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IntroductionThe objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of an automatic workflow for head-and-neck (H&N) radiotherapy using a multi-atlas based auto-contouring software and an a-priori multicriteria plan optimization algorithm and implement an adaptive online approach with CBCT images. Two different modalities are investigated, the fluence-to-position (FTP) and the adapt-to-shape (ATS) approach.Materials and methodsNine patients are used for the multi-atlas database. The organs at risk (OARs) of the H&N district and five additional structures (air, fat, tissue, bone and patient’s exterior) subsequently used for the creation of the synthetic CT are auto-contoured with the Elekta ADMIRE® software. The mCycle algorithm is used for the a-priori multicriteria plan calculation. A total of twenty H&N patients are selected for this step. The automatic plans are compared to manual VMAT plans by assessing differences in planning time, dose delivered to targets and OARs, and calculating the plan quality indexes (PQIs). Two patients are chosen for the retrospective CBCT adaptive online feasibility analysis. To assess the differences for the two adaptive modalities, the clinical goals for targets and OARs and the number of passed constraints are explored. An analysis of the timing for the different steps is carried out to assess its clinical applicability.ResultThe dice of the five HU layer structures range between 0.66 and 0.99. The mCycle auto-planning significantly reduces planning time, from 2 hours to 10 minutes. The radiotherapist deems all plans clinically acceptable, and in the majority of cases the automatic plan is the preference choice. The automatic plans enhance OARs sparing and preserve a good target coverage, this is also confirmed by the PQIs result. Comparing FTP and ATS modes in adaptive radiotherapy, ATS exhibits superior outcomes, mostly in the target coverage. In the FTP techniques target coverage is inadequate and statistically different from the accepted values. In the ATS the results align with the initial approved values. Using the ATS mode the planning time takes around 14 minutes and approximately 20 minutes for the entire treatment.ConclusionThis study contributes to the advancement of automatic and adaptive radiotherapy, demonstrating the potential of an automated workflow in H&N treatments.

Copyright of Small Business International Review is the property of Asociacion Espanola de Contabilidad y Administracion de Empresas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The country has been facing the Covid-19 crisis that has affected the rest of the world in this decade. Numerous approaches and alternatives are implemented by the government to overcome this pandemic either controlled or stopped utterly. In order for the government to succeed, the emphasis on breaking the chain of infection of Covid-19 and the direction of the Movement Control Order (MCO) must be strengthened. Thus, the main goal of this study is to identify the level of patient’s knowledge regarding Covid-19 and Movement Control Order as well as to analyze the relationship between the level of knowledge about Covid-19 and Movement Control Order () among patients who come for treatment at the Kinarut Health clinic. Methodology: This study applies the quantitative research methodology, specifically surveys through questionnaires, whereas the sampling method used is systematic sampling with 200 patients in the Kinarut area. Analysis of instrument evaluation and sampling technique is also discussed in this study. Analysis: The finding showed that the patients' knowledge level about Covid-19 was at a moderate level with a mean value = 3.610, SD = 0.345. The level of knowledge relating to Movement Control Order (MCO) is also at a moderate level with a mean value = 3.610, SP = 0.345. Result: The correlation analysis showed that there is a strong relationship between the level of knowledge about Covid-19 and the level of knowledge of the Movement Control Order, with a correlation value of r = 0.71, p> 0.05. Thus, the results of this analysis show that there is a strong relationship between the variables of the knowledge level of Covid-19 and Movement Control Order in breaking the chain of infection Covid-19, particularly among patients who are living around Kinarut.

