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Background: Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is considered an emerging rescue therapy for patients with chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). The aim of the study was to set up a web-based data collection tool for lung transplant patients with CLAD undergoing ECP. Methods: The web-based tool was developed using Oracle MySQL and coded in HyperText Markup Language, JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheets and was set up with pre- and post-transplant data of possible interest in CLAD. Results: The software consists of 7 major sections. The validation cohort consisted of 25 lung transplant patients (13 men and 12 women, median age at transplant 51 years). A significant improvement in the rate of decline of forced expiratory volumes in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC after introduction of ECP was observed. Forty-four percent of patients showed a

In this paper, we present a class of autonomous nonlinear oscillators with non-autonomous first integral. We prove explicitly the existence of a global sink which is, under some conditions, an algebraic limit cycle. For that class, we draw the possible phase portraits in the Poincaré disk.

Reaction Systems (RSs) are a computational framework inspired by biochemical mechanisms. An RS defines a finite set of reactions over a finite set of entities (molecules, proteins, etc). Starting from an initial set of entities (the initial state), a computation is performed by applying all reactions to a state in order to produce the following state, giving rise to a sequence of sets of entities. RSs have shown to be a general computational framework whose application ranges from the modeling of biological phenomena to molecular chemistry and computer science. In this paper, we contribute to research on the application of RSs for modeling biological systems. We consider the problem of modeling hemostasis, for which several models have been defined, starting from the 1960s. Previous models are based on sets of ordinary differential equations, while we develop a discrete model in RSs for pathways of the secondary hemostasis. Then, we implement our model in BioReSolve, a computational framework for RSs that we have previously defined which provides tools for the specification and verification of properties. By using the tools in BioReSolve we derive important observations on the model behaviour for hemostasis, and in particular, we study the role of three important inhibitors, verifying that their presence or absence leads to phenomena such as thrombophilia, or thromboembolism, or excessive coagulation, etc. We can also study computationally the causality relations between the molecules involved in the reactions showing which entities play a fundamental role, thus contributing to the design of more effective and specialized drugs. Our work can hence help to show how to model complex biological systems in RSs and derive computationally and biologically relevant properties of the systems.

L’insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC) est en nette augmentation partout dans le monde. La prise en charge nutritionnelle demeure une question centrale qui fait l’objet de travaux permanents ayant pour but la prévention des complications métaboli-ques, endocriniennes et osseuses qui augmentent avec la réduction du débit de filtra-tion glomérulaire (DFG). Parmi les mesures diététiques préconisées pour préserver la fonction rénale, retarder le début du traitement de suppléance et maintenir les patients dans un état de santé satisfaisant: la restriction protidique de 0,5 à 0,28 g/kg/j selon le stade de l’IRC, une limitation du sodium, la prévention de l'hyperkaliémie, la correction de l'acidose, la lutte contre l'hyperparathyroïdie secondaire par une supplémentation calcique précoce et un régime pauvre en phosphore, traitement de l’anémie et la dyslipi-démie. Le dépistage de ces troubles doit être systématique. L’efficacité est assurée lors-qu’une bonne coopération existe entre le néphrologue et le diététicien. [Chronic kidney failure (CKF) is on the rise all over the world. Nutritional care remains a key issue and is the subject of ongoing work aimed at preventing metabolic, endocrine and bone complications that increase with the reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Among the dietary measures recommended to preserve kidney function, delay the start of replacement therapy, and maintain patients in a satisfactory health state: protein restriction of 0.5 to 0.28g/kg/d, depending on the CKF stage, sodium limitation, hyperkalaemia prevention, acidosis correction, fight against secondary hyperparathyroidism by early calcium supplementation and low phosphorus diet, treatment of anemia and dyslipidemia. Screening for these disorders should be syste-matic. Effectiveness is ensured when good cooperation exists between nephrologist and dietitian.]

