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ABSTRACTThis study investigates the impact of different fertilizers under varying irrigation systems and crop water requirements in water-scarce Sinai, Egypt. Field experiments were conducted during the agricultural winter seasons of 2021 and 2022 to study the response of wheat growth, yield, and water productivity under drip and furrow irrigation. The results showed that under drip irrigation system, pH showed no clear trend, while total dissolved solids (TDS) decreased with depth and were reduced by bio-fertilizer and the combination treatment. On the other hand, under furrow irrigation system, maintained a slightly alkaline pH with minimal fertilizer influence. TDS levels significantly varied, and the effects of fertilizers differed. Calcium carbonate content and organic matter varied with fertilizer types and depths. Increasing the crop water requirement from 80% to 100% improved plant growth and yield, with the 80% treatment demonstrating higher water productivity. Furrow irrigation resulted in higher growth and yields, while drip irrigation exhibited greater water productivity. Nano-fertilizer treatments consistently outperformed bio-fertilizer in growth, yields, and water productivity. Specific combinations showed superior performance due to interactions between factors. Suitable irrigation methods and regimes enhance water use efficiency. Higher irrigation levels enhance wheat growth and yield, requiring careful water management to avoid stress. Drip irrigation demonstrates superior water productivity. Reducing the water input to 80% of crop water requirements improves efficiency without compromising yield. Nano-fertilizers promote growth and grain retention as an alternative to soluble fertilizers. Combining nano with bio-fertilizers further enhances wheat growth, yield, and water productivity. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing wheat production in water-scarce regions, considering irrigation methods, crop water requirements, and nitrogen fertilization sources.

Weiyun Jin,1,2 Mark Stephan Felix,1 Seung Chun Paek,1 François Rene Lamy1 1Department of Society and Health, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand; 2College of Humanities Education, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Mark Stephan Felix, Department of Society and Health, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand, Email mark.fel@mahidol.ac.thObjective: Depression has become an important global public health problem. Despite the government’s efforts, the outlook regarding the health issue of elderly depression in China is still not optimistic. This study explored the association between social activities and depressive symptoms among Chinese urban and rural elderly.Methods: Data were collected from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The study sample included 5101 Chinese adults aged ≥ 65 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between social activities and depressive symptoms.Results: The prevalence rate of depressive symptoms in rural elderly is 1.37 times higher than that in urban elderly. The proportion of elderly persons participating in a social activity less than once monthly, or never having participated in social activities is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The results from the logistic regression model analysis show that among rural elderly, visiting others’ homes or interacting with friends at least once a month or once a week is positively associated with depressive symptoms. Playing cards or mahjong at least once a week or almost daily is negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Participating in organized social activities once a month is negatively associated with depressive symptoms. None of these five activities significantly correlate with depressive symptoms among urban older adults.Conclusion: This study explored the differences in depressive symptoms among elderly populations in urban and rural China, as well as the impact of social activity participation on depressive symptoms. This study underscores the necessity of targeted social interventions in rural areas to enhance social participation among the elderly and reduce depressive symptoms.Keywords: social activities, depressive symptoms, urban-rural differences, elderly, China

Abstract Background Dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are well-known diseases and are part of a very broad spectrum evolving toward non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This entity has not been described in pregnant women and could have obstetrical repercussions. Case presentation A 26-year-old woman with 28 + 5 weeks of pregnancy presented with preterm labor. At admission, a significant hepatic cytolysis was detected (AST/ALT 265/485 U/L—GGT/alkaline phosphatase 60/164 U/L). She had normal blood pressure and negative 24-h proteinuria. She did not have intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (bile acid at 7) and also no organic hepatic etiology (negative serologies and imaging). This cytolysis worsened until a more detailed history revealed a potential etiology: a diet very rich in sugars and fatty acids corresponding to a NASH syndrome. Dietary rebalancing improved the cytolysis. Complications such as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and preterm birth favored by significant dyslipidemia could not be avoided. Conclusions It is important to consider the lipid profile of our patients. This will allow for a more personalized follow-up given the possible obstetrical repercussions that can arise from this pathology. It should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of liver test alterations during pregnancy. A healthy diet seems to help control the disease.

