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Macrocyclic molecules play key roles in basic processes in living organisms. Free bases and the metal complexes of porphyrins exhibit a wide range of important optical properties. In these systems the position of the most intense absorption band depends on the peripheral substituents of the macrocycle. Sol-gel methods have generally allowed the successful trapping of porphyrins into inorganic networks. The materials obtained are strong and transparent monolithic gels, but in the majority of cases the red fluorescence of the porphyrins disappears with ageing. We have evaluated the effect of the type and spatial disposition of the substituents in the porphyrin macrocycle periphery on key optical properties, with particular emphasis on the conservation of red fluorescence when porphyrins are simply trapped or covalently bonded to the inorganic matrix. Here, we report the use of the sol-gel procedures to obtain monolithic gels with the hydroxyl- or amino-substituted α, β, γ, δ-tetraphenylporphyrins, (H2T(S)PP), simply trapped or covalently bonded to the SiO2 matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pulsed electrical field (PEF) ablation is an energy-based technique used to treat a range of cancers by irreversible electroporation (IRE). Our objective was to use computational and plant-based models to characterize the electric field distribution and ablation zones induced with a commercial 8-needle array-based applicator intended for treatment of skin cancer when high-frequency IRE (H-FIRE) pulses are applied. Electric field characterisation of this device was not previously assessed. Methods: Vegetable experimental were conducted using parallel plate electrodes to obtain the lethal threshold for H-FIRE pulses. Then a 3D computational model of the applicator was built mimicking the experimental conditions. The computational ablation zones were validated with the experiments for different voltage levels ranging from 220 to 525 V. Results: A threshold of 453 V/cm was estimated for H-FIRE pulses, which was used to predict computationally the ablation zones. It was found that the model showed a low prediction error, ranging from 2% for the minor diameter to 4.5% for the depth compared with experiments. Voltages higher than 370 V created an ablation volume with a rectangular prism shape determined by the positions of the needles, whereas lower voltages provoked the appearance of untreated areas (gaps). Conclusions: Our computer model predicts reasonably well the ablation zone induced by H-FIRE pulses, suggesting that a sufficiently large voltage must be applied to avoid the appearance of gaps. The validated model with vegetable experiments could serve as the basis for future computer studies to predict the behaviour of this device on heterogeneous tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of green scheduling, which deals with the environmental impact of the scheduling process, is becoming increasingly important due to growing environmental concerns. Most green scheduling problem variants focus on modelling the energy consumption during the execution of the schedule. However, the dynamic unrelated machines environment is rarely considered, mainly because it is difficult to manually design simple heuristics, called dispatching rules (DRs), which are suitable for solving dynamic, non-standard scheduling problems. Using hyperheuristics, especially genetic programming (GP), alleviates the problem since it enables the automatic design of new DRs. In this study, we apply GP to automatically design DRs for solving the green scheduling problem in the unrelated machines environment under dynamic conditions. The total energy consumed during the system execution is optimised along with two standard scheduling criteria. The three most commonly investigated green scheduling problem variants from the literature are selected, and GP is adapted to generate appropriate DRs for each. The experiments show that GP-generated DRs efficiently solve the problem under dynamic conditions, providing a trade-off between optimising standard and energy-related criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) is a new ablation method being rapidly adopted for treatment of atrial fibrillation, which shows advantages in safety and efficiency over radiofrequency and cryo-ablation. In this study, we used an in vivo swine model (10 healthy and 5 with chronic myocardial infarct) for ventricular PFA, collecting intracardiac electrograms, electro-anatomical maps, native T1-weighted and late gadolinium enhancement MRI, gross pathology, and histology. We used 1000–1500 V pulses, with 1–16 pulse trains to vary PFA dose. Lesions were assessed at 24 h, 7 days, and 6 weeks in healthy and at 48 h in infarcted ventricles. Comparisons of lesion sizes using a numerical model enabled us to determine lethal electric field thresholds for cardiac tissue and its dependence on the number of pulse trains. Similar thresholds were found in normal and infarcted hearts. Numerical modeling and temperature-sensitive MRI confirmed the nonthermal nature of PFA, with less than 2% of a lesion's volume at the highest dose used being attributed to thermal damage. Longitudinal cardiac MRI and histology provide a comprehensive description of lesion maturation. Lesions shrink between 24 h and 7 days post-ablation and then remain stable out to 6 weeks post-ablation. Periprocedural electrograms analysis yields good correlation with lesion durability and size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restrictions of COVID-19 considerably impacted SMBs and opened several challenges in their sustainable operations. The present research suggests an inclusive picture of sustainable efficiency through the interrelation of factors that show strong associations to produce this impact to achieve sustainable efficiency in SMBs by integrating the models of strategic resources and financial technological innovation organization environment (FTOE) to examine how sustainable operations can work the FTOE factors while impacting sustainable efficiency. This study focuses on small and medium-sized businesses with employees around the world and includes data collected from various employee groups at four different managerial stages. Structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed hypotheses by incorporating 669 questionnaires. The overall results suggest that FTOE factors show a piece of important information for practices such as performance evaluation and training implying key procedures that drive toward sustainable operations (outputs). In addition, results encourage SMBs to put more effort into internal organizational and financial technological innovation aspects and promote a green revolution that requires stakeholders to implement a more positive environmental attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s smart environments, the serviceli-zation of various resources has produced a tremendous number of IoT- and cloud-based smart services. Thanks to the pivotal role of pillar paradigms, such as edge/cloud computing, Internet of Things, and business process management, it is now possible to combine and translate these service-like resources into configurable workflows, to cope with users’ complex needs. Examples include treatment workflows in smart healthcare, delivery plans in drone-based missions, transportation plans in smart urban networks, etc. Rather than composing atomic services to obtain these workflows, reusing existing process fragments has several advantages, mainly the fast, secure, and configurable compositions. However, reusing smart process fragments has not yet been addressed in the context of smart environments. In addition, existing solutions in smart environments suffer from the complexity (e.g., multi-modal transportation in smart mobility) and privacy issues caused by the heterogeneity (e.g., package delivery in smart economy) of aggregated services. Moreover, these services may be conflicting in specific domains (e.g. medication/treatment workflows in smart healthcare), and may affect user experience. To solve the above issues, the present paper aims to accelerate the process of generating configurable treatment workflows w.r.t. the users’ requirements and their smart environment specificity. We exploit the principles of software reuse to map each sub-request into smart process fragments, which we combine using Cocke-Kasami-Younger (CKY) method, to finally obtain the suitable workflow. This contribution is preceded by a knowledge graph modeling of smart environments in terms of available services, process fragments, as well as their dependencies. The built information network is, then, managed using a graph representation learning method, in order to facilitate its processing and composing high-quality smart services. Experimental results on a real-world dataset proved the effectiveness of our approach, compared to existing solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a set of positive integers A = (a 1 , a 2 , ... , a n) whose greatest common divisor is 1, the Frobenius number g(A) is the largest integer not representable as a linear combination of the a i 's with nonnegative integer coefficients. We find the stable property introduced for the square sequence A = (a , a + 1 , a + 2 2 , ⋯ , a + k 2) naturally extends for A (a) = (a , h a + d B) = (a , h a + d , h a + b 2 d , ... , h a + b k d) . This gives a parallel characterization of g(A(a)) as a "congruence class function" modulo b k when a is large enough. For orderly sequence B = (1 , b 2 , ⋯ , b k) , we find good bound for a. In particular we calculate g (a , h a + d B) for B = (1 , 2 , b , b + 1) , B = (1 , 2 , b , b + 1 , 2 b) , B = (1 , b , 2 b - 1) , and B = (1 , 2 , ... , k , K) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a set A of non-negative integers and a set B of positive integers, we are interested in computing all sets C (of positive integers) that are minimal in the family of sets K (of positive integers) such that (i) K contains no elements generated by non-negative integer linear combinations of elements in A and (ii) for any partition of an element in B there is at least one summand that belongs to K. To solve this question, we translate it into a numerical semigroups problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current decline in freshwater resources presents a significant global challenge to crop production, a situation expected to intensify with ongoing climate change. This underscores the need for extensive research to enhance crop yields under drought conditions, a priority for scientists given its vital role in global food security. Our study explores the effects of using humic and chitosan treatments to alleviate drought stress during critical growth phases and their impact on crop yield and water efficiency. We employed four different irrigation strategies: full irrigation, 70% irrigation at the early vine development stage, 70% irrigation during the storage root bulking stage, and 85% irrigation across both stages, complemented by full irrigation in other periods. The plants received either humic treatments through foliar spray or soil application, or chitosan foliar applications, with tap water serving as a control. Our findings highlight that the early vine development stage is particularly vulnerable to drought, with a 42.0% decrease in yield observed under such conditions. In normal growth scenarios, foliar application of humic substances significantly improved growth parameters, resulting in a substantial increase in yield and water efficiency by 66.9% and 68.4%, respectively, compared to the control treatment under full irrigation. For sweet potatoes irrigated with 70% water at the storage root bulking stage, ground application of humic substances outperformed both foliar applications of chitosan and humic in terms of yield results. The highest tuber yield and water efficiency were attained by combining chitosan and humic ground applications, regardless of whether 70% irrigation was used at the storage root bulking stage or 85% irrigation during both the early vine development and storage root bulking stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an international setting consisting of 5410 corporations domiciled in 24 countries, we test the insurance-like effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance in the era of the pandemic and confirm that CSR performance increases socially responsible companies' resilience against the adverse effects of the crisis. Comparing stakeholders' responses to CSR activities during the pandemic and normal periods, we observe that the link between CSR performance and firm value is stronger during the crisis period. We also realize that the social aspect of CSR performance is the main driver for the mentioned effects. Finally, comparing the resilience of highly committed socially responsible companies with those with moderate and very low CSR ratings, we observe that best-in-class companies enjoy the greatest buffering effects, implying that the insurance-like effect of CSR performance is non-linear against systematic crises. Findings are robust