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Background: Aim is to analyze alterations in third and fourth corneal higher-order aberrations using a ray tracing aberrometer (iTrace) induced by SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) refractive surgery on Algerian patients; and also to investigate how corneal aberrations vary with spherical equivalent (SE), corneal central thickness (CCT), and age. Design Prospective, non-randomized case series that were carried out at the Chiali Smile Center, Algiers, Algeria. Participants: A total of 219 eyes from 110 myopic patients, with and without astigmatism, successfully concluded the ultimate follow-up. Participants exhibited an average age of 32.48 years, with preoperative mean corneal high-order aberrations (CHOA) measuring 0.005 ± 0.036 μm. Methods: A tracking trend analysis of high-order aberrations (HOAs) was conducted on the three groups of patients, assessing total corneal high-order aberrations after SMILE over periods of two, six, and twelve months. Results: A substantial increase in total corneal high-order aberrations following SMILE, with a P value < 0.05. Conversely, there was a noteworthy and significant decrease in vertical trefoil for all groups (P value = 0.000). Interestingly, the corneal higher-order aberrations were more pronounced after two months compared to the six and twelve-month intervals. Spherical aberration demonstrated a significant increase with the extent of preoperative myopia and preoperative spherical equivalent both before and after SMILE surgery (P < 0.05), particularly in cases of high myopia. Moreover, there were significant reductions in preoperative and postoperative vertical coma (P = 0.047, P = 0.004, respectively) corresponding to the degree of preoperative myopia, with a more substantial decrease in vertical coma observed in cases of low myopia. Conclusion: In the post-SMILE period, a notable increase in vertical coma and spherical aberrations was observed, accompanied by a significant decrease in vertical trefoil across all eyes. These aberration changes were identified to be closely associated with the spherical equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of time-restricted eating (TRE) on neuro-physiological parameters, objective and subjective sleep, pulmonary capacity, and postural balance among women with excess body weight. Methods: Thirty-one participants were assigned to either a TRE group (n = 15, 28.74 ± 9.25 years, 88.32 ± 13.38 kg, and 32.71 ± 5.15 kg/m2), engaging in ad libitum 16 h fasting over a 12-week period, or a control group (CG, n = 16, 36.25 ± 11.52 years, 90.88 ± 19.01 kg, and 33.66 ± 6.18 kg/m2). The assessment of heart rate variability (HRV), spirometric parameters (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/ FVC ratio, objective and subjective sleep assessments employing actigraphy and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and postural balance using the Y balance test (YBT) were conducted before and after the intervention. Results: No significant negative effects of TRE were observed for HRV and objective sleep parameters. Only the TRE group improved FEV1 in both sitting (p < 0.0005) and supine positions (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the TRE group showed improvement in postural balance performance compared to the CG in anterior (p = 0.03), postero-medial (p = 0.04), and postero-lateral directions (p = 0.003). Conclusion: This study highlights TRE as a feasible and safe dietary intervention with significant improvements in postural balance and pulmonary function, without any negative impact on HRV or objective sleep assessments among overweight or obese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer remains a substantial public health challenge, marked by a rising prevalence. Accurate early detection is paramount for effective treatment and improved patient outcomes in breast cancer. The diversity of breast tumors and the complexity of their microenvironment present significant challenges. Establishing a reliable breast calcification and micro-calcification detection approach is an ongoing issue that researchers must continue to investigate. The goal is to develop an effective methodology that contributes to increased patient survival. Therefore, this paper introduces a novel approach for classifying breast calcifications in mammography, aiming to distinguish between benign and malignant cases. Aiming to address these challenges, we proposed our hybrid approach for breast calcification classification in mammogram images. The proposed approach starts with an image pre-processing phase that includes noise reduction and enhancement filters. Afterward, we proposed our hybrid classification architecture. It includes two branches: First, the vision transformer (ViT++) branch for contextual features. Secondly, a CNN branch based on transfer learning techniques for visual features. Using the CBIS-DDSM dataset, the application of our proposed ViT++ architecture reached the maximum accuracy of 96.12%. Further, the application of the VGG16 as a single feature extractor had a much lower accuracy of 61.96%. Meanwhile, the combination of these techniques in the same architecture improved the accuracy to 99.22%. Three different pre-trained feature extractors were applied in the CNN branch: Xception, VGG16, and RegNetX002. However, the best-obtained outcomes were from the combination of the ViT++ and the VGG16. The experimental findings indicate that the proposed strategy for breast calcification detection has the potential to surpass the performance of currently top-ranked methods, particularly in terms of classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an innovative approach about chromized-doped layers by discovering the optimal proportion of Mg (1 wt.%, 2 wt.%, and 3 wt.%) used as doping elements in order to enhance diffusion and stabilize the formed chromium oxide during the diffusion process. Our main objective is to evaluate the effect of Mg doping on the microstructural and the electrochemical behavior of the doped layer, systematically evaluating the impact of simultaneous variation of NH4Cl activator. The chromized-doped layers were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with EDX analysis. The doped layers were tested in 3.5% NaCl solution, and then were characterized by electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). The results revealed that doping contributed to the improvement of chromium diffusion for all the layers (≥ 96% Cr), stabilizing chromium oxide by forming a more stable oxide (MgCr2O4). However, Cr-Mg/1 wt.% showed the most homogenous crystalline structure and topography compared to the other layers, with the most insignificant defects. The Cr-Mg/1 wt.% presented an excellent corrosion resistance in the 3.5% NaCl solution, where its surface did not suffer any type of corrosion or damages. In addition, the balanced value of the activator (NH4Cl) relative to the other doped layers may play a significant role. As a result, the Cr-Mg/1 wt.% (using 4 wt.