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A novel packet-based photonic label switching router for a multirate all-optical switch using generalized multiprotocol label switching is proposed. The idea is based on using optical code-division multiple access (OCDMA) as multiplexing technique and treating OCDMA codes as labels. The system can coexist with current wavelength division multiplexing systems on the same infrastructure. The concept of switch fabric is introduced. Label processing and label swapping functionalities of the switch are discussed. In-depth analyses are made for spectrally phase-encoded OCDMA (SPE-OCDMA) due to its capabilities of supporting high data rates, large code cardinality, and its secure transmission. Packet loss rate for a multirate SPE-OCDMA system is derived. Some performance metrics are derived for a typical network via simulation, and the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In secondary fracture healing, callus proliferate, undergo hypertrophy and the extracellular matrix becomes calcified. This step to some extent, recapitulates the embryological bone development with a combination of cellular proliferation and differentiation, increasing cellular volume and matrix deposition. The causes of the chondrocytes volume increase in secondary bone healing are poorly known, but cell membrane transporters perhaps could be implicated. We hypothesize that NHE-1 and AE-2 are among plasma membrane transporters that have a role in cellular differentiation and regulation of endochondral ossification for secondary bone fracture healing. Study of closed tibia fracture healing in 2 groups of 25 of 8-weeks-old Sprague-Dawley rats were undertaken and histological evaluation were made at 5 different time points at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 weeks after induction of the fracture. Histological evaluation of proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocyte zone area showed a significant difference in week 1 compared to other weeks. Immunohistochemistry study revealed a significant high level of labeling intensity of NHE-1 at the first four weeks. While labeling intensity of AE-2 showed moderate reaction at 1 and 2 weeks, that increased and reached the highest level at 3 and 4 weeks. These results suggested that NHE-1 and AE-2 had role in the endochondral ossification of secondary bone healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among the different factors affecting socket comfort, the pressure applied on residual limb tissues is a crucial parameter for the success or failure of any prosthetic device. However, only a few incomplete data are available on people with transfemoral amputation, in this regard. This work aims at filling this gap in the literature., Methods: Ten people with transfemoral amputation wearing 3 different socket designs were recruited in this study: 2 ischial containment sockets featured by proximal trim lines that contain the ischial tuberosity and ramus and greater trochanter, 2 subischial sockets with proximal trim lines under the ischium level, and 6 quadrilateral sockets with proximal trim lines that contain the greater trochanter and create a horizontal seat for the ischial tuberosity. The pressure values at the anterior, lateral, posterior, and medial areas of the socket interface were recorded during 5 locomotion tasks (ie, horizontal, ascent, and descent walking, upstairs and downstairs) by using an F-Socket System (Tekscan Inc., Boston, MA). Gait segmentation was performed by exploiting plantar pressure, which was acquired by an additional sensor under the foot. Mean and standard deviation of minimum and maximum values were calculated for each interface area, locomotion task, and socket design. The mean pressure patterns during different locomotion tasks were reported, as well., Results: Considering all subjects irrespective of socket design, the mean pressure range resulted 45.3 (posterior)-106.7 (posterior) kPa in horizontal walking; 48.3 (posterior)-113.8 (posterior) kPa in ascent walking; 50.8 (posterior)-105.7 (posterior) kPa in descent walking; 47.9 (posterior)-102.9 (lateral) kPa during upstairs; and 41.8 (posterior)-84.5 (anterior) kPa during downstairs. Qualitative differences in socket designs have been found., Conclusions: These data allow for a comprehensive analysis of pressures acting at the tissue-socket interface in people with transfemoral amputation, thus offering essential information for the design of novel solutions or to improve existing ones, in this field., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer incorporated on behalf of The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.)

Migration is essential for the laminar stratification and connectivity of neurons in the central nervous system. In the retina, photoreceptors (PRs) migrate to positions according to birthdate, with early-born cells localizing to the basal-most side of the outer nuclear layer. It was proposed that apical progenitor mitoses physically drive these basal translocations non-cell autonomously, but direct evidence is lacking, and whether other mechanisms participate is unknown. Here, combining loss- or gain-of-function assays to manipulate cell cycle regulators (Sonic hedgehog, Cdkn1a/p21) with an in vivo lentiviral labelling strategy, we demonstrate that progenitor division is one of two forces driving basal translocation of rod soma. Indeed, replacing Shh activity rescues abnormal rod translocation in retinal explants. Unexpectedly, we show that rod differentiation also promotes rod soma translocation. While outer segment function or formation is dispensable, Crx and SNARE-dependent synaptic function are essential. Thus, both non-cell and cell autonomous mechanisms underpin PR soma sublaminar positioning in the mammalian retina.

