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One new prenyl flavanone (1), (2S)-8-prenyl-5,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone, and one new diarylbutanol (2), (7′S)-3′-hydroxy-linderagatin-A, were isolated from the stem bark of Uvaria siamensis (Annonaceae), along with five known compounds, eriodictyol (3), quercetin (4), paprazine (5), N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (6), and N-trans-feruloyltyramine (7). Their structures were determined through extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with the literature. The α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of 1-7 was evaluated. Compound 6 showed the highest inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and exhibited superior potency compared to the positive control, with an IC50 value of 0.12 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP) fibres have primarily used to control shrinkage cracks or mitigate explosive spalling in concrete structures exposed to fire or subjected to impact/blast loads, with limited investigations on capacity improvement. This study unveils the possibility of using PP micro-fibres to improve the impact behaviour of fibre-reinforced ultra-high-performance concrete (FRUHPC) columns. Results show that the addition of fibres significantly improves the impact behaviour of FRUHPC columns by shifting the failure mechanism from brittle shear to favourable flexural failure. The addition of steel or PP fibres affected the impact responses differently. Steel fibres considerably increased the peak impact force (up to 18%) while PP micro-fibres slightly increased the peak (3%-4%). FRUHPC significantly reduced the maximum midheight displacement by up to 30% (under 20° impact) and substantially improved the displacement recovery by up to 100% (under 20° impact). FRUHPC with steel fibres significantly improved the energy absorption while those with PP micro-fibres reduced the energy absorption, which is different from the effect of PP-macro fibre reported in the literature. The optimal fibre content for micro-PP fibres is 1% due to its minimal fibre usage and low peak and residual displacement. This study highlights the potential of FRUHPC as a promising material for impact-resistant structures by creating a more favourable flexural failure mechanism, enhancing ductility and toughness under impact loading, and advancing the understanding of the role of fibres in structural performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common disorder in clinical practice. It is necessary to rule out physical causes to diagnose this condition. However, the diagnosis is challenging particularly in resourcelimited areas. The aim of this consensus is to update international and regional guidelines on the management of FD. The consensus panel included 32 experts from major Vietnamese universities and institutes. This consensus study was conducted using the Delphi method. The grade of recommendation and level of evidence were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. The consensus level was defined as ≥80% for agreement on the proposed statements. The expert panel approved 14 statements after two rounds of voting, which were related to two sections: (1) diagnostic tests for FD and (2) treatment of FD. This consensus is expected to help physicians in identifying and managing FD appropriately in daily clinical practice and to contribute FD data to Asian regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snails are the first intermediate host in the life cycle of trematodes. Previous research found that Trichopodus microlepis fish, cultured in earthen ponds in Tan Nhut Commune, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam had a high infection rate with metacercariae of Centrocestus formosanus and Procevorum sp. It is necessary to investigate whether habitats supplying water to the ponds may contribute to the transmission by carrying intermediate hosts and/or cercariae into these ponds or not. A study of cercariae and snail composition in rice fields and canal supplying water directly to these Trichopodus microlepis ponds was carried out with six samplings in the years 2022 and 2023. A total of 1,151 snails were collected, and nine snail species belonging to 8 genera and 6 families were identified. Three snail species in both rice fields and canal were infected with trematode (cercariae stage) including Bithynia siamensis, Lymnaea viridis and Indoplanorbis exustus. The overall prevalence in the dry season (25.9%) was significantly higher than in the wet season (10.6%) (P<0.05). Three cercariae morphotypes were recovered from snails: xiphidio (in all three snails), echinostome (in Lymnaea viridis and Indoplanorbis exustus), and pleurolophocercous in Bithynia siamensis. This finding shows that Bithynia siamensis is one of the infected sources for Trichopodus microlepis fish cultured in ponds, as pleurolophocercous is also the cercariae in the family of Heterophyidae (including Centrocestus formosanus and Procevorum sp.). Further research should be done to clarify the transmission of fish-borne zoonotic diseases to cultured Trichopodus microlepis in other habitats including the actual fishponds, and sources of trematodes in order to produce Trichopodus microlepis free of metacercariae, contributing to clean aquaculture development and safe food for local people in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The two‐spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae causes significant damage to ornamental, cotton, sugarcane and horticultural crops in Australia. It has a long history of developing resistance to many acaricides including bifenazate. A mutation in the conserved cd1‐ and ef‐helices of the Qo pocket of cytochrome b is recognized as the primary mechanism of bifenazate resistance. To investigate the resistance mechanisms against bifenazate in Australian two‐spotted spider mite, we sequenced the complete mitochondrion genome of five mite strains including a susceptible and bifenazate‐resistant strain. RESULTS: We identified a novel mutation D252N in the G126S background at cytochrome b being the cause of bifenazate resistance in a bifenazate‐resistant strain, Bram. We validated the role of this mutation combination by reciprocal crosses between a bifenazate resistant and susceptible strain. By doing these crosses we confirmed the pattern of inheritance was maternal. Additionally, mitochondrial heteroplasmy was not observed by single mite genotyping of the mutations in cytb in a known bifenazate‐resistant strain Bram. The phylogenetic analysis with the complete mitochondrion genome sequences revealed that Australian two‐spotted spider mite strains are closely related to the green form of T. urticae found in China. CONCLUSIONS: The novel mutation D252N found in the cytochrome b in the G126S background was revealed to be the main cause of bifenazate resistance in the Australian T. urticae strain Bram. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A target to conserve 30% of oceans by designating marine protected areas (MPAs) has been agreed, yet the effectiveness of existing MPAs is often low, with few weakly implemented restrictions on impacting uses. Drawing on coevolutionary governance and social-ecological systems concepts, we hypothesize that (1) effective governance frameworks for MPAs rely on various combinations of diverse incentives, which encourage people (actors) to behave in a manner that reduces the impacts of their uses and thereby more effectively achieves conservation objectives; (2) effective MPAs will tend to employ a higher diversity of governance incentives, creating resilient MPAs analogous to resilient ecosystems with higher species diversity. This multiple case study empirical analysis of the governance of 50 MPAs supports these hypotheses and demonstrates that: (a) there is strong correlation between the effectiveness of MPAs and the number of governance incentives used; (b) combinations of economic, legal, communication, knowledge and participatory incentives are shown to be employed in effective MPAs and mostly needed in less effective MPAs; (c) whilst some incentives are frequently identified as being important to promote effectiveness, no particular 'magic wand' incentive or 'best practice' combinations of incentives guarantee this. These findings show that effectiveness is not determined by any specific governance approaches or incentives, but rather the combination of a diversity of functionally integrated incentives, which interact with and support one another to promote MPA effectiveness and resilience, i.e. diversity is the key to resilience, both of species in ecosystems and incentives in governance systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogeography of invasive pests is fundamentally important for the reconstruction of invasion pathways. Infection patterns with maternally inherited endosymbionts such as Cardinium and Wolbachia may provide additional resolution power. Kelly's citrus thrips, Pezothrips kellyanus, a significant Australian-native pest of citrus, has independently colonised New Zealand and the Mediterranean region. However, the Australian source populations for these two invasive ranges are unknown. Furthermore, Australian populations have previously been found with Cardinium and Wolbachia coinfections. Surprisingly, invasive-range populations only had Cardinium but not Wolbachia, although both endosymbionts independently cause cytoplasmic incompatibility that facilitates the endosymbionts' spread in host populations. To resolve this puzzle, we examined mitochondrial diversity and endosymbiont prevalence in 59 P. kellyanus populations across the native and invasive ranges. We found that populations from Victoria in Australia were Wolbachia-free and shared mitochondrial haplotypes with invasive-range populations, suggesting they were the likely source of the founder populations in both invasive ranges. However, we also detected a linkage pattern between Wolbachia and particular haplotypes in Australia. Furthermore, populations with a high Wolbachia prevalence in eastern Australia had a substantially lower haplotype diversity than populations with low Wolbachia prevalence in other parts of Australia. This indicates a Wolbachia-driven selective sweep of mitochondria in the native range of this haplodiploid host due to maternal coinheritance. In contrast, Cardinium was associated with all haplotypes, demonstrating an older association with Cardinium than Wolbachia. Overall, while endosymbionts are informative for tracing pest invasions, the selective sweeps they cause can potentially confound phylogeographic patterns and invasion pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a survey of fungi on electricity utility poles in South Africa, a diverse range of fungi were discovered. Paecilomyces was frequently isolated, with five species identified using ITS and β-tubulin (BenA) sequences. These were P. brunneolus, P. dactylethromorphus, P. lecythidis, P. paravariotii and a potential new species. The genomes of 30 of these strains were subsequently sequenced and used in a phylogenomic analysis with 45 previously published genomes of the genus. Phylogenetic analyses were also conducted using ITS, BenA, calmodulin (CaM), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1), the genes coding for the theta subunit of the TCP-1 chaperonin complex (Cct8), and for a putative ribosome biogenesis protein (Tsr1). Both phylogenomic and phylogenetic analyses supported the 15 Paecilomyces species currently accepted and confirmed the novelty of the new species, which we describe as P. lignorum. The latter is the sister species of P. brunneolus and belongs to a clade also containing P. variotii and P. paravariotii. Morphologically, the new species produces longer ellipsoidal conidia and grows more restricted on malt extract agar at 30 °C compared to its closest relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global attention has been increasingly paid to the use of biosensor in water quality monitoring, particularly for on-site determination of biochemical oxygen demand and heavy metal toxicity. However, there have not been many publications that show a practical application of biosensor. In this study, canal water in Ho Chi Minh City was collected to evaluate the potential application of biosensor, which measures respiratory activity of immobilized microorganisms on plastic biochips and calcium alginate beads, for the fast determination of biochemical oxygen demand and heavy metal toxicity. The total amount of aerobic bacteria immobilized on the plastic biochips was 35.6 times higher than that on calcium alginate beads, which, in turn, leads to an increased sensitivity of the biosensor based on the plastic biochips in measurement of biochemical oxygen demand. Additionally, the one-way analysis of variance coupled with Turkey Honestly Significant Difference test at a significant level of 0.05 showed no statistical difference between the values of biochemical oxygen demand in samples at various locations determined by 5-day standard method and biosensor. The biosensor also demonstrated its capability in detection of toxicity of Cu(II), Pb(II), Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cr(VI) at concentrations of 2 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, and 0.1 mg/L, which are the