% NH4Cl) could be a robust and innovative surface, paving the way for new possibilities in the field of chromizing coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean surface radiation measurement best practices have been developed as a first step to support the interoperability of radiation measurements across multiple ocean platforms and between land and ocean networks. This document describes the consensus by a working group of radiation measurement experts from land, ocean, and aircraft communities. The scope was limited to broadband shortwave (solar) and longwave (terrestrial infrared) surface irradiance measurements for quantification of the surface radiation budget. Best practices for spectral measurements for biological purposes like photosynthetically active radiation and ocean color are only mentioned briefly to motivate future interactions between the physical surface flux and biological radiation measurement communities. Topics discussed in these best practices include instrument selection, handling of sensors and installation, data quality monitoring, data processing, and calibration. It is recognized that platform and resource limitations may prohibit incorporating all best practices into all measurements and that spatial coverage is also an important motivator for expanding current networks. Thus, one of the key recommendations is to perform interoperability experiments that can help quantify the uncertainty of different practices and lay the groundwork for a multi-tiered global network with a mix of high-accuracy reference stations and lower-cost platforms and practices that can fill in spatial gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of N-benzyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-linked benzopyrimidines 5 and 6 were synthesized via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of acetylenic dipolarophiles 3 and 4 with azomethine ylide generated in situ from N-(methoxymethyl)-N-(trimethylsilyl)benzylamine and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity. The structures of the prepared products were characterized using 1H/13C NMR, IR, and ESI-HRMS techniques. Further, the synthesized compounds were assessed for their antibacterial activity against five types of pathogenic bacteria and three fungal strains. The results show that the degree of antimicrobial effect displayed by the synthesized compounds was variable. Notably, compounds 2a, 2d, 2f, 3e, 3h, 4a, 4d, 4f, 5a, 5b, 5d, 5f, 6b, and 6c showed high activity against the bacterial strains, with MIC values ranging from 15.12 to 15.62 μg mL−1. Moreover, compounds 2a, 2f, 5a, 5b, 5d, 5g, and 5h exhibited promising antifungal activity against three Candida strains, with MIC values ranging from 62.5 to 125 μg mL−1. In addition, molecular docking studies performed to identify the most effective antibacterial compounds against B. subtilis highlighted the high binding affinity of the synthesized compounds toward Bacillus subtilis YdiB (pdb: 5MVR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing need for wearable and portable electronics and the necessity to provide a continuous power supply to these electronics have shifted the focus of scientists toward harvesting energy from ambient sources. Harvesting energy from ambient sources, including solar, wind, and mechanical energies, is a solution to meet rising energy demands. Furthermore, adopting lightweight power source technologies is becoming more decisive in choosing renewable energy technologies to power novel electronic devices. In this regard, piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) based on polymer composites that can convert discrete and low-frequency irregular mechanical energy from their surrounding environment into electricity have attracted keen attention and made considerable progress. This review highlights the latest advancements in this technology. First, the working mechanism of piezoelectricity and the different piezoelectric materials will be detailed. In particular, the focus will be on polymer composites filled with lead-free BaTiO3 piezoceramics to provide environmentally friendly technology. The next section will discuss the strategies adopted to enhance the performance of BaTiO3-based polymer composites. Finally, the potential applications of the developed PENGs will be presented, and the novel trends in the direction of the improvement of PENGs will be detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plasmonic materials use metallic nanoparticles (NPs) of gold or silver. Plasmonic behaviors are also possible to achieve in several organic materials such as carbon dots or conductive polymers (CPs). Here, we report the synthesis of poly(3,4-ethylenedioyothiophene) (PEDOT) arrays of NPs well organized on a surface by the combined use of e-beam lithography and electropolymerization. The as-grown NPs show plasmonic behavior, with small variations in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) between 1200 and 1300 nm related to the differences in their diameters (90 nm, 120 nm, and 150 nm). The properties of the arrays were chemically tuned by treatment with acetic acid to enhance their conductivity, leading to a tremendous 300 nm blue shift of their optical extinction. The PEDOT NP array after this secondary doping shows an unprecedented LSPR maximum at 960 nm, close to the visible range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the association of workplace social engagement (WSE) and information technology ability (ITA) with successful ageing and validated a brief scale measuring WSE. The interaction of WSE and ITA on successful ageing was also assessed. A cross-sectional design was adopted, and the participants were 1186 older adults living in Kenya (n = 350), Nigeria (n = 260), and Ghana (n = 576). Pearson's correlation and factor analyses of two datasets (i.e., waves 1 and 2) from the sample were utilised to validate the WSE scale. Hierarchical linear regression analysis with relevant sensitivity analyses were utilised to assess the associations with wave 2 data. The WSE scale produced satisfactory psychometric properties (i.e., reliability and validity) as a unidimensional measure. WSE and ITA were positively associated with successful ageing in Kenya and Ghana and in the consolidated data. The interaction between WSE and ITA was positively associated with successful ageing and its domains (i.e., illness avoidance, functioning, and engagement with life) in Kenya, Ghana, and consolidated data. At higher ITA or the use of information technologies, WSE is less strongly associated with successful ageing. WSE is more strongly associated with successful ageing only at moderate ITA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review explores the hidden hazards associated with the reuse of treated wastewater and sewage sludge in agriculture while proposing mitigation strategies. It examines the origins and pathways of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants and how these pollutants infiltrate agricultural ecosystems. The review assesses the effectiveness of MP removal from wastewater and its fate in soil after reuse, highlighting contamination dynamics and the need for proactive measures. Introducing soil remediation methods is crucial for addressing this issue. Alarming evidence of MPs in human blood, testis, semen, and placenta underscores the urgency for solutions, revealing significant threats to human health, particularly reproductive health. The review advocates for sustainable agricultural practices and effective soil remediation strategies to mitigate MP contamination, promoting environmental preservation, food safety, and human health protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hughes–Stovin syndrome (HSS) is a rare vasculitis characterized by the association of thrombophlebitis with pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAAs). Because it is rarely reported, there are currently no established diagnostic criteria or standardized treatment guidelines for HSS. While conventional immunosuppressants are generally effective as first-line treatment, relapsing and refractory cases urge the need to investigate alternative therapies, such as TNF-alpha inhibitors. However, with only five cases published in the literature, knowledge of their efficacy in HSS is very limited. Case summary A 28-year-old man, with no past medical history, presented with haemoptysis, chest pain, and dyspnoea on exertion. Physical examination found bilateral leg swelling, with no associated lesions. CT angiography showed multiple bilateral PAA, proximal pulmonary artery thrombosis (PAT), and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the superior mesenteric vein and spleno-mesaraic confluence. Echocardiography was performed, identifying right intracardiac thrombosis (ICT). Initial management included high-dose corticosteroids and monthly cyclophosphamide cycles, followed by maintenance treatment with oral azathioprine. Eighteen months later, the patient presented with haemoptysis revealing a relapse of ICT and two new PAA. Infliximab was initiated, allowing complete and sustained remission after one year of follow-up. Discussion We report the challenging case of an HSS patient presenting with multiple PAA, proximal PAT, right ICT, and extended abdominal DVT. The positive response of our patient to infliximab, following a relapse under conventional immunosuppressants, supports the efficacy of TNF-alpha inhibitors as second-line treatment in relapsing/refractory HSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism explores the effects of the drug empagliflozin on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in a mouse model of lipoatrophic diabetes. The researchers found that empagliflozin prevented the development of MASLD in mice and reduced liver steatosis in older mice. The drug achieved these effects by reducing de novo lipogenesis, the process by which the liver produces new fat. The study suggests that empagliflozin could be a potential therapeutic option for managing MASLD associated with lipodystrophies. [Extracted from the article]