Background: Date palm, oasis pivot, plays a vital socio-economic part in the southern area of Morocco. However, with climate change and drought intensity and frequency increasing, the Moroccan palm grove is threatened with significant genetic degradation. Genetic characterization of this resource is key element for the development of effective conservation and management strategies in the current circumstances of climate change and various biotic and abiotic stresses. To evaluate the genetic diversity of date palm populations collected from different Moroccan oases, we used simple sequence repeats (SSR) and directed amplification of mini-satellite DNA (DAMD) markers. Our results showed that used markers could efficiently assess genetic diversity in Phoenix dactylifera L., Results: A total of 249 and 471 bands were respectively scored for SSR and DAMD, of which 100% and 92.9% were polymorphic. The polymorphic information content (PIC = 0.95), generated by the SSR primer was nearly identical to that generated by the DAMD primer (PIC = 0.98). The resolving power (Rp) was higher in DAMD than SSR (29.46 and 19.51, respectively). Analysis of the molecular variance (AMOVA) based on the combined data sets for both markers revealed a higher variance within populations (75%) than among populations (25%). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and the ascendant hierarchical classification showed that the population of Zagora and Goulmima regions were the closest populations. The STRUCTURE analysis clustering of the 283 tested samples into seven clusters based on their genetic composition., Conclusion: The results drawn from this study will orient genotypes selection strategies for a successful future breeding and conservation program, particularly under climate change context., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The gold standard treatment for bladder cancer is radical cystectomy that implies bladder removal coupled to urinary diversions. Despite the serious complications and the impossibility of controlled active voiding, bladder substitution with artificial systems is a challenge and cannot represent a real option, yet. In this article, we present hydraulic artificial detrusor prototypes to control and drive the voiding of an artificial bladder (AB). These prototypes rely on two actuator designs ( origami and bellows ) based either on negative or positive operating pressure, to be combined with an AB structure. Based on the bladder geometry and size, we optimized the actuators in terms of contraction/expansion performances, minimizing the liquid volume required for actuation and exploring different actuator arrangements to maximize the voiding efficiency. To operate the actuators, an ad hoc electrohydraulic circuit was developed for transferring liquid between the actuators and a reservoir, both of them intended to be implanted. The AB, actuators, and reservoir were fabricated with biocompatible flexible thermoplastic materials by a heat-sealing process. We assessed the voiding efficiency with benchtop experiments by varying the actuator type and arrangement at different simulated patient positions (horizontal, 45° tilted, and vertical) to identify the optimal configuration and actuation strategy. The most efficient solution relies on two bellows actuators anchored to the AB. This artificial detrusor design resulted in a voiding efficiency of about 99%, 99%, and 89%, in the vertical, 45° tilted, and horizontal positions, respectively. The relative voiding time was reduced by about 17, 24, and 55 s compared with the unactuated bladder.

Actinomycetota in the phylum of bacteria has been explored extensively as a source of antibiotics and secondary metabolites. In addition to acting as plant growth-promoting agents, they also possess the potential to control various plant pathogens; however, there are limited studies that report the facultative predatory ability of Actinomycetota spp. Furthermore, the mechanisms that underline predation are poorly understood. We assessed the diversity of strategies employed by predatory bacteria to attack and subsequently induce the cell lysing of their prey. We revisited the diversity and abundance of secondary metabolite molecules linked to the different predation strategies by bacteria species. We analyzed the pros and cons of the distinctive predation mechanisms and explored their potential for the development of new biocontrol agents. The facultative predatory behaviors diverge from group attack "wolfpack," cell-to-cell proximity "epibiotic," periplasmic penetration, and endobiotic invasion to degrade host-cellular content. The epibiotic represents the dominant facultative mode of predation, irrespective of the habitat origins. The wolfpack is the second-used approach among the Actinomycetota harboring predatory traits. The secondary molecules as chemical weapons engaged in the respective attacks were reviewed. We finally explored the use of predatory Actinomycetota as a new cost-effective and sustainable biocontrol agent against plant pathogens., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ibrahimi, Loqman, Jemo, Hafidi, Lemee and Ouhdouch.)