allowable maximum concentration for industrial wastewater discharged into receiving water, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on the propensity of firms to engage in divestitures. We find that EPU is positively related to the likelihood of divestitures in general and cashflow‐generating divestitures in particular. Consistent with the desire for cash being a driving force behind divestitures, we find that underperforming firms are more likely to engage in cashflow‐increasing divestitures. Firms that do not pay dividends and are relatively more reliant on government funding are also more likely to pursue sell‐offs and carve‐outs when economic uncertainty is elevated. We find no evidence that firms prefer staged divestitures (spin‐offs and carve‐outs) over non‐staged (sell‐offs) when EPU is high. Instead, EPU is positively related to the likelihood of non‐staged divestitures suggesting that firms do not wait until uncertainty is resolved to pursue deals with a high degree of irreversibility. Our findings point to EPU as a motivator for poor‐performing firms to shore up cash during times of EPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the impact of the Health Care Homes (HCH) primary health care initiative on quality of care and patient outcomes. Design, setting: Quasi‐experimental, matched cohort study; analysis of general practice data extracts and linked administrative data from ten Australian primary health networks, 1 October 2017 – 30 June 2021. Participants: People with chronic health conditions (practice data extracts: 9811; linked administrative data: 10 682) enrolled in the HCH 1 October 2017 – 30 June 2019; comparison groups of patients receiving usual care (1:1 propensity score‐matched). Intervention: Participants were involved in shared care planning, provided enhanced access to team care, and encouraged to seek chronic condition care at the HCH practice where they were enrolled. Participating practices received bundled payments based on clinical risk tier. Main outcome measures: Access to care, processes of care, diabetes‐related outcomes, hospital service use, risk of death. Results: During the first twelve months after enrolment, the mean numbers of general practitioner encounters (rate ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11–1.17) and Medicare Benefits Schedule claims for allied health services (rate ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.24–1.33) were higher for the HCH than the usual care group. Annual influenza vaccinations (relative risk, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.17–1.22) and measurements of blood pressure (relative risk, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.08–1.11), blood lipids (relative risk, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.16–1.21), glycated haemoglobin (relative risk, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03–1.08), and kidney function (relative risk, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.11–1.15) were more likely in the HCH than the usual care group during the twelve months after enrolment. Similar rate ratios and relative risks applied in the second year. The numbers of emergency department presentations (rate ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02–1.18) and emergency admissions (rate ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.04–1.22) were higher for the HCH group during the first year; other differences in hospital use were not statistically significant. Differences in glycaemic and blood pressure control in people with diabetes in the second year were not statistically significant. By 30 June 2021, 689 people in the HCH group (6.5%) and 646 in the usual care group (6.1%) had died (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.96–1.20). Conclusions: The HCH program was associated with greater access to care and improved processes of care for people with chronic diseases, but not changes in diabetes‐related outcomes, most measures of hospital use, or risk of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a highly polyphagous crop pest that has spread over the world rapidly and invaded Australia in 2020. Globally, FAW has been reported to be resistant to several insecticides permitted in Australia. Timely resistance diagnosis is critical for integrated pest management‐based control of FAW in Australia. RESULTS: We developed a multi‐amplicon panel by next‐generation sequencing (multiamplicon‐seq) to identify known insecticide resistance mutations in Australian FAW with high throughput and low cost. The panel included nine known mutations causing insecticide resistance in FAW and four gene mutations causing insecticide resistance in several insect species, not yet reported in FAW. We sequenced 36 plates (96‐well) in one MiSeq flow cell with easy sequencing library preparation. We found that Australian FAW carried a very high proportion of the F290V mutation in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene that causes resistance to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. Furthermore, FAW has a GABA‐activated chloride channel mutation, A301Q in the RDL gene. The sequencing‐based platform provided evidence of a duplication in the AChE gene. Here several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the 476‐bp amplicon of the AChE gene demonstrated 100% heterozygosity across samples and some individuals carried two haplotypes with the F290V mutation. CONCLUSION: Molecular surveillance by multiamplicon‐seq will increase capacity for early detection and future resistance monitoring in highly dispersed Australian FAW. It can provide timely resistance information and has the potential to play an important role in the resistance management of FAW. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian ports are continuously exposed to exotic and invasive mite and insect species associated with imported fresh produce. Much effort is focused on preventing the exotic species from entering Australia by product fumigation or destruction in a timely manner. However, quarantine intercepts of invasive species may contain unwanted resistance to pesticides or carry viruses that can undermine Australian agricultural sustainability. We examined pesticide resistance status in 1275 Tetranychus urticae samples from quarantine intercepts from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry originating from some 29 countries spread over 6 main continents (Africa [4], Asia [12], Europe [3], North America [2], Oceania [4] and South America [4]). We used a high‐throughput multiamplicon sequencing platform to screen major target‐site mutations that cause acaricide resistance in T. urticae. These included G119S, A201S, T280A, G328A and F331Y (Ace‐1) associated with mode of action (MoA) 1 insecticide (organophosphates and carbamates); M918, L925I, L1014F and F1538I (VGSC) associated with MoA 3 insecticide (pyrethroids); G314D (GluCl1) associated with MoA 6 insecticide (avermectins and milbemycins); and finally, H92R (PSST) associated with MoA 21 insecticide (fenpyroximate, pyridaben and tebufenpyrad). The results revealed that four known mutations (G119S, T280A, G328A and F331W) were abundant in the quarantine samples including those from Norfolk Island and New Zealand. The mutations L1024V, F1538I and L925V (VGSC) associated with pyrethroid resistance were widespread through many samples, but the super Kdr mutation M918 was not detected. Similarly, H92R (PSST) that causes resistance to fenpyroximate, pyridaben and tebufenpyrad was found in most of the T. urticae intercept samples. We conclude that resistance alleles entering Australia through quarantine intercepts are common, suggesting that unwanted or rare alleles could enter Australia via this route. However, exotic quarantine breaches carrying such alleles remain of most serious concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two previously unreported dimethylpyranoflavanones, pyronomelodorones A and B (1 and 2), along with five known compounds, 7-O-methyldihydrowogonin (3), 5,6,7-trimethoxyflavanone (4), 5,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-dihydroflavone (5), 5,7,8-trimethoxydihydroflavone (6), and pinostrobin (7), were isolated from the roots of Melodorum fruticosum. The structures of all isolates were fully characterized using spectroscopic data and comparison with the previous literature. All isolates were evaluated for their in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition and their cytotoxicity against KB, HepG2, and MCF7 cell lines. Among the isolates, compound 1 exhibited the most inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and was superior to the positive control with an IC50 value of 1.32 μM. Compounds 1 and 2 showed weak cytotoxicity against the three human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values in the range of 53.3–79.0 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of low-emission geopolymer concrete (GPC) and noncorrodible basalt-fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars is an effective strategy in the bid for net zero emissions and making sustainable and durable structures. To date, however, there have been no studies on the impact response of prefabricated/precast segmental concrete beams (PSCBs) constructed using GPC and BFRP bars. This experimental study, therefore, was intended to partially fill this knowledge gap. The key objectives were to investigate the impact behavior of the segmental versus traditional monolithic beams, the effect of impact location, and the performance of GPC versus ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete beams. The test results showed that, with the energy absorption capability derived from the opening and sliding of joints, the PSCB experienced less damage than its monolithic counterpart under similar impact conditions. The joints, however, reduced the global stiffness of the PSCB, resulting in the PSCB having a higher displacement, lower impact and reaction forces, but a longer impact force duration and greater impulse, compared to the corresponding monolithic beam. Under the impact loads, the PSCB had a higher tendon force but smaller reinforcement strain than the monolithic beam. Impacting at the joints mobilized the energy absorption capability more effectively, resulting in a reduction in impact-induced damage. The impact performance of both the monolithic and segmental GPC beams was quite similar to that of their OPC counterparts. Thus, GPC can be adopted as a sustainable alternative to OPC in the construction of concrete structures against impact loads. In this study, a three-dimensional finite-element model was also developed in order to obtain a better understanding of the impact behavior of segmental and monolithic beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AFree oral spray, in combination with Standard of Care, in treating mild to moderate COVID-19 patients. This was an open-label, single-blinded, and controlled randomized clinical trial. Patients and Methods: The study involved 1,252 patients, who were randomly assigned to either the control or study group, with 626 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with Standard of Care recommended by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, while patients in the study group received AFree oral spray in addition to Standard of Care for a period of 10 days. The clinical progression and outcomes of both groups were compared. Results: The results showed that the proportion of patients with clinical symptoms on the 5th, 7th and 10th days were significantly lower in the study group (45.05%, 3.19% and 0%, respectively) compared to the control group (86.10%, 67.73% and 22.84%, respectively). Additionally, the rate of Real-time PCR test positivity for COVID-19 was significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group on the 4th, 7th, and 10th days (82.75% vs. 98.72%, 9.27% vs. 92.97%, and 1.12% vs. 50.48%, respectively). Furthermore, no side effects or complications related to AFree oral spray were recorded in the study group. Conclusion: The use of AFree oral spray resulted in significant improvements in clinical symptoms, recovery time, and viral clearance in COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms. This therapy has been shown to be safe and can be used as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 as well as other respiratory viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular glycosylation is characterized by chemical complexity and heterogeneity, which is challenging to reproduce synthetically. Here we show chemoenzymatic synthesis on phage to produce a genetically-encoded liquid glycan array (LiGA) of complex type N-glycans. Implementing the approach involved by ligating an azide-containing sialylglycosyl-asparagine to phage functionalized with 50–1000 copies of dibenzocyclooctyne. The resulting intermediate can be trimmed by glycosidases and extended by glycosyltransferases yielding a phage library with different N-glycans. Post-reaction analysis by MALDI-TOF MS allows rigorous characterization of N-glycan structure and mean density, which are both encoded in the phage DNA. Use of this LiGA with fifteen glycan-binding proteins, including CD22 or DC-SIGN on cells, reveals optimal structure/density combinations for recognition. Injection of the LiGA into mice identifies glycoconjugates with