Industrial effluents pose a serious environmental problem, because they contain toxic contaminants mainly heavy metals that are the most dangerous to humans, animals, plants, and the environment in general. Phytoremediation using macrophytes is an adopted technique for the environment decontamination due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The present study aims to highlight the capabilities of macrophytes to remove heavy metals from wastewater of Biskra region (Algeria). The methodology consists of filling out the filters planted with Arundo donax and Phragmites australis with raw industrial wastewater, then recovering decontaminated water after 15 days to assess removal of lead, copper, zinc, and iron. Both plants had shown a good efficiency for the removal of metals loaded in wastewater eliminating about 94 to 98% of initial concentration. In addition, calculated bioaccumulation factor (BAF) had confirmed the accumulation of heavy metals in different parts of experimental plants; recorded values of BAF > 1 allowed the consideration of Arundo donax and Phragmites australis as good hyper-accumulator plants. Obtained results confirm the efficiency of phytoremediation technology using macrophytes for the wastewater treatment in particular and the environment decontamination in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health communication scholars have provided ample evidence demonstrating the ways in which freedom-threatening language used in persuasive health messages evokes freedom-threat perceptions, state psychological reactance, and intentions to engage in behaviors opposite of those recommended by the health message. This study examined a novel mitigation strategy for diminishing these outcomes. We examined whether prior exposure to entertainment portrayals of moral virtue (versus a neutral video) can dampen audiences' psychological reactance, intentions to consume alcohol, and defensive message processing via their psychophysiological responses to a subsequent, freedom-threatening excessive alcohol consumption public service announcement (PSA). The results revealed that participants who viewed entertainment portrayals of moral virtue (N = 50 college-aged participants) self-reported higher levels of elevation, moved, and inspiration relative to participants in the control condition (N = 50 college-aged participants). Participants who were exposed to entertainment portrayals of moral virtue prior to the excessive alcohol consumption PSA also self-reported less psychological reactance and fewer behavioral intentions to consume alcohol following the excessive alcohol consumption PSA than participants in the control condition. Consistent with these self-report data, participants in the entertainment portrayals of moral virtue condition exhibited less defensive message processing of the excessive alcohol consumption PSA via their psychophysiological responses relative to the control group. The results indicate that initial exposure to entertainment portrayals of moral virtue can dampen audiences' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to a subsequent, freedom-threatening health message, thereby increasing the chances of improved health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formulating a nanoemulsion (NE) of essential oil (EO) could enhance its efficiency while requiring lower concentrations. Eucalyptus cladocalyx F. Muell EO was rich in monoterpenes hydrocarbons. NE was prepared and the effect of surfactant (Tween 20, 40 and 80) and shearing time were investigated. The results showed that the best NE was formed using Tween 80 after 25 min of emulsification. Small droplet size (40 nm), low polydispersity index PDI (0.49), and stable zeta potential highlighted the excellent NE stability which was tested under storage conditions for 4 months. The results showed that the antioxidant and anticancer activities of NE were enhanced compared to free EO. Furthermore, NE and EO exhibited high anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factors alpha (TNF-α) production in liposaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, a stable Eucalyptus cladocalyx-NE was produced, with improved biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: To test the hypothesis that central drusen location is strongly linked with known Age‐related Macular Degeneration (AMD) risk factors and risk of incident late AMD. Methods: The Alienor study is a prospective population‐based cohort study of residents of Bordeaux, France, followed from 2009 to 2017. On retinal photographs, we defined central drusen as at least one soft drusen (>63 μm) within 500 μm from fovea and pericentral drusen as at least one drusen 500–3000 μm from fovea, in the absence of any central drusen. Late AMD (atrophic and/or neovascular) was diagnosed using multimodal imaging. In total, 481 eyes were included in the analysis: 160 central and 321 pericentral. We investigated associations with systemic (age, sex, smoking, medical prescriptions, plasma concentrations of lipids and nutrients, UV exposure, blood pressure), ocular (retinal thickness, cataract extraction) and genetic risk scores (GRS). Results: In multivariate logistic regression central drusen were associated with smoking (OR, 2.95 for smoking more than 20 pack‐years, p = 0.02), HDL‐cholesterol (OR, 1.57 for 1 standard deviation (SD) increase, p = 0.0048), pulse pressure (OR, 0.77 for 1 SD increase, p = 0.04), Age‐Related Maculopathy Susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) GRS (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.11–1.83) and complement GRS (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.15–2.10). In Cox modelling, the central location of drusen (at baseline or during the follow‐up) was associated with a 4.41‐fold increased risk (95% CI,1.98–9.81) for an incident late AMD. Conclusion: Central drusen were strongly associated with AMD risk factors and incident late AMD, suggesting that it represents a key marker for AMD progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential aspect of pattern recognition pertains to handwriting recognition, particularly in languages with diverse character styles like Arabic. Arabic characters present a challenge due to their varied writing styles, intricate interconnections within words, and shape modifications based on position. The complexity of Arabic calligraphy further complicates recognition, with subtle letter connections and potential distortions influenced by writing speed and individual skills. Therefore, in this paper, we provided a method to address the problem of detecting handwritten Arabic characters utilizing an ensemble of deep learning techniques. Our approach extracts hierarchical features from complicated, high-resolution pictures using pre-trained models: the Vision Transformer (ViT) and Inception ResNet V2. To enhance model performance, we present tunable lambda coefficients for the weighted arithmetic integration of the two models. Experiments conducted on the HMBD dataset, categorized into subsets based on writing positions, yielded promising