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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a debilitating condition that poses a significant public health concern. Historically linked to motor vehicle accidents, the epidemiology of TBI has evolved. Falls now emerge as the predominant cause, particularly among older adults. Sport-related TBIs have also garnered increased attention due to concerns regarding long-term neurological sequelae. To date, therapeutic interventions remain limited and have yet to yield substantial clinical benefits. Cell-based therapies offer promising avenues for neural repair and regeneration: endogenous stem cell therapies capitalize on endogenous pools that can be triggered by the injury and further enhanced by therapeutic approaches. In contrast, exogenous cell therapies provide an exogenous source of cells. However, challenges such as age-related decline in neurogenesis, age-related inflammation, and the heterogeneity of TBI present significant hurdles to overcome. Moreover, translating stem cell research from the laboratory to clinical applications necessitates the adherence to good manufacturing practice standards, which presents distinct obstacles. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including careful patient selection in clinical trials, appropriate experimental models, and the optimization of therapeutic techniques. Ultimately, a combination of strategies is likely to yield the most promising outcomes in the pursuit of effective TBI therapies.

The measurement of time is not absolute; therefore, the measurement of space and time depend on the movement in space of individuals and the transformation over time of different social entities. Based on the above, this work analyzes the twin paradox with the aim of understanding how and through what cognitive processes a social asymmetry develops between two twin brothers born in a town in Malaga. The twins have been separated for ten years: One of them lives in Barcelona, in a more industrial environment, while the other, the one who remained in the town, has lived in an agricultural environment. The hypothesis of this research is that during that time – the space-time framework of ten years in which the twins have been separated and which has been perceived by them in a different way – the economic, technological and social conditions have caused social asymmetry through the perception of the reality of the two twins as they live, under their particular experiences, in different social environments. Finally, the possible social asymmetry generated between the two twins after ten years serves to reflect on the importance of the cultural factors and the economic and political institutions to smooth out the possible spatial and temporal imbalances that have shaped the particularities of social environments in which the two twins have lived.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a debilitating condition that poses a significant public health concern. Historically linked to motor vehicle accidents, the epidemiology of TBI has evolved. Falls now emerge as the predominant cause, particularly among older adults. Sport-related TBIs have also garnered increased attention due to concerns regarding long-term neurological sequelae. To date, therapeutic interventions remain limited and have yet to yield substantial clinical benefits. Cell-based therapies offer promising avenues for neural repair and regeneration: endogenous stem cell therapies capitalize on endogenous pools that can be triggered by the injury and further enhanced by therapeutic approaches. In contrast, exogenous cell therapies provide an exogenous source of cells. However, challenges such as age-related decline in neurogenesis, age-related inflammation, and the heterogeneity of TBI present significant hurdles to overcome. Moreover, translating stem cell research from the laboratory to clinical applications necessitates the adherence to good manufacturing practice standards, which presents distinct obstacles. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including careful patient selection in clinical trials, appropriate experimental models, and the optimization of therapeutic techniques. Ultimately, a combination of strategies is likely to yield the most promising outcomes in the pursuit of effective TBI therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the economic impact of the 2018 agricultural drought in Korea on the agricultural field through input–output analysis. Using industry linkage tables provided by the Bank of Korea, various economic impacts, including socio-economic and industry linkage effects, such as production, value added inducement effects, and employment inducement effects in the agricultural field, were analyzed. Our findings show the following: (1) It was found that an increase of 1 billion KRW (South Korean won) in output of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products induces an average of 0.6544 KRW in production inducement effects in other industries, 0.23756 KRW in value-added inducement effects, and 3.11363 in employment inducement effects per 1 billion KRW. (2) The supply shortage effect of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products was analyzed to cause a decrease in production of 2.3932 KRW across all industries, and the price inducing effect of a 10% increase in price was found to be 0.19400%, on average. The highest production inducement effects in the food and beverage industry (0.16514 KRW) and the highest value-added inducement effects (0.04391 KRW) came from agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. (3) In the industry linkage effect analysis, agricultural, forestry, and fishery products were found to have a forward linkage coefficient of 0.95652 and a backward linkage coefficient of 0.98911. It is implied by this result that the economic impact of agriculture on other industrial sectors is not significant. This study emphasizes the economic importance of agriculture by providing analytical results that can be utilized in agricultural policy formulation and economic decision-making. It can be used as an important basis for policy development for sustainable development and economic stability of the agricultural field. It can also contribute to a better understanding of how agriculture interacts with other industrial sectors and to the development of effective response strategies to natural disasters such as agricultural drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockmelon is a popular tropical fruit with high nutritional value. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), an aphid-transmitted virus, causes severe damage to rockmelon production. Exogenous application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting viral sequences has shown promising results in controlling viral infection but has not been reported for CMV in rockmelon. In the current study, the protective effect of exogenous dsRNAs targeting the CMV coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) was tested in rockmelon. The effectiveness of dsRNA-mediated protection was measured by disease severity index (DSI) and compound enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The individual dsRNA CP and MP treatments each showed protection by reducing the DSI and virus titre, whilst a combination of dsRNA of CP and MP treatment showed much lower DSI (4.31-fold lower) and virus titre (4.91-fold lower) compared to CMV-inoculated plants without dsRNA treatment. Chlorophyll content, relative water content, plant height and number of leaves were not significantly different between virus challenged dsRNA-treated and mock-inoculated plants. Based on the DSI, two applications containing 9000 ng of dsRNA CP and MP in combination showed maximum CMV protection. Taken together, these results indicate that exogenous treatment containing a combination of dsRNA of CP and MP can control CMV infection in rockmelon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is a well-known abiotic constraint that hampers crop productivity, affecting more than 424 million hectares of topsoil worldwide. Applying plant growth regulators externally has proven effective in enhancing crop resilience to salt stress. Previous metabolomics studies revealed an accumulation of Valine-Threonine-Isoleucine-Aspartic acid (VTID) in salt-stressed maize seedlings, suggesting its potential to assist maize adaptation to salt stress. To explore the effectiveness of VTID in enhancing salt tolerance in maize, 10 nM VTID was applied to salt-stressed maize seedlings. The results showed a remarkable 152.29% increase in plant height and a 122.40% increase in fresh weight compared to salt-stressed seedlings. Moreover, the addition of VTID enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, specifically superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), while reducing the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress. Additionally, VTID supplementation resulted in a significant increase in osmoregulatory substances such as proline. Metabolomic analysis revealed substantial changes in the metabolite profile of maize seedlings when treated with VTID during salt stress. Differential metabolites (DMs) analysis revealed that the identified DMs primarily belonged to lipids and lipid-like molecules. The receiver operating characteristic curve and linear regression analysis determined a correlation between isodolichantoside and the height of maize seedlings under salt-stress conditions. In conclusion, these findings validate that VTID effectively regulates tolerance in maize seedlings and offers valuable insights into the potential of short peptides for mitigating salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionAlfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a globally important legume crop with high nutritional and ecological value. Drought poses a serious threat to alfalfa acreage and yields. Spermine (Spm) has been shown to protect plants from drought damage. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of exogenous Spm to improve drought resistance of alfalfa. MethodsIn this study, we root applied 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mM Spm to Gannong No. 3 (G3) alfalfa under drought stress, and then determined their physiological and metabolic changes. ResultsThe results showed that exogenous Spm increased chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and gas exchange parameters, enhanced antioxidant enzymes activity, improved ascorbic acid-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle, increased osmoregulatory substances content, reduced hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion levels, and inhibited malondialdehyde accumulation in alfalfa under drought stress, thereby increasing plant height and leaf relative water content and enhancing drought tolerance of alfalfa. The redundancy analysis of the above physiological indicators showed that the addition of the optimal Spm to improve drought tolerance of alfalfa under drought stress was mainly achieved by increasing catalase activity and improving the ASA-GSH cycle. In addition, metabolomics analysis revealed that exogenous Spm increased the content of oxobutanedioic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid and malic acid to enhance the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Meanwhile, exogenous Spm increased endogenous Spm and proline (Pro) content to resist drought stress by enhancing Spm and Pro metabolism. Moreover, exogenous Spm increased the accumulation of the signaling substance abscisic acid. DiscussionIn conclusion, exogenous Spm enhanced drought resistance of alfalfa leaves under drought stress.

