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In this work, we report on the application of the polarization modulated spectroscopic ellipsometry-based surface plasmon resonance method for sensitive detection of microorganisms in Kretschmann configuration. So far, rotating analyzer and single wavelength polarization modulation methods have widely been investigated for phase sensitive surface plasmon resonance measurement. In this study, a much simpler optical setup relying on fast electro-optic phase modulator crystals is introduced for bacteria detection. A beta barium borate crystal connected to a function generator is adapted for generating phase shifts in the millisecond regime to extract the ellipsometric angles (Ψ and Δ ) under the surface plasmon resonance condition. For detection, the gold surface was functionalized with anti-Escherichia coli antibodies, and E. coli K12 was attached to them. We show that polarization modulated spectroscopic ellipsometry achieves a refractive index resolution in the order of 10 - 5 RIU, and a limit of detection of 10 2 CFU/mL for E. coli K12 which is compatible with other surface plasmon resonance based phase sensitive methods with more complex detection concepts. As a follow-up step, an optical model can be developed to enhance this biosensor's performance, and applications for sorting and detecting other biological targets will be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of suitable habitats and roadkill hotspots allows for the prioritization of areas of conservation and the identification of road sections that require appropriate planning and development. Understanding the factors that influence the species' presence and those contributing to its road-related fatalities is crucial. This study demonstrates the use of MaxEnt modeling to map the potential distribution of the striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena) in Batna province (East Algeria) using occurrence records and a set of environmental variables. The results indicated that the two primary environmental variables that influence the distribution of the species are the shrubland, and the slope with a contribution of 37.5 and 30.2 %, respectively, followed by built-up areas (12 %) and distance to roads (7.2 %). The species may occupy steep terrain with shrubland near anthropized areas. Road collisions represent a threat to the species, with 28 documented casualties from 2010 to 2020 in Batna. The kernel density estimation revealed an important roadkill hotspot along the national roads 3 and 28. This study represents a preliminary step for the use of wildlife ecological niche modeling and road management in Algeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring optimal load balancing is imperative for maintaining reliability and upholding quality of service as specified in service-level agreements (SLAs) for cloud computing providers. This research addresses the most common shortcomings of existing state-of-the-art methods, which often lack responsiveness and struggle to adapt to exponentially increasing demand, especially in the era of the internet of things (IoT). The proposed hybrid approach surpasses current literature approaches in performance metrics such as makespan, response time, number of cloudlet migrations, and SLA violations. It operates on two levels, initially employing a k-means clustering algorithm to group servers within each datacenter based on similar utilization rates. Subsequently, a round-robin method allocates task groups sequentially to non-overloaded clusters, and within each cluster, a genetic algorithm optimally assigns tasks to servers. This multilayered approach facilitates hot-deployment and scalability in operational cloud environments while promoting strong interoperability and decoupling of core mechanisms missions. Simulation experiments conducted on CloudSim Plus validate the superiority of our method, positioning it as a robust solution for enhancing load balancing and tasks scheduling in cloud environments, especially in the face of rapidly increasing IoT-related demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, the harmful effects of industrial activity and consumer society have resulted in global warming. Governments and international organizations are looking for ways to monitor activities of individuals and companies to assess their ecological impact. Unfortunately, such an approach would easily be seen as a mass surveillance tool. This is why we are proposing in this paper a novel privacy-aware global infrastructure for ecological footprint calculator based on the Internet of things and blockchain. Indeed, we take advantage of the data collection capacity of the Internet of things, the anonymization provided by public key identification and encryption, and the immutability of blockchain to implement this global system. A three-stage approach was used to validate our architecture: modeling in Petri nets to verify that the infrastructure fulfills all the required missions, implementing the three central authorities with python to record parameters such as durations, and finally modeling in queuing networks to demonstrate stability. The blockchain and Internet of things parts are used in a purely abstract manner relying on standard concepts; therefore, we have not implemented them. The experiments have produced very promising results. We have shown that for the simplest form of queue modeling, the involved servers have a utilization rate that is close to 50 % and that the overall waiting time remains below one minute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a new operational quantity Hp(30)water has been proposed to replace Hp(10). This paper describes a new proposed procedure for calibrating personal dosemeters, for X and gamma radiations, in terms of this new quantity Hp(30)water. Compared to the current procedure based on Hp(10), the proposed procedure requires fewer steps and it is easier to implement. Indeed, this new procedure is based on the direct measurement of the quantity of interest, unlike the current one that