We consider finite-entropy solutions of scalar conservation laws $u_t +a(u)_x =0$, that is, bounded weak solutions whose entropy productions are locally finite Radon measures. Under the assumptions that the flux function $a$ is strictly convex (with possibly degenerate convexity) and $a^{\prime \prime }$ forms a doubling measure, we obtain a characterization of finite-entropy solutions in terms of an optimal regularity estimate involving a cost function first used by Golse and Perthame.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) refer to a wide variety of high molecular weight molecules secreted outside the cell membrane by biofilm microorganisms. In the present study, EPS from marine microphytobenthic biofilms were extracted and their isotope ratios were analysed. A comparison of these ratios with the carbon isotope ratios of fatty acid biomarkers allowed the identification of the main EPS producers of two contrasting types of intertidal marine sediments. Our study reveals that EPS sources are more diverse in sandy sediments than in muddy sediments. We also found distinct patterns in the production and breakdown of EPS in sandy and muddy environments. The main difference observed was in how epipelic and epipsammic diatoms affected the chemistry of EPS, which had significant implications for the growth of bacteria specialized in utilizing EPS. These differences were likely linked to variations in the functioning of epipelic and epipsammic communities, specifically in how EPS was used either for motility or for cell attachment.

Major traits defining the life history of organisms are often not independent from each other, with most of their variation aligning along key axes such as the pace-of-life axis. We can define a pace-of-life axis structuring reproduction and development time as a continuum from less-fecund, longer-developing ″slow″ types to more-fecund, shorter-developing ″fast″ types. Such axes, along with their potential associations or syndromes with other traits such as dispersal, are however not universal; in particular, support for their presence may be taxon and taxonomic scale-dependent. Knowing about such life-history strategies may be especially important for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics, as these trait syndromes may constrain trait variation or be correlated with other traits. To understand how life-history traits and effective dispersal covary, we measured these traits in controlled conditions for 28 lines from five species of Trichogramma, which are small endoparasitoid wasps frequently used as a biological model in experimental evolution but also in biocontrol against Lepidoptera pests. We found partial evidence of a pace-of-life axis at the interspecific level: species with higher fecundity also had faster development time. However, faster-developing species also were more likely to delay egg-laying, a trait that is usually interpreted as ″slow″. There was no support for similar covariation patterns at the within-species line level. There was limited variation in effective dispersal between species and lines, and accordingly, we did not detect any correlation between effective dispersal probability and life-history traits. We discuss how expanding our experimental design by accounting for the density-dependence of both the pace of life and dispersal might improve our understanding of those traits and how they interact with each other. Overall, our results highlight the importance of exploring covariation at the ″right″ taxonomic scale, or multiple taxonomic scales, to understand the (co)evolution of life-history traits. They also suggest that optimizing both reproductive and development traits to maximize the efficiency of biocontrol may be difficult in programs using only one species.

Weeds exert a pronounced influence on the sugar beet yield, leading to the potential for substantial reductions in agricultural productivity. In pursuit of addressing this issue, two experiments were conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture in Giza, Egypt, during the winter seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 to investigate the efficacy of various pre- and post-herbicides applied differently in active ingredient percentages, forms, and on weed target types, and mechanical weed treatments on weed traits and sugar beet crop performance. (1) In this context, five herbicidal treatments, including pre-emergence (S-Metoachlor) and post-emergence applications of Betanal Max Pro (Desmedipham 4.7% + Ethofumesate 7.5% + Lenacil 2.7% + Phenmedipham 6%), Tegrospecial (Desmedipham 20% + Phenmedipham 20%) for total annual weeds, C Factor (Haloxyfop-R-Methyl 7.5% + Fluazifop-p-putyl 15%), and Clictar (Clethodium 24%) for grassy weeds, were assessed alongside mechanical weeding and a weedy check (control). (2) The evaluations encompassed growth parameters, juice quality, and beet yields to comprehensively assess the treatment effects. (3) Notably, weed control measures, especially regarding three total annual weeds herbicides and the cultivation when using both grassy weed herbicides, consistently produced the highest improvements in sugar beet root’s fresh and dry weights, root dimensions, sucrose content, purity, sugar recovery, as well as the root and recoverable sugar yields, across both seasons. (4) However, it is important to note that the application of Clethodium 24% and Haloxyfop-R-Methyl 7.5% + Fluazifop-p-putyl 15% resulted in elevated levels of sodium, potassium, amino nitrogen, impurities, and sucrose loss to molasses. These findings underscore the substantial influence of herbicide use and mechanical weeding on sugar beet’s growth, juice quality, and yield, with S-Metoachlor, Desmedipham 20% + Phenmedipham 20% and Desmedipham 4.7% + Ethofumesate 7.5% + Lenacil 2.7% + Phenmedipham 6%—showing promise as effective weed control options, albeit with certain associated drawbacks.