Purpose: A new development on the RayStation treatment planning system (TPS) allows a plan to be planned by imposing a constraint on the leaf sequencing: all leaves move in the same direction before moving again in the opposite direction to create a succession of sliding windows (SWs). The study aims to investigate this new leaf sequencing, coupled with standard optimization (SO) and multi‐criteria optimization (MCO) and to compare it with the standard sequencing (STD). Methods: Sixty plans were replanned for 10 head and neck cancer patients (two dose levels simultaneously SIB, 56 and 70 Gy in 35 fractions). All plans were compared, and a Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was performed. Pre‐processing QA and metrics of multileaf collimator (MLC) complexity were studied. Results: All methodologies met the dose requirements for the planning target volumes (PTVs) and organs at risk (OARs). SO demonstrates significantly best results for homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), and target coverage (TC). SO‐SW gives best results for PTVs (D98% and D2%) but the differences between techniques are less than 1%. Only the D2%,PTV‐56 Gy is higher with both MCO methods. MCO‐STD offer the best sparing OARs (parotids, spinal cord, larynx, oral cavity). The gamma passing rates (GPRs) with 3%/3 mm criteria between the measured and calculated dose distributions are higher than 95%, slightly lowest with SW. The number of monitor units (MUs) and MLC metrics are higher in SW show a higher modulation. Conclusions: All plans are feasible for the treatment. A clear advantage of SO‐SW is that the treatment plan is more straightforward to planning by the user due to the more advanced modulation. MCO stands out for its ease of use and will allow a less experienced user to offer a better plan than in SO. In addition, MCO‐STD will reduce the dose to the OARs while maintaining good TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise outpatient volume prediction holds significant importance in hospital management. While the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) is a frequently utilized deep learning technique for forecasting hospital outpatient volumes, creating a proficient GRU model necessitates the fine-tuning of pertinent GRU parameters. The adjustment of suchparameters relies heavily on an individual’s practical experience and prior knowledge. The recently proposed Cheetah optimizer is a novel intelligent algorithm with unique optimization capabilities. The Cheetah optimizer holds significant research potential; however, additional investigations are warranted, as it may be vulnerable to issues related to local optimization. In the present study, the selection of hyperparameters for the GRU model was optimized through the utilization of the Modified Cheetah Optimization (MCO) algorithm, and a combined MCO-GRU model was established. Using the Successive Variational Mode Decomposition (SVMD) method to decompose outpatient volume sample data, the parameters of the GRU model were optimized with the MCO method to construct a hybrid forecasting model. This yielded the smallest Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for the proposed model, with a value of 0.0843. Additionally, the results indicate that in comparison to SVMD, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), GRU, Particle Swarm Optimization-GRU (PSO-GRU), and Cheetah Optimization-GRU (CO-GRU), the proposed model significantly enhanced the accuracy of outpatient volume forecasting.

This article consisted of the application of the CAPM model on companies listed on the stock exchange of and related to the construction sector in Colombia during the period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020. This research has a quantitative approach with a type of descriptive and longitudinal research. Its methodology consisted in the application of ordinary least squares to the daily volatilities of the asset based on the estimation of the betas, which mostly complied with the probabilistic values and the intercepts were not different from 0, which is consistent with the model hypothesis. As for the variables that accompany the model, the risk-free rate TFIT16240724 was chosen and the ICOLCAP index was chosen as the variable that measures the market risk. Finally obtained the results, these were evaluated, concluding that the beta coefficient is an acceptable indicator in the risk-return assessment of the asset during the period in question, however, as an estimator it is not effective, which reflects the ineffectiveness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 cases have taken its strike since December 2019 in Wuhan, China and then has spread to other countries. Malaysia was not excluded from this pandemic, in which the first case of COVID-19 was discovered on 25th January 2020. The disease has caused a pandemic outbreak ever since, driving many countries to close international gateways and implement lockdowns and many studies have been trying to model and forecast the rising number of Covid-19 cases worldwide. This study aimed to prove the effectiveness of Movement Control Order (MCO) phases implemented in Malaysia. From 8 MCO phases implemented in Malaysia, 5 of the MCO phases were taken into consideration for this study. Line plots were used to observed the pattern, increasing (+) or decreasing (-) number of cases for each MCO implementation. The before and after trends for each phase were recorded and tabulated. Using the Wilcoxon Signed-rank test with Binomial probability calculation showed the p-value=0.001< α=0.05 obtained. Hence, supported the hypothesis that MCO implementation reduces the number of positive cases in Malaysia. In conclusion, the implementation of lockdown would ‘flatten the curve’ of the daily COVID-19 cases, resulting in better control over the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Malaysia.