necessitates the measurement of an intermediate quantity, the air kerma and then the use of conversion coefficients. Some of the advantages of the proposed procedure, such as no need of conversion coefficients to determine the value of the quantity of interest, and no need of additional material to ensure the conditions of electronic equilibrium of the secondary electrons, are highlighted. The feasibility of the proposed procedure is verified. The fluence-to-Hp(30)water conversion coefficients are measured for Cs-137 and Co-60 radiation qualities, and are found in good agreement with those available in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the effect of Nickel (Ni) nanoparticles (NPs) concentrations on the morphological, magnetic and mechanical properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polymer matrix. Ni nanoparticles were prepared by solvothermal method. LDPE/Ni nanocomposites (NCs) films were prepared by solution mixing method for different Ni content (1, 3, 5, and 10 wt %). X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that, Ni NPs enhance the crystallinity of the polymer nanocomposite. Nanoindentation analysis of LDPE/Ni revealed an increase in hardness, indicating enhanced nanomechanical elastic properties. The magnetic properties of nanocomposite revealed a soft ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. LDPE/Ni magnetic nanocomposites have shown potential for the development of materials with unique and tunable magnetic and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to reveal the impact of the degree of dependence of Algerian teachers on talk shows via France 24 in Arabic as sources of information on voting behavior during the presidential elections of December 2019, by a field study on a sample of professors of information and communication sciences, political science and international relations at the University of Algiers 3. During the period from February 22, 2019 to December 12, 2019. The study used the survey methodology and questionnaire tool to collect data from researchers. The researcher designed a questionnaire consisting of five axes and 45 questions and distributed it on paper and in electronic form to a planned sample of 310 individuals. The data were also processed using the SPSS version 21 statistical analysis package. The results of the study are as follows: There are statistically significant differences between Sample Study Personnel in their dependence on talk shows via France 24 in Arabic as sources of information on the 2019 presidential election. The impact of the use of talk shows via France 24 on the level of knowledge on the 2019 presidential election. There is no trace of dependence on France 24 talk-shows on forming trends towards the 2019 presidential election. The impact of using talk shows to get information about the act of voting during the 2019 presidencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eastern data highlight the oncological benefits of the anterior approach (AA) during right hepatectomy (RH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, to our knowledge, previous western data on this topic are scarce. In this study, the oncological outcomes of AA and classical approach (CA) during RH for HCC were compared. Methods: A retrospective inverse propensity score-weighted fashion (IPTW) case–control study was performed in two French hepatobiliary surgery departments. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and early recurrence rate (within 2 years after surgery) were analyzed. Results: Survival analysis was performed for 114 patients (CA group,60 patients; AA group, 54 patients). Before IPTW adjustment, the 3-year DFS rates were 29.4% (AA group) and 44% (CA group), respectively. No significant differences were found in DFS (HR = 1.1, 95%CI:0.62–1.9, p = 0.77) and OS (HR = 1.2, 95%CI:0.54–2.6, p = 0.66). After IPTW, DFS and OS analyses showed no differences between the two groups (p = 0.77 and p = 0.46, respectively). Early recurrence rates were similar before and after IPTW. Satellite nodules were the only significant independent risk factor for recurrence. Conclusion: AA and CA did not result in significant differences in DFS, OS, or early recurrence after right hepatectomy for HCC before and after IPTW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes a miniature two‐element Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna dedicated to UWB applications. The proposed MIMO design has a very low profile of 30 × 20 × 1.6 mm3. The proposed antenna is carefully designed and optimized using HFSS simulation software. As a proof of concept, the proposed design is realized and experimentally tested for MIMO applications. The proposed structure, printed on an FR4 substrate, comprises two symmetrical elliptical conductive patches on the upper side and a modified ground plane on the lower one. Each radiating element includes six elliptical rings. The modified ground plane consists of a T‐shaped strip and two semielliptical slots etched opposite the feed line. All the parameters of the design are carefully optimized to achieve an ultrawide bandwidth antenna spanning from (136.08%) 3.1 to 16.3 GHz. The results are discussed and analyzed in terms of bandwidth, gain, efficiency, radiation pattern, diversity gain, envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), total active reflection coefficient (TARC), and mean effective gain (MEG). All simulated results are found to be in good accordance with experiments. The design reveals attractive features for UWB applications. A good isolation (17 dB) between the two radiators is achieved despite the close proximity using the suggested ground plane geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emphysematous hepatitis is a rare infectious disease, which corresponds to the presence of gas in the liver, without collection and after exclusion of vascular origin. This entity belongs to the group of emphysematous infections, whose physiopathology seems to be linked to the presence of unbalanced diabetes and to bacterial fermentation, leading to the