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum OV50 is a novel strain that was isolated from Algerian olives. Prior to its use as a natural biopreservative, OV50 underwent characterization for various functions. OV50 shows no proteolytic, lipolytic, or hemolytic activity. In addition, it is non-cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells and does not exhibit acquired antibiotic resistance. OV50 was tested with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27835, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, and Vibrio cholerae ATCC 14035 in a sardine based-medium at 37 °C and 7 °C. At 37 °C, OV50 completely inhibited the growth of these foodborne pathogens for a maximum of 6 h. At 7 °C, it suppressed their growth for a maximum of 8 days, except for S. aureus ATCC 6538, whose growth was reduced from 4 to 2 log CFU/mL. Microbiological counts, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and peroxide values (PV) concentrations were determined in fresh sardines inoculated with OV50 and kept at 7 °C for 12 days. The inoculated sardines showed a significant reduction in TVB-N levels at D8 (34.9 mg/100 g) compared to the control (59.73 mg/100 g) and in PV concentrations at D4 (6.67 meq/kg) compared to the control (11.44 meq/kg), as well as a significant reduction in the numbers of Enterobacterales, Coliforms, Pseudomonas spp., Vibrio spp., and S. aureus At D8 and D12 compared to the control. Taken together, these results indicate that OV50 can improve the microbiological safety, freshness, and quality of sardines.

AbstractThis paper aims to study the non parametric Negative Binomial Quasi-Maximum Likelihood Estimation (NBQMLE) for locally stationary integer valued processes. So, we have considered two locally stationary integer-valued models of negative binomial type, namely: INARCH(p) and INGARCH(p,q) models. Imposing some contraction arguments, we have extended the stationary negative-binomial QMLE to a localized one in our non-stationary environment. This estimation method is based on a kernel function that achieves the convergence rates of nhn order. Under some regularity assumptions, the consistency, as well as the asymptotic normality of the obtained estimator, are established. The performances of the established estimators are evaluated via a simulation study and an application to real data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider limit cycles of a class of polynomial differential systems of the form \begin{cases} \dot{x}=y, \dot{y}=-x-\varepsilon(g_{21}( x) y^{2\alpha+1} +f_{21}(x) y^{2\beta})-\varepsilon^2(g_{22}( x) y^{2\alpha+1}+f_{22}( x) y^{2\beta}), \end{cases} where $\beta$ and $\alpha$ are positive integers, $g_{2j}$ and $f_{2j}$ have degree $m$ and $n$, respectively, for each $j=1,2$, and $\varepsilon$ is a small parameter. We obtain the maximum number of limit cycles that bifurcate from the periodic orbits of the linear center $\dot{x}=y$, $\dot{y}=-x$ using the averaging theory of first and second order.

Abstract To enhance the robustness and dynamic performance of a self-excited induction generator (SEIG) used in a stand-alone wind energy system (WES), a virtual flux oriented control (VFOC) based on nonlinear super-twisting sliding mode control (STSMC) is adopted. STSMC is used to replace the conventional proportional-integral-Fuzzy Logic Controller (PI-FLC) of the inner current control loops. The combination of the proposed control strategy with space vector modulation (SVM) applied to a PWM rectifier brings many advantages such as reduction in harmonics, and precise and rapid tracking of the references. The performance of the proposed control technique (STSMC-VFOC-SVM) is verified through simulations and compared with the traditional technique (PI-FLC-VFOC-SVM). It shows that the proposed method improves the dynamics of the system with reduced current harmonics. In addition, the use of a virtual flux estimator instead of a phase-locked loop (PLL) eliminates the line voltage sensors and thus increases the reliability of the system.