to ceremonial CSR activities, extreme values of market-based instruments, endogeneity concern, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-pot synthesis of a novel mesoporous hydroxyl oxidize iron functional Na-zirconium phosphate (FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O) composites was firstly characterized and investigated its Co(II) adsorption from aqueous solution. Compared to NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O (65.7 mg⋅g−1), the maximum Co(II) adsorption capacity of FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O was improved to be 95.1 mg⋅g−1. BET verified the mesoporous structures of FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O with a larger pore volume than NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O. High pH values, initial Co(II) concentration, and temperature benefited the Co(II) adsorption. Kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics indicated an endothermic, spontaneous chemisorption process. FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O has a better Co(II) adsorption selectivity than that of NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O. In particular, FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O exhibited an outstanding reusability after ten cycles of tests. The main possible mechanism for adsorbents uptake Co(II) involved in ion exchange, electrostatic interaction, and -OH, Zr-O bond coordination based on FTIR and XPS analysis. This work presents a feasible strategy to prepare novel modified zirconium phosphate composites for extracting Co(II) from solutions and providing a new insight into the understanding of Co(II) adsorption in the real nuclear Co(II)-containing wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, duplex coating process (Boriding + Hydroxyapatite) was applied to 316L stainless steel alloys. Before coating, the substrate materials were shotblasted with 300–500 µm glass beads in a vacuum type shot blast machine. Tribological properties of the alloy with boriding process, its bioactivity and biocompatibility was increased with the hydroxyapatite (HA) coating process. Powder pack boriding technique was used in boriding process and Electrophoretic deposition method (EPD) was used in HA coating process. At the end of the study, the microstructures (SEM), elemental analyzes of the coating surfaces (EDS), Ca/P ratios, coating thicknesses were determined. In addition, the hardness and adhesion qualities of the boride layer were determined. When the results obtained are evaluated, duplex layers were successfully formed for all parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boolean functions are mathematical objects used in diverse domains and have been actively researched for several decades already. One domain where Boolean functions play an important role is cryptography. There, the plethora of settings one should consider and cryptographic properties that need to be fulfilled makes the search for new Boolean functions still a very active domain. There are several options to construct appropriate Boolean functions: algebraic constructions, random search, and metaheuristics. In this work, we concentrate on metaheuristic approaches and examine the related works appearing in the last 25 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey work on this topic. Additionally, we provide a new taxonomy of related works and discuss the results obtained. Finally, we finish this survey with potential future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-cost 3D printed standardized flow-photochemistry setup has been designed and developed for use with a pressure-driven flow system using photochemistry lamps available in most laboratories. In this research, photochemical reactors were 3D printed from polypropylene which facilitated rapid optimization of both reactor geometry and experimental setup of the lamp housing system. To exemplify the rapidity of this approach to optimization, a Kessil LED lamp was used in the bromination of a range of toluenes in the 3D printed reactors in good yields with residence times as low as 27 s. The reaction compared favorably with the batch photochemical procedure and was able to be scaled up to a productivity of 75 mmol h−1. Highlights: • We demonstrate the rapid optimization of 3D printed polypropylene reactors for flow photochemistry. • We show that the reactors can be used with a standardized 3D printed Kessil lamp set up. • We show how the system can be used in an exemplary photochemistry reaction for the bromination of a range of toluenes and that it can be easily scaled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is mainly a lack of boron (B) in soils with low amounts of organic matter and in acidic and sandy soils. This is especially true in irrigated land or humid regions, where leaching can occur. The results from studying the amount of available B will reveal the status of B in the soil of a specific plot of land. The experimentation was performed as a controlled study using leaching columns. A container was placed at the end of the columns to collect the infiltrated water. Three treatments were performed by applying different amounts of biosolids (T40: 40,000 kg ha−1, T80: 80,000 kg ha−1, T120: 120,000 kg ha−1), as well as a blank test or control treatment (T0). We conclude that the mobility of B in soil was generally low despite the addition of organic matter and humidity to the soil. This is an indication that there is no clear risk of aquifers being contaminated with B or plants being impacted by toxicity due to this micronutrient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of lutetium-177 (177Lu)-based radiopharmaceuticals in peptide receptor nuclear therapy is increasing, but so is the number of nuclear medicine workers exposed to higher levels of radiation. In recent years, [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE has begun to be widely used for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours. However, there are few studies evaluating the occupational radiation exposure during its administration, and there are still some challenges that can result in higher doses to the staff, such as a lack of trained personnel or fully standardised procedures. In response, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of occupational doses to the staff involved in the administration of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE. Results: A total of 32 administrations of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE (7.4 GBq/session) carried out by a physician and a nurse, were