production of gas within the liver parenchyma. Very few cases of emphysematous hepatitis have been described in the literature, and most of them had a rapidly fatal course. In this manuscript, we report the case of a 59-year-old man with emphysematous hepatitis due to wild-type Klebsiella pneumoniae that was successfully managed by surgery, and we perform a review of the literature to describe the clinical and biopathological aspects of this rare hepatic disease. Our manuscript underlines the need to perform biological and histopathological sampling to better understand the pathophysiology of this rare entity. The causes and mechanisms of emphysematous hepatitis, which seem to be multiple, lead us to believe that it is a syndrome rather than a simple infectious disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a low-profile miniaturized microstrip monopole antenna with an overall size of 15mm x 20mm x 1.6mm is developed and analyzed for Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) services. The proposed antenna is carefully designed, optimized, and analyzed using HFSS 15 simulation software. A prototype of the design is realized and experimentally tested as proof of concept. The results are discussed and compared with literature. They show attractive radiating features for UWB applications. The proposed antenna consists of an elliptical patch printed on a low-cost FR-4 epoxy substrate with a modified ground plane. To achieve UWB characteristics, elliptical rings are etched on the conducting patch, and the ground plane is modified by adding an inverted L shaped strip and creating a semi-elliptical slot in the partial ground opposite to the feed line. The achieved ultra-wide band ranges from 3.1 to 18.1 GHz (141.51%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating conjunctive queries (CQs) is NP-hard in general; however, acyclic CQs or nearest acyclic CQs can be evaluated in polynomial time. Many structural methods for characterising such classes are proposed in the literature. However, exploiting these methods to answer CQs is not efficient in practice when the relations have a realistic size. In this work, we propose a new method called HSJ-Solver for evaluating CQs and for solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) represented by a generalised hypertree decomposition (GHD). Experiments carried out on CSP benchmarks show that using HSJ-Solver significantly improves the achieved performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Veterinarska Stanica is the property of Croatian Veterinary Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus known to cause two major diseases: adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and a progressive neuromyelopathy—tropical spastic paraparesis. Many viruses may be involved in the pathogenesis of thyroiditis; however, few studies have focused on the role of HTLV-1. We aimed to investigate the association between HTLV-1 and biological thyroid dysfunction. Methods: We included 357 patients with a positive HTLV-1 serology and thyroidstimulating hormone assay data between 2012 and 2021 in a hospital in French Guiana; we compared the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in this group with that in an HTLV-1-negative control group (722 persons) matched for sex and age. Results: The prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in patients with HTLV-1 infection was significantly higher than that in the control group (11% versus 3.2% and 11.3% versus 2.3%, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study shows, for the first time, the association between HTLV-1 and dysthyroidism in a large sample, suggesting that thyroid function exploration should be systematically implemented in this population as this may have an impact on therapeutic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of This research paper is to measure the role of corporate communication in enhancing the performance of the human resource and drop it on a level of the hospital under study. In order to achieve this, a questionnaire was designed and distributed in its final form to a sample of 54 individuals, We relied on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for the purpose of analyzing data, testing hypotheses, and drawing conclusions. The study reached several results, the most important of which are: the availability of corporate communication requirements from the point of view of the study sample members; There is also a statistically significant effect of corporate communication on the performance of the human resource from the point of view of the study sample members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used in patients with initially unresectable advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) to reduce the disease bulk. The CA-125 level depends on tumor burden changes. A joint model (JM) is a statistical tool used for dynamic prediction during follow-up. A JM of longitudinal CA-125 was assessed as a reliable predictive model for overall and free disease survivals. We developed a dynamic and individual model to predict complete resectability of AOC using patients' and tumor characteristics combined with kinetics of CA-125 during neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. In patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), predicting the feasibility of complete interval cytoreductive surgery (ICRS) is helpful and may avoid unnecessary laparotomy. A joint model (JM) is a dynamic individual predictive model. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive JM combining CA-125 kinetics during NAC with patients' and clinical factors to predict resectability after NAC in patients with AOC. A retrospective study included 77 patients with AOC treated with NAC. A linear mixed effect (LME) sub-model was used to describe the evolution of CA-125 during NAC considering factors influencing the biomarker levels. A Cox sub-model screened the covariates associated with resectability. The JM combined the LME sub-model with the Cox sub-model. Using the LME sub-model, we observed that CA-125 levels were influenced by the number of NAC cycles and the performance of paracentesis. In the Cox sub-model, complete resectability was associated with Performance Status (HR = 0.57, [0.34–0.95], p = 0.03) and the presence of peritoneal carcinomatosis in the epigastric region (HR = 0.39, [0.19–0.80], p = 0.01). The JM accuracy to predict complete ICRS was 88% [82–100] with a predictive error of 2.24% [0–2.32]. Using a JM of a longitudinal CA-125 level during NAC could be a reliable predictor of complete ICRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraint Programming is a powerful paradigm to model and solve combinatorial problems. While there are many kinds of constraints, the table constraint is perhaps the most significant—being the most well-studied and has the ability to encode any other constraints defined on finite variables. However, constraints can be very voluminous and their size can grow exponentially with their arity. To reduce space and the time complexity, researchers have focused on various forms of compression. In this paper, we propose a new approach based on maximal frequent itemsets technique and area measure for enumerating the maximal frequent itemsets relevant for compressing table constraints. Our experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiency of this approach on compression and on solving compressed constraint satisfaction problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, C Physiology & Molecular Biology is the property of Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To determine a demographic overview of orthopoxvirus seroprevalence, we tested blood samples collected during 2003-2019 from France (n = 4,876), Bolivia (n = 601), Laos (n = 657), and Mali (n = 255) for neutralizing antibodies against vaccinia virus. In addition, we tested 4,448 of the 4,876 samples from France for neutralizing antibodies against cowpox virus. We confirmed extensive cross-immunity between the 2 viruses. Seroprevalence of antibodies was <1% in Bolivia, <5% in Laos, and 17.25% in Mali. In France, we found low prevalence of neutralizing antibodies in persons who were unvaccinated and vaccinated for smallpox, suggesting immunosenescence occurred in vaccinated persons, and smallpox vaccination compliance declined before the end of compulsory vaccination. Our results suggest that populations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America are susceptible to orthopoxvirus infections, which might have precipitated the emergence of orthopoxvirus infections such as the 2022 spread of monkeypox in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarises the development of the system of radiation protection quantities used for occupational exposures to external sources throughout the last century. Although the current system generally meets the radiation protection needs quite satisfactorily, this system has often been the target of criticism. Some controversial issues are highlighted in the present paper. The conclusion is that it would be appropriate to undertake a deep review of the current system and suggest the necessary revisions to remove any ambiguities or confusion and address the deficiencies and incoherencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, A Multi-Leaders Guided Harris Hawks optimizer using Epsilon-Dominance relation is developed for solving multi-objective optimization problems. For this reason, the standard HHO algorithm is equipped with a fixed-size external archive to ensure the elitism concept. On the other hand, both crowding distance computation and epsilon dominance relation are adopted when updating the archive in the hope of improving the diversity of solutions. Moreover, an efficient leader selection procedure is proposed to guarantee convergence towards less-crowded Pareto regions. Our algorithm's performance is validated on 18 test functions in all, 5 with two objectives and 13 with three objectives, and it is compared with four well-regarded algorithms, namely: Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm Based on Decomposition (MOEA/D), Multi-Objective Grey Wolf Optimizer (MOGWO), Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO), and Multi-objective Salp Swarm Algorithm (MSSA). Also, it is applied to solve four engineering real-world problems, namely: Four bar truss, Speed reducer, Disk brake design, and Welded beam design problems. Inverted Generational Distance (IGD) metric and Hypervolume (HV) metric were used to quantify the behaviors of multi-objective algorithms. The obtained results show the performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of convergence and diversity for the benchmark functions and the engineering real-world problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant displays increased infectiveness as well as mutations resulting in reduced neutralizing activity of antibodies acquired after vaccination or infection involving earlier strains. To assess the ability of vaccinated COVID‐19 convalescent plasma (CCP‐V) collected before November 2021 to seroneutralize Omicron, we compared neutralizing antibody (nAb) titres of 63 samples against Omicron and earlier B.1 (D614G) strains. Methods and Findings: Relationship between anti‐Omicron titres and IgG anti‐S1 levels (binding arbitrary unit: BAU/ml) was studied. Although correlated, anti‐Omicron titres were significantly lower than anti‐B.1 titres (median = 80 [10–1280] vs. 1280 [160–10,240], p < 0.0001). Omicron nAb titres and IgG anti‐S1 levels were correlated (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.67). Anti‐S1 IgG threshold at 7000 BAU/ml may allow to discard CCP‐V without anti‐Omicron activity (nAb titre <40). Conversely, only those with highest titres (≥160) had systematically anti‐S1 IgG levels >7000 BAU/ml. Conclusion: A fraction of CCP‐V collected before November 2021 retains anti‐Omicron seroneutralizing activity that may be selected by quantitative anti‐IgG assays, but such assays do not easily allow the identification of 'high‐titre' CCP‐V. However, collecting plasma from vaccinated donors recently infected