Los estudios de participación cultural tienden a concentrar su enfoque en el análisis de las variables socioeconómicas o la disponibilidad de infraestructuras, dejando en un segundo plano variables de carácter idiosincrático como el interés manifestado o la predisposición a participar. Empleando los datos de la Encuesta de Hábitos y Prácticas Culturales de España 2018-2019, y mediante la modelización con mínimos cuadrados ordinarios (MCO), se busca estudiar los pesos de las variables socioeconómicas clásicas, así como las diferentes variables que componen el capital cultural dado su carácter aditivo en el desarrollo del interés. Los principales resultados obtenidos presentan al capital cultural como el componente más determinante en la formación del interés, siendo la lectura en la infancia la que presenta el mayor impacto. Destaca también la posible existencia de transferencia intergeneracional del interés, al presentar un mayor peso entre las variables la participación de los padres que la del propio sujeto durante la infancia.

Cet article examine les déterminants du chômage en RDC. Le caractère réduit de l’échantillon, à savoir un pays, et cela s’explique par la disponibilité des données portant sur la période 2001-2020. Le modèle inspiré de la littérature empirique est estimé par la méthode des moindres carrés ordinaires (OLS). Nos résultats économétriques révèlent que les variables éducation, l’inflation, l’investissement direct à l’étranger, la population explique significativement le niveau de chômage des jeunes au seuil d’un 1% et de 5 %. L’éducation et les investissements directs à l’étranger tendent à augmenter le taux de chômage tandis que la croissance de la population et l’inflation tendent à réduire le taux de chômage.

Copyright of Journal of Academic Finance is the property of Academic Finance Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented movement control orders (MCO). Globally, including in Malaysia, such bans have reduced pollution. Thus, this study used remote sensing to examine the particle dispersion and intensity of PM10. Unlike previous research, this technique used Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) satellite images to estimate anthropogenic level changes within the study area. Eight models are used to estimate PM10 levels. The models work well because they were developed and tested in India, which has a similar climate to Malaysia. Two models returned results that matched the study area's CAQMs station. Between 10th March 2020 and 26th March 2020 the CAQMS showed an average PM10 concentration of 17-32 g/m3 . The pixel based PM10 estimation is 30-35% off in g/m3 . However, the percent reduction of PM10 before and during MCO was within 2% of Model 5 and 7. Incorporating geospatial technology into baseline studies to assess current air quality is clearly beneficial. Since the first MCO in March 2020, toxic pollution emissions have decreased significantly.

Mining activities in the Chini Lake catchment area have been extensive for several years, contributing to acid mine drainage (AMD) events with high concentrations of iron (Fe) and other heavy metals impacting the surface water. However, during the restriction period due to the COVID-19 outbreak, anthropogenic activities have been suspended, which clearly shows a good opportunity for a better environment. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the variation of AMD-associated water pollution in three main zones of the Chini Lake catchment area using Sentinel-2 data for the periods pre-movement control order (MCO), during MCO, and post-MCO from 2019 to 2021. These three zones were chosen due to their proximity to mining areas: zone 1 in the northeastern part, zone 2 in the southeastern part, and zone 3 in the southern part of the Chini Lake area. The acid mine water index (AMWI) was a specific index used to estimate acid mine water. The AMWI values from Sentinel-2 images exhibited that the mean AMWI values in all zones during the MCO period decreased by 14% compared with the pre-MCO period. The spatiotemporal analysis found that the highest polluted zones were recorded in zone 1, followed by zone 3 and zone 2. As compared with during the MCO period, the maximum percentage of increment during post-MCO in all zones was up to 25%. The loosened restriction policy has resulted in more AMD flowing into surface water and increased pollution in Chini Lake. As a whole, our outputs revealed that Sentinel-2 data had a major potential for assessing the AMD-associated pollution of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to analyse factors such as perceived ease of use, technology and communication and institution involvement in influencing the effectiveness of online systems and applications for final online examinations held at International Islamic University College Selangor (KUIS) during the period of movement control order (MCO) 2020. Basic model of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is applied in this research to study the effectiveness of online systems and applications used by students of KUIS who undergo final online examinations during MCO 2020. This is a quantitative research and questionnaires have been used as the research instrument. The questionnaires were distributed to KUIS students� who took part in the final online examinations during MCO 2020 and a total of 351 data have been collected. Through multiple regression analysis, it is discovered that perceived ease of use and technology are the main factors that influence the most towards the effectiveness of online systems and applications for final online examinations purposes at KUIS while institution involvement factor influences the least. As a conclusion, by studying through these factors, the findings of this research study can serve and be beneficial towards KUIS and the teaching staff in the direction of improving the effectiveness of using online platforms for online examination purposes.

