acid degradation pathway could be critical for the development of treatment strategies for APAP overdose. When Mas signalling is targeted, the extent of liver injury should be considered at the time of administration. These findings obtained from APAP-challenged mice still need to be confirmed in a clinical context. [Display omitted] • Intrahepatic Mas expression is upregulated in patients with DILI, and mice with APAP-induced liver injury. • Mas1 -/- mice are vulnerable to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. • Mas activation shows protective effects in hepatocytes by enhancing lipophagy and FAO, which are dependent on the AKT-FOXO1 axis. • Mas arises as a novel therapeutic target for patients with APAP-induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime transportation activity in the Arctic is increasing, which is due to global warming and decline of Arctic sea ice, posing a threat to local atmosphere, marine organisms, etc. From the perspective of ecological protection, potential impact of marine transportation in the Arctic on marine organisms is evaluated using multi-agent system (MAS) simulation through a case of ship-based oil spills. Multiple regression analysis is then used to compare impacts of factors. Considering the interactions between Arctic shipping and Arctic marine organisms and that MAS is shown to be effective to handle such interactions, MAS is used for modeling together with simulation. The biological effects model of Arctic shipping is combined with Arctic maritime transportation model, ship-based oil spill model and oil spreading model. The two indicators of environmental impact assessment are loss rate of Arctic marine organisms within the oiled area (the proportion of the population within the oiled area that gets into contact directly with the oil spills) and oil area. The results show that, taking Arctic Northeast Passage as an example, when vessel traffic in the Arctic is low, oil spill accidents caused by tankers affects 1. 1%~1. 4% of Arctic marine organisms during navigation period. The loss rate can rise to 2. 1%~2. 7% with doubled vessel traffic. It also shows that oil life days have the greatest impact on the loss of Arctic marine organisms, followed by navigation period. Arctic vessel traffic ranks third among all factors. Oil types come last. The variation of loss rate of Arctic marine organisms under different oil types is mainly due to the difference in oil area. The results are expected to help evaluate the impact of Arctic shipping on Arctic marine environment and improve the understanding of emergency preparedness and response of maritime accidents in the Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a serious fungal disease that critically threatens the yield and quality of wheat. Utilization of host resistance is the most effective and economical method to control this disease. In our study, a wheat breeding line ShiCG15–009, released from Hebei Province, was highly resistant to powdery mildew at all stages. To dissect its genetic basis, ShiCG15–009 was crossed with the susceptible cultivar Yannong 21 to produce F1, F2 and F2:3 progenies. After genetic analysis, a single dominant gene, tentatively designated PmCG15–009, was proved to confer resistance to Bgt isolate E09. Further molecular markers analysis showed that PmCG15–009 was located on chromosome 2BL and flanked by markers XCINAU130 and XCINAU143 with the genetic distances 0.2 and 0.4 cM, respectively, corresponding to a physic interval of 705.14–723.48 Mb referred to the Chinese Spring reference genome sequence v2.1. PmCG15–009 was most likely a new gene differed from the documented Pm genes on chromosome 2BL since its different origin, genetic diversity, and physical position. To analyze and identify the candidate genes, six genes associated with disease resistance in the candidate interval were confirmed to be associated with PmCG15–009 via qRT-PCR analysis using the parents ShiCG15–009 and Yannong 21 and time-course analysis post-inoculation with Bgt isolate E09. To accelerate the transfer of PmCG15–009 using marker-assisted selection (MAS), 18 closely or co-segregated markers were evaluated and confirmed to be suitable for tracing PmCG15–009, when it was transferred into different wheat cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]