studied. In total, two physicians and four nurses were independently monitored with cumulative (passive) and/or real-time (active) dosemeters. Extremity, eye lens and whole-body doses were evaluated in terms of the dosimetric quantities Hp(0.07), Hp(3) and Hp(10), respectively. It was obtained that lead aprons reduced dose rates and whole-body doses by 71% and 69% for the physicians, respectively, and by 56% and 68% for the nurses. On average, normalised Hp(10) values of 0.65 ± 0.18 µSv/GBq were obtained with active dosimetry, which is generally consistent with passive dosemeters. For physicians, the median of the maximum normalised Hp(0.07) values was 41.5 µSv/GBq on the non-dominant hand and 45.2 µSv/GBq on the dominant hand. For nurses 15.4 µSv/GBq on the non-dominant and 13.9 µSv/GBq on the dominant hand. The ratio or correction factor between the maximum dose measured on the hand and the dose measured on the base of the middle/ring finger of the non-dominant hand resulted in a factor of 5/6 for the physicians and 3/4 for the nurses. Finally, maximum normalised Hp(3) doses resulted in 2.02 µSv/GBq for physicians and 1.76 µSv/GBq for nurses. Conclusions: If appropriate safety measures are taken, the administration of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE is a safe procedure for workers. However, regular monitoring is recommended to ensure that the annual dose limits are not exceeded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most frequent reason for individuals experiencing abdominal discomfort to be referred to emergency departments of hospitals is acute appendicitis, and the most frequent emergency surgery performed is an appendectomy. The purpose of this study was to design and develop an intelligent clinical decision support system for the timely and accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The number of participants which is equal to 181 was chosen as the sample size for developing and evaluating neural networks. The information was gathered from the medical files of patients who underwent appendicectomies at Shahid Modarres Hospital as well as from the findings of their appendix samples' pathological tests. The diagnostic outcomes were then ascertained by the development and comparison of a Multilayer Perceptron network (MLP) and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) system in the MATLAB environment. The SVM algorithm functioned as the central processing unit in the Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) that was built. The intelligent appendicitis diagnostic system was subsequently developed utilizing the Java programming language. Technical evaluation and system usability testing were both done as part of the software evaluation process. Comparing the output of the optimized artificial neural network of the SVM with the pathology result showed that the network's sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 91.7%, 96.2%, and 95%, respectively, in diagnosing acute appendicitis. Based on the existing standards and the opinions of general surgeons, and also comparing the results with the diagnostic accuracy of general surgeons, findings indicated the proper functioning of the network for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The use of this system in medical centers is useful for purposes such as timely diagnosis and prevention of negative appendectomy, reducing patient hospital stays and treatment costs, and improving the patient referral system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi can colonize organic matter present in subterranean sites and have a significant role as dwellers in different microniches of cave habitats. In order to analyze the content of airborne fungal propagules in different parts of "Stopića Cave," a touristic site in Serbia, air sampling was carried out in three seasons during 2020, prior to and during the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Culturable mycobiota was identified using both microscopic techniques and ITS region/BenA gene barcoding, while multivariate analyses were employed to establish the link between fungal taxa and different environmental factors. The maximal measured fungal propagule concentrations were recorded during spring sampling which were based on fungal propagule concentration categories; the cave environment matches the category V. A total of 29 fungal isolates were identified, while Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Lecanicillium, Mucor, and Penicillium were the most diverse genera. According to the trophic mode, most of the isolated fungal species were pathotrophs (75.86%), but when regarding ecological guilds, the most dominant were undefined saprobes and animal pathogens (41.38% for each). Show caves are especially vulnerable to human impacts, and the fungal propagules' concentration within the caves could be good indices for the level of ecological disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biologic treatment withdrawal in inflammatory bowel disease patients with prolonged remission may lead to benefits but also increases the risk of getting a relapse. The risk of relapse after biologic withdrawal according to the Dutch STOP-criteria is still unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the cumulative incidence of relapse in inflammatory bowel disease patients that discontinued biologic therapy after applying the STOP-criteria with patients who maintained biologic therapy. We performed a mono-centre, observational, retrospective study by evaluating relapse risk of patients treated with biologic agents who discontinued this treatment according to the STOP-criteria (STOP-group) compared to patients who were in remission for more than 3 years before withdrawal (LATERSTOP-group) and patients who continued their biologic (MAINTAIN-group). The cumulative risk was calculated at 12 and 36 months using the log-rank test to compare Kaplan–Meier curves. Eighty-three of 398 patients that used biologics between 1 January 2010 and 1 January 2020 were included. The cumulative relapse incidences in the STOP-group and the LATERSTOP-group were, respectively, 29% and 42% at 12 months and 47% versus 58% at 36 months. Patients in the MAINTAIN-group showed a lower (p = 0.03) cumulative relapse incidence of 10% at 12 months and 18% at 36 months. Patients who discontinued their biologic therapy according to the STOP-criteria had significantly more relapses at 12 and 36 months than patients who maintained biologic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance in micro-organisms against antimicrobial compounds is an emerging