with Omicron may be the best option to provide optimal CCP‐V for immunocompromised patients infected with this variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the foot stance and foot swing phases, also known as foot-to-ground (FTG) detection, is a branch of Human Activity Recognition (HAR). Our study aims to detect two main phases of the gait (i.e., foot-off and foot-contact) corresponding to the moments when each foot is in contact with the ground or not. This will allow the medical professionals to characterize and identify the different phases of the human gait and their respective patterns. This detection process is paramount for extracting gait features (e.g., step width, stride width, gait speed, cadence, etc.) used by medical experts to highlight gait anomalies, stance issues, or any other walking irregularities. It will be used to assist health practitioners with patient monitoring, in addition to developing a full pipeline for FTG detection that would help compute gait indicators. In this paper, a comparison of different training configurations, including model architectures, data formatting, and pre-processing, was conducted to select the parameters leading to the highest detection accuracy. This binary classification provides a label for each timestamp informing whether the foot is in contact with the ground or not. Models such as CNN, LSTM, and ConvLSTM were the best fits for this study. Yet, we did not exclude DNNs and Machine Learning models, such as Random Forest and XGBoost from our work in order to have a wide range of possible comparisons. As a result of our experiments, which included 27 senior participants who had a stroke in the past wearing IMU sensors on their ankles, the ConvLSTM model achieved a high accuracy of 97.01% for raw windowed data with a size of 3 frames per window, and each window was formatted to have two superimposed channels (accelerometer and gyroscope channels). The model was trained to have the best detection without any knowledge of the participants' personal information including age, gender, health condition, the type of activity, or the used foot. In other words, the model's input data only originated from IMU sensors. Overall, in terms of FTG detection, the combination of the ConvLSTM model and the data representation had an important impact in outperforming other start-of-the-art configurations; in addition, the compromise between the model's complexity and its accuracy is a major asset for deploying this model and developing real-time solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitation of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) is a key parameter in determining the effective dose for treatment with COVID‐19 convalescent plasma (CCP). Interpretation of results from clinical trials conducted worldwide requires comparison of Nabs titres obtained from different methods. As virus neutralization tests (VNTs) are not standardized scalable or commercially available, strategies based on intensity of ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) or chemiluminescent binding serological tests were implemented to allow comparisons and establish criteria for determining 'high‐titres' of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies (Abs). To this end, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has proposed criteria to define high‐titre plasmas using different serological assays, including the one used in France for the CCP SARS‐CoV‐2 Abs screening (Euroimmun anti‐S1 IgG). A retrospective study revealed that when using the FDA criteria (ELISA signal‐to‐cut‐off [S/C ratio] ≥3.5), 91% of CCP had Nabs titres ≥40 as assessed with an in‐house VNT. French strategy to ensure sufficient stocks of CCP of increasing titre has evolved over time. Recently, we improved our strategy by collecting only plasma from vaccinated convalescent donors as we confirmed that the mean IgG antibody level (ELISA S/C ratio) was significantly higher in plasma from vaccinated convalescent donors compared to donations from unvaccinated convalescent donors: 9.31 (CI 95%: 8.46–10.16) versus 3.22 (CI 95%: 3.05–3.39) (p < 0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the use of nasal swabs spotted onto filter paper (Whatman 3M) for the molecular diagnosis of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Spots of a positive nasal swab in conservation medium (B.1.177 strain, 21Ct) were still positive (duo E‐gene/IP4) after 10, 20, and 30 days of conservation at room temperature, with Ct values of 28, 27, and 26, respectively. Direct spotting of the swab at bedside (omicron strain) still gave a positive result after 10 days in two RT‐qPCR systems: 33.7 Ct using duo E‐gene/IP4, and 34.8 using a specific Omicron system. Spotting of a dilution range of media spiked with the Delta (strain 2021/FR/0610, lineage B 1.617.2) and Omicron strains (strain UVE/SARS‐CoV‐2/2021/FR/1514) showed a threshold of 0.04 TCID50 after 10 days of conservation. We show, for the first time, that this simple and low‐cost conservation method can be used to store samples for RT‐qPCR against SARS‐CoV‐2 for up to at least 1 month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to phenotypic plasticity and sex-biased selective pressures, intraspecific variation in tortoise morphology is usually assessed by studying sexual dimorphism. However, inferences may differ based on the choice of shell size measurements for analyses. In this work, we identified linear measurements that best describe sexual dimorphism for the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca whitei. We assessed 34 carapace and plastron measurements in 67 individuals (24 males, 43 females) in a population at the natural Mergueb site located on the central limit of the Algerian steppe. Twenty-two out of 34 measurements significantly showed sexual size dimorphism in ANOVA tests. When analyzing sexual shape dimorphism with ANCOVAs, nine measurements showed no shared allometry with the measurements used as covariates to correct by size. Meanwhile, 17 out of the remaining 23 measurements showed significant differences