Abstract The worldwide agricultural enterprise is facing immense pressure to intensify to feed the world’s increasing population while the resources are dwindling. Fertilizers which are deemed as indispensable inputs for food, fodder, and fuel production now also represent the dark side of the intensive food production system. With most crop production systems focused on increasing the quantity of produce, indiscriminate use of fertilizers has created havoc for the environment and damaged the fiber of the biogeosphere. Deteriorated nutritional quality of food and contribution to impaired ecosystem services are the major limiting factors in the further growth of the fertilizer sector. Nanotechnology in agriculture has come up as a better and seemingly sustainable solution to meet production targets as well as maintaining the environmental quality by use of less quantity of raw materials and active ingredients, increased nutrient use-efficiency by plants, and decreased environmental losses of nutrients. However, the use of nanofertilizers has so far been limited largely to controlled environments of laboratories, greenhouses, and institutional research experiments; production and availability on large scale are still lagging yet catching up fast. Despite perceivable advantages, the use of nanofertilizers is many times debated for adoption at a large scale. The scenario is gradually changing, worldwide, towards the use of nanofertilizers, especially macronutrients like nitrogen (e.g. market release of nano-urea to replace conventional urea in South Asia), to arrest environmental degradation and uphold vital ecosystem services which are in critical condition. This review offers a discussion on the purpose with which the nanofertilizers took shape, the benefits which can be achieved, and the challenges which nanofertilizers face for further development and real-world use, substantiated with the significant pieces of scientific evidence available so far. Graphical Abstract

Carbidopa is a drug mainly used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Associations with levodopa or with levodopa/entacapone are commercialized, but there is no oral formulation of carbidopa alone available in Europe. As carbidopa can also be used as premedication of adult patients for insulinoma diagnosis, it must be compounded as single dose mg capsules. The single dose administration of a magistral preparation implies the compounding of only one capsule, or the loss of consequent quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredient. As an alternative solution, carbidopa capsules could be compounded as batches of hospital preparation.

We present an innovative method to reconstruct the characteristics of precipitated electrons in auroral regions from optical measurements. This method is based on an optimization implemented between numerical simulations of the Transsolo code and tomographic maps made from the Auroral Large Imaging System (ALIS) network. We focus on the Volume Emission Rate (VER) of the blue line N 2 + $ {\mathrm{N}}_2^{+}$ 1NG 427.8 nm, which is the most representative line of the energy deposition by electrons. The optimization is tested with the ALIS measurements carried out on March 05, 2008, at 18:41:30 UT and 18:42:40 UT. The reconstruction is performed by extracting the energy flux and the mean energy of the precipitating particles. Both Maxwellian and quasi-monoenergetic energy distributions are considered. Calculations performed with a Maxwellian energy distribution yielded a mean energy ranging from 1.8 to 5.2 keV with energy flux from 0.1 to 44.3 erg·cm−2·s−1 for 18:41:30 UT, and a mean energy from 2.2 to 9.5 keV with energy flux from 2.1 to 136.7 erg·cm−2·s−1 for 18:42:40 UT. Assuming a quasi-monoenergetic energy distribution, we find a mean energy ranging from 4.2 to 11.8 keV with energy flux ranging from 0.1 to 45 erg·cm−2·s−1 for 18:41:30 UT, and 8 to 17.1 keV with energy flux ranging from 2.2 to 110.1 erg·cm−2·s−1 for 18:42:40 UT. Moreover, we show this method allows us to reconstruct the energy characteristic of the precipitating electrons on a large region covering approximately 150 km × 150 km. This study also shows that some VER profiles of the maps are better fitted by quasi mono-energetic distributions while some others correspond to broadband distributions. It appears clearly that the energy flux is linked to the column integrated intensity, the mean energy is linked with the peak altitude of the emission, and the width of the energy distribution with the altitude thickness of the emissions.

The distribution of neutral genetic variation in subdivided populations is driven by the interplay between genetic drift, migration, local extinction and colonization. The influence of environmental and demographic factors has also been increasingly examined in empirical studies, but generally focusing on a single species. An open question is whether these factors will similarly, or idiosyncratically, affect a guild of species occupying the same, though exhibiting different traits, mating systems and histories. We addressed it by comparing the population genetic structure of the four most common species of hermaphroditic freshwater snails in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles), which occupy a network of patchily distributed sites experiencing temporal variation in water availability. We analyzed microsatellite variability in 21 to 43 populations per species, and built predictions on how several environmental and demographic variables, quantified from a long-term annual survey, as well as species traits, may affect the distribution of genetic variation. These species displayed similarities, such as fairly high levels of variation, but with marked differences among sites, as well as strong genetic differentiation and limited isolation by distance, which can be explained by passive dispersal (strong role of site connectivity), extinction/colonization dynamics and variation in local population size. They also exhibit differences, largely due to the mating system with less genetic diversity and more genetic differentiation in the two selfing species when compared to the two outcrossing ones. These differences can also be attributed to interspecific interactions resulting from the ongoing invasion of Guadeloupe by one of the species studied, which affects the demography of other species, and, to a limited extent, to local environmental factors. Our comparative approach shows both differences and uniqueness in the way species occupy the same landscape, and provides a possible entry to interspecific interactions in community assembly.