phenomenon in the modern era as compared to the traditional world which brings new challenges to discover novel antimicrobial compounds from different available sources, such as, medicinal plants, various micro-organisms, like, bacteria, fungi, algae, actinomycetes, and endophytes. Endophytes reside inside the plants without exerting any harmful impact on the host plant along with providing ample of benefits. In addition, they are capable of producing diverse antimicrobial compounds similar to their host, allowing them to serve as useful micro-organism for a range of therapeutic purposes. In recent years, a large number of studies on the antimicrobial properties of endophytic fungi have been carried out globally. These antimicrobials have been used to treat various bacterial, fungal, and viral infections in humans. In this review, the potential of fungal endophytes to produce diverse antimicrobial compounds along with their various benefits to their host have been focused on. In addition, classification systems of endophytic fungi as well as the need for antimicrobial production with genetic involvement and some of the vital novel antimicrobial compounds of endophytic origin can further be utilized in the pharmaceutical industries for various formulations along with the role of nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents have been highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive dysfunction is a well-established manifestation of the post-COVID syndrome. Psychological vulnerability to stressors can modify disease trajectories, causing long-term risk for negative outcomes. Nonetheless, how premorbid risk factors and response to stressor affect neuropsychological changes is still incompletely understood. In this study, we explored the impact of psychosocial variables on cognitive functioning in a post-COVID sample. Methods: All subjects were submitted to a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and an assessment of perceived loneliness, post-traumatic stress, and changes in anxiety and depression levels. A social vulnerability index was also calculated. The set of psycho-social variables was reduced to two Principal Component Analysis (PCA) components: distress and isolation. Results: Forty-five percent of individuals showed cognitive impairments, with predominant memory and executive deficits. Post-traumatic stress disorder was clinically relevant in 44% of the sample. Social vulnerability scores of the sample were comparable to those of general population. The individual performance in learning and response initiation/suppression was directly related to distress component, encasing anxiety, stress, and depression measures. Conclusion: These findings suggest that psychosocial assessment of post-COVID patients can detect fragile individuals at risk of cognitive impairments. Dedicated psychological support services may play a useful role in the prevention of post-COVID cognitive dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, in order to enhance the trajectory tracking effect of collaborative robot joint modules, a practical model-based robust control method with simple parameter adjustment is proposed. Firstly, in order to keep the nominal mechanical system stable, a nominal controller is established using the dynamics model. Secondly, a robust controller is established using the Lyapunov method to limit the impact of uncertainties on dynamic performance. Through theoretical analysis, it is proved that the uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness of the system are ensured by the controller. In addition, based on the actual experimental equipment, a prototype of rapid controller CSPACE is designed, which can quickly repeat the experiment and greatly enhance the experimental efficiency. Finally, the effectiveness and realizability of the controller are verified by virtual simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Tomato plant acclimation to a mild water stress implied tissue-specific hormonal and nutrient adjustments, being the root one of the main modulators of this response. Phytohormones are key regulators of plant acclimation to water stress. However, it is not yet clear if these hormonal responses follow specific patterns depending on the plant tissue. In this study, we evaluated the organ-specific physiological and hormonal responses to a 14 day-long mild water stress in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Moneymaker) in the presence or absence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizoglomus irregulare, a frequently used microorganism in agriculture. Several physiological, production, and nutritional parameters were evaluated throughout the experiments. Additionally, endogenous hormone levels in roots, leaves, and fruits at different developmental stages were quantified by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Water deficit drastically reduced shoot growth, while it did not affect fruit production. In contrast, fruit production was enhanced by mycorrhization regardless of the water treatment. The main tissue affected by water stress was the root system, where huge rearrangements in different nutrients and stress-related and growth hormones took place. Abscisic acid content increased in every tissue and fruit developmental stage, suggesting a systemic response to drought. On the other hand, jasmonate and cytokinin levels were generally reduced upon water stress, although this response was dependent on the tissue and the hormonal form. Finally, mycorrhization improved plant nutritional status content of certain macro and microelements, specially at the roots and ripe fruits, while it affected jasmonate response in the roots. Altogether, our results suggest a complex response to drought that consists in systemic and local combined hormonal and nutrient responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the current state of play on Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) integration and check the validity of the current metrics system by assessing if it will survive the COVID-19 crisis. By adopting a qualitative research approach through semi-structured anonymous interviews with 14 senior managers of six European listed companies we use a framework by assessing the mechanisms of reactivity on the effectiveness of ESG measures in times of COVID-19. By interpreting the practitioners' points of view through the lens of the sociological framework by Espeland and Sauder (Am J Sociol 113:1–40, 2007) our findings show different mechanisms of reactivity by companies on the effectiveness of ESG measures in