results. Our ensemble model achieved robust test accuracies ranging from 89 to 98% across these subsets. Analysis revealed that remaining errors primarily stem from visual-spatial similarities between certain characters and inaccuracies in ground-truth labels. Our contribution highlights the efficacy of ensemble approaches, combining transformers and CNNs, in addressing the intricacies of handwritten Arabic recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire incidents pose severe threats to life, property, and the environment, accounting for significant losses worldwide. Traditional sensing technologies exhibit limitations in effectively detecting fires, particularly in larger spaces. The application of deep learning techniques on fire detection systems has been widely explored. However, many challenges are associated with fire detection technologies, especially in scenarios like indoor fires and forest fires, as well as whether the fire is accompanied by smoke or not. Which results in substantial environmental losses and long-term recovery periods. Early sensing technologies lacked effectiveness in detecting fire instances in open spaces due to response delays and failure to utilize static and dynamic features. In this paper, we aimed to address these challenges by proposing a two-stage fire detection approach using deep learning techniques. The approach proposed a new Faster R-CNN architecture, including our proposed hybrid feature extractor. Evaluation yields a mAP@0.5 of 90.1% with an accuracy of 96.5%. The outcomes indicate that our new hybrid feature extractor surpasses the effectiveness of conventional single backbone transfer learning methods and Yolo's one-stage detection approach in accurately identifying flames and smoke in various indoor and outdoor settings, providing an accurate fire detection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida auris is an emerging multi-drug resistant yeast that can cause life-threatening infections. A recent report clarified the ability of C. auris to form a biofilm with enhanced drug resistance properties in the host skin's deep layers. The formed biofilm may initiate further bloodstream spread and immune escape. Therefore, we propose that secreted chemicals from the biofilm may facilitate fungal pathogenesis. In response to this interaction, the host skin may develop potential defensive mechanisms. Comparative transcriptomics was performed on the host dermal cells in response to indirect interaction with C. auris biofilm through Transwell inserts compared to planktonic cells. Furthermore, the effect of antifungals including caspofungin and fluconazole was studied. The obtained data showed that the dermal cells exhibited different transcriptional responses. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Reactome analyses identified potential defensive responses employed by the dermal cells and potential toxicity induced by C. auris. Additionally, our data indicated that the dominating toxic effect was mediated by ferroptosis; which was validated by qRT-PCR, cytotoxicity assay, and flow cytometry. On the other hand, the viability of C. auris biofilm was enhanced and accompanied by upregulation of MDR1, and KRE6 upon interaction with dermal cells; both genes play significant roles in drug resistance and biofilm maturation, respectively. This study for the first-time shed light on the dominating defensive responses of human dermal cells, microbe colonization site, to C. auris biofilm and its toxic effects. Further, it demonstrates how C. auris biofilm responds to the defensive mechanisms developed by the human dermal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to propose a new method for identifying diabetic retinopathy using retinal fundus images. Currently, identifying diabetic retinopathy from computerized fundus images is a challenging task in medical image processing and requires new strategies to be developed. The manual analysis of the retinal fundus is time-consuming and requires a significant amount of skill. To assist clinicians, this research develops a graphical user interface that integrates imaging algorithms to assess whether the patient's fundus image is affected by diabetic retinopathy. The diagnosis is made using a deep neural network, specifically the Resnet152-V2, which has been shown to have 100% accuracy in all evaluation criteria including accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 Score. The severity of the disease is displayed on the graphical user interface and the patient's information is stored in a local database. This proposed method can also be used by ophthalmologists as a backup option to support in disease detection, reducing the necessary processing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy by estimating fiscal multipliers for Tunisia. The study is based on the Structural Vector Autoregression (SVAR) model and uses quarterly data from 2000Q1 to 2019Q4. Five main insights can be drawn from these results. First, fiscal multipliers are moderate, as suggested by earlier studies. Second, spending multipliers generated by total and consumption expenditures, respectively, are small, implying that government spending generates substantial crowding out effects. Third, investment multipliers are larger than consumption multipliers. Fourth, fiscal multipliers have declined in the post-2011 revolution period, suggesting that spending multipliers are lower during times of recession. Fifth, domestic supply shocks could shape the effects of fiscal policy and cause spending multipliers to fall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the feasibility of an opioid-free anesthesia protocol and describe the quality of recovery and management of postoperative analgesia in dogs after a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). Methods: In total, 20 dogs presented for TPLO were included. After premedication with intravenous (IV) medetomidine (0.005-0.007 mg/kg) and midazolam (0.2 mg/kg), the dogs were anesthetized using ketamine (2 mg/kg) and propofol and maintained with isoflurane and ketamine CRI (0.6 mg/kg/h). Sciatic and femoral nerve blocks were performed with bupivacaine 0.5% (0.087 +/- 0.01 and 0.09 +/- 0.02 mL/kg, respectively). Meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg IV) was administered intraoperatively, after osteotomy. Fentanyl (0.002 mg/kg IV) was administered intraoperatively, as rescue analgesia in the case of sustained increase in cardiorespiratory variables. Two pain scores (French 4A-VET and Glasgow short form) were performed at conscious sternal recumbency and 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 20 h after extubation and compared to baseline using a Friedman test followed by a Nemenyi post-hoc test. The time taken for the first food intake and urination was reported. Results: Intraoperative opioid-free anesthesia was feasible in 11 dogs, whereas 9 dogs received fentanyl once during arthrotomy. No opioid postoperative rescue analgesia was required. Food intake occurred within 6 h, and all dogs were discharged after 24 h without any complication. Conclusion: Total opioid-free postoperative analgesia was achieved in all dogs, with adequate recoveries. Although opioid-free anesthesia was feasible in 55% of the population, a single dose of fentanyl was necessary in 45% of the dogs during arthrotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many chemicals such as sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, synthetic dyes, oxidants, mordanting and softening agents used in clothing manufacture play a significant role in the pollution of global water resources. In view of cleaner technology, this article reviewed the effect of plasma pre-treatment on the dyeability of cotton fabric using a cleaner salt-free process. Greige cotton fabric was treated with diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) in air or nitrogen prior to the dyeing process. Three textile dyes are used in this work, reactive orange 16, direct red 81 and natural dye Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. Chitosan (CS) and