structures and avidity necessary for enrichment in specific organs. This work provides a quantitative evaluation of the interaction of complex N-glycans with GBPs in vitro and in vivo. Cellular glycosylation is complex and heterogeneous, which is challenging to reproduce synthetically. Here, the authors report on enzymatic remodelling of multivalent glycosylated bacteriophages to produce genetically encoded library of N-glycans which can be used to measure glycan-protein interactions with lectins on the surface of live cells and organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conjugated diblock copolymer of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(2-(4,6-dichlorotriazin-2-yl]oxy)ethyl methacrylate) (P3HT-b-PDCTMA) has been obtained via the combination of Grignard metathesis method and organo-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization with a polymerization conversion of 73%. The synthesized diblock copolymer P3HT-b-PDCTMA exhibited an Mn of 17,500 g/mol, which is approximately close to the theoretical value, and with polydispersity index (Đ) of 1.42. The conjugated diblock copolymer P3HT-b-PDCTMA bears functional reactive triazine chloride groups that act as a platform to react with mercaptan or amine groups via efficient nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. The chemical structures and macromolecular characteristic properties of the "rod–coil" conjugated diblock copolymers have been characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. In addition, their optical properties and conformation have been investigated via UV–Vis spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: A prospective randomized, openlabel, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of AFree on the symptoms and course of moderate and severe COVID-19 in the field hospital. Patients and Methods: Two hundred hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled. The patients were randomized into 100 patients in the interventional AFree group and 100 in the control group. The AFree group patients were treated with AFree oral spray in conjunction with the standard COVID-19 treatment protocol, while the control group of patients were treated with only standard care. Results: Patients of the AFree group demonstrated a remarkedly faster improvement in all COVID-19-related symptoms, resulting in a shorter time for complete recovery than the control group. More importantly, they showed a shorter time for complete viral clearance. Adding AFree to the standard of care protocol also significantly improved the restoration of taste and smell and reduced lung infiltration. Additionally, the patients in the AFree group also exhibited fewer adverse effects related to treatment. Conclusion: AFree oral spray is a simple-to-use, safe, and effective adjunctive treatment for moderate and severe COVID-19 cases. AFree oral spray was demonstrated to potentially be effective for COVID-19 prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive and behavioral impairment with social and occupational impacts. This form of dementia is being increasingly studied, and its prevalence is expected to rise in the near future. Gaetano Perusini, a neuroscientist in the Alzheimer's laboratory, has played a major clinical and pathological role in the earlier study of Alzheimer's disease. This article summarizes his role in the discovery of the disease, which should be fairly named Alzheimer-Perusini disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pliny the Elder was a prolific Roman author, naturalist, and military leader. Yet, his impact on modern-day neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology has been little explored. Here, we aimed to trace the origins of our current understanding of the brain in ancient Rome through Pliny and his work, Natural History. As his magnum opus, this 37-book tome catalogs the facts and observations of natural life collected by Pliny, reflecting the knowledge of his time. Following the cephalocentric school of thought, Pliny places the brain as an agent for consciousness and details its diseases. Further, we explore Pliny's methods, which allow him to build a thorough collection of clinical descriptions and remedies. This body of work serves as an important lesson for future neuroscientists on the power of observation, the role of the humanities, and the necessity of understanding the origin of modern scientific thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The California Healthy Nail Salon Recognition Program is a statewide initiative to incentivize nail salons to adopt occupational health and safety best practices such as the use of safer nail products without certain harmful chemicals, ventilation systems upgrade, proper personal protective equipment use, and staff training. This public policy intervention is in response to the call to protect nail care workers, mostly women of color, who bear a disproportionate burden of chemical exposure at work. Because there is an interest to adopt a similar program in the Greater Philadelphia region, we conducted this formative research to document stakeholders' perspectives on the feasibility of adopting a Healthy Nail Salon Recognition Program in Philadelphia. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 31 stakeholders in Philadelphia in 2021. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science as our theoretical framework, we developed the interview guide and analysed the data using qualitative research methods to identify key facilitators and barriers. Results Key facilitating themes were perceived need and benefits of program to improve workers' health and working conditions, and willingness of stakeholders to leverage their organizational resources. Barriers included perceived high cost and time commitment from salon owners and employees, lack of funding and implementation leaders at the city government, community members' willingness to be visible and advocate for the program affected by the stigmas of being immigrant workers, and fear of interacting with authorities, as well as the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Our results suggest successful adoption of a Healthy Nail Salon Recognition Program in Philadelphia will require outreach within the community to raise awareness of the benefits of the program and close partnership with community-based organizations to facilitate mutual understanding between the authorities and the ethnically diverse nail salon communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on machine-learning (ML) prediction of axial capacity of composite concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns under axial loading relate