times of COVID-19, i.e., active and passive conformity and active resistance. We also identified the main Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) institutional factors that affect managers' reactivity. An extensive re-formulation of the ESG metrics is required in the light of times of crisis, given that accountability and transparency are strongly linked to quantitative measures which can play a critical role in the financial system and investors' engagement. Particularly, the strict distinction between "E", "S" and "G" issues should be abandoned claiming a different holistic re-design of sustainability measures by considering the increasing relevance of the Social dimension in time of COVID-19. This study provides a valuable contribution to the existing literature on the measurement of sustainability within the link of accountability and crisis by highlighting new corporate needs to re-design the ESG metrics system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida parapsilosis is a common cause of candidiasis among hospitalized patients, often surpassing Candida albicans. Due to the recent increase in C. parapsilosis infections, there is an urgent need for rapid, sensitive, and real-time on-site detection of nucleic acids for timely diagnosis of candidiasis. We developed an assay for detection of C. parapsilosis by combining recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with a lateral flow strip (LFS). The RPA-LFS assay was used to amplify the beta-1,3-glucan synthase catalytic subunit 2 (FKS2) gene of C. parapsilosis with a primer–probe set optimized by introducing base mismatches (four bases modified by the probe and one by the reverse primer) to achieve specific and sensitive detection of clinical samples. The RPA assays can rapidly amplify and visualize a target gene within 30 min, while the entire process can be completed within 40 min by pre-processing the sample. The product of RPA has two chemical labels, FITC and Biotin, of the amplification product can be carefully on the strip. The sensitivity and specificity of the RPA-LFS assay were determined by analysis of 35 common clinical pathogens and 281 clinical samples against quantitative PCR. The results confirmed that the proposed RPA-LFS assay is a reliable molecular diagnostic method for the detection of C. parapsilosis to meet the urgent need for rapid, specific, sensitive, and portable field testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physalis peruviana is a perishable fruit with a restricted shelf-life that exhibits a climacteric performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of melatonin treatment (0, 100, 200 and 300 µmol L−1) on extending shelf life and improving nutritional quality of P. peruviana fruit storing at 10 ± 1 °C and 90 ± 1% relative humidity for 21 days. The results showed that application of melatonin at 200 and 300 µmol L−1 was notably effective in reducing weight loss of fruit. Senescence of Physalis fruit was obviously retarded by melatonin treatment, as revealed by the firmness, total soluble solids (TSS) content, titratable acidity (TA), and TSS:TA ratio of the fruit. Melatonin treatment at 200 µmol L−1 melatonin significantly reduced the respiration rate. At 300 µmol L−1 melatonin increased the total phenolic and carotenoid, resulting in the higher antioxidant capacity and nutritional value. Melatonin significantly increased the activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes during storage. The optimum concentration of melatonin for extending the postharvest life and improving the quality of Physalis fruit was 200 or 300 µmol L−1. These findings recommended that melatonin treatment may be a convenient method to extend the postharvest life and to improve nutritional quality in Physalis fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the disruptive effects of spinal cord injury (SCI) on the hippocampus have been confirmed in some animal studies, no study has investigated its retrograde manifestations in the hippocampus of aged subjects. Herein, we compared the aged rats with young ones 3 weeks after the induction of SCI (Groups: Sham.Young, SCI.Young, Sham.Aged, SCI.Aged). The locomotion, hippocampal apoptosis, hippocampal rhythms (Delta, Theta, Beta, Gamma) max frequency (Max.rf) and power, hippocampal neurogenesis, and hippocampal receptors (NMDA, GABA A, Muscarinic1/M1), which are important in the generation of rhythms and neurogenesis, were compared in aged rats in contrast to young rats. At the end of the third week, the number of apoptotic (Tunel+) cells in the hippocampus (CA1, DG) of SCI animals was significantly higher compared to the sham animals, and also, it was significantly higher in the SCI.Aged group compared to SCI.Young group. Moreover, the rate of neurogenesis (DCX+, BrdU+ cells) and expression of M1 and NMDA receptors were significantly lower in the SCI.Aged group compared to SCI.Young group. The power and Max.fr of all rhythms were significantly lower in SCI groups compared to sham groups. Despite the decrease in the power of rhythms in the SCI.Aged group compared to SCI.Young group, there was no significant difference between them, and in terms of Max.fr index, only the Max.fr of theta and beta rhythms were significantly lower in the SCI.Aged group compared to SCI.Young group. This study showed that SCI could cause more neurodegeneration in the hippocampus of aged animals compared to young animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the most widely distributed large wildlife mammal worldwide. To investigate the transmission of Salmonella enterica amongst wild boars (Sus scrofa), humans, and livestock, we compared via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole genome sequences the isolates of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (biphasic and monophasic variants) and Enteritidis collected from wild boars, food-producing animals, and human patients in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) between 2017 and 2020. Specifically, we analysed 2175 isolates originated from human (1832), swine (117), bovine (128), poultry (76), and wild boar (22). The genomic analyses showed that wild boars shared most of their lineages of biphasic Typhimurium with bovines and most of Enteritidis with poultry, whilst we did not find any lineage shared with swine. Moreover, almost 17% of human biphasic Typhimurium and Enteritidis belonged to genomic clusters including wild boar isolates, but the inclusion of bovine and poultry isolates in the same clusters and the peculiar spatial distribution of the isolates suggested that