quaternized poly[bis(2-chloroethyl) ether-alt-1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea (PQ-2) were used as cationic polymers to substitute the salt. The effect of the different treatments on the properties of the textile samples and the dyeing process was evaluated using scanning electon microscopy (SEM), ATR-FTIR, tearing strength and colorimetric measurements. The levelness and fastness properties of the obtained cotton samples were also assessed. The treated samples showed interesting colorimetric values proving the enhancement of the dye uptake without the involvement of salt or harmful additives and exhibited significant antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present AstroCLIP, a single, versatile model that can embed both galaxy images and spectra into a shared, physically meaningful latent space. These embeddings can then be used – without any model fine-tuning – for a variety of downstream tasks including (1) accurate in-modality and cross-modality semantic similarity search, (2) photometric redshift estimation, (3) galaxy property estimation from both images and spectra, and (4) morphology classification. Our approach to implementing AstroCLIP consists of two parts. First, we embed galaxy images and spectra separately by pre-training separate transformer-based image and spectrum encoders in self-supervised settings. We then align the encoders using a contrastive loss. We apply our method to spectra from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and images from its corresponding Legacy Imaging Survey. Overall, we find remarkable performance on all downstream tasks, even relative to supervised baselines. For example, for a task like photometric redshift prediction, we find similar performance to a specifically trained ResNet18, and for additional tasks like physical property estimation (stellar mass, age, metallicity, and specific-star-formation rate), we beat this supervised baseline by 19 per cent in terms of R 2. We also compare our results with a state-of-the-art self-supervised single-modal model for galaxy images, and find that our approach outperforms this benchmark by roughly a factor of two on photometric redshift estimation and physical property prediction in terms of R 2, while remaining roughly in-line in terms of morphology classification. Ultimately, our approach represents the first cross-modal self-supervised model for galaxies, and the first self-supervised transformer-based architectures for galaxy images and spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Germline CDKN1B variants predispose patients to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 4 (MEN4), a rare MEN1-like syndrome, with <100 reported cases since its discovery in 2006. Although CDKN1B mutations are frequently suggested to explain cases of genetically negative MEN1, the prevalence and phenotype of MEN4 patients is poorly known, and genetic counseling is unclear. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of MEN4 in MEN1-suspected patients and characterize the phenotype of MEN4 patients. Design Retrospective observational nationwide study. Narrative review of literature and variant class reassessment. Patients We included all adult patients with class 3/4/5 CDKN1B variants identified by the laboratories from the French Oncogenetic Network on Neuroendocrine Tumors network between 2015 and 2022 through germline genetic testing for MEN1 suspicion. After class reassessment, we compared the phenotype of symptomatic patients with class 4/5 CDKN1B variants (ie, with genetically confirmed MEN4 diagnosis) in our series and in literature with 66 matched MEN1 patients from the UMD-MEN1 database. Results From 5600 MEN1-suspected patients analyzed, 4 with class 4/5 CDKN1B variant were found (0.07%). They presented with multiple duodenal NET, primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and adrenal nodule, isolated PHPT, PHPT, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. We listed 29 patients with CDKN1B class 4/5 variants from the literature. Compared with matched MEN1 patients, MEN4 patients presented lower NET incidence and older age at PHPT diagnosis. Conclusion The prevalence of MEN4 is low. PHPT and pituitary adenoma represent the main associated lesions, NETs are rare. Our results suggest a milder and later phenotype than in MEN1. Our observations will help to improve genetic counseling and management of MEN4 families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In regions characterized by a high concentration of small reservoirs, there is often public debate about the effectiveness of these structures in locally adapting to and mitigating drought impacts, bearing in mind their potential to modify or induce drought events in downstream areas. In this study, we investigated the influence of a Dense Network of Small Reservoirs (DNR) on the emergence and intensification of drought impacts at catchment scale, as well as their local social benefits. This analysis was based on the Socio‐Hydrological‐Agricultural‐Reservoir (SHARE) model, specially developed for this purpose, with a medium‐sized catchment in the semi‐arid region of Brazil as a case study. We identified that, while a DNR can prolong the effects of a hydrological drought on storage in a large strategic reservoir at the catchment outlet by obstructing surface‐runoff connectivity, it plays a crucial role in mitigating drought impacts at a local level. Specifically, the presence of small reservoirs has the potential to boost local agricultural production by up to 5 times compared to scenarios without these structures. In addition, our simulation results suggest there is a notable reduction in the need for emergency water distribution by water trucks in the presence of a DNR. This study highlights the need for a balanced approach to implementing public policies, weighing the local benefits of small reservoirs against the possible downstream impacts on large reservoirs. Plain Language Summary: This study analyzed the impact of a dense network of small reservoirs in a semi‐arid region of Brazil on drought effects. Although there is criticism about the use of these structures because they can influence drought events in neighboring areas, our results showed that, locally, these reservoirs are essential for mitigating the impacts of drought. They may prolong the drought in large reservoirs, but they play a crucial role in reducing local impacts, increasing agricultural production by up to five times. In addition, the presence of these reservoirs considerably reduces the need for emergency water distribution by water trucks. The study highlights the importance of a balanced approach when implementing public policies, considering the local benefits of small reservoirs in relation to the possible impacts on more distant areas. Key Points: We explore the pro's and con's of small reservoirs as drought coping strategyEvaporation puts more pressure on surface water storage in semi‐arid regions than the demands of small farmersSmall reservoirs boost the local agricultural production up to five times while reducing the need for emergency water supply [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a one-step synthetic method utilizing oak pericarp treated with FeCl3 and ZnCl2 as a precursor for the production of magnetic activated carbon (MAC). Characterization techniques including FTIR, SEM-EDX, TGA, XRD, VSM, BET, and pHpzc confirm the integration of biochar characteristics and magnetic properties of iron oxides in the MAC composite. Batch adsorption tests investigate the adsorption capacity of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Rose Bengal (RB) dyes by MAC under varied conditions, including adsorbent dose, contact time, solution pH, ionic strength, temperature, and initial dye concentration. Optimal adsorption conditions for RhB and RB are identified at pH 2 and 7, with adsorbent doses of 0.75 g/L and 1 g/L, and equilibrium times of 180 min and 120 min, respectively. Adsorption isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin) are employed, with the Freundlich model