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The purpose of this note is to recall one remarkable theorem of Khinchin about the special role of the Gaussian distribution. This theorem allows us to give a new interpretation of the Lindeberg condition: it guarantees the uniform integrability of the squares of normed sums of random variables and, thus, the passage to the limit under the expectation sign. The latter provides a simple proof of the central limit theorem for independent random variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Reports / Doklady Nacionalnaâ Akademiâ Nauk Armenii is the property of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia 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.)

In this paper, we consider the direct and inverse problems of the description of lattice positive random fields by various systems of finite-dimensional (as well as one-point) probability distributions parameterized by boundary conditions. In the majority of cases, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the system to be a conditional distribution of a (unique) random field. The exception is Dobrushin-type systems for which only sufficient conditions are known. Also, we discuss possible applications of the considered systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to a critical theme: sleep disorders in children. An open, prospective, randomized, comparative, controlled observational study was performed in the representative group of 114 patients aged 6 months to 2.5 years with sleep and sleep initiation disorders, where 64 patients received treatment with Dormikind and 50 patients received behavioral therapy for 28 days. It was reliably proved that sleep initiation reduced by 1.7 times and reached 26.2±4.8 (95% CI, 25.0-27.4) minutes in the main group. The number of children sleeping on hands dropped by 8.7 times and by 2 times in the parents' bed in the main group, according to Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire scale, in the control group the same characteristics changed by 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 times, correspondingly, and sleep initiation reached 33.4±2.9 (95% CI, 32.6-34.2), U-criteria, U=742.5 (p<0.001). The number of patients rocked to sleep in their own beds increased by 3.2 times (vs. 1.2 times in the control group) on the background of treatment with Dormikind. Duration of night sleep increased on average by 1.5 ±0.96 (95% CI, 1.26-1.74) hours; in the control group -- by 0.5±0.81 (95% CI, 0.27-0.73) hours (U-criteria, U=383.5; p<0.001) and frequency of awakening reduced by 2.1 times and reached 1.8±0.7 (95% CI, 1.6-2.0) hours. In the control group frequency of awakening reduced only by 1.2 times in average and reached 2.8±0.7 (95% CI, 2.6-3.1), U-criteria, U=579.5; p<0.001. Significant positive dynamics was noted in the emotional-behavioral state of children after therapy: decreased irritation, excitability, fatigue, anxiety and till the end of treatment total score significantly improved by almost 3 times (1.3 times in the control group, that is 2.8±0.7, 95% CI, 2.6-3.0; U-criteria, U=266.0, p<0.001) and reached 1.3±0.7 (95% CI, 1.1-1.5) in the main group. According to positive dynamics in all sleep parameters, IMOS score showed significant difference in groups concerning valuation: "total recovery" -- 31% (20 patients) in Dormikind group and 0% in the control one (F-criteria, p=0.0008). Valuation "significant improvement" -- 58% (37 patients) in the main group vs. 10% (5 patients) in the control, valuation "improvement" -- 6% (4 patients) in the main group vs. 46% (23 patients) in the control. Parents noticed absence of dynamics only in 5% (3 patients) in the main group vs. 38% in the control and in 3 children of the control group parents noticed worsening of the state after therapy. Thus, the high efficacy and safety of Dormikind were verified, and it can be recommended for wide use in pediatric healthcare practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a combinatorial approach to the description of lattice random fields with general (Polish) state space. This approach based on so-called P-functions, which can be interpreted as a system of limiting correlation functions. We suggest a method of construction of P-functions, which can be applied in the theory of Gibbs random fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the presented research was to study and assess Total Suspended Particle mitigation capacity of Fraxinus excelsior and Platanus orientalis - the two most widespread tree species in Yerevan. It turned out that in the conditions of Yerevan, both tree species show high efficiency of TSP mitigation. In this regard, we recommend using P. orientalis and F. excelsior in Yerevan green infrastructure as wide as possible, especially along the highways, in the industrial areas of the city, and in areas with intensive construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers the results of the study on community structure and ecosystem services of trees of the first section of Circular Park - one of the largest parks in Yerevan, Armenia. Totally 757 trees, representing 27 species were identified. The results of the tree condition assessment indicated that 55% of the examined trees were in poor condition. Across all trees, the most common diameter at breast height (hereafter referred to as DBH) and height respectively fell within the 16-30 cm and 6-11 m size classes, which reflects the presence of a high number of middle-aged trees. The data obtained via i-Tree canopy showed that the combined air pollution removal ecosystem service for trees was valued at approximately $1.290, for carbon storage and sequestration - $32,815. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments on 23 white male rats (250 g) analyzed the spike activity of individual neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc, 242 neurons, n = 11) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr, 289 neurons, n = 12) during high-frequency stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1)in normal animals and in animals with a rotenone model of Parkinson's disease (BP). SNc neurons in the model of PD showed a complete absence of depressor effects induced by stimulation, though tetanic potentiation was accompanied by posttetanic potentiation and depression at levels 1.65 and 2.02 times greater than in normal animals. In SNr neurons in normal animals, tetanic potentiation, accompanied by post-tetanic potentiation and depression, was 2.37 times greater than tetanic depression, while in the model of PD the levels of both depressor and excitatory activity induced by stimulation were below normal. Spike activity frequency in SNc and SNr neurons preceding and accompanying stimulation was significantly greater than normal in the model of PD. This is evidence for