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Cardiac involvement represents the main cause of mortality among patients with Chagas disease, and the relevance of trypanocidal treatment to improving diastolic dysfunction is still doubtful. In the present study, we used a canine model infected with the benznidazole-sensitive Berenice-78 Trypanosoma cruzi strain to verify the efficacy of an etiologic treatment in reducing the parasite load and ameliorating cardiac muscle tissue damage and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the chronic phase of the infection. The effect of the treatment on reducing the parasite load was monitored by blood PCR and blood culture assays, and the effect of the treatment on the outcome of heart tissue damage and on diastolic function was evaluated by histopathology and echo Doppler cardiogram. The benefit of the benznidazole-treatment in reducing the parasite burden was demonstrated by a marked decrease in positive blood culture and PCR assay results until 30days post-treatment. At this time, the PCR and blood culture assays yielded negative results for 82% of the treated animals, compared with only 36% of the untreated dogs. However, a progressive increase in the parasite load could be detected in the peripheral blood for one year post-treatment, as evidenced by a progressive increase in positive results for both the PCR and the blood culture assays at follow-up. The parasite load reduction induced by treatment was compatible with the lower degree of tissue damage among animals euthanized in the first month after treatment and with the increased cardiac damage after this period, reaching levels similar to those in untreated animals at the one-year follow-up. The two infected groups also presented similar, significantly smaller values for early tissue septal velocity (E' SIV) than the non-infected dogs did at this later time. Moreover, in the treated animals, an increase in the E/E' septal tissue filling pressure ratio was observed when compared with basal values as well as with values in non-infected dogs. These findings strongly suggest that the temporary reduction in the parasite load that was induced by benznidazole treatment was not able to prevent myocardial lesions and diastolic dysfunction for long after treatment., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dengue is responsible for a wide range of clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe cases. The alteration of cytokine levels correlated with clinical characteristics can help determine prognostic markers of the disease and the identification of targets for immunotherapy. We measured the viral load, serotype, and cytokine levels of 212 serum samples from patients with acute dengue infection during days 1-4 after the onset of symptoms. The patients were classified as either with hemorrhagic manifestations (HM) or with no hemorrhagic manifestations (NHM). The cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and IL-10 were increased (P < 0.05) in the dengue virus+ group, compared with the control group. A higher viral load (P < 0.05) and IL-6 was detected in the HM group compared with the NHM group. Interestingly, the NHM group demonstrated a significant positive correlation between inflammatory (IL-6 and 8) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines, whereas the HM group did not. These findings suggest that a disturbance in the balance of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 with the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, combined with the high levels of IL-6 and viral load, characterize possible mechanisms related to the formation of HM., (© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

This study aims to optimize the QuEChERS methodology for extracting three pesticides (fipronil, thiobencarb, and cartap) from two paddy soils with distinct characteristics. Various modifications were explored to enhance extraction efficiency, employing acetonitrile (MeCN) or ethyl acetate (EtOAc) for extraction and primary-secondary amine (PSA) and graphitized carbon black (GCB) for the clean-up. Assessment criteria included accuracy, precision, linearity, detection limits, uncertainty, and matrix effects. Results revealed that the clayey soil with lower organic carbon (OC) content (1.26%) and 100% moisture yielded the highest pesticide recoveries (113.72%, 115.73%, and 116.41% for FIP, THIO, and CART, respectively). In contrast, the silty clayey soil with higher OC content (2.91%) and 20% water content exhibited poor recoveries (< 60%). FIP and CART demonstrated better recoveries with MeCN, while THIO performed better with EtOAc under specific moisture conditions. Clean-up sorbents significantly reduced FIP and CART recoveries, with THIO recoveries less affected. Acidifying with HCl substantially improved CART recovery. EtOAc introduced a moderate to strong matrix effect for FIP and THIO, while MeCN in soils with 100% moisture resulted in a strong matrix effect for CART. The study highlighted the substantial impact of extraction conditions, pesticide properties, and soil conditions on the outcomes of the QuEChERS method. A comprehensive understanding of these interplays was deemed crucial for accurately quantifying pesticide residues in agricultural soils., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The nitroheterocyclic drugs nifurtimox and benznidazole are first-line drugs available to treat Chagas disease; however, they have limitations, including long treatment courses and toxicity. Strategies to overcome these limitations include the identification of new drugs with specific target profiles, re-dosing regimens for the current drugs, drug repositioning and combination therapy. In this work, we evaluated combination therapy as an approach for optimization of the current therapeutic regimen for Chagas disease. The curative action of benznidazole/itraconazole combinations was explored in an established infection of the mice model with the T. cruzi Y strain. The activities of the benznidazole/itraconazole combinations were compared with the results from those receiving the same dosage of each individual drug. The administration of benznidazole/itraconazole in combination eliminated parasites from the blood more efficiently than each drug alone. Here, there was a significant reduction of the number of treatment days (number of doses) necessary to induce parasitemia suppression with the benznidazole/itraconazole combination, as compared to each compound administered alone. These results clearly indicate the enhanced effects of these drugs in combination, particularly at the dose of 75 mg/kg, as the effects observed with the drug combinations were four times more effective than those of each drug used alone. Moreover, benznidazole/itraconazole treatment was shown to prevent or decrease the typical lesions associated with chronic experimental Chagas disease, as illustrated by similar levels of inflammatory cells and fibrosis in the cardiac muscle tissue of healthy and treated mice. These results emphasize the importance of exploring the potential of combination treatments with currently available compounds to specifically treat Chagas disease.