Anna Lindgren,1,2 Erik Fjellstedt,2,3 Anders Christensson2,3 1Department of Nephrology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden; 2Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; 3Department of Nephrology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, SwedenCorrespondence: Anna LindgrenDepartment of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, SUS Malmö, Jan Waldenströms Gata 15, Malmö SE-205 02, SwedenTel +46-46-171698Fax +46-40-337052Email Anna.Lindgren@med.lu.sePurpose: Conventional hemodialysis (HD) treatment has an acceptable removal of small uremic molecules, but so-called “middle molecules” in the range of 0.5– 60 kDa are poorly cleared with HD compared to a native kidney, which may contribute to morbidity in the dialysis population. Hemodiafiltration (HDF) has a better removal of middle molecules compared to HD but is technically demanding and requires well-functioning dialysis access. The newly introduced medium cutoff (MCO) filters have been developed to enhance middle molecule clearance in HD-mode. The aim of this study was to compare reduction ratios (RRs) of molecules with different molecular weights (0.06– 150 kDa) during dialysis with MCO dialyzer (used in HD-mode) compared to online-hemodiafiltration (ol-HDF) treatment with a conventional high-flux dialyzer.Patients and Methods: This is a prospective controlled single-center cross-over study, including 16 patients in Malmö, Sweden. All patients had ongoing post-dilution ol-HDF treatment before the study. The study compared reduction ratios of small-, middle-, and large-sized molecules during a single 4h dialysis treatment with post-dilution ol-HDF (Polyflux 210H) to a 4h dialysis treatment with MCO dialyzer (Theranova 500) in HD-mode. Between treatments, the patients had a washout period of at least two weeks of their ordinary HDF treatment to reach their ordinary steady state.Results: ol-HDF had significantly higher RR for cystatin C (13 kDa), compared to MCO (RR 68.1 vs 65.8, p=0.003), during a 4h dialysis treatment (mean convection volume of 24.5 L for HDF, and mean Qb of 324 mL/min for HDF and 323 mL/min for MCO). There was no significant difference in the RR for other middle molecules, or for smaller or larger molecules.Conclusion: Overall, the RRs were comparable for ol-HDF and MCO-HD. There was a slightly higher RR of cystatin C (a small middle molecule) for HDF compared to MCO but no difference in other measured molecules.Keywords: chronic hemodialysis, dialysis, hemodiafiltration, hemodialysis, MCO, uremic toxins