in shape. PCA analyses similarly described T. graeca's sexual dimorphism. In general, females tend to be bigger than males, especially in central scutes what is probably linked with clutch sizes commitments. On the other hand, males are larger-sized in anterior and posterior scutes, probably as a result of courtship, male fighting and copulation. Some of the analyzed measurements are revealed as being especially adequate for further studying the geographical variation of sexual dimorphism in Testudo graeca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, neutron induced structural modifications, on the biaxially-oriented polyethylene naphthalate (BOPEN) film, were studied by X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR/ATR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM). The irradiation with neutron was carried out, under air, at room temperature. The changes of the structure, in volume and in surface were evaluated under the impact of neutron’s flux composed by thermally neutrons and fast neutrons. The X-ray technique showed the effect of the neutron flux’s fluence on the crystallinity of the BOPEN, which was also determined through the FTIR/ATR spectroscopy, traduced by the absence and (or) presence of the absorption bands characteristics of crystalline and amorphous phases. The SEM and PLOM characterizations, revealed a radical change in the texture of the surface which passes from an orderly homogeneous state, observed on the NIR-BOPEN film, to a degraded state, shown up in irradiated samples (IR-BOPEN) case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of the ultra-thin GaN interlayer on the electrical and photoelectrical parameters of Au|GaAs Schottky barrier diodes. An optimized fabrication process was employed to elaborate two types of Schottky diodes Au|GaAs and Au|GaN|GaAs with a GaN thickness of 2.2 nm. Electrical parameters were extracted from current–voltage measurements in dark and under illumination with a green laser of 532-nm wavelength. Surface photoelectric voltage (SPV) method was employed to estimate the excess of concentration and the mean interface state density. The extracted parameters from the current-voltage measurements in the dark, under illumination, and using SPV method show an improvement after nitridation process. The creation of the ultra-thin GaN layer at the Au|GaAs interface reduces the density of the interface states leading to the improvement of the electrical quality by restructuring the metal-semiconductor interface under the effect of formation of the GaN interfacial layer. This restructuration of the metal-semiconductor interface results in the improvement of the photoelectrical response of these structures by allowing the creation of an additional excess of concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the serologic response to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine at four weeks after the second dose in patients with RRMS treated with rituximab with extended-interval dosing (n = 26). At four weeks, 73% of patients were seropositive. No patient without B cells at the first dose (n = 4) was seropositive. Four of seven (57%) patients with B-cell proportion >0% and ≤5% were seropositive. All patients with B-cell proportion >5% (n = 15) were seropositive. In all patients, quantitative ELISA measures after vaccination were correlated with B-cell counts measured before vaccination. In patients receiving rituximab, seropositivity after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination emerged only after B-cell repopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We studied the serologic response to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine at four weeks after the second dose in patients with RRMS treated with rituximab with extended-interval dosing (n = 26). At four weeks, 73% of patients were seropositive. No patient without B cells at the first dose (n = 4) was seropositive. Four of seven (57%) patients with B-cell proportion >0% and ≤5% were seropositive. All patients with B-cell proportion >5% (n = 15) were seropositive. In all patients, quantitative ELISA measures after vaccination were correlated with B-cell counts measured before vaccination. In patients receiving rituximab, seropositivity after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination emerged only after B-cell repopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPLs) impregnated onto activated carbon (AC) as an effective solid adsorbent has been used for the uptake of acid red 1 (AR) from aqueous solution. In acid medium at pH ≤ 4.0, the removal of AR is found favourable than at pH ≥ 4.0. The data approve well with Fruendlich model and pseudo second-order kinetic. Adsorption capacity calculated from Langmuir is 107.5 mg/g. Thermodynamic activation parameters suggest endothermic and spontaneous process. Silver nanoparticles enhanced uptake of AR by AC. The liquid-film and intra-particle diffusion types examined the adsorption mechanism. Removal of AR from AC-AgNPLs surface carried out to illustrate the recapture of the adsorbent and adsorbate for the economic value of the remediation system. The solid phase extractor is excellent recovered for six consecutive sorption--adsorption round elucidate its rise reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, authentication is required for both physical access to buildings and internal access to computers and systems. Biometrics are one of the emerging technologies used to protect these highly sensitive structures. However, biometric systems based on a single trait enclose several problems such as noise sensitivity and vulnerability to spoof attacks. In this regard, we present in this paper a fully unobtrusive and robust multimodal authentication system that automatically authenticates a user by the way he/she answers his/her phone, after extracting ear and arm gesture biometric modalities from this single action. To deal the challenges facing ear and arm gesture authentication systems in real-world applications, we propose a new method based on image fragmentation that