excitotoxicity accompanying neurodegenerative damage, which is completed by neuron apoptosis and death. In SNr neurons, both depressor and excitatory reactions accompanying stimulation were markedly dominant over those in SNc neurons, which is evidence for more extensive cortical projections to the SNr. Furthermore, SNc neurons demonstrated greater susceptibility to pathological changes due to poststimulus depressor effects than SNr neurons, with formation of more marked excitatory effects, which is evidence of a greater involvement of the SNc in PD. In the model of PD, lacking stimulation-induced depressor effects and more marked excitatory effects in SNc neurons, SNr neurons retained their depressor reactions and relatively decreased excitatory reactions, which is evidence of a lower level of susceptibility of SNr neurons to excitotoxicity, extreme increases in the excitability of surviving neurons compensating for the lack of excitation of dead cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ekonomika APK is the property of Economy of Argo-Industrial Complex 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 show that the problem of prescribing a system of random variables by means of conditional distributions can be considered from the algebraic point of view as a problem of consistency of an appropriate infinite system of linear equations. We demonstrate also that a potential energy (transition energy field) and probability (specification) are connected as the solutions of corresponding adjoint infinite systems of linear equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of material composition studies of four samples of refractory copper-bearing ores of the Uzelga deposit are presented along with the results of studies of technological solutions to increase their processing parameters. The refractoriness of ores is associated with a thin dissemination up to micron size and close interbreedings of ore and rock minerals. Iron sulfides are presented by a wide range of minerals: pyrite and marcasite, melnikovite, arsenic pyrite, and arsenopyrite; sooty melnikovite has an increased flotation activity. The grinding of iron sulfides from 89 to 29% is followed by a proportional increase in easily floatable rock minerals to 45% and clay to 9%. These properties make these sulfides difficult to process and retain ore refractoriness to the flotation concentration. The content of copper sulfides in ore samples varies from 3.32 to 7.29%; the relative portion of copper sulfide in a form of tennantite in different samples of deposit varies from 29 to 93%. Copper is also present in a form of chalcopyrite and bornite. The best flotation activity of tennantite can be seen in a neutral and slightly acidic medium, in contrast with the standard flotation regime for chalcopyrite and bornite with butyl xanthate in a high-alkaline calcareous medium. Free grains of copper minerals can be selectively extracted into intercycled concentrates during grinding of no more than 60% of the class-71 μm. The technology of flotation in a low-alkaline medium with M-TF selective sulfhydril collector in the intercycle copper flotation and refinement cycle of the copper concentrate is developed for refractory copper-bearing ores with a variable tennantite content. Aeration is applied to suppress the flotation activity of melnikovite, which makes it possible to attain 80% copper recovery into a conditional copper concentrate. The fine inclusions of bornite, tennantite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite into pyrite makes it rational to obtain copper-pyrite and copper-zinc-pyrite products with a yield up to 12% for pyro- and hydrometallurgical processing, along with the isolation of enriched copper concentrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce sufficiently wide classes of non-linear functionals preserving normal (Gaussian) distribution and establish various conditions under which a sequence of such functionals is asymptotically normal. As a consequence, we obtain a generalization and sharpening of known results on the central limit theorem for weighted sums (linear functionals) of independent random variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced vibrations of a two-layer orthotropic shell, with incomplete contact conditions between layers, when the upper face of the shell is free and the lower one is subjected to a dynamic action are considered. By an asymptotic method, the solution of the corresponding dynamic equations and correlations of a 3D problem of elasticity theory is obtained. The amplitudes of forced vibrations are determined, and resonance conditions are established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general approach to the construction of multidimensional martingales is developed. The obtained results allow considerably extend the range of applicability of the martingale method to the theory of random fields, especially to the theory of limiting distributions of Gibbs random fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information related to new guidelines by European Society of Cardiology for syncope treatment which is a transient loss of consciousness due to transient cerebral hypoperfusion. The article also reports on reflex syncope and provides a pathological classification of the principle causes of syncope. As stated, cardiac evaluation should be recommended to patients with structural heart disease or abnormal electrocardiograph.

The effects of heat and UV exposure on the degradation of free α-tocopherol (oil form), α-tocopherol dissolved in methanol, and α-tocopherol dissolved in hexane were measured. Results showed that degradation of free α-tocopherol due to heat followed first order kinetics, with the samples held at 180 °C showing the greatest degradation rate. Free α-tocopherol degraded faster at high temperatures than dissolved α-tocopherol. In contrast, free α-tocopherol did not degrade when exposed to UV light for as long as 6 h, but the hexane and methanol samples degraded significantly as a matter of time. The α-tocopherol dissolved in hexane and methanol degraded by 20 and 70%, respectively over this time span. A mechanism for degradation of α-tocopherol was proposed to explain the higher degradation rate of α-tocopherol in methanol, as compared to hexane for times longer than 180 min. Knowledge of degradation kinetics of pure α-tocopherol as a result of temperature or exposure to UVA light whether in free or dissolved form is critically needed to understand how different processing parameters affect the amount of α-tocopherol during extraction, stabilization, storage or encapsulation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms of interaction between different classes of collectors and flotation depressants of sulfide ores are investigated. Optimal conditions for the selective flotation of