Reaction Systems (RSs) are a computational framework inspired by biochemical mechanisms. An RS defines a finite set of reactions over a finite set of entities (molecules, proteins, etc). Starting from an initial set of entities (the initial state), a computation is performed by applying all reactions to a state in order to produce the following state, giving rise to a sequence of sets of entities. RSs have shown to be a general computational framework whose application ranges from the modeling of biological phenomena to molecular chemistry and computer science. In this paper, we contribute to research on the application of RSs for modeling biological systems. We consider the problem of modeling hemostasis, for which several models have been defined, starting from the 1960s. Previous models are based on sets of ordinary differential equations, while we develop a discrete model in RSs for pathways of the secondary hemostasis. Then, we implement our model in BioReSolve, a computational framework for RSs that we have previously defined which provides tools for the specification and verification of properties. By using the tools in BioReSolve we derive important observations on the model behaviour for hemostasis, and in particular, we study the role of three important inhibitors, verifying that their presence or absence leads to phenomena such as thrombophilia, or thromboembolism, or excessive coagulation, etc. We can also study computationally the causality relations between the molecules involved in the reactions showing which entities play a fundamental role, thus contributing to the design of more effective and specialized drugs. Our work can hence help to show how to model complex biological systems in RSs and derive computationally and biologically relevant properties of the systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph Neural Networks have proven to be very valuable models for the solution of a wide variety of problems on molecular graphs, as well as in many other research fields involving graph-structured data. Molecules are heterogeneous graphs composed of atoms of different species. Composite graph neural networks process heterogeneous graphs with multiple-state-updating networks, each one dedicated to a particular node type. This approach allows for the extraction of information from s graph more efficiently than standard graph neural networks that distinguish node types through a one-hot encoded type of vector. We carried out extensive experimentation on eight molecular graph datasets and on a large number of both classification and regression tasks. The results we obtained clearly show that composite graph neural networks are far more efficient in this setting than standard graph neural networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) on inflation dynamics in Japan from 2000 to 2024. Employing cointegration and ARDL modeling techniques, the research reveals a statistically significant long-term relationship, where heightened economic uncertainty corresponds with increased inflationary pressures in the Japanese economy. Increases in EPU are associated with substantial rises in inflation rates, highlighting the crucial role of policy stability in managing inflationary pressures. The error correction model further reveals the dynamic short-term effects, where both past inflation rates and changes in EPU influence current inflation levels. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining a predictable economic policy environment for mitigating inflation risks and fostering economic stability in Japan. The study contributes valuable insights for policymakers navigating the complexities of economic policy uncertainty and inflation management in Japan's unique economic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterbirds monitoring is an important tool for characterize the functional role of marshes and to develop management methods for their sustainable protection. In Algeria, Mellah marsh is an exceptional site for waterbirds that forms the only eco-complex marsh - lagoon - Mediterranean Sea, but facing increasing levels of anthropization, which could damage its patrimonial value. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity and the structure of waterbirds stand and to compare the results with those obtained twenty years ago. The fieldwork was conducted during 2020/2021 period (from December 2020 to November 2021), where we conducted waterbirds identification and counts. We also realized, by remote sensing techniques, the detailed mapping of the study site, to highlight the evolution of land use around the site. The results shows a great land use changes, associated with the disappearance of 15 species, and an average decline of 81% of waterbirds abundance in the marsh, excepting for the Black- winged Stilt, the Eurasian Coot, the Great Egret, and the Little Egret, that have seen their populations increase substantially compared to those recorded in 2001. These results are preliminary data that confirm the incidence of anthropic factors on waterbirds diversity in Mellah marsh, and the need to develop management methods for their sustainable protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-5369 isolated from a traditional Algerian dairy product produces extracellular inhibitory substances, namely, bacteriocins, which are active against a panel of pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. This activity was observed only at a narrow pH 4.5–5, and resulted to be heat stable and sensitive to the action of proteolytic enzymes, which indicate a proteinaceous nature. This new strain has a genome of 2,752,975 bp, with a 46.6% G + C ratio and contains at least 2664 coding sequences. The Bagel software analysis identified five open reading frames (ORFs) that are translated to new class II bacteriocin. Each ORF was cloned in frame with a His-tag tail and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) (pLysS) strain. Of note, each fusion protein carrying any of these ORFs at the C- or N-terminal position resulted to be active against E. coli 184 strain used as target organism. This manuscript reports the first multi-bacteriocinogenic strain producing five new class II bacteriocins with activity against Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), namely, E. coli. Heterologous expression and activity of each new class II bacteriocin were demonstrated.

A class of Kolmogorov differential system is introduced. It is shown that under suitable assumptions on degrees and parameters, algebraic limit cycles can occur. we propose an easy algorithm to test the existence of limit cycles and we give them explicit expressions.