mainly to only one cross-section shape, meaning that they are limited to only one given application. In this paper, a ML model—namely support vector machine (SVM)—is proposed for the prediction of CFST columns with different cross-section shapes: circular, elliptical, square and rectangular, because they are the most widely used in engineering structures. A database consisting of 1093 tests was gathered from the available literature and used to train and validate the SVM model. The model's performance was quantified by various performance indicators: coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error, mean absolute error, Willmott's index of agreement, and mean absolute percentage error. Based on the SVM model, sensitivity analysis, influence of different factors, parametric study and comparison with the literature are presented. A graphic user interface of the proposed model was also implemented. The model could be extended to study the effect of other cross-sectional shapes, making for wider applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthase-dependent secretion systems are a conserved mechanism for producing exopolysaccharides in Gram-negative bacteria. Although widely studied, it is not well understood how these systems are organized to coordinate polymer biosynthesis, modification, and export across both membranes and the peptidoglycan. To investigate how synthase-dependent secretion systems produce polymer at a molecular level, we determined the crystal structure of the AlgK-AlgX (AlgKX) complex involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate exopolysaccharide acetylation and export. We demonstrate that AlgKX directly binds alginate oligosaccharides and that formation of the complex is vital for polymer production and biofilm attachment. Finally, we propose a structural model for the AlgEKX outer membrane modification and secretion complex. Together, our study provides insight into how alginate biosynthesis proteins coordinate production of a key exopolysaccharide involved in establishing persistent Pseudomonas lung infections. The pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses a synthase-dependent secretion system for production of the exopolysaccharide alginate, which is associated with lung infection severity. Here, Gheorghita et al. determine the crystal structure of one of the secretion system components (the AlgKX complex) and show that it binds alginate oligosaccharides and is required for polymer production and biofilm attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riverine surface sediments are known to be important sources and sinks for different variables like metals, organic carbon and nutrients. This paper presents the surface sediment quality of the Red River which was monitored for nine trace metal elements, total organic carbon and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and silica) during four sampling campaigns in 2019. The results showed that Fe and As concentrations were higher than the allowed values of the Vietnam National technical regulation on the surface sediment quality QCVN 43:2017/BTNMT. Trace metal element concentrations were, from highest to lowest, Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > Pb > Cr > As > Cd > Hg. The geoaccumulation index and the enrichment factor values revealed that the Red River sediments were polluted by As; moderately polluted by Cu, Pb, Cd, and Hg; and uncontaminated by other metals (Mn, Cr and Zn). For other variables, total organic carbon (0.43 ± 0.31%), total nitrogen (0.09 ± 0.04%), and total phosphorus (0.060 ± 0.018%) were low in comparison with other urban rivers, whereas total silica (29.93 ± 4.52%) seemed to be high. Spatially, the lowest values of most variables were observed at the Hoa Binh site, where human population and activities are lowest and when discharge was highest. In contrast, most variables were highest at the Ba Lat site where the human activities clearly impacted on the Red River. These results indicate that the Red River sediment is affected by a combination of natural characteristics and human activities in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND To compare prevalence of hypertension and stage II hypertension assessed by 2 blood pressure (BP) observation protocols. METHODS Participants aged 18 years and older (n = 4,689) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2017–2018) had their BP measured following 2 protocols: the legacy auscultation protocol (AP) and oscillometric protocol (OP). The order of protocols was randomly assigned. Prevalence estimates for hypertension (BP ≥130/80 mm Hg or use of medication for hypertension) and stage II hypertension (BP ≥140/90 mm Hg) were determined overall, by demographics, and by risk factors for each protocol. Ratios (OP% ÷ AP%) and kappa statistics were calculated. RESULTS Age-adjusted hypertension prevalence was 44.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.1%–48.0%) using OP and 45.1% (95% CI: 41.5%–48.7%) using AP, prevalence ratio = 0.99 (95% CI = 0.94–1.04). Age-adjusted stage II hypertension prevalence was 15.8% (95% CI: 13.6%–18.2%) using AP and 17.1% (95% CI: 14.7%–19.7%) using OP, prevalence ratio = 0.92 (95% CI = 0.81–1.04). For both hypertension and stage II hypertension, the prevalence ratios by demographics and by risk factors all included unity in their 95% CI, except for stage II hypertension in adults 60+ years (ratio: 0.88 [95% CI: 0.78–0.98]). Kappa for agreement between protocols for hypertension and stage II hypertension was 0.75 (95% CI = 0.71–0.79) and 0.67 (95% CI = 0.61–0.72), respectively. CONCLUSIONS In adults and for nearly all subcategories there were no significant differences in prevalence of hypertension and stage II hypertension between protocols, indicating that protocol change may not affect the national prevalence estimates of hypertension and stage II hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a search model with Nash bargaining to identify various channels through which agent gender affects selling price and selling time in the resale market for houses. The theory is used in conjunction with the empirical model to infer agent bargaining power when dealing with the same or opposite sex agents on the other side of the transaction. The results reveal that sellers set higher listing prices when working with male agents, a pattern consistent with sellers' ex ante beliefs that male agents enjoy greater expected bargaining power. Ex post agent bargaining power varies by sex and their role in the transaction. Female agents assisting buyers have stronger bargaining power when facing male listing agents than when facing female agents in rising or falling