human cases (and wild boar infections) likely originated from bovines and poultry. Consequently, wild boars appear not to play a significant role in infecting humans with these serovars, but seem to get infected themselves from livestock, probably through the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider trace ideals in Noetherian rings and focus our attention to one-dimensional analytically irreducible local rings. For such rings we classify those Gorenstein rings which admit only a finite number of trace ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss some applications of the construction of the Apéry set of a good semigroup in N d given in (Commun Algebra 49(10):4136–4158, 2021). In particular, we study the duality of a symmetric and almost symmetric good semigroup, the Apéry set of non-local good semigroups and the Apéry set of value semigroups of plane curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to review and systematize prior works that investigate how the presence of women in top echelon positions of firms affects sustainability and to create an agenda to guide future research in this promising area. In contrast to previous reviews, ours examines how women in top echelon positions affect sustainability by distinguishing both the position women held in the firm (i.e. Board of Directors—BoD, top management team, CEO and relevant committees) and the specific elements of sustainability (i.e. activity, performance, and disclosure). Our structured systematic review resulted in 187 publications retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus and revealed that the presence of women in top echelon positions is associated with greater engagement in social and environmental projects. Their presence also positively influences the environmental and social performance and increases the level, quality, and transparency of sustainability disclosure. Furthermore, the presence of women in top echelon positions and the implementation of sustainable activities improve both the firm financial performance and value. However, conflicting results have also emerged. On the basis of these findings, research gaps and future research agenda are identified and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma. It is characterized by TH2 cell–driven inflammation in which interleukin-13 (IL-13) plays a pivotal role. Cytoplasmic RNAs (Y-RNAs), a variety of non-coding RNAs that are dysregulated in many cancer types, are also differentially expressed in patients with allergic asthma. Their function in the development of the disease is still unknown. We investigated the potential role of RNY3 RNA (hY3) in the TH2 cell inflammatory response using the Jurkat cell line as a model. hY3 expression levels were modulated to mimic the upregulation effect in allergic disease. We evaluated the effect of hY3 over cell stimulation and the expression of the TH2 cytokine IL13. Total RNA was isolated and retrotranscribed, and RNA levels were assessed by qPCR. In Jurkat cells, hY3 levels increased upon stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin. When transfecting with high levels of hY3 mimic molecules, cell proliferation rate decreased while IL13 mRNA levels increased upon stimulation compared to stimulated control cells. Our results show the effect of increased hY3 levels on cell proliferation and the levels of IL13 mRNA in Jurkat cells. Also, we showed that hY3 could act over other cells via exosomes. This study opens up new ways to study the potential regulatory function of hY3 over IL-13 production and its implications for asthma development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of toxic heavy metals in the aquatic environment has emphasized a considerable exigency to develop several multifunctional biosorbents for their removal. Herein, three individual bacterial species of Cellulosimicrobium cellulans, Bacillus coagulans, and Microbacterium testaceum were successfully isolated from low-level liquid radioactive wastes. Their loading capacities towards cerium and cobalt metal ions were inclusivity inspected under variable operational parameters of pH, primary pollutant concentration, interaction time, temperature, stirring speed, and biosorbent dosage. By analyzing the influence of solution pH, concentration, temperature, biosorbent mass, and agitation speed on the biosorption kinetics, the biosorption process confirms pseudo-second-order kinetic, intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich equation. Remarkably, the isolated Microbacterium testaceum exhibited high loading capacities reaching 68.1 mg g−1, and 49.6 mg g−1 towards Ce(III), and Co(II) ions, respectively, at the initial concentration of 2.8 mM, pH 4.5, and 25 °C. Overall, the isolated bacterial species can potentially be offered up as a promising scavenger for Ce(III) and Co(II) from liquid waste effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the concept of Arf special gaps of an Arf numerical semigroup, and an algorithm for computing all Arf special gaps of a given Arf numerical semigroup. We introduce the concept of Arf-irreducible numerical semigroups, and draw conclusions about all these concepts. We give a system of generators for the Frobenius variety and variety of families of Arf numerical semigroups. Moreover, we obtain the minimal Arf system of generators of a given Arf numerical semigroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific impact of this work is the protection of the environment from hazardous pollutants. Gamma irradiation was employed for the preparation of a new composite polymer by irradiating a mixture containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and tannic acid (TA) to produce PVP–HEMA–TA. The sorption efficiency and capacity of PVP–HEMA–TA were evaluated by studying some factors affecting the sorption of Nd(III) and Co(II) from aqueous solutions. The results demonstrated that the maximum uptake was 92.4 and 75.3% for Nd(III) and Co(II), respectively. From the kinetic studies, the pseudo-second-order equation could better fit the data than the pseudo-first-order for the sorption of both ions. The sorption isotherm investigations illustrated that the Langmuir equation fits the gained data better than Freundlich equation. The Langmuir capacity was 64.5 and 60.8 mg/g for neodymium and cobalt ions, respectively. The applicability of Langmuir equation is strong evidence that the process is limited by a chemisorption mechanism. Findings of the work highlight the potential utilization of PVP–HEMA–TA as an effective and recyclable material for the elimination of Nd(III) and