While Federated Learning (FL) provides a privacy-preserving approach to analyze sensitive data without centralizing training data, the field lacks an detailed comparison of emerging open-source FL frameworks. Furthermore, there is currently no standardized, weighted evaluation scheme for a fair comparison of FL frameworks that would support the selection of a suitable FL framework. This study addresses these research gaps by conducting a comparative analysis of 15 individual open-source FL frameworks filtered by two selection criteria, using the literature review methodology proposed by Webster and Watson. These framework candidates are compared using a novel scoring schema with 15 qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria, focusing on features, interoperability, and user friendliness. The evaluation results show that the FL framework Flower outperforms its peers with an overall score of 84.75%, while Fedlearner lags behind with a total score of 24.75%. The proposed comparison suite offers valuable initial guidance for practitioners and researchers in selecting an FL framework for the design and development of FL-driven systems. In addition, the FL framework comparison suite is designed to be adaptable and extendable accommodating the inclusion of new FL frameworks and evolving requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most farmed fishes is the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Its production has increased by 20% annually on average during the last 20 years, but the occurrence of fish diseases, especially bacterial such as Aeromonas hydrophila infections, is hindering its activities. Also, the incorporation of plant‐derived substances in aquafeeds is limited since they frequently contain different antinutritional factors, like nonstarch polysaccharides (NSPs). However, supplementing fish diets with β‐mannanase could increase growth, antioxidants, and immunity. Despite the advantage of β‐mannanase, its effects on growth, digestive enzymes, antioxidants, and immunity in African catfish need to be elucidated. This study examined the effects of dietary β‐mannanase on the growth performance, liver enzymes, antioxidant profiles, immunity, and protection of African catfish, C. gariepinus, against A. hydrophila infection. Five isonitrogenous diets were prepared to have 400 g/kg crude protein and supplemented with β‐mannanase at 0, 1500, 3000, 4500, or 6000 thermostable endo, 1,4‐β‐mannanase units (TMUs)/kg diet and fed to 300 juveniles of the African catfish, C. gariepinus (mean weight 12.1 ± 0.1 g) for 12 weeks. Then, 10 fish from each tank received an intraperitoneal injection of 0.1 mL of A. hydrophila (5.0 × 105 CFU/mL) and observed for 14 days. Results showed dietary β‐mannanase levels considerably improved growth performance but did not affect fish survival. Also, amylase, protease, and lipase levels were significantly promoted in the fish fed with β‐mannanase‐fortified diets than the control group (p < 0.05). Enhanced gut villi and intestinal absorption areas, haematlogical profiles, and liver enzymes but reduced gut viscosity were observed in fish‐fed β‐mannanase‐fortified diets (p < 0.05). In a dose‐dependent order, including β‐mannanase in the meals of African catfish raised the levels of glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST), and glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) activities and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) values in African catfish (p < 0.05). Also, fish immunity was greatly (p < 0.05) enhanced due to supplementation of the diet with β‐mannanase. In addition, fish‐fed diets comprising 6000 TMU β‐mannanase/kg diet showed the lowest rates of fish mortality (7.5%) (p < 0.05). Therefore, feeding African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, β‐mannanase enhanced growth performance, increased activity of digestive enzymes, gut morphology, enhanced generation of short‐chain fatty acids, digesta potential of hydrogen (pH), and improved antioxidant profiles and immunity at the optimum dose of 5800 TMU/kg diet. Additionally, β‐mannanase protected African catfish against A. hydrophila infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parabens are the most prevalent ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products (PCPs). They are colorless and tasteless and exhibit good stability when combined with other components. Because of these unique physicochemical properties, they are extensively used as antimicrobial and antifungal agents. Their release into the aquatic ecosystem poses potential threats to aquatic organisms, including fish. We conducted an electronic search in PubMed (http://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) using the search term parabens and fish and sorted 93 articles consisting of methyl paraben (MTP), ethyl paraben (ETP), propyl paraben (PPP), butyl paraben (BTP), and benzyl paraben (BNP) in several fish species. Furthermore, we confined our search to six fish species (common carp, Cyprinus carpio; fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas; Japanese medaka, Oryzias latipes; rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss; Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus; and zebrafish, Danio rerio) and four common parabens (MTP, ETP, PPP, and BTP) and sorted 48 articles for review. Our search indicates that among all six fish, zebrafish was the most studied fish and the MTP was the most tested paraben in fish. Moreover, depending on the alkyl chain length and linearity, long-chained parabens were more toxic than the parabens with short chains. Parabens can be considered endocrine disruptors (EDs), targeting estrogen-androgen-thyroid-steroidogenesis (EATS) pathways, blocking the development and growth of gametes, and causing intergenerational toxicity to impact the viability of offspring/larvae. Paraben exposure can also induce behavioral changes and nervous system disorders in fish. Although the USEPA and EU limit the use of parabens in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, their prolonged persistence in the environment may pose an additional health risk to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forward triage characteristic of telemedicine highlights its importance again in the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine can provide timely emergency response in the case of environmental or biological hazards, and the patient's medical privacy data generated in this process can also accelerate the establishment of models for preventing and treating infectious diseases. However, the reuse process of telemedicine user privacy data based on federated learning also faces significant challenges. Differences in regions, economic levels, and grades lead to heterogeneous data and resource-constrained environments, seriously damaging the federated learning process. Besides, the weak password authentication of medical terminals and eavesdropping attacks on transmission channels may cause illegal access to terminals and platforms and leakage of sensitive data. This paper proposed a telemedicine data secure-sharing scheme based on heterogeneous federated learning. Specifically, we proposed a heterogeneous federated learning scheme with model alignment to guide telemedicine practice through the reuse of telemedicine data; in addition, we designed an SM9 threshold identity authentication scheme to guarantee that the patient's medical privacy data is protected from leakage during the federated learning process. We evaluated our scheme using two third-party medical datasets. The evaluation results indicate that this scheme can still assist the federated learning process in resisting data heterogeneity and resource constraints with almost no performance cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) is a prominent herbicide in Brazilian agriculture, particularly in sugarcane farming. This herbicide persists in the environment and is transformed into potentially toxic metabolites, such as 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) and 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methylurea (DCPMU), raising concerns that encompass environmental contamination and One Health, which unites environmental and human health. Zebrafish are an appropriate experimental model to evaluate toxicity: they metabolically and genetically resemble humans and can be applied in ecotoxicology. Methods: In this study, we have employed multiparameter evaluation to characterize the toxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5-100µM) of Diuron, DCA, or DCPMU in Brazil, a developing country. In the early stages of zebrafish development, we performed the fish embryo toxicity test according to the guidelines established in OECD Protocol No. 236, extended to 144 h post fertilization (hpf). We also investigated the oxygen consumption rate in zebrafish embryos at 24 hpf, evaluated the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymatic activity in zebrafish larvae at 96 hpf, and used the Comet Assay to assess DNA fragmentation in zebrafish larvae at 96 hpf. We subjected adult zebrafish to acute exposure for 96 h in accordance with OECD protocol no. 203 for the Acute Toxicity Test in Fish. Following this exposure, we analyzed mutagenicity by using the micronucleus test, which was complemented by quantification of nuclear anomalies (NA) in erythrocytes and further confirmed by histopathological investigations. Results and discussion: Exposure to any of the tested Diuron concentrations damaged DNA, and NA became significant beyond 10µM Diuron. At 10µM, DCA altered AChE activity, suggesting neuromuscular toxicity. Between 0.5 and 5µM, DCA was potentially genotoxic, and 5-10µM DCA induced nuclear pleomorphism. At all the tested concentrations, DCPMU damaged DNA, and NA emerged between 1 and 10µM DCPMU. Adult zebrafish exposed to any of the tested Diuron, DCA, or DCPMU concentrations for 96 h did not exhibit significant histopathological alterations. Erythrocyte morphology analysis did not reveal mutagenicity. Although we observed non-mutagenic genotoxicity, chromosomal instability is of concern. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of how Diuron and its metabolites affect zebrafish and highlights the need for multiparametric assessment to elucidate how herbicides and their metabolites impact the environment and human health. This endeavor informs regulatory measures for safely using Diuron and similar herbicides and reveals substantial implications for developing nations grappling with escalating water contamination due to pesticide use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the privacy protection and data sharing issues in Chinese medical texts, this paper introduces a federated learning approach named FLCMC for Chinese medical text classification. The paper first discusses the data heterogeneity issue in federated language modeling. Then, it proposes two perturbed federated learning algorithms, FedPA and FedPAP, based on the self-attention mechanism. In these algorithms, the self-attention mechanism is incorporated within the model aggregation module, while a perturbation term, which measures the differences between the client and the server, is added to the local update module along with a customized PAdam optimizer. Secondly, to enable a fair comparison of algorithms' performance, existing federated algorithms are improved by integrating a customized Adam optimizer. Through experiments, this paper first conducts experimental analyses on hyperparameters, data heterogeneity, and validity on synthetic datasets, which proves that the proposed federated learning algorithm has significant advantages in classification performance and convergence stability when dealing with heterogeneous data. Then, the algorithm is applied to Chinese medical text datasets to verify its effectiveness on real datasets. The comparative analysis of algorithm performance and communication efficiency shows that the algorithm exhibits strong generalization ability on deep learning models for Chinese medical texts. As for the synthetic dataset, upon comparing with comparison algorithms FedAvg, FedProx, FedAtt, and their improved versions, the experimental results show that for data with general heterogeneity, both FedPA and FedPAP show significantly more accurate and stable convergence behavior. On the real Chinese medical dataset of doctor–patient conversations, IMCS-V2, with logistic regression and long short-term memory network as training models, the experiment results show that in comparison to the above three comparison algorithms and their improved versions, FedPA and FedPAP both possess the best accuracy performance and display significantly more stable and accurate convergence behavior, proving that the method in this paper has better classification effects for Chinese medical texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising demand for dual-language immersion (DLI) programs, which offer core instruction in two languages from early grades onward, has raised questions about program design and access. We leverage the rapid expansion of DLI schools across the U.S. state of Utah to estimate effects of DLI program availability on the academic achievement of primary English speakers and English learners (ELs) in programs that serve mainly the former (one-way) or at least a third of the latter (two-way). Using within-school variation in first graders' access to DLI programs, we find no overall effects on English, math, or science scores from grades 3 to 6. However, ELs whose primary languages match the schools' partner languages in two-way schools show notable outperformance in math and higher English-language proficiency at grade 5. Benefits of DLI access are driven by schools with a larger share of primary speakers of the partner language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psidium guajava: is a tropical tree that is widely used in traditional medicine, especially for treating diarrhea. While P. guajava has been the subject of numerous reviews, none have specifically examined its ethnobotany, pharmacology, and phytochemistry in relation to its antidiarrheal activity. This review aims to summarize the evidence of effectiveness and safety of P. guajava in the treatment of diarrhea. Literature searches were conducted through Web of Science, PubMed, and ScienceDirect by using keywords "Psidium guajava" and "diarrhea" in October 2022. A total of 189 studies were included in this review. P. guajava is widely used in traditional medicine in 44 countries. Decoction and oral were the most represented method of preparation and administration, respectively, while leaves represented the most frequently cited part of the plant. Around 27 antidiarrheal or antibacterial compounds have been isolated and identified, including benzophenone glycosides, terpenes, polysaccharides, phenols, and flavonoids. This article presents ethnobotanical and pharmacological evidence for the efficacy of P. guajava leaves in the treatment of diarrhea and provides reference information for further investigation of this plant. However, despite the large number of publications on the topic, there are still some questions to answer: are quercetin and its glycosides the only ones to act as antidiarrheal agents? What is the mechanism of action of P. guajava antidiarrheal compounds? are the use of guava leaves safe in all types of populations including children, and at what dosage? To answer these questions, more complete phytochemical studies and systematic clinical trials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purposes of this review article were to provide an introduction to and "bird's-eye" overview of the current evidence base for treatment of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), identify some gaps and trends in this rapidly growing literature, and formulate some future research directions, in order to advance the evidence base and clinical practice for children with CAS. Method: Following a brief introduction outlining important concepts, a narrative review of the CAS treatment literature is provided, and trends and future directions are identified based on this review. The review is organized around four fundamental treatment research questions: (a) "Does Treatment X work?", (b) "Does Treatment X work better than Treatment Y?", (c) "For whom does Treatment X work?", and (d) "What does 'work' mean, anyway?" Results: A wide range of CAS treatments with varying degrees of evidence for efficacy exists. Research is beginning to emerge that compares different treatments and seeks to determine optimal treatment parameters. Few studies to date have explored child-level predictors of treatment response, and the evidence base currently is limited in scope with respect to populations and outcomes studied. Conclusions: A growing evidence base supports the efficacy of a number of treatments for CAS. However, many important gaps in the literature were identified that warrant redoubled and sustained research attention. Research is beginning to emerge that addresses treatment optimization, comparison, candidacy, and outcomes. Suggestions for future research are offered, and the concept of a hypothesized pathway was applied to CAS to illustrate how components of an intervention can effect change in a clinical goal and can help guide development and refinement of treatments for children with CAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) mutations, which are molecular biomarkers present in bodily fluids of cancer patients, can be applied for tumor diagnosis and prognosis monitoring. However, current profiling of ctDNA mutations relies primarily on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing and these techniques require preanalytical processing of blood samples, which are time‐consuming, expensive, and tedious procedures that increase the risk of sample contamination. To overcome these limitations, here the engineering of a DNA/γPNA (gamma peptide nucleic acid) hybrid nanoreporter is disclosed for ctDNA biosensing via in situ profiling and recording of tumor‐specific DNA mutations. The low tolerance of γPNA to single mismatch in base pairing with DNA allows highly selective recognition and recording of ctDNA mutations in peripheral blood. Owing to their remarkable biostability, the detached γPNA strands triggered by mutant ctDNA will be enriched in kidneys and cleared into urine for urinalysis. It is demonstrated that the nanoreporter has high specificity for ctDNA mutation in peripheral blood, and urinalysis of cleared γPNA can provide valuable information for tumor progression and prognosis