markets. The ex post bargaining power of male selling agents assisting buyers appears to be generally weaker than that of female listing agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Smoking leads to many smoking-attributable diseases. The promotion of quitting tobacco smoking is urgent as it has significant and immediate health benefits and improves the impacts of other tobacco control strategies. Intention to quit smoking is considered the first step before quitting smoking. METHODOLOGY: This paper used data from Vietnam provincial GATS 2020 on 80,166 participants who were 15-year-old or older. Data were collected from 34 provinces and cities throughout Vietnam and managed using REDCap. RESULTS: Among those who were current smokers, 50.3% (95% CI: 49.1%–51.4%) had the intention to quit smoking. Some predictive factors found to be positively associated with the intention to quit smoking were age (from 45-64), education level, received information about harmful effects or encouragement to quit smoking from media channels (from 6 channels), hearing about the Tobacco Control Law and noticing health warnings on the cigarette package. There was no significant difference in intention to quit smoking between current smokers from urban and rural areas or among different age groups to start smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions or health promotion programs on smoking cessation should be focused on current smokers who have low education levels as they have a higher smoking rate and are less motivated to stop smoking. Received information about harmful effects or encouragement to quit smoking from media channels is also associated with stopping smoking in the future. The importance of health warning pictures on tobacco packages should be maintained and promoted as it has a specific effect on one's intention to stop smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant vigor is a complex trait for which the underlying molecular control mechanisms remain unclear. Vigorous plants tend to derive from larger seeds and have greater early canopy cover, often with bigger leaves. In this study, we delimited the size of a major vigor quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chickpea chromosome 4–104.4 kb, using recombinant association analysis in 15 different heterogeneous inbred families, derived from a Rupali/Genesis836 recombinant inbred line population. The phenotypic and molecular genetic analysis provided evidence for a role of the gene Ca4_TIFY4B , in determining leaf and seed size in chickpea. A non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the high-vigor parent was located inside the core motif TIFYCG, resulting in a residue change T[I/S]FYCG. Complexes formed by orthologs of Ca4_TIFY4B (PEAPOD in Arabidopsis), Novel Interactor of JAZ (CaNINJA), and other protein partners are reported to act as repressors regulating the transcription of downstream genes that control plant organ size. When tested in a yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) assay, this residue change suppressed the interaction between Ca4_TIFY4B and CaNINJA. This is the first report of a naturally occurring variant of the TIFY family in plants. A robust gene-derived molecular marker is available for selection in chickpea for seed and plant organ size, i.e., key component traits of vigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our search for novel small molecules activating procaspase-3, we have designed and synthesized two series of novel (E)-N'-arylidene-2-(2-oxoindolin-1-yl)acetohydrazides (4) and (Z)-2-(5-substituted-2-oxoindolin-1-yl)-N'-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)acetohydrazides (5). Cytotoxic evaluation revealed that the compounds showed notable cytotoxicity toward three human cancer cell lines: colon cancer SW620, prostate cancer PC-3, and lung cancer NCI-H23. Especially, six compounds, including 4f–h and 4n–p, exhibited cytotoxicity equal or superior to positive control PAC-1, the first procaspase-3 activating compound. The most potent compound 4o was three- to five-fold more cytotoxic than PAC-1 in three cancer cell lines tested. Analysis of compounds effects on cell cycle and apoptosis demonstrated that the representative compounds 4f, 4h, 4n, 4o and 4p (especially 4o) accumulated U937 cells in S phase and substantially induced late cellular apoptosis. The results show that compound 4o would serve as a template for further design and development of novel anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the changes in the board's dual roles of monitoring and advising in times of fluctuating economic policy uncertainty (EPU). We find that a rise in EPU leads boards to reduce the size and increase independence and the proportion of female directors. They also decrease the involvement of insiders and outside executives. There is also a drop in the busyness of the directors. Overall, we find that boards enhance their monitoring power to deal with greater EPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: QTL controlling vigour and related traits were identified in a chickpea RIL population and validated in diverse sets of germplasm. Robust KASP markers were developed for marker-assisted selection. To understand the genetic constitution of vigour in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), genomic data from a bi-parental population and multiple diversity panels were used to identify QTL, sequence-level haplotypes and genetic markers associated with vigour-related traits in Australian environments. Using 182 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) derived from a cross between two desi varieties, Rupali and Genesis836, vigour QTL independent of flowering time were identified on chromosomes (Ca) 1, 3 and 4 with genotypic variance explained (GVE) ranging from 7.1 to 28.8%. Haplotype analysis, association analysis and graphical genotyping of whole-genome re-sequencing data of two diversity panels consisting of Australian and Indian genotypes and an ICRISAT Chickpea Reference Set revealed a deletion in the FTa1–FTa2–FTc gene cluster of Ca3 significantly associated with vigour and flowering time. Across the RIL population and diversity panels, the impact of the deletion was consistent for vigour but not flowering time. Vigour-related QTL on Ca4 co-located with a QTL for seed size in Rupali/Genesis836 (GVE = 61.3%). Using SNPs from this region, we developed and validated gene-based KASP markers across different panels. Two markers were developed for a gene on Ca1, myo -inositol monophosphatase (CaIMP), previously proposed to control seed size, seed germination and seedling growth in chickpea. While associated with vigour