The global pandemic of Covid-19 has affected the teaching and learning of the STCW courses (Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers) which witnessed the drastic move from normal faceto-face facilitation to full online and distance learning (ODL). This new paradigm shift has resulted in significant changes as well as immense challenges to students who experienced this crisis for the first time. Hence, the study aims to discover students’ motivation level in adapting to the new environment of online learning as experienced by semester 2 students in Maritime English classes via quantitative study adopted Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivation survey administered on 78 respondents. The data collected were analysed and the results showed high level of students’ motivation despite having to undergo challenges in online distance learning during the MCO. Moreover, the four elements of the ARCS Model tested in the experiment indicated very high scores in students’ engagement, confidence, motivation, and satisfaction. This preliminary study has helped to provide a new perspective on online learning as well as students’ motivation to the maritime education and training institutions. Hence, it is hoped that the findings could help them to make continuous quality improvement in pedagogical, technological adaptation and assessment aspects for the benefit of students and stakeholders of the maritime industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severity of Covid-19 outbreak caused it to be declared a pandemic and the Malaysian government had to implement movement control order (MCO). MCO includes restriction on outdoor activities and temporary shutdown of fitness centres. Sports enthusiasts among community may experience uneasy phenomenon as this order affecting their exercises routines. To some extent, it does affect them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Various efforts were made to allow these group to engage in physical exercise. One of the efforts is engaging in live virtual physical exercise (VPE) through social media or recorded videos. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the relationship between VPE and mental health status during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown situation. In this quantitative designed study, 84 participants were recruited randomly within Johor community using snowball effect strategy. DASS-21 questionnaire was used to measure mental health status and administered online for data collection. SPSS software was used for descriptive statistic and SmartPLS software was used to test the structural equation model between the variables. Findings showed significant decreases in the level of stress, anxiety, and depression after joining the VPE programme during MCO. The depression scale was significantly corelated to stress and anxiety before and after involvement with VPE programme. Overall, participants has improved mental health status by engaging with the VPE programme during the lockdown order. This study is expected to shed some light on the future of physical activities via technology and online platform, their influence towards healthy lifestyle and the mental status of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene therapy of retinal diseases using recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) vector‐based delivery has shown clinical success, and clinical trials based on rAAV‐based optogenetic therapies are currently in progress. Recently, we have developed multi‐characteristic opsin (MCO), which has been shown to effectively re‐photosensitize photoreceptor‐degenerated retina in mice leading to vision restoration at ambient light environment. Here, we report the biodistribution of the rAAV2 carried MCO (vMCO‐I) in live samples and post‐mortem organs following intraocular delivery in wild‐type dogs. Immunohistochemistry showed that the intravitreal injection of vMCO‐I resulted in gene transduction in the inner nuclear layer (INL) but did not induce detectable inflammatory or immune reaction in the dog retina. Vector DNA analysis of live body wastes and body fluids such as saliva and nasal secretions using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed no correlative increase of vector copy in nasal secretions or saliva, minimal increase of vector copy in urine in the low‐dose group 13 weeks after injection and in the faeces of the high‐dose group at 3–13 weeks after injection suggesting clearance of the virus vector via urine and faeces. Further analysis of vector DNA extracted from faeces using PCR showed no transgene after 3 weeks post‐injection. Intravitreal injection of vMCO‐I resulted in few sporadic off‐target presences of the vector in the mesenteric lymph node, liver, spleen and testis. This study showed that intravitreal rAAV2‐based delivery of MCO‐I for retinal gene therapy is safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has highlighted the trend of recently-reported dengue cases after the implementation of the Movement Control Orders (MCOs) caused due to COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The researchers used the dengue surveillance data published by the Malaysian Ministry of Health during the 3 phases of MCO (which ranged between 17th March 2020 and 28th April 2020) was used for determining the cumulative number of dengue patients. Thereafter, the dengue cases were mapped using the Geographical Information System (GIS). The results indicated that during the 42 days of MCO in Peninsular Malaysia, 11,242 total cases of dengue were reported. The daily trend of the dengue cases showed a decrease from 7268 cases that occurred before the MCOs to 4662 dengue cases that occurred during the initial 14 days of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., MCO I), to 3075 cases occurring during the MCO II and 3505 dengue cases noted during MCO III. The central peninsular region showed a maximal decrease in new dengue cases (52.62%), followed by the northern peninsular region (1.89%); eastern coastal region (1.25%) and the southern peninsular region (1.14%) during the initial MCO implementation. However, an increase in the new dengue cases was noted during the MCO III period, wherein all states showed an increase in the new dengue cases as compared during MCO II. The decrease in the pattern was not solely based on the MCO, hence, further investigation is necessary after considering different influencing factors. These results have important implication for future large-scale risk assessment, planning and hazard mitigation on dengue management.