sulfide mineral complexes with the use of sulfohydrophilic collectors based on dithiophosphates are determined. As selective depressants, KMTs (cellulose-hydroxiacetic acid sodium salt) modified by heavy metal salts is used. Combinations and ratios of the collector and depressant, at which active flotation of some sulfide minerals and depression of others occur, are determined. Technological studies for various types of ores confirmed the results of theoretical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test data on the selective reagent modes at bulk flotation cycle and modified carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) at a selection cycle for the bulk copper-molybdenum concentrate. The selected reagent mode at a bulk flotation cycle with industrial kerosene and Beraflot as collectors and OPSB as a frother made it possible to recover 87 % of copper and 82 % of molybdenum into a rough bulk concentrate. Tests with CMC application at the selection cycle revealed a potential opportunity to reduce 1.5–2.0 times the summary sodium sulfide consumption, to cut down running costs of pulp and depressant heating, and to improve molybdenum recovery with no negative effect on other parameters of the bulk concentrate selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the implant survival rate in mandibles reconstructed with free fibula flap after oral tumor resection after 1 year of prosthetic loading. A secondary objective was to compare immediate or delayed implant placement protocols in this population. Materials and Methods: Electronic and manual searches were performed on different databases for controlled and prospective trials that indicated implant survival rate. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was evaluated using Cochrane Collaboration tools. Meta-analyses heterogeneity source assessment and GRADE evaluation were performed among studies with identical follow-ups. Results: Among 305 primarily selected articles, 109 were eligible after reading the title and abstract, and 8 were included after full-text reading: 2 randomized controlled trials and 6 prospective studies comprising 140 patients and 507 implants. Meta-analyses estimated an overall survival rate of 97% (95% CI: 94% to 99%) after 1 year of prosthetic loading. The survival rate was 98% (95% CI: 94% to 100%) with immediate implantation and 97% (95% CI: 90% to 99%) with delayed implantation. Only 3 studies reported radiotherapy treatment, with no real impact on implant survival rate. Overall, 69% of tumors were benign. Conclusions: Implant placement in vascularized fibula flaps in the mandible is recommended for patients undergoing segmental mandibular reconstruction after tumor resection. Within the limitations of this study, no significant difference in survival rates was found between immediate and delayed implant placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental media affect the atmospheric oxidation processes of phenolic compounds (PhCs) released from biomass burning in the troposphere. To address the gaps in experimental research, phenol (Ph), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HBA), and vanillin (VL) are chosen as model compounds to investigate their reaction mechanism and kinetics at the air–water (A–W) interface, on TiO2 mineral aerosols, in the gas phase, and in bulk water using a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and quantum chemical calculations. Of the compounds, Ph was the most reactive one. The occurrence percentages of Ph, 4-HBA, and VL staying at the A–W interface are ∼ 72 %, ∼ 68 %, and ∼ 73 %, respectively. As the size of (TiO2)n clusters increases, the adsorption capacity decreases until n > 4, and beyond this, the capacity remains stable. A–W interface and TiO2 clusters facilitate Ph and VL reactions initiated by the O3 and HO⚫, respectively. However, oxidation reactions of 4-HBA are little affected by environmental media because of its electron-withdrawing group. The O3- and HO⚫-initiated reaction rate constant (k) values follow the order of A–WPh > TiO2 VL > A–WVL > A–W4-HBA > TiO2 4-HBA > TiO2 Ph and TiO2 VL > A–WPh > A–WVL > TiO2 4-HBA > TiO2 Ph > A–W4-HBA, respectively. Some byproducts are more harmful than their parent compounds, so they should be given special attention. This work provides key evidence for the rapid oxidation observed in the O3/HO⚫ + PhC experiments at the A–W interface. More importantly, differences in the oxidation of PhCs by different environmental media due to the impact of substituent groups were also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on particulate air pollution indicate that a new type of pollutant should be considered from mainly fossil fuel combustion and automobile exhaust emissions, i.e., environmentally persistent free radicals. These radicals, ubiquitous in the environment, have a long life span and are capable of producing harmful reactive oxygen species. Samples of dandelion were collected in 2020 and 2021 in spring and late summer. Roots, leaves, flower stalks, and inflorescences of Taraxacum sp. were collected from six sites with three plants each, along with monitoring of particulate matter air pollution. Four sites were located at streets with heavy traffic and two were control sites in the rural part of the city. The free radical content in each part of the plant was measured by electron paramagnetic resonance. The leaf was selected as the most appropriate part of the plant for the measurement of carbon-derived free radicals. The geff value and the total number of spins were calculated. Relationships were found between location, season, and measurements. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum consists of at least two components, which can be attributed to C-type radicals and mixed C + O radicals. Their increase in numbers in the fall seasons, compared to the spring seasons, is also noticeable. It has also been observed that leaves collected in autumn have a higher geff value, which is probably related to the higher amount of oxygen- and carbon-derived free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Accurate taxonomic profiling of the human microbiome composition is crucial for linking microbial species to health outcomes. Therefore, we created the Clinical Microbiomics Human Microbiome Profiler (CHAMP), a comprehensive tool designed for the profiling of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses across all body sites. Methods: CHAMP uses a reference database derived from 30,382 human microbiome samples, covering 6,567 prokaryotic and 244 eukaryotic species, as well as 64,003 viruses. We benchmarked CHAMP against established profiling tools (MetaPhlAn 4, Bracken 2, mOTUs 3, and Phanta) using a diverse set of in silico metagenomes and DNA mock communities. Results: CHAMP demonstrated unparalleled species recall, F1 