providing the best fit. MAC demonstrates a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 198.529 mg.g−1 for RhB and 42.551 mg.g−1 for RB at 20 °C. Kinetic data align with the pseudo-second-order model, and thermodynamic parameters confirm the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption process. In conclusion, this study successfully synthesizes magnetic biochar with enhanced efficacy in dye adsorption. The one-step method proves efficient for treating industrial dye effluents, as evidenced by batch desorption studies over four cycles, establishing the reusability of the MAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro activity of clinically relevant aminoglycosides and to determine the prevalence of genes encoding aminoglycoside modifying enzymes (AMEs) and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) methyltransferases among aminoglycoside - resistant E. coli (n  = 61) and K. pneumoniae (n  = 44) clinical isolates. Associated resistances to beta–lactams and their bla genes as well as the genetic relatedness of isolates were also investigated. Materials and methods A total of 105 aminoglycoside-resistant E. coli (n  = 61) and K. pneumonia e (n  = 44) isolates recovered between March and May 2017 from 100 patients hospitalized in different wards of Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia, were studied. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of aminoglycoside compounds were determined by broth microdilution method. Aminoglycosides resistance encoding genes [ aph(3´)-Ia, aph(3′) IIa, aph(3´)-VIa, ant(2″)-Ia, aac(3)-IIa, aac(3)-IVa, aac(6′)-Ib, rmtA, rmtB, rmtC, armA , and npmA ] and bla genes were investigated by PCR and sequencing. Genetic relatedness was examined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for representative isolates. Results High rates of aminoglycoside resistance were found: gentamicin (85.7%), tobramycin (87.6%), kanamycin (78.0%), netilmincin (74.3%), and amikcin (18.0%). Most common AME gene was aac(3)-IIa (42%), followed by aac(6′)-Ib (36.2%) and aph(3′)-VIa (32.4%). The majority of isolates were resistant to beta–lactams and bla CTX-M-15 was the most common ESBL. The bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-48 were also produced by 1 and 23 isolates, respectively. Novel sequence types have been reported among our isolates and high-risk clonal lineages have been detected, such as E. coli ST43 (ST131 in Achtman MLST scheme) and K. pneumoniae (ST11/ST13). Conclusions The high prevalence of aminoglycoside resistance rates and the diversity of corresponding genes, with diverse β-lactamase enzymes among genetically heterogeneous clinical isolates present a matter of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector uses 70% of the world's freshwater. As clean water is extracted, groundwater quality decreases, making it difficult to grow crops. Brackish water desalination is a promising solution for agricultural areas, but the cost is a barrier to adoption. This study investigated the performance of the fertilizer drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) process for brackish water desalination using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches. The RSM model was used to identify the optimal operating conditions, and the ANN model was used to predict the water flux (Jw) and reverse solute flux (Js). Both models achieved high accuracy, with RSM excelling in predicting Js (R2 = 0.9614) and ANN performing better for Jw (R2 = 0.9801). Draw solution (DS) concentration emerged as the most critical factor for both models, having a relative importance of 100% for two outputs. The optimal operating conditions identified by RSM were a DS concentration of 22 mol L−1, and identical feed solution (FS) and DS velocities of 8.1 cm s−1. This configuration yielded a high Jw of 4.386 LMH and a low Js of 0.392 gMH. Furthermore, the study evaluated the applicability of FDFO for real brackish groundwater. The results confirm FDFO's potential as a viable technology for water recovery in agriculture. The standalone FO system proves to be less energy-intensive than other desalination technologies. However, FO exhibits a low recovery rate, which may necessitate further dilution for fertigation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Metaverse presents itself as the next evolutionary paradigm of the Internet, based on the integration of the physical world with a plurality of virtual worlds so as to enable immersive, continuous and consistent life experiences for subjects across environments. Underlying this, there is a massive datafication of habitats and people that are reproduced and supplemented by digital content based on augmentation and virtualization of reality to allow users fluid social, economic and (soon) legal presence and operability. A decisive part of optimizing the control of environments and the avatars themselves is the datafication of personal, physical and behavioral aspects suitable to serve a plurality of functions: authentication, identification, but also management of the specific physicality required by the immersiveness of experiences. Massive biometric datafication is thus placed at the center of the entire project, raising doubts as to its compatibility with the fundamental principle of personal dignity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sideritis scardica (S. scardica) Griseb., also known as mountain tea, is an important medicinal and aromatic plant species. Due to the high cross-pollination ability of the species, diverse genotypes and phenotypes occur naturally. Considering that superior uniform genotypes are necessary for highly qualitative and sustainable production, this study aimed to conduct a pre-breeding evaluation of three clones (SID1, SID2, and SID3) originating from a selected S. scardica population growing in Greece. According to a phenotypic and agronomic evaluation, SID2 seemed to be superior among the three clones, expressing a good profile with desirable traits (i.e., desired inflorescence length and leaf surface, high length of stems, and high fresh and dry plant biomass). Furthermore, SID3 presented some remarkable measurements regarding morphological (upright growth habit) and agronomic (high number of stems and plant dry weight, desired plant surface) traits. The phytochemical profile of the three clones was assessed with regard to their volatile and polyphenolic compounds. Forty-four constituents were identified in S. scardica essential oil, including hydrocarbon monoterpenes, sesquiterpenoids, oxygenated monoterpenes, and other groups (monoterpene ketones, saturated fatty alcohols, benzoic esters). Liquid chromatographic analysis revealed SID2 as the clone most abundant in the major polyphenolic metabolites: verbascoside (2234.3 mg 100 g−1), isoscutellarein-7-O [6″-O-acetyl]-allosyl(1 → 2) glucoside (1456.5 mg 100 g−1), and 4-methyl hypolaetin-7-O [6″-O-acetyl]-allosyl(1 → 2) glucoside (861.8 mg 100 g−1). The results indicate the ability to combine morphological, agronomic, and phytochemical traits, in order to identify superior S. scardica genotypes for further evaluation and utilization in breeding programs, aiming to create cultivars or varieties for farming purposes with desired performance and high quantitative and qualitative yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease that is frequently associated with other autoimmune conditions. Objective To perform serological screening for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with HT. Methods Our study included 88 consecutive serum specimens of patients with confirmed HT and 88 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects. All study participants were tested for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides antibodies (CCP-Ab) and rheumatoid factor (RF). CCP-Ab and RF were performed using ELISA commercial kits. Statistical analysis was conducted using Epi Info, version 3. Results Out of 88 patients with HT, 15 (17.0%) had CCP-Ab or RF. The frequency of serological markers of RA was significantly higher in patients than