evaluation. This work demonstrates the potential of the nanoreporter for urinary monitoring of tumor and patient prognosis through in situ biosensing of ctDNA mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated learning is a new learning paradigm that decouples data collection and model training via multi-party computation and model aggregation. As a flexible learning setting, federated learning has the potential to integrate with other learning frameworks. We conduct a focused survey of federated learning in conjunction with other learning algorithms. Specifically, we explore various learning algorithms to improve the vanilla federated averaging algorithm and review model fusion methods such as adaptive aggregation, regularization, clustered methods, and Bayesian methods. Following the emerging trends, we also discuss federated learning in the intersection with other learning paradigms, termed federated X learning, where X includes multitask learning, meta-learning, transfer learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. In addition to reviewing state-of-the-art studies, this paper also identifies key challenges and applications in this field, while also highlighting promising future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY This study describes the role of parasite clearance time induced by benznidazole, fexinidazole and posaconazole treatments upon mice infection with a benznidazole-resistant Trypanosoma cruzi strain in the pathological outcomes. Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice were treated with different drugs and parasite clearance time was detected by blood and tissue qPCR, to determine the dynamic relationship between the efficacy of the treatments and the intensity of heart lesion/serum inflammatory mediators. Our results indicate that anti-T. cruzi treatments were able to reduce parasite replication and consequently induce immunomodulatory effects, where the degree of the immunopathology prevention was related to the time of parasite clearance induced by different treatments. Nevertheless, in benznidazole and posaconazole treatments, parasite rebounding was detected with parasitism reaching levels similar to infected and non-treated mice; the time for parasitic rebound being earlier among benznidazole-treated mice. In parallel, an increase of cardiac lesions and plasma chemokine levels was also detected and was more accentuated in benznidazole-treated animals. Interestingly, in the presence of parasitological cure (fexinidazole treatment), basal levels of these inflammatory mediators were evidenced as well as an absence of cardiac inflammation or fibrosis. Overall, our data indicate that all treatments have positive effects on the clinical evolution of T. cruzi infection, with success in preventing cardiac alterations being drug-dependent.

Sarcocornia ambigua is a perennial glasswort, native of South America and a potential new seed-oil crop and forage for direct irrigation with salt water. Small seeds develop inside fertile segments of its cylindrical leafless shoots and, at the harvest, seeds are typically mixed with remnant cellulose material difficult to separate. This work evaluated different extraction methods and the composition of total esterified fatty acids in a meal of ground fertile shoots of S. ambigua, seeking for an alternative primary matter and larger yield of total lipids. The highest lipid yield was obtained with a chloroform:methanol mixture (2:1)(v/v) (5.2% of dry weight). The most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids in the meal were linoleic acid (C18:2; 21.4%) and oleic acid (C18:1; 18.3%). Fifty six percent of the lipids in S. ambigua meal were saturated and palmitic acid (C16:0) was the main fraction (19.8%). Long-chain fatty acids (≥ C20) represented 29.5% of the lipids. Most abundant long-chain fatty acids were behenic acid (C22:0; 7.1%), lignoceric acid (C24:0; 5.3%) and montanic acid (C28:0; 4.0%). The percentage of saturated lipids in S. ambigua meal was higher than that of vegetable oils with a MUFA nutritional profile and some of these lipids have known bioactive properties.

The usage of the new language is a crucial aspect in immigrant youth adaptation. However, despite substantial inter- and intraindividual variability and dynamic changes, language usage has been studied primarily with a focus on static interindividual differences. This study utilized a recently introduced Temporal Model of Acculturative Change to test associations between language acquisition and friendship homophily. More specifically, three concepts were tested: pace (individual rate of change), relative timing (the deviation from peers with similar length of residence), and transition timing (preparedness for the relocation). Data comprised a three-wave-longitudinal sample of 820 ethnic German adolescents from Eastern European States who immigrated to Germany (Mage = 16.1, 57% girls). Results revealed, particularly among recent immigrant adolescents, that transition timing predicted earlier relative acculturation timing in language usage and that early relative timing in language usage predicted levels and change rates in friendship homophily (over and above acculturation pace and the actual level of language usage). Findings highlight the need to better understand the dynamics in acculturation processes of immigrant youth., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide due to its efficacy in weed control in agriculture. This herbicide has been consistently detected in the aquatic environment, causing harmful consequences to nontarget organisms residing in agricultural regions. In this study, we assessed the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate (30-100 µg/L) on the early life stages of the viviparous fish Jenynsia multidentata through biochemical and locomotor endpoints. At 96 h of exposure, 30 and 65 µg/L glyphosate caused an increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and 65 µg/L glyphosate also augmented the levels of lipid peroxidation. Glyphosate at 100 µg/L did not alter the activity of acetylcholinesterase or the levels of lipid peroxidation, but it stimulated the activity of the cellular detoxification enzyme glutathione S-transferase. In addition, all concentrations affected the swimming of the fish. Under light conditions, glyphosate caused hypolocomotion at all concentrations tested, whereas under dark conditions, this was observed at 30 and 100 µg/L. Hyperlocomotion was observed at 65 µg/L glyphosate. These findings are alarming for the health of fish, such as J. multidentata that inhabit streams that pass through agricultural areas, especially for the early life stages of these fish. Research studying the effects of pollutants on native species is relevant to improve regulation that protects aquatic ecosystems., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Drawing upon 3 years of fieldwork with a nonprofit fitness education development program targeting "at-risk" Baltimore youth, this article examines pedagogical barriers rooted in the perceived, and materially experienced, differences of race, gender, class, and culture. Set within the confines of increasingly privatized spaces of fitness/health in a starkly divided Baltimore, MD, this study demonstrated how interventions were rooted in a self-congratulatory and neocolonial benevolence—steeped in a largely unacknowledged form of neoliberal individualism—which routinely denied and silenced impacts of racism. Observations of instructor–student interaction revealed substantial disconnects concerning definitions of the body, fitness, and significance of race in health disparities, resulting in student refusal and program cessation. Given the power dynamics between white fitness-philanthropists and Black youth, the author, as active participant–observer, occupied a liminal space where considerations of authenticity and immersion became critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the detailed molecular characterization of two PLA₂s, Lys49 and Asp49 isolated from Bothrops leucurus venom, and examined their effects against Dengue virus (DENV). The Bl-PLA₂s, named BlK-PLA₂ and BlD-PLA₂, are composed of 121 and 122 amino acids determined by automated sequencing of the native proteins and peptides produced by digestion with trypsin. They contain fourteen cysteines with pIs of 9.05 and 8.18 for BlK- and BlD-PLA₂s, and show a high degree of sequence similarity to homologous snake venom PLA₂s, but may display different biological effects. Molecular masses of 13,689.220 (Lys49) and 13,978.386 (Asp49) were determined by mass spectrometry. DENV causes a prevalent arboviral disease in humans, and no clinically approved antiviral therapy is currently available to treat DENV infections. The maximum non-toxic concentration of the proteins to LLC-MK2 cells determined by MTT assay was 40 µg/mL for Bl-PLA₂s (pool) and 20 µg/mL for each isoform. Antiviral effects of Bl-PLA₂s were assessed by quantitative Real-Time PCR. Bl-PLA₂s were able to reduce DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3 serotypes in LLC-MK2 cells infection. Our data provide further insight into the structural properties and their antiviral activity against DENV, opening up possibilities for biotechnological applications of these Bl-PLA₂s as tools of research.