score, and significantly reduced false positives compared to all other tools benchmarked. The false positive relative abundance (FPRA) for CHAMP was, on average, 50-fold lower than the second-best performing profiler. CHAMP also proved to be more robust than other tools at low sequencing depths, highlighting its application for low biomass samples. Discussion: Taken together, this establishes CHAMP as a best-in-class human microbiome profiler of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses in diverse and complex communities across low and high biomass samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) represent a novel class of hazardous substances, posing risks to human health and the environment. In this study, we investigated the EPFRs in ambient fine, coarse, and total suspended particles (PM2.5 , PM10 , and TSPs) in the rural North China Plain, where local primary emissions of EPFRs were limited. We observed that the majority of EPFRs occurred in PM2.5. Moreover, distinct seasonal patterns and higher g factors of EPFRs were found compared to those in urban environments, suggesting unique characteristics of EPFRs in rural areas. The source apportionment analyses revealed atmospheric oxidation as the largest contributor (33.6 %) to EPFRs. A large water-soluble fraction (35.2 %) of EPFRs was determined, potentially resulting from the formation of more oxidized EPFRs through atmospheric oxidation processes during long-range or regional transport. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed between EPFRs and the oxidative potential of water-soluble PM2.5 measured by dithiothreitol-depletion and hydroxyl-generation assays, likely attributable to the water-soluble fractions of EPFRs. Overall, our findings reveal the prevalence of water-soluble EPFRs in rural areas and underscore the fact that atmospheric oxidation processes can modify their properties, such as increasing their water solubility. This evolution may alter their roles in contributing to the oxidative potential of PM2.5 and potentially also influence their impact on climate-related cloud chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic CuFe2O4 was prepared with the modified sol–gel method and used for enhanced peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and ofloxacin (OFL) degradation. The OFL could almost degrade within 30 min at a catalyst dosage of 0.66 g/L, PMS concentration of 0.38 mM, and initial pH of 6.53 without adjustment, using response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design (BBD). In the CuFe2O4/PMS system, the coexisting substances, including CO32−, NO3−, SO42−, Cl− and humic acid, have little effect on the OFL degradation. The system also performs well in actual water, such as tap water and surface water (Mei Lake), indicating the excellent anti-interference ability of the system. The cyclic transformation between Cu(II)/Cu(I) and Fe(III)/Fe(II) triggers the generation of active radicals including SO4•−, •OH, •O2− and 1O2. The OFL degradation pathway, mainly involving the dehydrogenation, deamination, hydroxylation, decarboxylation and carboxylation processes, was proposed using mass spectroscopy. Moreover, the toxicity assessment indicated that the end intermediates are environmentally friendly. This study is about how the CuFe2O4/PMS system performs well in PMS activation for refractory organic matter removal in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biobutanol is produced from the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. The major bottleneck of ABE fermentation is the self-inhibition of cells and the high energy consumption while recovering butanol. Several alternative techniques have been investigated, but the continuous recovery of butanol using the inexpensive and inert material could be a reliable choice. In the present study, the kraft lignin isolated from the novel lignocellulosic biomass, Sterculia foetida shells, was investigated for its selective adsorptive recovery of biobutanol from the simulated ABE solutions. SEM analyses of morphology and syringyl and guaiacyl units from FTIR show that the isolated lignin is in the softwood category. The XRD analysis shows 76.99% of the crystallinity index, which shows the crystalline features of kraft lignin. High thermal stability and surface area from TGA–DSC and BET analysis shows that the isolated lignin can be wisely used as an adsorbent. The isolated lignin maximum butanol adsorption capacity and the rate constant is 393.700 mg/g and 0.0954, respectively. The results show that Sterculia foetida lignin can be used commercially as a potential adsorbent for continuous biobutanol recovery in the ABE fermentation process. Using renewable lignin as an adsorbent is a sustainable approach for the circular bioeconomy as part of the lignocellulosic biorefinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of German International Journal of Modern Science / Deutsche Internationale Zeitschrift für Zeitgenössische Wissenschaft is the property of Artmedia24 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.)

The automatic transformation of short background videos from real scenarios into other forms with a visually pleasing style, like those used in cartoons, holds application in various domains. These include animated films, video games, advertisements, and many other areas that involve visual content creation. A method or tool that can perform this task would inspire, facilitate, and streamline the work of artists and people who produce this type of content. This work proposes a method that integrates multiple components to translate short background videos into other forms that contain a particular style. We apply a fine-tuned latent diffusion model with an image-to-image setting, conditioned with the image edges (computed with holistically nested edge detection) and CLIP-generated prompts to translate the keyframes from a source video, ensuring content preservation. To maintain temporal coherence, the keyframes are translated into grids and the style is interpolated with an example-based style propagation algorithm. We quantitatively assess the content preservation and temporal coherence using CLIP-based metrics over a new dataset of 20 videos translated into three distinct styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the mechanism of oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters and presents the effect of temperature as one of the factors accelerating this process. The consequences of aging for ester-based biofuels are discussed extensively. The article presents the results of aging of FAMEs obtained from frying oil and of FAMEs derived from unrefined rapeseed oil to examine the influence of temperature as a factor accelerating aging. Acid, peroxide and anisidine values were determined for each sample; additionally, IR spectra were measured. Based