in the diversity panels, neither the markers nor broader haplotype linked to CaIMP was polymorphic in Rupali/Genesis836. Importantly, vigour appears to be controlled by different sets of QTL across time and with components which are independent from phenology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To examine the associations between urbanization and hypertension, stage II hypertension, and hypertension control. Methods Data on 16,360 US adults aged 18 years or older from the 2013–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to estimate the prevalence of hypertension (blood pressure (BP) ≥130/80 mm Hg or use of medication for hypertension), stage II hypertension (BP ≥140/90 mm Hg), and hypertension control (BP <130/80 mm Hg among hypertensives) by urbanization, classified by levels of metropolitan statistical areas as large MSAs (population ≥1,000,000), medium to small MSAs (population 50,000–999,999), and non-MSAs (population <50,000). Results All prevalence ratios (PRs) were compared with large MSAs and adjusted for demographics and risk factors. The PRs of hypertension were 1.07 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.99–1.14) for adults residing in medium to small MSAs and 1.06 (95% CI = 0.99–1.13) for adults residing in non-MSAs. For stage II hypertension, the PRs were higher for adults residing in medium to small MSAs 1.21 (95% CI = 1.06–1.36) but not for adults residing in non-MSAs 1.06 (95% CI = 0.88–1.29). For hypertension control, the PRs were 0.96 (95% CI = 0.91–1.01) for adults residing in medium to small MSAs and 1.00 (95% CI = 0.93–1.06) for adults residing in non-MSAs. Conclusions Among US adults, urbanization was associated with stage II hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Smoking leads to many smoking-attributable diseases. The promotion of quitting tobacco smoking is urgent as it has significant and immediate health benefits and improves the impacts of other tobacco control strategies. Intention to quit smoking is considered the first step before quitting smoking. METHODOLOGY: This paper used data from Vietnam provincial GATS 2020 on 80,166 participants who were 15-year-old or older. Data were collected from 34 provinces and cities throughout Vietnam and managed using REDCap. RESULTS: Among those who were current smokers, 50.3% (95% CI: 49.1%-51.4%) had the intention to quit smoking. Some predictive factors found to be positively associated with the intention to quit smoking were age (from 45-64), education level, received information about harmful effects or encouragement to quit smoking from media channels (from 6 channels), hearing about the Tobacco Control Law and noticing health warnings on the cigarette package. There was no significant difference in intention to quit smoking between current smokers from urban and rural areas or among different age groups to start smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions or health promotion programs on smoking cessation should be focused on current smokers who have low education levels as they have a higher smoking rate and are less motivated to stop smoking. Received information about harmful effects or encouragement to quit smoking from media channels is also associated with stopping smoking in the future. The importance of health warning pictures on tobacco packages should be maintained and promoted as it has a specific effect on one's intention to stop smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most well-recognized genetic disorders. Persons with DS are known to have a variety of co-morbid medical problems, affecting nearly all organ systems. Improved healthcare interventions and research have allowed for increased life span of persons with DS, although disorders of the neurologic system remain underexplored. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide clinically pertinent information on the neurological phenotypes of frequently occurring or clinically relevant conditions. A retrospective review of MEDLINE, Scopus, and Pubmed were used to identify sources among seventeen, clinically relevant, search categories. MeSH terms all contained the phrase "Down Syndrome" in conjunction with the topic of interest. 'Frequently-occurring' was defined as prevalent in more than 10% of persons with DS across their lifespan, whereas 'clinically-relevant' was defined as a disease condition where early diagnosis or intervention can augment the disease course. In total, 4896 sources were identified with 159 sources meeting criteria for inclusion. Seventeen clinical conditions were grouped under the following subjects: hypotonia, intellectual and learning disability, cervical instability, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and neuropsychiatric disease. The results of this review provide a blueprint for the clinical neurologist taking care of persons with DS across the age spectrum and indicate that there are many underrecognized and misdiagnosed co-occurring conditions in DS, highlighting the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare dental implant survival rates when placed in native bone and grafted sites. Additionally, risk factors associated with dental implant loss were identified. This study was based on the hypothesis that bone grafting has no effect on implant survival rates. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients receiving dental implants at the University of Texas, School of Dentistry from 1985 to 2012. Exclusion criteria included patients with genetic diseases, radiation and chemotherapy, or an age less than 18 years. To avoid misclassification bias, implants were excluded if bone grafts were only done at the same time of placement. Data on age, sex, tobacco use, diabetes, osteoporosis, anatomical location of the implant, implant length and width, bone graft, and professional maintenance were collected for analysis. Results: A total of 1,222 patients with 2,729 implants were included. The cumulative survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 92% and 87% for implants placed in native bone and 90% and 79% for implants placed in grafted bone, respectively. The results from multivariate analysis (Cox regression) indicated no significant difference in survival between the two groups; having maintenance therapy after implant placement reduced the failure rate by 80% (P < .001), and using tobacco increased the failure rate by 2.6-fold (P = .001). Conclusion: There was no difference in the dental implant survival rate when implants were placed in native bone or bone-grafted sites. Smoking and lack of professional maintenance were significantly related to increased implant loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]