A method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine pesticides in fish liver and crab hepatopancreas was optimized. Ethyl acetate and acetonitrile were evaluated as elution solvents and their volumes were also checked. The best results were obtained with 1.0 g reused C18 as sorbent, using 5 mL acetonitrile as the elution solvent. Analytical recoveries ranged between 57 and 107% with RSD lower than 26% in fish liver and between 56 and 122% with RSD lower than 21% in crab hepatopancreas. The LOQ values for these compounds ranged from 0.05 to 0.5 mg kg(-1) for crab hepatopancreas and from 0.125 to 1.25 mg kg(-1) for fish liver. MPSD was shown to be easy and fast to use, with a clear advantage regarding costs because it does not need any expensive instrument. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine dimethoate, atrazine, clomazone, fenitrothion, malathion, fipronil and tebuconazole in fish liver and crab hepatopancreas samples., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica 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.)

Federated learning (FL) is a decentralized approach to training machine learning model. In the traditional architecture, the training requires getting the whole data what causes a threat to the privacy of the sensitive data. FL was proposed to overcome the cited limits. The principal of FL revolves around training machine learning models locally on individual devices instead of gathering all the data in a central server, and only the updated models are shared and aggregated. Concerning e-learning, it is about using electronic/digital technology to deliver educational content in order to facilitate the learning. It becomes popular with the advancement of the internet and digital devices mainly after the COVID-19. In this work, we propose an e-learning recommendation system based on FL architecture where we can propose suitable courses to the learner. Because of the important number of connected learners looking for online courses, the FL encounters a problem: bottleneck communication. This situation can cause the increase of the computational load, the longer time of the aggregation, the saturation of the resources, etc. As solution, we propose using the edge computing potentials so that the aggregation will be performed first in the edge layer then in the central server, reducing hence, the need for continuous data transmission to the server and enabling a faster inference while keeping the security and privacy of the data. The experiments carried out prove the effectiveness of our approach in solving the problem addressed in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of an accurate diagnosis has been a serious obstacle to the advancement of the anti-Trypanosoma cruzi chemotherapy and long-term infection can result in different health risks to human. PCRs are alternative methods, more sensitive than conventional parasitological techniques, which due to their low sensitivities are considered unsuitable for these purposes. The aim of this study was to investigate a sensitive diagnostic strategy to quantify blood and cardiac tissues parasites based on real-time PCR tools during acute and chronic phases of murine Chagas disease, as well as to monitor the evolution of infection in those mice under specific treatment. In parallel, fresh blood examination, immunological analysis and quantification of cardiac inflammation were also performed to confront and improve real-time PCR data. Similar profiles of parasitemia curves were observed in both quantification techniques during the acute phase of the infection. In contrast, parasites could be quantified only by real-time PCR at 60 and 120 days of infection. In cardiac tissue, real-time PCR detected T. cruzi DNA in 100% of infected mice, and using this tool a significant Pearson correlation between parasite load in peripheral blood and in cardiac tissue during acute and chronic phases was observed. Levels of serum CCL2, CCL5 and nitric oxide were coincident with parasite load but focal and diffuse mononuclear infiltrates was observed, even with significant (p<0.05) reduction of parasitism after 60 days of infection. Later, this methodology was used to monitor the evolution of infection in animals treated with itraconazole (Itz). Itz-treatment induced a reduction of parasite load in both blood and cardiac muscle at the treatment period, but after the end of chemotherapy an increase of parasitism was detected. Interestingly, inflammatory mediators levels and heart inflammation intensity had similar evolution to the parasite load, in the group of animals treated. Taken together, our data show that real-time PCR strategy used was suitable for studies of murine T. cruzi infection and may prove useful in investigations involving experimental chemotherapy of the disease and the benefits of treatment in relation to parasitism and inflammatory response., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Brazilian medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of diarrhoea were investigated for their in vitro antiviral activity against the simian rotavirus SA11., Materials and Methods: The ethanolic crude extracts of plants collected in the cerrado of Minas Gerais, Brazil were submitted to phytochemical screening. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was inferred by cellular morphologic alterations. Antiviral activity was assessed by the ability of the extracts to inhibit the cytopathic effect (CPE) of rotavirus on the treated cells. RT-PCR was performed to confirm and/or confront antiviral assay data., Results: The maximum non-toxic concentration ranged from 50 to 500 μg/mL. All extracts were toxic at a concentration of 5000 μg/mL but no extract showed cytotoxicity at 50 μg/mL. The species Byrsonima verbascifolia, Myracrodruon urundeuva, Eugenia dysenterica and Hymenaea courbaril exhibited the strongest in vitro activity against rotavirus. Their extracts prevented the formation of CPE, and RT-PCR analysis detected no amplification of genetic material from rotavirus. Tannins, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins and terpenes were the major classes of natural products found in the leaf extracts that showed antiviral activity., Conclusion: Among the species studied, Byrsonima verbascifolia, Eugenia dysenterica, Hymenaea courbaril and Myracrodruon urundeuva showed potential activity against rotavirus and are worthy of further study. The present study corroborates ethnopharmacological data as a valuable source in the selection of plants with antiviral activity and to some extent validates their traditional uses., (Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Through a continuous in vivo drug pressure protocol, using mice as experimental model, we induced benznidazole resistance in Trypanosoma cruzi stocks. Full resistance was obtained for four out of five T. cruzi stocks analyzed. However, the number of benznidazole doses (40-180), as well as the time (4-18 months) necessary to induce resistance varied among the different T. cruzi stocks. The resistance phenotype remained stable after T. cruzi stocks has been maintained by 12 passages in mice (six months) and in acellular culture for the same time. However, the maintenance of resistant parasite for 12 months in acellular culture induces a reduction in its level of benznidazole resistance, while no alteration was detected in parasite maintained for the same time in mice. The data showed the stability of the resistance acquired by drug pressure, but suggest the possibility of reversible changes in the resistance levels after maintenance for long time in acellular culture.