on the results, it was confirmed that temperature has a significant effect on the degradation of FAMEs. These changes are best represented by the anisidine value and the change in IR spectra. The paper presents the relationship between acid, peroxide and anisidine values. This paper also highlights the beneficial effect of natural antioxidants in the form of β–carotene, which is found in FAMEs derived from unrefined rapeseed oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic humification, dominated by catalytic oxidation, is one of the critical mechanisms for organic carbon preservation in nature. However, the effects of biochar catalysis on abiotic humification have not yet been elucidated. This study investigated the catalytic power of biochar from walnut shells at different temperatures (300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C) for the abiotic transformation of hydroquinone (HQ) as a representative polyphenol. All the biochar samples catalyzed HQ polymerization, resulting in the formation of humic polymers such as fulvic acids (FAs) and humic acids (HAs). Light and oxygen promoted HA formation. HO• was detected in the BC600–HQ reaction system, and HO• quenching resulted in a 41.22% decrease in HA production, indicating that HO• plays a major role in the oxidative polymerization. In the proposed pathway for the abiotic humification, biochar active sites and generated reactive oxygen species accept an electron from HQ, resulting in oxidation to (semi)quinone radicals, which subsequently undergo cleavage or a coupling reaction to form the oligomerized products. Under BC600 catalysis, the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the reaction products of HQ, glucose, and glycine reached 14,449 Da. These findings provide new insights into the application potential of biochar for promoting soil carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A storage code is an assignment of symbols to the vertices of a connected graph G(V, E) with the property that the value of each vertex is a function of the values of its neighbors, or more generally, of a certain neighborhood of the vertex in G. In this work we introduce a new construction method of storage codes, enabling one to construct new codes from known ones via an interleaving procedure driven by resolvable designs. We also study storage codes on Z and Z 2 (lines and grids), finding closed-form expressions for the capacity of several one and two-dimensional systems depending on their recovery set, using connections between storage codes, graphs, anticodes, and difference-avoiding sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for almond is in rise, due to its desired flavor and beneficial health-related properties. Roasting is the most common practice in almond processing, improving aroma and texture, as well as nutritional properties. "Shefa," a new Israeli almond variety, was recently introduced; however, no information is available regarding its phytochemical composition and response to roasting. The aim of the current work was to characterize its health-related composition, in addition to describe its response to moderate roasting conditions, including temperature and duration. For this, "Shefa" almonds were roasted at 100°C, 125°C, 150°C, and 175°C for 15 and 25 min. and compared to raw unroasted kernels. Health and nutritional quality parameters included antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS; spectrophotometric), total polyphenol, tocopherol and phytosterol content (spectrophotometric), and fatty acid profiling (GC-MS). Our results demonstrate that "Shefa" variety phytochemical composition resembles that of other Mediterranean almond varieties, e.g. Italian and Turkish are high in tocopherols and phytosterols, with average polyphenol content. Its antioxidant activity was 19.11, 25.56, and 22.18 mg TE/100 g DW for DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS, respectively. In addition, under the roasting conditions evaluated in the current work, "Shefa" almonds presented an improved health-related composition, with levels of antioxidant capacity, polyphenols, tocopherols, and phytosterols increasing with temperature and duration. "Shefa" response to roasting resembled that of other almond varieties evaluated under comparable roasting conditions. To conclude, the newly introduced Israeli almond "Shefa" has a healthy and nutritionally beneficial phytochemical composition, which improves with moderate roasting. Further investigation is needed to profile its polyphenol and tocopherol composition, to provide additional valuable insights into its phytochemical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five varieties of beans from Laibin, Guangxi, China, including mung beans, soybeans, black beans, red beans, and adzuki beans, were chosen as study subjects for multi-index determination and full assessment. Data on the fat, ash, crude fiber, trace element, thermogravimetric analysis and combustion heat of five different types of beans were gathered. The results showed that the order of combustion heat of the 5 kinds of beans was black beans>soybeans>mung beans>adzuki beans>red beans, the order of combustion stability was soybeans>mung beans>black beans>red beans>adzuki beans, the order of fat content was soybeans>red beans>adzuki beans>black beans>mung beans, the order of ash content was black beans>soybeans>adzuki beans>mung beans>red beans, the order of crude fiber content was red beans>soybeans>adzuki beans, and the order of multi-index stoichiometric analysis was soybeans>red beans>black beans>mung beans>adzuki beans. The quality of the food was assessed and classified using the stoichiometric approach, while the food nutrition was assessed from the perspectives of fat, ash, crude fiber, trace elements, thermogravimetric analysis and combustion heat. This work provides a solid scientific foundation for the assessment and investigation of the thermo gravimetric analysis of food combustion stability. This study's multi-index comprehensive evaluation approach offers a novel concept for food nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most previous few-shot action recognition works tend to process video temporal and spatial features separately, resulting in insufficient extraction of comprehensive features. In this paper, a novel hybrid attentive prototypical network (HAPN) framework for few-shot action recognition is proposed. Distinguished by its joint processing of temporal and spatial information, the HAPN framework strategically manipulates these dimensions from feature extraction to the attention module, consequently enhancing its ability to perform action recognition tasks. Our framework utilizes the R(2+1)D backbone network, coupling the extraction of integrated temporal and spatial features to ensure a comprehensive understanding