in control individuals (17.0% vs 4.5%; P =.007). RF was more frequent in patients than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (13.6% vs 3.4%; P =.01). Isolated RF-IgM was absent in all controls and present in 6 patients with HT (6.8% vs 0%; P =.02). Out of 14 male patients, 3 (21.4%) had antibodies of RA. There was no significant difference in age between patients with CCP-Ab or RF and those without. Conclusion A high frequency of serological markers of RA was highlighted in patients with HT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrosis is a pathological process that occurs due to chronic inflammation, leading to the proliferation of fibroblasts and the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). The process of long-term fibrosis initiates with tissue hypofunction and progressively culminates in the ultimate manifestation of organ failure. Intestinal fibrosis is a significant complication of Crohn's disease (CD) that can result in persistent luminal narrowing and strictures, which are difficult to reverse. In recent years, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying intestinal fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Significant progress has been achieved in the fields of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of intestinal fibrosis in the last few years. A significant amount of research has also been conducted in the field of biomarkers for the prediction or detection of intestinal fibrosis, including novel cross-sectional imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Molecular imaging represents a promising biomedical approach that enables the non-invasive visualization of cellular and subcellular processes. Molecular imaging has the potential to be employed for early detection, disease staging, and prognostication in addition to assessing disease activity and treatment response in IBD. Molecular imaging methods also have a potential role to enabling minimally invasive assessment of intestinal fibrosis. This review discusses the role of molecular imaging in combination of AI in detecting CD fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a nonsmooth nonlinear system governed by a set-valued maximal monotone operator in Hilbert spaces. The novelty brought by our study is the involvement of the Caputo fractional derivative. In our paper, we aim to achieve three primary objectives. The first one is to show how a reduction approach with fractional differential equations allows us to establish the unique solvability of the initial value problem and give some important properties of the solution as the continuous dependence with respect to the data. The second objective is to prove the existence of optimal solution to an optimal control problem involving the nonsmooth fractional dynamical system in finite dimensions. The third aim is to put into practice our obtained results in the analysis of a non-regular electrical circuit, including a non-regular electronic component such as a Zener diode, as well as a fractional inductor. This application constitutes an additional contribution to our paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scorpions are known to exhibit sexual size dimorphism, but data is still lacking from a large number of species throughout the world. Such information is nonetheless essential for a better understanding of the factors and processes shaping scorpion morphology. In this work, we investigated sexual size dimorphism in Buthus tunetanus, a common scorpion species in Tunisia. Using morphometric data on a sample of 100 females and 142 males, we assessed sexual differences in body parts and investigated allometric relationships. Results showed significant sexual size dimorphism in weapon systems, namely the metasoma and chelae. More specifically, there was male-biased dimorphism in metasoma size but female-biased dimorphism in chela size. Increased body size was associated with an exaggerated increase in metasoma size in males and chela size in females. These patterns are in agreement with those previously reported in other scorpion species and highlight the roles of sexual differences in mating behavior and ecological requirements in shaping the morphology of weapon systems in scorpions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph pattern matching is widely used in real-world applications, such as social network analysis. Since the traditional subgraph isomorphism is NP-complete and often too restrictive to catch sensible matches, relaxed graph pattern matching models are used. However, existing algorithms suffer from limited linear scalability and restricted degrees of parallelism. In this paper, we propose fast parallel algorithms, GPGS and GPDS, for graph simulation and dual simulation, respectively. They make most use of the GPU performance by adopting the edge-centric processing model. We perform parallel computations on the data graph edges to evaluate the matching constraints for each vertex allowing for fast and scalable algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first GPU-based algorithms for graph simulation and dual simulation. Extensive experiments on synthetic and real-world data graphs demonstrate that our algorithms significantly outperform existing methods, achieving up to 74.8 × acceleration for GPGS and up to 114.2 × acceleration for GPDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination is a major health issue that can be addressed by using carbonaceous materials to adsorb and filter pollutants, yet adsorption mechanisms need to be better understood to improve the adsorption efficiency. Here we review the models that are used to study the mechanisms of adsorption of drugs, dyes and metal ions on carbonaceous materials, with emphasis on classical and advanced isotherms. We discuss the fitting frequency, lignocellulosic and fossil fuel-derived adsorbents, biomass composition, activating agents, surface functions, the carbonization temperature, the medium temperature effect and the use of several isotherms to explain the same mechanism. The adsorption capacity can reach up to 2651 mg of contaminant per g of lignocellulosic materials and 1274 mg of contaminant per g of fossil materials. Isotherm validation commonly depends on several parameters. The adsorption on lignocellulosic carbonaceous materials is best described by the Langmuir isotherm. In contrast, adsorption on fossil materials is best described by the Redlich-Peterson isotherm. Advanced and classical isotherms are in good agreement in 44% of reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of bovine milk and yogurt on selected oral microorganisms and different oral biofilms. Materials and Methods: Milk was prepared from 0.5% fat (low-fat) and 16% fat (high fat) milk powder. For yogurt preparation, the strains Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgarcius and Streptococcus thermophilus were added to the milk. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal microbiocidal concentrations (MMC) of the test compounds were measured against various microorganisms by the microbroth dilution technique. Cariogenic periodontal biofilms and one containing Candida were created on plastic surfaces coated with test substances. Further, preformed biofilms were exposed to the test substances at a concentration of 100% for 10 min and thereafter 10% for 50 min. Both colony forming units (cfu) and metabolic activity were quantified in the biofilms. Results: Neither high-fat milk, low-fat milk nor casein inhibited the growth of any species. Yogurt and L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus at low MIC and MMC suppressed the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis and other bacteria associated with periodontal disease. High-fat yogurt decreased cfu in the forming periodontal biofilm by 90%. Both low- and high-fat yogurts reduced metabolic activity in newly forming and preformed periodontal and Candida biofilms, but not in the cariogenic biofilm. Conclusions: Yogurt and L. delbru eckii ssp. bulgaricus, but not milk, were bactericidal against periodontopathogenic bacteria. Yoghurt reduced the metabolic activity of a Candida biofilm and a periodontal biofilm. Yogurt and L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus may have potential in prevention and therapy of periodontal diseases and Candida infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial Hypophosphatasia presents a complex diagnostic challenge due to its wide-ranging clinical manifestations and genetic heterogeneity. This study aims to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of familial Hypophosphatasia within a Tunisian family harboring a rare c.896 T > C mutation in the ALPL gene, offering insights into genotype–phenotype correlations and potential therapeutic avenues. The study employs a comprehensive approach, integrating biochemical examination, genetic analysis, structural modeling, and functional insights to unravel the impact of this rare mutation. Genetic investigation revealed the presence of the p.Leu299Pro mutation within the ALPL gene in affected family members. This mutation is strategically positioned in proximity to both the catalytic site and the metal-binding domain, suggesting potential functional consequences. Homology modeling techniques were employed to predict the 3D structure of TNSALP, providing insights into the structural context of the mutation. Our findings suggest that the mutation may induce conformational changes in the vicinity of the catalytic site and metal-binding domain, potentially affecting substrate recognition and catalytic efficiency. Molecular dynamics simulations were instrumental in elucidating the dynamic behavior of the tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase isozyme (TNSALP) in the presence of the p.Leu299Pro mutation. The simulations indicated alterations in structural flexibility near the mutation site, with potential ramifications for the enzyme's overall stability and function. These dynamic changes may influence the catalytic efficiency of TNSALP, shedding light on the molecular underpinnings of the observed clinical manifestations within the Tunisian family. The clinical presentation of affected individuals highlighted significant phenotypic heterogeneity, underscoring the complex genotype–phenotype correlations in familial Hypophosphatasia. Variability in age of onset, severity of symptoms, and radiographic features was observed, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of the clinical spectrum associated with the p.Leu299Pro mutation. This study advances our understanding of familial Hypophosphatasia by delineating the molecular consequences of the p.Leu299Pro mutation in the ALPL gene. By integrating genetic, structural, and clinical analyses, we provide insights into disease pathogenesis and lay the groundwork for personalized therapeutic strategies tailored to specific genetic profiles. Our findings underscore the importance of comprehensive genetic and clinical evaluation in guiding precision medicine approaches for familial Hypophosphatasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean surface radiation measurement best practices have been developed as a first step to support the interoperability of radiation measurements across multiple ocean platforms and between land and ocean networks. This document describes the consensus by a working group of radiation measurement experts from land, ocean, and aircraft communities. The scope was limited to broadband shortwave (solar) and longwave (terrestrial infrared) surface irradiance measurements for quantification of the surface radiation budget. Best practices for spectral measurements for biological purposes like photosynthetically active radiation and ocean color are only mentioned briefly to motivate future interactions between the physical surface flux and biological radiation measurement communities. Topics discussed in these best practices include instrument selection, handling of sensors and installation, data quality monitoring, data processing, and calibration. It is recognized that platform and resource limitations may prohibit incorporating all best practices into all measurements and that spatial coverage is also an important motivator for expanding current networks. Thus, one of the key recommendations is to perform interoperability experiments that can help quantify the uncertainty of different practices and lay the groundwork for a multi-tiered global network with a mix of high-accuracy reference stations and lower-cost platforms and practices that can fill in spatial gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The chemical composition and biological activities of Eucalyptus essential oils (EOs) have been documented in numerous studies against multiple infectious diseases. The antibacterial activity of individual Eucalyptus EOs against strains that cause ear infections was investigated in our previous study. The study's antibacterial activity was promising, which prompted us to explore this activity further with EO blends. Methods: We tested 15 combinations (9 binary combinations and 6 combinations of binary combinations) of Eucalyptus EOs extracted by hydrodistillation from eight Tunisian Eucalyptus species dried leaves against six bacterial strains responsible for ear infections: three bacterial isolates (Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and three reference bacteria strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ATTC 9027; Staphylococcus aureus, ATCC 6538; and Escherichia coli, ATCC 8739). The EOs were analyzed using GC/FID and GC/MS. The major compounds, as well as all values obtained from the bacterial growth inhibition assay, were utilized for statistical analysis. Results: The antibacterial activity of the EO blends exhibited significant variation within Eucalyptus species, bacterial strains, and the applied methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), based on the diameters of the inhibition zone, facilitated the identification of two major groups and ten subgroups based on the level of antibacterial activity. The highest antibacterial activity was observed for the mixture of EOs extracted from E. panctata, E. accedens, and E. cladoclayx (paac) as well as E. panctata, E. wandoo, E. accedens, and E. cladoclayx (pwac) using the disc diffusion method. Additionally, significant activity was noted with EOs extracted from E. panctata, E. wandoo (pw) and E. panctata, E. accedens (pa) using the broth microdilution method. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that certain EO combinations (paac, pwac, pw, and pa) could be considered as potential alternative treatment for ear infections due to their demonstrated highly promising antibacterial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising technology for desalination of different water streams. However, treating wastewater with complex compositions remains a challenge. In this study, we adopted the MD process to treat complex and harmful methylene blue (MB) dye-containing textile wastewater. The effect of relevant operating parameters on the MD process performance was investigated. Additionally, the membrane wettability during the MD process was evaluated. The results showed that increasing the temperature difference and feed flow velocity led to an increase in permeate flux (Jp) and a decrease in specific energy consumption (SEC). The Jp and SEC models exhibited good agreement between predicted and experimental values, with an R2 of 98.50% and 86.18%, respectively. During the 22 h of operation, the MD process applied for the treatment of dye wastewater demonstrated a decline of Jp by 71.8% and a slight decrease in dye rejection to attain 95.9%. The decline of the surface contact angle and the liquid entry pressure values and an increase in the permeate water conductivity detected the membrane wettability. The obtained results suggest that the MD process could present an efficient solution for the treatment of MB-dye wastewater. However, upscaling the MD technology requires further improvements on real wastewater treatment for a longer run time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]