Rank Set Sampling (RSS) is an alternative to simple random sampling was proposed by McIntyre (1952): Under such sampling scheme various authors have proposed the ratio rank set estimators in order to estimate the population parameters by using OLS (Ordinary Least Square) method. A big issue emerge that when outliers are present in data in that case all the estimators suggested by different authors can give distorted results as OLS is very sensitive to outliers. So in the present study we mainly focus on this issue and adapted the Huber M estimation Technique on the estimator suggested by Al-Odat (2009) instead of OLS, in order to get precise results in case of presence of outliers in data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical paper investigates how the mompreneurs manage their businesses during the Covid-19 lockdown and how the pandemic affects their family. The role of a mother in a family encompasses the livelihood of the family members, which extends to the family’s financial standing. A mother’s role in a family ranges from a homemaker and, to a certain extent, a financial provider. In Malaysia, it was reported in 2018 that 60.2% of entrepreneurs are housewives. However, it is believed that many women are working at and from home with high cost of living, especially in urban areas. They become home-based entrepreneurs, especially during this unprecedented pandemic, i.e. Covid-19, and restricted by the Movement Control Order (MCO). This study adopted an exploratory qualitative study whereby six (6) mompreneurs who are operating their businesses from home were interviewed to understand how the pandemic and the lockdown have affected their lives. This paper further examines their coping mechanism to the pandemic and financial income during this crisis. Mompreneurs’ financial literacy is also observed in this paper to explore their financial understanding. This research is an exploratory study, and it only provides general ideas on how a home-based businesswoman survive and cope during the lockdown. The findings from this paper are suitable to be used as a benchmark for an extensive quantitative study in the future to further understand the behaviour of the mompreneurs, especially in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2020 was being ushered in by a global pandemic. Within months, COronaVIrus Disease (COVID-19) has spread to almost every country. With its long incubation period and highly contagious characteristics, most countries have initiated lockdown and social distancing is the new norm in most societies. Malaysia implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020 when the cumulative COVID-19 cases were still below 800. Since then, MCO was extended several times and the latest phase of Recovery MCO (RMCO) will last until 31 August 2020. As seafood represents an important protein source, the aquaculture sector supports the livelihood of coastal communities in Malaysia, particularly those involved in micro- and small-scale fish farming activities. The emergence and spread of this pandemic severely disrupt market demand and supply chains of seafood industries. Therefore, this case report looks into the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the aquaculture sector of Malaysia. Then, the coping strategies implemented by Malaysia are highlighted and their potential effectiveness is discussed. Also, some useful recommendations are suggested to ensure the continuity and growth of the aquaculture sector. We believe that insights in this report are applicable to other sectors and countries with similar economic characteristics.

The New England College of Optometry in Boston turns 125 years old in 2019. Throughout its existence, the institution has undertaken several initiatives that changed the profession of optometry both in the United States and globally. The most significant of these are detailed in this history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic interconnects represent the main component of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack in terms of weight and volume. They are typically made of ferritic stainless steel (FSS) coated on the air side. At the stack operating conditions, the interconnect is exposed to a dual atmosphere: air at the cathode side; fuel (a hydrogen-rich mixture) at the anode side. The stacks considered in this study were field operated in reformed natural gas for 5000, 9000 and 20,000 h respectively. The analyzed interconnects are made from CROFER22APU and coated on the air side with Co-Mn base spinel. One interconnect has been studied for each stack by sampling and preparing cross section the inlet and outlet positions. The samples were characterized by SEM-EDXS in order to investigate the evolution of the interconnect at the air side. The interaction between the metal substrate and the coating is investigated highlighting the formation of chromia based thermal grown oxide (at the FSS/coating interface) and the solid-state diffusion of Cr and Fe from the metal into the coating. The microstructural features evolving as a function of time are also quantified.

Pseudomonas putida (P. putida) MnB1 is a widely used model strain in environment science and technology for determining microbial manganese oxidation. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the growth and metabolism of P. putida MnB1 are influenced by various environmental factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and manganese (Mn2+) on proliferation, Mn2+ acquisition, anti-oxidative system, and biofilm formation of P. putida MnB1. The related orthologs of 4 genes, mco, mntABC, sod, and bifA, were amplified from P. putida GB1 and their involvement were assayed, respectively. We found that P. putida MnB1 degraded H2O2, and quickly recovered for proliferation, but its intracellular oxidative stress state was maintained, with rapid biofilm formation after H2O2 depletion. The data from mco, mntABC, sod and bifA expression levels by qRT-PCR, elucidated a sensitivity toward bifA-mediated biofilm formation, in contrary to intracellular anti-oxidative system under H2O2 exposure. Meanwhile, Mn2+ ion supply inhibited biofilm formation of P. putida MnB1. The expression pattern of these genes showed that Mn2+ ion supply likely functioned to modulate biofilm formation rather than only acting as nutrient substrate for P. putida MnB1. Furthermore, blockade of BifA activity by GTP increased the formation and development of biofilms during H2O2 exposure, while converse response to Mn2+ ion supply was evident. These distinct cellular responses to H2O2 and Mn2+ provide insights on the common mechanism by which environmental microorganisms may be protected from exogenous factors. We postulate that BifA-mediated biofilm formation but not intracellular anti-oxidative system may be a primary protective strategy adopted by P. putida MnB1. These findings will highlight the understanding of microbial adaptation mechanisms to distinct environmental stresses.