of video content. Additionally, our framework introduces the novel Residual Tri-dimensional Attention (ResTriDA) mechanism, specifically designed to augment feature information across the temporal, spatial, and channel dimensions. ResTriDA dynamically enhances crucial aspects of video features by amplifying significant channel-wise features for action distinction, accentuating spatial details vital for capturing the essence of actions within frames, and emphasizing temporal dynamics to capture movement over time. We further propose a prototypical attentive matching module (PAM) built on the concept of metric learning to resolve the overfitting issue common in few-shot tasks. We evaluate our HAPN framework on three classical few-shot action recognition datasets: Kinetics-100, UCF101, and HMDB51. The results indicate that our framework significantly outperformed state-of-the-art methods. Notably, the 1-shot task, demonstrated an increase of 9.8% in accuracy on UCF101 and improvements of 3.9% on HMDB51 and 12.4% on Kinetics-100. These gains confirm the robustness and effectiveness of our approach in leveraging limited data for precise action recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bromination of 6,7-dihydro-1 H-cyclopenta[ d]pyrimidine-2,4(3 H,5 H)-dione ( 1) resulted in the substitution in the aliphatic ring. The reaction of this product with different N-nucleophiles gives new derivatives of the starting compound. The direction of the substitution in the alicycle was established by studying further transformations of some of these compounds by means of NMR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the influence of the diversity of precursors on the formation of environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs), pomelo peel (PP) and its physically divided portion, pomelo cuticle (PC), and white fiber (WF) were used as precursors to prepare six hydrochars: PPH-Fe, PCH-Fe, WFH-Fe, PPH, PCH, and WFH with and without Fe(III) addition during hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). PPH-Fe and WFH-Fe had higher EPFRs content (9.11 × 1018 and 8.25 × 1018 spins·g−1) compared to PPH and WFH (3.33 × 1018 and 2.96 × 1018 spins·g−1), indicating that iron-doping favored EPFRs formation. However, PCH-Fe had lower EPFRs content (2.78 × 1018 spins·g−1) than PCH (7.95 × 1018 spins·g−1), possibly due to excessive iron leading to the consumption of the generated EPFRs. For another reason, the required Fe(III) amount for EPFRs formation might vary among different precursors. PC has a lower concentration of phenolic compounds but 68–97% fatty acids, while WF and PP are rich in cellulose and lignin. In the Fenton-like reaction, oxygen-centered radicals of hydrochar played a significant role in activating H2O2 and efficiently degrading bisphenol A (BPA). Mechanisms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in hydrochar/H2O2 system were proposed. EPFRs on hydrochar activate H2O2 via electron transfer, creating ·OH and 1O2, leading to BPA degradation. More importantly, the embedded EPFRs on the hydrochar's inner surface contributed to the prolonged Fenton-like reactivity of PPH-Fe stored for 45 days. This study demonstrates that by optimizing precursor selection and iron doping, hydrochars can be engineered to maximize their EPFRs content and reactivity, providing a cost-effective solution for the degradation of hazardous pollutants. Article Highlights: Characteristics and mechanisms for the generation and consumption of EPFRs were proposed. To favor g3-type EPFRs formation, the quantity of Fe(III) and aromatic compounds of the biomass should be matched. The g3-type EPFRs on hydrochars played a major role in the Fenton-like reaction. The external EPFRs of hydrochars were consumed easily while the internal EPFRs persisted during long-term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of emission control measures implemented by the Chinese government have effectively reduced air pollution by multiple pollutants in many regions of the country in recent decades. However, the impacts of these control measures on environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) and reactive oxygen species (ROSs), the two groups of chemical species that are known to be linked with adverse human health effects, are still not clear. In this study, we investigated the levels, patterns, and sources of EPFRs and gas- and particle-phase ROSs (referred to as G-ROSs and P-ROSs, respectively) in Beijing during the 2015 China Victory Day Parade period when short-term air quality control measures were imposed. EPFRs in the non-control period (NCP) tended to be radicals centered on a mixture of carbon and oxygen, while those in the control period (CP) were mainly oxygen-centered free radicals. The contribution of G-ROSs to the atmospheric oxidizing capacity increased, and that of P-ROSs decreased during the CP compared to the NCP. The strict control measures reduced ambient EPFRs, G-ROSs, and P-ROSs by 18.3 %, 24.1 %, and 46.9 %, respectively; these amounts were smaller than the decreases in most other measured pollutants. Although particle-matter-based air quality control measures have performed well in achieving "Parade Blue", it is difficult to simultaneously reduce the negative impacts of the atmosphere on human health. The Parade Blue days were largely attributed to the dramatic reduction in secondary aerosols, which were also largely responsible for EPFR and ROS reductions. Compared to the cases during the NCP, the source-sector-based concentrations of PM 2.5 , EPFRs, G-ROSs, and P-ROSs during the CP were reduced by 78.7 %–80.8 % when coming from secondary aerosols, by 59.3 %–65.0 % when coming from dust sources, by 65.3 %–67.0 % when coming from industrial emissions, and by 32.6 %–43.8 % when coming from vehicle emissions, while concentrations from other sources increased by 1.61 %–71.5 %. Vehicle emissions and other sources may play complex roles in air quality and public health. This insight will prompt policymakers to reevaluate current air quality management strategies to more effectively address the challenges posed by pollutants such as EPFRs and ROSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) is mediated by the particulate matter's surface, especially transition metal oxide surfaces. In the context of current atmospheric complex pollution, various atmospheric components, such as key atmospheric oxidants ·OH and O3, are often absorbed on particulate matter surfaces, forming particulate matter surfaces containing ·OH and O3. This, in turn, influences EPFRs formation. Here, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to explore the formation mechanism of EPFRs by C6H5OH on α-Fe2O3(0001) surface containing the ·OH and O3, and compare it with that on clean surface. The results show that, compared to EPFRs formation with an energy barrier