Key Clinical Message: Treatment with corticosteroids can lead to iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome when used for longer intervals and in high doses. Less common administration routes may conceal the exposure, raising the possibility of misdiagnosis and mismanagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality deterioration and eutrophication have become a global concern, while reservoir pollution caused by multiple factors has led to frequent algal blooms, posing a serious threat to rural drinking water security and urban water supply. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current water quality of Waihu Reservoir and use the single index method, the weighted comprehensive scoring method, and the nutrient level index method (TLI) to evaluate eutrophication. On this basis, the pollution sources of the reservoir are comprehensively analyzed and discussed, and effective control strategies are proposed. The evaluation results indicate that the reservoir is of moderate eutrophication type. Therefore, reducing the input of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in water is the main goal of alleviating exogenous pollution. The combination of engineering intervention and ecological restoration strategies to remove nutrients from the aquatic environment is an effective strategy to manage endogenous pollution. From the point of view of the source of pollution, this study provides an in-depth analysis of exogenous and endogenous pollution, respectively, and the proposed treatment is instructive for the control and routine management of eutrophication in the Waihu Reservoir, as well as for the management of similar problems in different reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Report: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) set a goal global warming of 1.5°C on global temperature change. Extreme climate changes have increased the demand for electricity consumption by people and enterprises. In fact, China's total power generation in 2019 exceeded 25% of the world's amount, and its thermal power generation accounted for more than 70%. Although past research on electricity efficiency seldom discusses the issue of climate change, the topic still remains important. This research thus considers extreme temperature days (climate change variable) as exogenous variable and uses the Two-Stage Meta Under exogenous undesirable EBM model to examine power efficiency in China. The results are as follows. (1) In the west only Qinghai's GDP, CO2, PM2.5, and electricity consumption have technology gap ratio (TGR) efficiency values of 1 in the 5 years. (2) China's electricity consumption has the same trend with the TGR efficiency of CO2 and is higher than PM2.5. (3) The national overall efficiency, meta overall efficiency, and TGR overall efficiency are the worst in China's west region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to explore the effect of the administration of long-term, exogenous oxytocin on buffalo milk. In this study, newly-calved postpartum buffaloes (Nili-Ravi) (n = 24) were divided equally into three groups: (control without oxytocin - CON, 10 i.u. oxytocin - LOW, 30 i.u. oxytocin - HIGH). Oxytocin was injected twice a day before each 154-day milking. Milk production, milk composition, somatic cell counts, and progesterone (P4) were evaluated daily, weekly, and fortnightly, respectively. Results revealed that the HIGH group produced high milk production and pH values, but lower milk density than the CON and LOW groups. The HIGH group and LOW group had higher milk fat and solid-not-fat (SNF) compared to the CON group. SNF and protein were higher in the LOW group than the CON group. Freezing point, lactose, solids, somatic cell count, and P4 were similar in all three groups. Overall, it can be concluded that long-term, exogenous oxytocin has a positive effect on milk production, fat, SNF, and protein, with a negative effect on milk pH. None of the oxytocin treatments affected somatic cell counts and P4 concentration in postpartum buffalo milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Key Clinical Message Treatment with corticosteroids can lead to iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome when used for longer intervals and in high doses. Less common administration routes may conceal the exposure, raising the possibility of misdiagnosis and mismanagement.

This study investigates the economic impact of the 2018 agricultural drought in Korea on the agricultural field through input–output analysis. Using industry linkage tables provided by the Bank of Korea, various economic impacts, including socio-economic and industry linkage effects, such as production, value added inducement effects, and employment inducement effects in the agricultural field, were analyzed. Our findings show the following: (1) It was found that an increase of 1 billion KRW (South Korean won) in output of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products induces an average of 0.6544 KRW in production inducement effects in other industries, 0.23756 KRW in value-added inducement effects, and 3.11363 in employment inducement effects per 1 billion KRW. (2) The supply shortage effect of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products was analyzed to cause a decrease in production of 2.3932 KRW across all industries, and the price inducing effect of a 10% increase in price was found to be 0.19400%, on average. The highest production inducement effects in the food and beverage industry (0.16514 KRW) and the highest value-added inducement effects (0.04391 KRW) came from agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. (3) In the industry linkage effect analysis, agricultural, forestry, and fishery products were found to have a forward linkage coefficient of 0.95652 and a backward linkage coefficient of 0.98911. It is implied by this result that the economic impact of agriculture on other industrial sectors is not significant. This study emphasizes the economic importance of agriculture by providing analytical results that can be utilized in agricultural policy formulation and economic decision-making. It can be used as an important basis for policy development for sustainable development and economic stability of the agricultural field. It can also contribute to a better understanding of how agriculture interacts with other industrial sectors and to the development of effective response strategies to natural disasters such as agricultural drought.