The purpose of this paper is to give a short overview of the model developed regarding common spaces record for the condominiums in urban area of Prishtina. The proposed model developed from the author of this article aimed to adopt 3D cadastre requirements and techniques for common spaces registration. The techniques adopted within project represent one of the first steps towards 3D cadastre in Republic of Kosovo.

Pseudomonas putida (P. putida) MnB1 is a widely used model strain in environment science and technology for determining microbial manganese oxidation. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the growth and metabolism of P. putida MnB1 are influenced by various environmental factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and manganese (Mn2+) on proliferation, Mn2+ acquisition, anti-oxidative system, and biofilm formation of P. putida MnB1. The related orthologs of 4 genes, mco, mntABC, sod, and bifA, were amplified from P. putida GB1 and their involvement were assayed, respectively. We found that P. putida MnB1 degraded H2O2, and quickly recovered for proliferation, but its intracellular oxidative stress state was maintained, with rapid biofilm formation after H2O2 depletion. The data from mco, mntABC, sod and bifA expression levels by qRT-PCR, elucidated a sensitivity toward bifA-mediated biofilm formation, in contrary to intracellular anti-oxidative system under H2O2 exposure. Meanwhile, Mn2+ ion supply inhibited biofilm formation of P. putida MnB1. The expression pattern of these genes showed that Mn2+ ion supply likely functioned to modulate biofilm formation rather than only acting as nutrient substrate for P. putida MnB1. Furthermore, blockade of BifA activity by GTP increased the formation and development of biofilms during H2O2 exposure, while converse response to Mn2+ ion supply was evident. These distinct cellular responses to H2O2 and Mn2+ provide insights on the common mechanism by which environmental microorganisms may be protected from exogenous factors. We postulate that BifA-mediated biofilm formation but not intracellular anti-oxidative system may be a primary protective strategy adopted by P. putida MnB1. These findings will highlight the understanding of microbial adaptation mechanisms to distinct environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study compared the dosimetric performance of (a) volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with standard optimization (STD) and (b) multi‐criteria optimization (MCO) to (c) intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with MCO for hippocampal avoidance whole brain radiation therapy (HA‐WBRT) in RayStation treatment planning system (TPS). Ten HA‐WBRT patients previously treated with MCO‐IMRT or MCO‐VMAT on an Elekta Infinity accelerator with Agility multileaf collimators (5‐mm leaves) were re‐planned for the other two modalities. All patients received 30 Gy in 15 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV), namely, PTV30 expanded with a 2‐mm margin from the whole brain excluding hippocampus with margin. The patients all had metastatic lesions (up to 12) of variable sizes and proximity to the hippocampus, treated with an additional 7.5 Gy from a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to PTV37.5. The IMRT plans used eight to eleven non‐coplanar fields, whereas the VMAT plans used two coplanar full arcs and a vertex half arc. The averaged target coverage, dose to organs‐at‐risk (OARs) and monitor unit provided by the three modalities were compared, and a Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was performed. MCO‐VMAT provided statistically significant reduction of D100 of hippocampus compared to STD‐VMAT, and Dmax of cochleas compared to MCO‐IMRT. With statistical significance, MCO‐VMAT improved V30 of PTV30 by 14.2% and 4.8%, respectively, compared to MCO‐IMRT and STD‐VMAT. It also raised D95 of PTV37.5 by 0.4 Gy compared to both MCO‐IMRT and STD‐VMAT. Improved plan quality parameters such as a decrease in overall plan Dmax and total monitor units (MU) were also observed for MCO‐VMAT. MCO‐VMAT is found to be the optimal modality for HA‐WBRT in terms of PTV coverage, OAR sparing and delivery efficiency, compared to MCO‐IMRT or STD‐VMAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]