The goals of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of benznidazole (Bz) treatment in decreasing of the parasitic load during the acute phase of experimental Chagas disease and to analyze its influence in the development of cardiac chronic alterations in mice inoculated with drug-resistant Trypanosoma cruzi strains. Our results showed that the early Bz treatment (started at 4th day of infection) was efficient in reducing the parasite load in animals from both acute and chronic phase of the infection. Moreover, this reduction in the parasite load could not be associated with the intensity of the cardiac chronic lesions. The histopathological evaluation of cardiac tissue of Bz-treated mice showed three different patterns of response: (1) presence of a small number of inflammatory cells and fibrotic area similar to noninfected mice; (2) similar intensity of inflammatory infiltrate and smaller fibrotic area in relation to nontreated animals; (3) similar intensity of inflammatory infiltrated and fibrosis area among the Bz-treated and nontreated animals. Each specific pattern was obtained with different T. cruzi strain, suggesting that the pattern of the heart lesions in chronic phase of Bz-treated animals was T. cruzi strain dependent but not related with drug resistance levels.

We analyzed the influence of Trypanosoma cruzi maintenance in different hosts (dog and mouse) on its susceptibility to benznidazole treatment. Five T. cruzi stocks were isolated from dogs inoculated with Be-62 or Be-78 strain (both sensitive to benznidazole) 2-10 years ago, and the benznidazole sensitivity was then determined using the mouse as experimental model. The different T. cruzi stocks obtained from long-term infected dogs showed 50-90% drug resistance right after isolation. However, maintenance of these T. cruzi stocks in mice, by successive blood passages (2.5 years), led to either a decrease or stability of the drug resistance pattern and an increase in parasite virulence. We also demonstrated the effectiveness of the induction of parasitemia reactivation by cyclophosphamide immunosuppression in the evaluation of the response to the specific drug treatment.

Background: The CAPS-5 is a reliable instrument for assessing PTSD symptoms, demonstrating strong consistency, validity, and reliability after a traumatic event. However, further research is warranted to explore the divergent validity of the CAPS-5 and its adaptation to diverse cultural contexts. Objective: In this meta-analysis, we endeavoured to comprehensively evaluate the reliability generalization of the CAPS-5 across diverse populations and clinical contexts. Methods: A reliability generalization meta-analysis on the psychometric properties of CAPS-5 was conducted, encompassing 15 studies. The original versions' psychometric properties were systematically retrieved from databases including PubMed, PsychNet, Medline, CHAHL, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with a focus on studies published between 2013 and 2023. Two independent investigators evaluated study quality using QUADAS-2 and COSMIN RB, pre-registering the protocol in the Prospero database for transparency and minimizing bias risk. Results: Meta-analysis reveals CAPS-5 global reliability (α = 0.92, 95% CI [0.90, 0.94]), z = 99.44, p < 0.05 across 15 studies, supporting consistent internal consistency. Subscale analysis shows variability in Reexperiencing (α = 0.82), Avoidance (α = 0.68), Cognition and Mood (α = 0.82), and Hyperarousal (α = 0.74), with an overall estimate of 0.77 (95% CI [0.70;0.83]). Language-dependent analysis highlights reliability variations (α range: 0.83 to 0.92) across Brazilian- Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, German, Korean, and Portuguese. Test--retest reliability demonstrates stability (r = 0.82, 95% CI [0.79; 0.85]), with overall convergent validity (r = 0.59, 95% CI [0.50;0.68]). Conclusion: The meta-analysis affirms CAPS-5's robust global and subscale reliability across studies and languages, with stable test--retest results. Moderator analysis finds no significant impact, yet substantial residual heterogeneity remains unexplained. Our findings contribute intricate insights into the psychometric properties of this instrument, offering a more complete understanding of its utility in PTSD assessment. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_ record.php?ID=CRD42023483748. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in environmental matrices is considered one of the major scientific concerns. Most of these substances are disposed of unchanged through wastewater treatment plants and sewage systems. Consequently, they are continuously introduced into the water systems and progressively contaminate surface, ground and drinking water. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of emerging contaminants including parabens were released to the environment through various routes. In this study, the occurrence of parabens (methylparaben (MePB), ethylparaben (EtPB), propylparaben (PrPB), and butylparaben (BuPB) was investigated in wastewater samples from various wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the receiving surface waters in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng Provinces (South Africa). Methods: The samples were collected between October 2020 and December 2021, covering the 2nd, 3rd and 4th waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. A solid phase extraction protocol with high-performance liquid chromatography was used to extract and enrich parabens before analysis. Results and Discussion: Methylparaben (2.02-84.7 μg/L), EtPB (<0.24-24.8 μg/L), PrPB (<0.26-55.1 μg/L), and BuPB (<0.27-17.3 μg/L) were quantified in wastewater influent collected WWTPs of KwaZulu Natal Province. While <0.19-5.43 μg/L, <0.16-5.63 μg/L, <0.17-6.89 μg/L, and <0.19-5.32 μg/L for MePB, EtPB, PrPB, and BuPB, respectively, were quantified in effluent wastewater from the same province. The concentrations of MePB, EtPB, PrPB, and BuPB in influent wastewater from Gauteng Province were 2.58-123 μg/L, <0.24-33.6 μg/L, 3.77-73.4 μg/L and <0.27-85.8 μg/L, respectively. In effluent wastewater, concentrations ranging from 0.24-17.76 μg/L (MePB), <0.16-4.88 μg/L (EtPB), 0.69-12.5 μg/L (PrPB), and <0.19-4.726 μg/L (BuPB) were quantified. During the 4th wave, the concentrations of parabens in surface water were lower compared to the second and third waves of the pandemic. In general, the paraben residues in the surface of KwaZulu Natal Province (<0.08-16.4 μg/L) were higher than those in Gauteng Province (0.08-3.14 µg/L). Methylparaben and propylparaben were dominant in all investigated samples (wastewater and surface water), followed by ethylparaben. The ecotoxicological risk assessment was carried out for aquatic biota, which was estimated in terms of risk quotients (RQs). RQs for the target compounds in river water indicated that MePB and EtPB pose low risk, whereas PrPB and BuPB pose low to medium risk to aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), affects approximately 6–7 million people worldwide. However, its pharmacological treatment causes several uncomfortable side effects, causing patients' treatment abandonment. Therefore, there is a need for new and better treatments. In this work, the molecular docking of nine hundred twenty-four FDA-approved drugs on three different sites of trypanothione reductase of T. cruzi (TcTR) was carried out to find potential trypanocidal agents. Finally, biological evaluations in vitro and in vivo were conducted with the selected FDA-approved drugs. Digoxin, alendronate, flucytosine, and dihydroergotamine showed better trypanocidal activity than the reference drugs benznidazole and nifurtimox in the in vitro evaluation against the trypomastigotes form. Further, these FDA-approved drugs were able to reduce 20–50% parasitemia in a short time in an in vivo model, although with less efficiency than benznidazole. Therefore, the results suggest a combined therapy of repurposed and canonical drugs against T. cruzi infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food insecurity is a social determinant of health linked with elevated HIV exposure. Safer sex efficacy (SSE), the ability to navigate sexual decision-making and condom use, is an important marker of sexual wellbeing. Pathways from food insecurity to SSE are understudied, particularly among adolescents in Arctic regions who are at the nexus of food insecurity and sexual health disparities. We examined pathways from food insecurity to SSE among adolescents in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. Methods: We implemented cross-sectional surveys with adolescents aged 13–18 recruited through venue-based sampling in 17 NWT communities. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to assess socio-demographic factors associated with food insecurity. We then conducted structural equation modeling (SEM) using maximum likelihood estimation to assess direct effects of food insecurity on SSE and indirect effects via resilience, depression, and relationship power inequity. We assessed both condom use SSE (e.g., confidence in using condoms) and situational SSE (e.g., SSE under partner pressure). Results: Most participants (n = 410) identified as Indigenous (79%) and 45% reported experiencing food insecurity. In SEM, we did not find a significant direct effect from food insecurity to SSE; however, we found indirect effects from food insecurity to condom use SSE through resilience and depression and from food insecurity to situational SSE through resilience. Conclusions: Findings call for structural interventions to address food insecurity, alongside resilience-focused strategies that address the intersection of sexual and mental health. Sexual health strategies focused on individual behavior change are insufficient to address larger contexts of poverty among Northern youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different culture mediums based on the Walne medium on the growth rate, chemical composition, and fatty acid (FA) profile in I. galbana and N. oculata. This experiment was done in a factorial design with two culture media (Walne and modified Walne media) and two microalgae species, including I. galbana and N. oculata. The results showed that the modified culture medium increased total and daily fresh and dried biomass production of I. galbana and N. oculata. Modified culture media increased crude fat (CF) and crude protein (CP) content and total and daily lipid production in both the studied species. However, in both the studied culture mediums, N. oculata had higher growth and production performance compared to I. galbana. Modified growth media also affects the FA profiles of the studied microalgae species. Total saturated and unsaturated FA content was not influenced by the growth medium but modified media increased poly unsaturated FA (PUFA) at the expense of mono unsaturated FA (MUFA). Omega- 3 FA content (linolenic acid, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) was increased as a result of the medium modification in both species (P<0.05). However, linoleic acid content was affected differently in I. galbana and N. oculata. The linoleic acid concentration was reduced in modified medium grown N. oculata but increased in I. galbana (P<0.05). Palmitic acid and stearic acid contents were also decreased in both of the studied species in the modified medium (P<0.05). This study develops microalgal cultivation using a modified Walne medium for higher CP, CF, EPA, DHA contents, the ratio of omega3: omega6 FA, and biomass production in N. oculata and I. galbana microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water temperature is a major environmental factor affecting fish activity, physiology, behavior, and growth. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) has garnered much attention lately as an aqua feed supplement because of its antioxidant effects. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of dietary ALA on performance, hematological and immunological indices, behavior and oxidative stress, apoptosis, and genetic inflammation in Oreochromis niloticus following 60 days of cold stress. Two hundred forty fish were divided into four groups (15 fish/replicate, N = 60 fish/group). The control (CNT) and ALA groups were reared at 25 °C and fed a basal diet without any supplementation or a basal diet containing 600 mg ALA/kg diet, respectively. The cold water-stressed group (CWS) and ALA + CWS groups were reared at 18 °C and fed basal and basal diets containing ALA, respectively. The results revealed that dietary ALA supplementation significantly improved feed utilization and growth in fish. ALA also mitigated CWS-induced microcytic hypochromic anemia and hyperlipidemia. Moreover, ALA supplementation considerably enhanced the antioxidant status and boosted intestinal α amylase, lipase, protease, and serum acetylcholinesterase activity of CWS-exposed fish. Besides, ALA supplementation significantly reversed CWS-induced upregulation of proinflammatory genes, pro-apoptotic genes, heat shock protein, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen or downregulation of superoxide dismutase and catalase gene expressions in liver and spleen tissues. Furthermore, ALA supplementation reduced CWS-induced histopathological alterations in fish liver, spleen, and intestine. We can conclude that ALA (600 mg/kg diet) could be recommended as an aqua feed supplement to boost growth, antioxidant capacity, and immunity and attenuate inflammatory and apoptotic reactions of fish reared under CWS-induced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family language policy (FLP) impacts the maintenance of heritage language(s) in the family domain, where parents play a crucial role in making language-related decisions for their children. Globalisation, immigration, the COVID-19 pandemic, and digital communication have all affected FLP. Studies are now calling for examining how dispersed transnational families incorporate digital practices as a part of their FLP, given the shift from the exclusive use of traditional face-to-face communication to the inclusion of digital communication media such as Skype and WhatsApp. This research examines the viability of utilising Spolsky's tripartite framework to study the new concept of 'networked FLP,' a term coined by Curdt-Christiansen and Huang, which acknowledges dispersed families and digital communication. We examine data from ten Bengali immigrant families in Australia with dispersed senior family members living abroad. Our findings enrich the concept of networked FLP by highlighting the digital affordances that networked FLP provides to dispersed transnational families and the importance of socio-cultural and emotional factors when applying Spolsky's framework to FLP with digital media. We show that family bonding, maintaining heritage culture, and emotional connections are the primary motivations for digital communication, while language learning is secondary. Our study finds that it is essential to incorporate sociocultural and emotional factors when investigating networked FLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In this paper, we study not only the fundamental properties of a new class of functions called contra-strongly M-precontinuous functions but also we introduce the new notion of strongly P-closed spaces and present some of their basic properties. Moreover, we obtain some preservation theorems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Literatura Colombiana is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Comunicaciones 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 swift advancement in communication technology alongside the rise of the Medical Internet of Things (IoT) has spurred the extensive adoption of diverse sensor-driven healthcare and monitoring systems. While the rapid development of healthcare systems is underway, concerns about the privacy leakage of medical data have also attracted attention. Federated learning plays a certain protective role in data, but studies have shown that gradient transmission under federated learning environments still leads to privacy leakage. Therefore, we proposed secure and efficient federated learning schemes for smart healthcare systems. In this scheme, we used Paillier encryption technology to encrypt the shared training models on the client side, ensuring the security and privacy of the training models. Meanwhile, we designed a zero-knowledge identity authentication module to verify the authenticity of clients participating in the training process. Second, we designed a gradient filtering compression algorithm to eliminate locally updated gradients that were irrelevant to the convergence trend and used computationally negligible compression operators to quantize updates, thereby improving communication efficiency while ensuring model accuracy. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed scheme not only had high model accuracy but also had significant advantages in communication overhead compared with existing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In this paper, we deal with the notion of (τ1, τ2)-R1 bitopological spaces. Moreover, some characterizations of (τ1, τ2)-R1 bitopological spaces are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we deal with the notions of weakly s(Λ, p)-open functions and weakly s(Λ, p)-closed functions. Moreover, we establish several characterizations of weakly s(Λ, p)-open functions and weakly s(Λ, p)-closed functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) unavoidably contaminate aquatic environments, yet their combined effect on aquatic organisms has been scarcely investigated. We present a short-term study on individual and combined effects of aged polyethylene (PE) microplastics and GBH exposures at environmentally relevant concentrations on oxidative damage, antioxidant responses, immune parameters, and hepatopancreas histology in shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). In addition, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was evaluated as a biomarker of GBH exposure. After 96 hours of exposure, individual PE microplastic exposure slightly influenced oxidative status, immune parameters, and histology. Decreases in AChE concentration and alterations in oxidative status, immunity, and cell population in hepatopancreas were observed in single GBH-exposed shrimp. The combinations of aged PE microplastics and GBH induced some changes that differed from individual GBH exposures. For instance, some alterations implied that the presence of aged PE microplastics may alter GBH toxicity to L. vannamei (AChE concentration and some expressions of immune-related genes). In conclusion, our results suggest that single exposure of aged PE microplastics at environmental concentration may slightly affect the health of L. vannamei and that aged PE microplastics are likely to modify the toxicity of other co-exposed chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last several decades, Iran's ecosystem has suffered due to the careless usage of natural resources. Cities have grown in an uneven and non-normative way, and poor project management has been a major issue, particularly in large cities. An even greater number of environmental factors and engineering regulations are not relevant to projects. Because of this, in order to ascertain a project's environmental impact, an environmental impact assessment (EIA), is required. Using the rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) is one method of applying it to EIA. Reducing subjectivity brings objectivity and transparency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a thorough EIA was carried out for the Tehran project utilizing the RIAM and other possibilities. This research is the first to combine the methodology that was discussed during the incident. Through the use of the RIAM technique, the environmental impact of COVID-19 was to be quantified in this inquiry. The research examined lockdown procedures and the COVID-19 pandemic to create an EIA indicator. In a real-world case study conducted in Tehran, Iran, the impact of the initiative was evaluated using the RIAM methodology during the COVID-19 epidemic. The results demonstrated that COVID-19 had both beneficial and harmful effects. Decision-makers were effectively informed about the COVID-19 pandemic's environmental consequences on people and the environment, as well as how to minimize negative effects, according to the EIA technique that used RIAM. This is the first research to integrate the EIA during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, with the RIAM approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates differential privacy in federated learning. This topic has been actively examined in conventional network environments, but few studies have investigated it in the Internet of Vehicles, especially considering various mobility patterns. In particular, this work aims to measure and enumerate the trade-off between accuracy of performance and the level of data protection and evaluate how mobility patterns affect it. To this end, this paper proposes a method considering three factors: learning models, vehicle mobility, and a privacy algorithm. By taking into account mobility patterns, local differential privacy is enhanced with an adaptive clipping method and applied to a mobility-based federated learning model. Experiments run the model on vehicular networks with two different mobility scenarios representing a non-accident traffic situation and traffic events, respectively. Results show that our privacy-enhanced federated learning models degrade accuracy performance by 2.96–3.26% on average, which is compared to the performance drop (42.97% on average) in conventional federated learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated Learning (FL), as an emergent paradigm in privacy-preserving machine learning, has garnered significant interest from scholars and engineers across both academic and industrial spheres. Despite its innovative approach to model training across distributed networks, FL has its vulnerabilities; the centralized server-client architecture introduces risks of single-point failures. Moreover, the integrity of the global model--a cornerstone of FL--is susceptible to compromise through poisoning attacks by malicious actors. Such attacks and the potential for privacy leakage via inference starkly undermine FL's foundational privacy and security goals. For these reasons, some participants unwilling use their private data to train a model, which is a bottleneck in the development and industrialization of federated learning. Blockchain technology, characterized by its decentralized ledger system, offers a compelling solution to these issues. It inherently prevents single-point failures and, through its incentive mechanisms, motivates participants to contribute computing power. Thus, blockchain-based FL (BCFL) emerges as a natural progression to address FL's challenges. This study begins with concise introductions to federated learning and blockchain technologies, followed by a formal analysis of the specific problems that FL encounters. It discusses the challenges of combining the two technologies and presents an overview of the latest cryptographic solutions that prevent privacy leakage during communication and incentives in BCFL. In addition, this research examines the use of BCFL in various fields, such as the Internet of Things and the Internet of Vehicles. Finally, it assesses the effectiveness of these solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]