Co(II) from the aqueous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If m ∈ N \ { 0 , 1 } and A is a finite subset of ⋃ k ∈ N \ { 0 , 1 } { 1 , ... , m - 1 } k , then we denote by C (m , A) = { S ∈ S m ∣ s 1 + ⋯ + s k - m ∈ S if (s 1 , ... , s k) ∈ S k and (s 1 mod m , ... , s k mod m) ∈ A }. In this work we prove that C (m , A) is a Frobenius pseudo-variety. We also show algorithms that allows us to establish whether a numerical semigroup belongs to C (m , A) and to compute all the elements of C (m , A) with a fixed genus. Moreover, we introduce and study three families of numerical semigroups, called of second-level, thin and strong, and corresponding to C (m , A) when A = { 1 , ... , m - 1 } 3 , A = { (1 , 1) , ... , (m - 1 , m - 1) } , and A = { 1 , ... , m - 1 } 2 \ { (1 , 1) , ... , (m - 1 , m - 1) } , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different magnetic core–shell nanohybrids, i) single coated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and ii) doubly coated with SiO2 and polyaniline (PANI), were synthesized by a modified chemical co-precipitation method and their structural, vibrational, colloidal, and magnetic properties were systematically studied. XRD and Rietveld refinement have shown the coexistence of 7.4(1) nm γ-Fe2O3 NPs, amorphous silica, and the polymeric chains of PANI for the core-double-shell nanohybrid, i.e., γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@PANI NPs. The γ-Fe2O3 NPs in this nanohybrid had reduced their sizes when compared to bare γ-Fe2O3 NPs or to γ-Fe2O3 NPs in the γ-Fe2O3@PAN nanohybrid. In addition, it has a controlled surface charge potential, i.e., it has been changed from positive in bare γ-Fe2O3/NPs to negative in γ-Fe2O3/PAN NPs (or in γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 NPs). Raman and Infrared studies have also confirmed the surface functionalization. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of the 7.4(1) nm γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@PANI NPs revealed superparamagnetic fluctuations above 150 K, suggesting that the coating with PANI has inhibited particle agglomeration and reduced interparticle magnetic interactions. In contrast, 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of the γ-Fe2O3/PAN NPs displayed static sextets, as commonly found in NPs bigger than 10 nm. Considering the small particle sizes (< 10 nm), the NP controlled surface charge potential and the good magnetic properties, it can be inferred that these nanohybrids are suitable for magnetic remediation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different magnetic core–shell nanohybrids, i) single coated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and ii) doubly coated with SiO2 and polyaniline (PANI), were synthesized by a modified chemical co-precipitation method and their structural, vibrational, colloidal, and magnetic properties were systematically studied. XRD and Rietveld refinement have shown the coexistence of 7.4(1) nm γ-Fe2O3 NPs, amorphous silica, and the polymeric chains of PANI for the core-double-shell nanohybrid, i.e., γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@PANI NPs. The γ-Fe2O3 NPs in this nanohybrid had reduced their sizes when compared to bare γ-Fe2O3 NPs or to γ-Fe2O3 NPs in the γ-Fe2O3@PAN nanohybrid. In addition, it has a controlled surface charge potential, i.e., it has been changed from positive in bare γ-Fe2O3/NPs to negative in γ-Fe2O3/PAN NPs (or in γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 NPs). Raman and Infrared studies have also confirmed the surface functionalization. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of the 7.4(1) nm γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@PANI NPs revealed superparamagnetic fluctuations above 150 K, suggesting that the coating with PANI has inhibited particle agglomeration and reduced interparticle magnetic interactions. In contrast, 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of the γ-Fe2O3/PAN NPs displayed static sextets, as commonly found in NPs bigger than 10 nm. Considering the small particle sizes (< 10 nm), the NP controlled surface charge potential and the good magnetic properties, it can be inferred that these nanohybrids are suitable for magnetic remediation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are powerful methods for treating substrates using radicals that are generated in situ. This study reviewed applications of AOPs in enhancement of biohydrogen production. The AOPs are applied in substrate pretreatment because of their ability to break the complex structure of lignocellulosic biomass for ease of subsequent hydrolysis. The mechanism of solubilization of complex organics resulting in increased biodegradability of substrate during pretreatment has been suggested. Documented studies indicate that up to 98% color removal from organic wastewater is possible by the use of AOPs. Furthermore, a combination of AOPs with biological processes can achieve more than 90% COD removal from biohydrogen production effluent. Sonication, microwave-enhanced AOPs, and electrochemical treatment are the most applied AOPs in enrichment of biohydrogen with up to fivefold increase in biohydrogen yield achieved after electrochemical pre-treatment. The mechanism of enhancement of hydrogen yield in dark fermentation after pretreatment of the substrate and inoculum with AOPs has been proposed. The excess sludge produced during hydrogen fermentation can be pretreated with ozone and ultrasound before biomethanation process. More studies on co-production of biohydrogen and electricity through electrochemical oxidation in fuel cells are necessary. This study proposes the integration of AOPs with conventional processes in biorefinery production approach with aim of improving biohydrogen yields, co-producing it with other biofuels, and reducing the process costs. Future studies should focus on the scale-up of AOPs for commercial applications. Comparative studies on energy requirements for various AOPs applications are lacking and should be carried out. Graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An M-semigroup (respectively an N-semigroup) is a positioned numerical semigroup S, such that g (S) = F (S) + 3 2 (respectively, g (S) = F (S) + 4 2 ). In this paper, we describe and characterize this class of semigroups; in particular, we show that the type of an M-semigroup (respectively an N-semigroup) is equal to 2 or 3 (respectively 2, 3 or 4). Moreover, we give algorithms for computing the whole set of M-semigroups and N-semigroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]