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant present in fish seminal plasma. This study aimed to understand melatonin's endogenous and exogenous effects on first-generation Senegalese sole sperm quality for sperm management applications. In the first experiment, samples were collected at mid-light (ML) and mid-dark (MD) daytimes, to evaluate the effects on sperm motility. In a second experiment, using confocal microscopy and melatonin-FITC, spermatozoa permeability to melatonin was evaluated and, after showing that it enters the nucleus and mitochondria by passive diffusion, exogenous melatonin toxicity and antioxidant potential during a cryopreservation assay were performed. The toxicity assay tested different melatonin concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mM) and exposure times (3, 5, 15 and 30 min), and sperm motility parameters were measured (TM, PM, VCL, VSL, LIN) using CASA system. The best conditions (0.1 and 10 mM) were selected for the cryopreservation assay, and a set of post-thaw sperm quality analyses were performed (motility, viability, reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation). The motility analyzed at ML and MD showed significant differences in all parameters, mainly on velocities (VCL, VSL, VAP), that were significantly higher at MD. Supplemented melatonin did not influence spermatozoa motility, MDA content or DNA fragmentation, although a lower percentage of viable cells was obtained on the 10 mM treatment. Altogether, Senegalese sole spermatozoa motility was enhanced at night, putatively by endogenous melatonin through direct or indirect mechanisms, whereas supplemented melatonin did not confer extra protection during cryopreservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have nothing to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Salt stress is a well-known abiotic constraint that hampers crop productivity, affecting more than 424 million hectares of topsoil worldwide. Applying plant growth regulators externally has proven effective in enhancing crop resilience to salt stress. Previous metabolomics studies revealed an accumulation of Valine-Threonine-Isoleucine-Aspartic acid (VTID) in salt-stressed maize seedlings, suggesting its potential to assist maize adaptation to salt stress. To explore the effectiveness of VTID in enhancing salt tolerance in maize, 10 nM VTID was applied to salt-stressed maize seedlings. The results showed a remarkable 152.29% increase in plant height and a 122.40% increase in fresh weight compared to salt-stressed seedlings. Moreover, the addition of VTID enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, specifically superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), while reducing the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress. Additionally, VTID supplementation resulted in a significant increase in osmoregulatory substances such as proline. Metabolomic analysis revealed substantial changes in the metabolite profile of maize seedlings when treated with VTID during salt stress. Differential metabolites (DMs) analysis revealed that the identified DMs primarily belonged to lipids and lipid-like molecules. The receiver operating characteristic curve and linear regression analysis determined a correlation between isodolichantoside and the height of maize seedlings under salt-stress conditions. In conclusion, these findings validate that VTID effectively regulates tolerance in maize seedlings and offers valuable insights into the potential of short peptides for mitigating salt stress., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Liang, Zhang, Yang, Wang, Xia, Ishfaq, Ji, Qi and Guo.)

Background: The interference can be a significant source of laboratory errors with the potential to cause immunoassay results to drift. Therefore, we evaluated the interference in various endogenous and exogenous substances on immunoassay for angiotensin I (Ang I), angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone, and renin in vitro., Methods: Ten endogenous and eight exogenous substances were evaluated at supraphysiologic or supratherapeutic plasma levels using the screening study to identify potential interfering substances. Subsequently, potential interfering substances were further tested within maximum pathological or therapeutic plasma concentration ranges using the dose-response study to determine whether the interference has a significant bias. According to preset acceptance criteria, the interference in potential interfering substances for Ang I, Ang II, and renin and aldosterone assays was determined., Results: Six potential interfering substances for Ang I immunoassays were identified, namely valsartan, nifedipine, spironolactone, cholesterol, hemoglobin, and triglyceride. Meanwhile, ethanol, nifedipine, spironolactone, heparin sodium, warfarin, hemoglobin, uric acid, cholesterol, and triglyceride appeared to have potential interference in the Ang II assay. Three identified as possible interferents for aldosterone immunoassays were glucose, valsartan, and spironolactone. Moreover, warfarin, valsartan, spironolactone, uric acid, cholesterol, bilirubin unconjugated, triglyceride, and hemoglobin were potential interfering substances for renin immunoassays. However, only spironolactone of these potential interfering substances exceeded preset mean bias limits (less than ±10.0%) in aldosterone immunoassays., Conclusion: Exogenous spironolactone caused clinically significant interference in aldosterone immunoassays. Moreover, the interference in other substances was acceptable in Ang I, Ang II, and renin and aldosterone immunoassays., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Because of the issue of exogenous arboreal pollen, it is imperative to investigate modern pollen thresholds for tree presence to aid in the reliable reconstruction of past forest distribution. The influence of exogenous pollen is especially prominent on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, with its long elevational gradient and short distance between forest and meadow. Here, we compiled 1186 modern pollen samples from forest ecotones on the eastern Tibetan Plateau (evenly distributed) to investigate the quantitative pollen thresholds indicating tree presence. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) suggests that arboreal and non-arboreal pollen can be reliably separated into different environmental gradients, implying arboreal and non-arboreal pollen could not coexist in large numbers on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Logistic regression identifies the thresholds for selected arboreal and non-arboreal pollen that indicate tree presence (p -values <0.05). For instance, a pollen threshold of 4.1% for Abies , 3.7% for Alnus (3.7%), 11% for Picea , 14.3% for Quercus (including evergreen and deciduous type), 33.7% for Betula , and 22.1% for Pinus indicate tree presence at >0.5 probability, while a threshold of 0.2% Ephedra , 0.2% Nitraria , and 0.7% Caryophyllaceae could accurately indicate tree absence at <0.15 probability. Test cases, based on fossil pollen records going back to 18 cal ka BP from Ximen Co and Lake Naleng on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, confirmed that our estimated thresholds can be used to infer the presence of Abies around Lake Naleng during the Holocene thermal maximum (10–5 cal ka BP). This research will contribute to a better understanding of the relationships between treeline and pollen on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. • 1186 modern pollen data were analysed on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. • Arboreal and non-arboreal pollen can be separated into different environmental gradients. • The threshold indicating tree presence was investigated by arboreal and non-arboreal pollen. • To estimate the tree presence of fossil pollen records by tree thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subclinical thyrotoxicosis (SCH) is characterized by normal serum thyroid hormone levels and low thyrotropin levels. The impact of this condition on the skeletal system may vary depending on its cause, yet the relationship is not fully comprehended in premenopausal women. Studies are scarce about its effects on bone health in our population., Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in premenopausal women with SCH and determine if any differences exist based on the condition's etiology., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Ramaiah Medical College involving 36 participants for one year and six months after approval from the Ethics Committee. The carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in blood and BMD were measured at the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) and femoral neck by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Hologic v 2.0, Hologic, Massachusetts, U.S.). Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).  Results: The mean age of the study population was 35.2 ± 7.2 years. The etiology was Graves' disease [n=11 (33.3%)], iatrogenic [n=14(38.8%)], toxic adenoma [n=6 (15.1%)], and multi-nodular goiter [n=5 (15.1%)]. The mean BMI was 23.5 ± 3.8 kg/m 2 , and the mean levels of corrected calcium, phosphorus, and 25 hydroxy-vitamin D were 9.12 ± 0.25 mg/dl, 2.95 ± 0.34 mg/dl, and 29.4 ± 6.4 ng/ml, respectively. The mean BMD at hip and spine was 0.81 ±0.16 g/cm 2 and 0.92±0.08 g/cm 2 respectively. The mean Z-score was (-0.02 ± 0.8) and (-0.92± 0.08) at the hip and spine. No significant difference was observed in the BMD at the hip (p = 0.14) or spine (p = 0.44) between the endogenous and exogenous subclinical thyrotoxic subgroups. At the same time, the carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen was significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05)., Conclusion: In our cross-sectional study of premenopausal women with SCH, BMD at the hip or spine as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry did not reveal any significant reduction. The subclinical thyrotoxic state may not have an adverse effect on bone health in premenopausal females with sufficient levels of serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in the short term., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, LU et al.)

Metal-based coordination compounds have very special place in bioinorganic chemistry because of their different structural arrangements and significant application in medicine. Rapid progress in this field increasingly enables the targeted design and synthesis of metal-based pharmaceutical agents that fulfill valuable roles as diagnostic or therapeutic agents. Various coordination compounds have important biological functions, both those initially present in the body (endogenous) and those entering the organisms from the external environment (exogenous): vitamins, drugs, toxic substances, etc. In the therapeutic and diagnostic practice, both the essential for all living organisms and the trace metals are used in metal-containing coordination compounds. In the current review, the most important functional biologically active compounds were classified group by group according to the position of the elements in the periodic table., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)