The agro-industrial activity, which is regarded as a pillar of the North-African economy, is responsible for generating considerable waste quantities. These byproducts can be treated through anaerobic digestion (AD), which offers various financial and ecological benefits over traditional waste disposal methods. However, the transition to this sustainable process is faced with several challenges due to the heterogeneity and seasonality of agro-industrial wastes. In this study, we proposed and evaluated three waste management strategies for treating agro-industrial wastes in large-scale AD plants conceived in specific North-African countries. These strategies involve co-digesting seasonal agro-industrial wastes, i.e., three-phase olive pomace (3POP), grape pomace, and orange peel, with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) throughout the year (MS1); co-digesting the dominant agro-industrial waste (3POP) with OFMSW during the olive harvest season and mono-digesting OFMSW during the rest of the year (MS2); and co-digesting 3POP and OFMSW year-round by storing 3POP in cold storage facilities (MS3). The techno-economic findings show that the proposed AD plants would be profitable in Morocco and Algeria under both MS1 and MS2, with internal rate of return (IRR) values respectively reaching 10.8% and 18.4% under MS1 and 12.4% and 20.1% under MS2. In contrast, the conceived Tunisian plants would be financially feasible only if MS2 is adopted (IRR of 10.7%). Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis indicates that the economic performance of the proposed plants would mostly be affected by the biomethane selling price and capital cost. Additionally, the carbon footprint analysis suggests that the AD plants could, during their lifetime, reduce the CO 2 -eq emissions by 411, 208, and 26 Mt (under respectively MS1, MS2, and MS3) compared to the currently used waste disposal practices in the North African region., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Morocco is considered one of the main biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean region and contains various plant species including wild and domestic Rosa. This genus is the most important among cultivated ornamental plants in the world, with a high economic value in cosmetics, pharmaceutical industries, and floriculture. In the present study, genetic diversity among the collected accessions of wild Rosa species in Morocco was assessed using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and Directed Amplification of Minisatellites DNA (DAMD) markers., Results: Results confirmed that both markers used have a good efficiency to assess genetic diversity in wild roses. Ten ISSR and eight DAMD primers amplified 276 and 203 loci, with an average of 27.4 and 25 polymorphic alleles per primer, respectively. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values were 0.34 with ISSR and 0.31 with DAMD. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic variation in wild rose occurs mainly within populations (86%) rather than between populations (14%). The region of Azrou (Middle Atlas of Morocco) is the area that registered the highest genetic diversity in the present study with He = 0.21. The 39 rose accessions were divided into three main groups with among-group similarity of 30%. Principal component analysis and the hierarchical classification were consistent with genetic relationships derived by structure analysis., Conclusion: The findings revealed that the patterns of grouping are weakly correlated with geographical origin. ISSR and DAMD markers showed that the accessions have a good genetic diversity., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. Growing evidence indicates that interleukins and its polymorphisms are involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism can affect transcription rate, mRNA stability and also the resulting protein expression and activity. Hence, present study aimed to assess the possible association between interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) VNTR polymorphism, and breast cancer susceptibility in Iranian population. A total of 300 Iranian individuals, 150 breast cancer patients and 150 age-matched healthy women, were included in this study. DNA extracted by salting out method and genotyping was done using the polymerase chain reaction. The frequency of the allele 2(5% vs. 22%) and the 2/2 genotype (22% vs. 46%) of IL-1Ra VNTR polymorphism was significantly higher in healthy control compared to breast cancer patient: therefore, A2 allele may play a protective role against breast cancer and its progression (p = .0001 and OR = 0.105, 95% CI: [0.044-0.248]). The allele 2 and 2/2 genotype of the IL-Ra VNTR polymorphism can be a protective factor against breast cancer susceptibility., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study is aimed to unravel the status of local and circulating β-catenin in different primary bone tumors and its relevance to tumor types, severity, and chemotherapy. The β-catenin mRNA expression level and the expression of the protein (intensity level) were evaluated in tumor tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 150 patients with different types of primary bone tumors (78 malignant and 72 benign tumors) using Real-Time PCR and immunohistochemistry. The β-catenin mRNA expression level and the expression of the protein were increased in bone tumors which was positively correlated with the tumor malignancy. Amongst osteosarcoma, Ewing's Sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, osteochondroma, Giant Cell Tumor, and exostosis tumors, the osteosarcoma, and Giant Cell Tumor groups showed the highest level of β-catenin expression. The β-catenin expression in malignant bone tumors was significantly correlated with tumor grade, size, metastasis, tumor recurrent, and the level of response to chemotherapy. A similar pattern of β-catenin gene expression and its association with tumor characteristics was detected in the patient's peripheral blood cells. The simultaneous increase in the expression of the β-catenin gene and protein in tumor tissue and in circulating blood cells and its relationship with tumor severity indicates the possible promoting role of β-catenin in primary bone tumor pathogenesis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Clinical oral health status of children affects their health-related quality of life. A major determinant of oral health is early childhood caries, which possesses a negative effect., Objective: The primary objective of the study was to examine the association between socioeconomic status and different mother's characteristics and the risk of dental caries in children using the decay missing filled (DMF) score as an indicator., Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that was in the pediatric dental clinic in Hashem Ibn Al-Hussein medical military hospital in Jordan. Pearson correlation was used to examine associations between two continuous variables. Linear regression was used to detect variables that might predict the decayed missing filled teeth (dmft) score of the child., Results: A total of 264 children were enrolled in the study. Average age of children was 4.80 ± 1.99 years, and average mothers' age was 32.74 ± 5.68. Mothers had an average DMFT score of 8.84 ± 5.39, while children had an average dmft score of 6.17 ± 4.82. There was no association between the mother's age and the dmft score of the child (Pearson correlation = 0.08, and P value = 0.215). However, a moderate, statistically significant correlation was found between the mother's and the child's DMFT scores (Pearson correlation = 0.418, and P value = 0.001). Children who belonged to low and middle-income families had a higher dmft score compared to those that belonged to families with high income., Conclusion: Socioeconomic status of the family, mother's habits, dental hygiene, and education level are important factors that influence the child's oral health. Strategies that focus on children with these characteristics can help them achieve better oral health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Omar Al-Rashdan et al.)