on a clean surface, EPFRs can be rapidly formed through a barrierless process on these surfaces. Moreover, during the hydrogen abstraction mechanism leading to EPFRs formation, the hydrogen acceptor shifts from a surface O atom on a clean surface to an O atom of ·OH or O₃ on these surfaces. However, the detailed hydrogen abstraction process differs on surfaces containing oxidants: on surfaces containing ·OH, it occurs directly through a one-step mechanism, while, on surfaces containing O3, it occurs through a two-step mechanism. But, in both types of surfaces, the essence of this promotional effect mainly lies in increasing the electron transfer amounts during the reaction process. This research provides new insights into EPFRs formation on particle surfaces within the context of atmospheric composite pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the gut microbiome has been intensively investigated for more than twenty years already, its role in various disorders remains to be unraveled. At the same time, questions about what changes in the gut microbiota can be considered as normal or pathological and whether communities are able to recover after exposure to negative factors (diseases, medications, environmental factors) are still unclear. Here, we describe changes in the gut microbiota composition and the content of short-chain fatty acids in adult healthy volunteers (n = 15) over a 24 month-period. Intraindividual variability in gut microbial composition was 40%, whereas the short chain fatty acids profile remained relatively stable (2-year variability 20%, inter-individual 26%). The changes tend to accumulate over time. Nevertheless, both short-term and long-term changes in the gut microbiome composition were significantly smaller within individuals than interindividual differences (two-year interindividual variability was 75%). Seasonal changes in gut microbiota were found more often in autumn and spring involving the content of minor representatives (less than 1.5% of the community in average) in the phyla Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to military actions, there is destruction of Ukraine's ecosystems, deterioration of sanitary and hygienic indicators of drinking water, air, and soil. With the onset of full-scale war, the negative impact of harmful and dangerous substances (the use of chemical, phosphorus bombs, and other weapons) prohibited by the Geneva Convention leads to unforeseen consequences for the environment of Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to analyze injuries resulting from the action of white phosphorus of various types of phosphorus weapons, namely explosive weapons with a wide area of effect, mines, ammunition, long-range missiles; artillery, mortar shells, various types of grenades in the conditions of russian aggression against Ukraine. The following methods were used in the work: content analysis, comparative analysis, and systematization of the researched material. Research of scientific publications by domestic and foreign scientists using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases for the period 2001-2023 was conducted. Phosphorus munitions such as WP are known for their high effectiveness in combat operations, but also lead to serious injuries, both traumatic and post-traumatic psychological changes. White phosphorus (explosive bombs) causes burns of human body tissues upon contact with burning material, as well as burns of the upper respiratory tract due to inhalation of smoke or gases emitted during combustion. The article analyzes the regulatory framework prohibiting the use of phosphorus munitions in armed conflicts. Clinical cases of gunshot combined injuries of limbs with massive soft tissue defects, gunshot fractures, and the presence of multiple foreign bodies of metal density due to the use of phosphorus munitions are considered. An analysis of scientific research by foreign scientists on this issue was conducted. The article provides algorithms for providing first aid due to the action of phosphorus munitions, as well as methodological recommendations of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 506 of March 20, 2022) for providing medical assistance at the prehospital stage in case of phosphorus munition injuries, burns, enteral poisoning, exposure to white phosphorus in the eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens causes difficult-to-treat infections with long-term hospitalizations and a high incidence of death, thus representing a global public health problem. To manage MDR bacteria bugs, new antimicrobial strategies are necessary, and their introduction in practice is a daily challenge for scientists in the field. An extensively studied approach to treating MDR infections consists of inducing high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by several methods. Although further clinical investigations are mandatory on the possible toxic effects of ROS on mammalian cells, clinical evaluations are extremely promising, and their topical use to treat infected wounds and ulcers, also in presence of biofilm, is already clinically approved. Biochar (BC) is a carbonaceous material obtained by pyrolysis of different vegetable and animal biomass feedstocks at 200–1000 °C in the limited presence of O2. Recently, it has been demonstrated that BC's capability of removing organic and inorganic xenobiotics is mainly due to the presence of persistent free radicals (PFRs), which can activate oxygen, H2O2, or persulfate in the presence or absence of transition metals by electron transfer, thus generating ROS, which in turn degrade pollutants by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). In this context, the antibacterial effects of BC-containing PFRs have been demonstrated by some authors against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, thus giving birth to our idea of the possible use of BC-derived PFRs as a novel method capable of inducing ROS generation for antimicrobial oxidative therapy. Here, the general aspects concerning ROS physiological and pathological production and regulation and the mechanism by which they could exert antimicrobial effects have been reviewed. The methods currently adopted to induce ROS production for antimicrobial oxidative therapy have been discussed. Finally, for the first time, BC-related PFRs have been proposed as a new source of ROS for antimicrobial therapy via AOPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in the video sector has captured widespread attention. Despite the proliferation of AI video generation tools targeted at general consumers, there remains a gap in addressing the specialized requirements and advanced functionalities sought by industry professionals. This study aims to identify and overcome the barriers hindering the adoption of AI video tools in the Chinese video industry, thereby