makes the ear recognition more robust in relation to occlusion. The ear feature extraction process has been made locally using Local Phase Quantization (LPQ) in order to get robustness with respect to pose and illumination variation. We also propose a set of four statistical metrics to extract features from arm gesture signals. The two modalities are combined on score-level using a weighted sum. In order to evaluate our contribution, we conducted a set of experiments to demonstrate the contribution of each of the two biometrics and the advantage of their fusion on the overall performance of the system. The multimodal biometric system achieves an equal error rate (EER) of 5.15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Financial, Accounting & Managerial Studies is the property of Journal of Financial, Accounting & Managerial Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze risk factors of local recurrence (LR) after exclusive laparoscopic thermo-ablation (TA) with or without associated liver resection. Methods: Between 2012 and 2017, among 385 patients who underwent 820 TA in our department, 65 (17%) patients (HCC = 11, LM = 54) had exclusive laparoscopic TA representing 112 lesions (HCC = 17, LM = 95). TA was associated with other procedures in 57% of cases (liver resection 81%). All TA were done without liver clamping. Median tumor size was 1.8 cm [ranges from 0.3 to 4.5], 18% of the lesions were larger than 3 cm in size and 11% close to major liver vessels. Tumors locations were 77.5% in right liver, 36% in S7&S8, and 46% in S7&S8&S4a. Results: Mortality was nil and morbidity rate 15.4% including Dindo–Clavien > II grade 3%. The median follow-up was 24 months [0.77–75]. Per lesion LR rate after TA was 18% (n = 19 patients) with a mean time of 7.6 months. Among patients with LR, 18 (95%) could have been re-treated successfully (new resection = 11, re-TA = 7). Multivariate analyses revealed that tumor location in S7 alone, S7&S8 and/or S7, S8, or S4a were independent risk factors of LR after TA. Conclusions: Exclusive laparoscopic TA is a safe and an effective tool to treat liver malignancies with or without liver resection. Other than classical risk factors, tumor location in upper segments of the liver, are independent risk factors for LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall, these observations suggest that mAbs may be well tolerated for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient undergoing therapy for high-risk leukaemia. Keywords: hematologic neoplasms; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 drug treatment; monoclonal antibodies EN hematologic neoplasms COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 drug treatment monoclonal antibodies e1 e3 3 12/27/21 20220101 NES 220101 Adults and children with acute leukaemia are at high risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, compared with the general population.1,2 Furthermore, delayed or interrupted leukaemia treatment due to SARS-CoV-2 infection may also result in poor prognosis, especially in aggressive forms of leukaemia. To mitigate the risk of a severe form of COVID-19, the patient was treated with a combination of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs bamlanivimab and etesevimab (off-label). [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Al Bashaer Economic Journal is the property of Al Bashaer Economic Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were explored in the Algerian population to evaluate associated ankylosing spondylitis (AS) genetic risk factors, but no study has identified the impact of copy number variations (CNVs). The aim of the study was to determine whether CNVs of CCL3L1, FCGR3A and FCGR3B genes were also associated with the susceptibility of AS disease in Algerian population. The data set of the current study is composed of 81 patients with AS and 119 healthy controls. All samples were genotyped by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). Chi‐square test and OR calculation were used to evaluate association between CNVs and AS and the risk associated with copy numbers (CN). In results, FCGR3A CN less than two copies (<2) was significantly increased in spondylitis patients (p = .0001, OR = 7.74 [2.32–25.74]). Additionally, FCGR3A CN < 2 copies association was present only in HLA‐B27 (‐) patients. We have concluded that FCGR3A deletions have an independent effect on AS regarding HLA‐B27 status. This is the first study that investigated the CCL3L1 CNVs in relation to AS risk disease. It reveals that CCL3L1 and FCGR3B CNVs may not be involved in susceptibility to AS risk in the Algerian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the composition and seasonal changes in diet and prey selection in the wall lizard Podarcis vaucheri of the Djurdjura Mountains throughout its activity period, from April to October 2014. The analysis of 238 faecal pellets revealed 1 206 prey items distributed in 19 prey categories. The most important prey categories were: Formicidae, Coleoptera, Aranea, Homoptera, and Orthoptera. Significant seasonal variation in the taxonomic composition of the diet and prey availability was found. A significant difference in diet composition was observed between males and females in spring. This lizard species displayed a more diverse dietary spectrum during this period, followed by a slight decrease in summer. However, a severe decrease in the food niche breadth was observed in autumn, resulting in a high consumption of ants. A comparison of diet composition and prey availability showed that lizards exhibited a clear selection of certain prey types, in contrast to what is often suggested for lacertid lizards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an experimental observation of a singular soliton dynamics in a mode-locked erbium doped fiber laser. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that output intensity exhibits a cyclic transition from a single-pulse to a multi-pulse regime for a fixed value of both pumping power and polarization controllers orientation. Moreover, the pulse duration of the single- and multi-pulse regimes is the same, in contrast with what is usually observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, results of polarisation and depolarisation currents measured on an insulating liquid are presented. The goal is to contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms occurring at the metal–liquid contact. Electrodes of different metallic nature are associated with the same mineral oil, the metal/liquid/metal structure is submitted to DC voltages and the transient current is recorded with a high sensitive electrometer. The current versus time feature shows that the conduction process is in good compliance with the metal work function rather than with its electric conductivity. The current versus field characteristics indicate a predominance of the ohmic behaviour for the low fields. The space charge limited conduction regime appears as soon as the electrical constraint exceeds ∼1 MV/m, which corresponds to 10% of the breakdown voltage. Schottky injection is suspected to occur from the metal into the liquid since the applied fields are uniform and non‐extremely intensified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, results of polarisation and depolarisation currents measured on an insulating liquid are presented. The goal is to contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms occurring at the metal-liquid contact. Electrodes of different metallic nature are associated with the same mineral oil, the metal/liquid/metal structure is submitted to DC voltages and the transient current is recorded with a high sensitive electrometer. The current versus time feature shows that the conduction process is in good compliance with the metal work function rather than with its electric conductivity. The current versus field characteristics indicate a predominance of the ohmic behaviour for the low fields. The space charge limited conduction regime appears as soon as the electrical constraint exceeds ~1 MV/m, which corresponds to 10% of the breakdown voltage. Schottky injection is suspected to occur from the metal into the liquid since the applied fields are uniform and non-extremely intensified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims at investigating the possibility of mixtures between naphthenic transformer mineral oil (MO) and natural ester olive oil (VO). Ten mixture ratios between the two non-inhibited oils have been constituted. The variations of the electrical and physicochemical checking parameters (density, color number, water content, acidity, breakdown voltage and dissipation factor) are first analyzed and discussed in comparison with their initial values and those recommended by standards. Then, DC fields are applied during 3000 s and isothermal charging current measurements are made. The two original oils are both uninhibited, new and contain water contents in the limits of their saturation levels. The study reveals a favor for the vegetable oil and mixtures up to 15 % of mineral oil, especially with regard to breakdown voltage and charging current behavior. On the other hand, the addition of VO amounts until 15% improves significantly all the properties of the MO in spite of the high water amounts contained in the base VO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The management of the oroantral fistula is mainly focused on th closure of the mucosa. The surgical management restoring the underlying bone defect are seldom. Maintaining this defect may compromise implant rehabilitation in this sector. The purpose of this article was to show, through a clinical case, an alternative way to manage an oroantral fistula and the bone tissue defect in the same time. Observation: After a rigourous clinical and radiological observation of a 2-year oroantral fistula, an impacted autologous bone graft of the maxillary tuberosity followed by a water tight closure of the mucosa, were realized in a 50-year old patient. Commentary: Using this surgical technique was successful for the closure of the mucosa as for the bone defect reconstruction. A consolidation was noticed and an pre-implant management and a dental implant placement could be realized. Conclusion: The choice of this surgical technique for the management of an oroantral fistua had a direct influence on the future prosthetic rehabilitation. The surgical technique presented for this case could be an interesting approach because the fixed or removable prosthetic treatment will be more effective if the maxillary bone tissue is reconstructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a complex inflammatory disease that represents a major health problem both in Algeria and worldwide. Several lines of evidence support that genetic risk factors play a role in AS etiology and the CTLA4 gene has attracted a considerable attention. In this study, we were interested in evaluating the HLA‐B27 frequency and in exploring the CTLA4 gene in a sample of the North African population. The dataset of the current study is composed of 81 patients with AS and 123 healthy controls. All samples were genotyped by TaqMan®allelic discrimination assay. The genetic risk of the HLA‐B27 specificity and the CTLA4/CT60 polymorphism were assessed by odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). High spondylitis risk was detected for HLA‐B27 allele (OR= 14.62, p = 10−6) in addition to a significant association of the CT60*G allele (OR= 1.89, p = .002). After gender and age stratifications, the association of the CT60*G allele was still significant in females sample (OR= 2.10, p = .001) and when age up to 30 years (OR = 2.21, p = .008). Interestingly, the CT60*G allele revealed an increased spondylitis risk in the B27 negative group (OR= 2.81, p = .006). The present work showed in West Algerian population that the HLA‐B27 antigen and the variation in the CTLA4 3′UTR region played an important role in the ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility. The heterogeneity of this disease is deduced by genetic difference found between B27+ and B27− groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]