facilitating their seamless integration. The research unfolded in two phases employing a comprehensive methodology. Initially, we delineated the industry's video usage standards, drawing upon both established norms and insights gleaned from seasoned industry experts through focus group interviews. These insights informed the formulation of semi-structured interview questions. Subsequently, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Chinese industry experts, leading to the identification of eight primary adoption barriers: innovation, market demand, technological maturity, cross-disciplinary collaboration, ethics and privacy, public acceptance, data security and copyright, and global perspectives and localization. In the second phase, a detailed questionnaire survey involving 401 Chinese industry practitioners validated these factors. A data analysis underscored the significant impact of these eight factors on industry adoption, particularly emphasizing technological maturity. Furthermore, exhaustive examinations and discussions were undertaken for each identified barrier. The findings of this study theoretically bridge the gaps in understanding the impediments to the application of AI video generation tools in the video industry. They offer valuable insights into the current application landscape and furnish pertinent suggestions for advancing technology promotion and development in the future. Ultimately, this research aspires to augment the integration and utilization of AI technology within the Chinese video production industry, thereby propelling its progress and development forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuFeO2 nanoparticles were decorated on biochar by one-step hydrothermal method to form the CuFeO2 /BC catalyst for persulfate (PS) activation and application of CuFeO2/BC in sulfadiazine (SDZ) contaminated soil was explored in this study. The influence of some key factors such as catalyst doses, PS concentration, initial pH and different soil types on degradation of SDZ were investigated. The results showed that CuFeO2/BC system has better catalytic performance and PS utilization efficiency compared with the pure CuFeO2. Under the condition of CuFeO2/BC dosage of 8 g/kg and PS addition of 3 g/kg, 91.72% SDZ (initial concentration of 20 mg/kg) could be removed from the soil within 120 minutes. Furthermore, the mechanism of the CuFeO2/BC/PS system was revealed by quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tests. It demonstrated that active species (SO4•-, HO•, O2•-) were involved in SDZ degradation, the weak EPR signal confirmed the existence of 1O2 but not participated in the degradation of SDZ. The steady-state concentrations of HO• and SO4•- were calculated by using free radical probes. Afterwards, the contribution rates of SO4•-, HO•, O2•- to the degradation of SDZ were obtained to be 43.89%, 32.87%, and 23.24%, respectively. Combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the high catalytic efficiency was attributed to the synergistic effect of Cu+/Cu2+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ redox cycles. These findings help to achieve more comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneous activation process of PS by CuFeO2 /BC to degrade SDZ in actual contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diastolic dysfunction, a prevalent condition characterized by impaired relaxation and filling of the left ventricle, significantly contributes to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Galectin-3, a β-galactoside-binding lectin, has garnered attention as a potential biomarker and mediator of fibrosis and inflammation in cardiovascular diseases. This comprehensive review investigates the impact of galectin-3 on diastolic dysfunction. We explore its molecular mechanisms, including its involvement in cellular signaling pathways and interaction with components of the extracellular matrix. Evidence from both animal models and clinical studies elucidates galectin-3's role in cardiac remodeling, inflammation, and fibrosis, shedding light on the underlying pathophysiology of diastolic dysfunction. Additionally, we examine the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of galectin-3 in diastolic dysfunction, emphasizing its potential as both a biomarker and a therapeutic target. This review underscores the significance of comprehending galectin-3's role in diastolic dysfunction and its promise in enhancing diagnosis and treatment approaches for HFpEF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of a large-scale, web-based, in-service hypertension management training project among lay health workers (LHWs) at primary care health (PHC) settings in China, and to examine the factors contributing to the variations of effectiveness. METHODS We used data from a web-based national hypertension management training project implemented in 2018, it was designed to facilitate LHWs to learn, understand, and apply the relevant knowledge and skills in hypertension management through providing training courses by use of the web-based platform with unified standards. All LHWs were required to participate in the exams before and after training to acquire scores for the use of evaluating their performance of hypertension management knowledge. We first used descriptive analysis to present the variations of effectiveness in hypertension management knowledge among LHWs by important subgroups. Afterwards, we used multilevel logistic regression to examine the individual and regional factors contributing to the variations and quantify the magnitude of how these factors affected training effectiveness. RESULTS There were 1,208,610 LHWs who completed training and were certificated. Nationally, the scores of LHWs increased significantly from 62.87 ± 21.14 out of 100 in the pre-test to 88.30 ± 11.31 in the post-test by 25.43 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.40-25.47). Training contents involved in antihypertensive medication showed the lowest score (54.36) in the pre-test and soared the most after training, up to 84.22 by 54.94%. Individual factors associated with disparities in the knowledge of hypertension management decreased substantially after training, which included sex, age, education, practice type, professional level, and hierarchy of working institutions. Geographical variations were shown at the provincial level, with the majority of them being explained by factors at the regional level. CONCLUSIONS Accessible web-based training modality, government efforts, accompanied with experiences derived from the training, could be generalized to other low- and middle-income countries in facilitating the hypertension management capacity of LHWs. Localization and evaluation is warranted on the way to its further application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]