Because Allee effects (i.e., the presence of positive density-dependence at low population size or density) have major impacts on the dynamics of small populations, they are routinely included in demographic models for the evaluation of extinction risks. However, the structure of most common models implies that other demographic parameters (like the maximum growth rate) are modified by the inclusion of an Allee effect, which also affects in return the extinction risk of the population. Whether such correlations between demographic traits occur in natural populations or merely reflect a practical constraint related to model formalism is of primary importance to understand better the dynamics of small populations. We investigated this question using 30 populations of Trichogramma wasps raised under similar conditions, of which 8 were subject to an Allee effect. We showed that these 8 populations were also characterized by lower maximum growth rate and lower population size, and that their extinction probability was higher than for non-Allee populations. These results provide the first empirical demonstration of a correlation between the presence of positive density-dependence and impaired demographic performance, which increases the extinction risk of a population, especially during the establishment phase.

Learning and Teaching Corpus of the online educational experiment Simuligne (2001). Its scenario is based on a global simulation for the learning of French as a foreign language. It also includes an intercultural activity, "Interculture", based on the Cultura project. The corpus includes the pedagogical scenario, described in several formats, the research protocol, participant's online interactions and productions (structured in XML), list of participants, licences of use. The LETEC corpus associated (mce.simu.all.all-CP.zip) is organized as an IMS-CP archive. We define a Learning & Teaching Corpus as a structured entity containing all the elements resulting from a communicative on-line learning situation, whose context is described by an educational scenario and a research protocol. The core data collection includes all the interaction data, the productions of the course participants, and the tracks, resulting from the participants’ actions in the learning environment and stored according to the research protocol. In order to be able to be shared, and to respect participant privacy, these data should be anonymised and a license for its use be provided in the corpus. A derived analysis can be linked to a given set of data under consideration, used or computerized for this analysis. An analysis consisting in data annotation/transcription/transformation, accurately connected to its original data, can be merged with the corpus itself, in order for other researchers to compare their own results on a concurrent analysis or to build their complementary analysis upon these results. The definition of a Learning & Teaching Corpus as a whole entity comes from the need of explicit links, between interaction data, context and analyses. This explicit context is crucial for an external researcher to interpret the data and to perform its own analyses. This definition seeks to capture the context of the data stemming from the course in order to allow a researcher to look for, understand and connect this information whether or not he/she was involved in the original course. More details about a LETEC corpus an ist structure at : http://mulce.univ-fcomte.fr/metadata/LETECorpus-en.pdf

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors using specific aptamers often show difficulties in quantitative analysis because the instable aptamer structures show fluctuated background signals. In this communication, we address the quantitative analysis of the SERS spectra of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in different concentrations over the signal arisen from its specific aptamer using multivariate statistical analysis. MnSOD is a primary antioxidant enzyme protecting normal tissue against oxidative stress and is known as a cancer biomarker. By applying principal component analysis, SERS spectra were distinguished when MnSOD was present in a specimen even at 10 pm. The relation between SERS spectra and MnSOD concentrations calculated by partial least-squares regression predicted MnSOD concentrations within one order of magnitude. Moreover, statistically obtained spectral correlations reveal that spectral differences did not originate from additional peaks of MnSOD but from the thermodynamic stability of the aptamer structures. These results open new paths for detection and analytical strategies of SERS-based bio-sensors using aptamers.

BackgroundCardiac and major vascular surgeries are common surgical procedures associated with high rates of postsurgical complications and related hospital readmission. In-hospital remote automated monitoring (RAM) and virtual hospital-to-home patient care systems have major potential to improve patient outcomes following cardiac and major vascular surgery. However, the science of deploying and evaluating these systems is complex and subject to risk of implementation failure. ObjectiveAs a precursor to a randomized controlled trial (RCT), this user testing study aimed to examine user performance and acceptance of a RAM and virtual hospital-to-home care intervention, using Philip’s Guardian and Electronic Transition to Ambulatory Care (eTrAC) technologies, respectively. MethodsNurses and patients participated in systems training and individual case-based user testing at two participating sites in Canada and the United Kingdom. Participants were video recorded and asked to think aloud while completing required user tasks and while being rated on user performance. Feedback was also solicited about the user experience, including user satisfaction and acceptance, through use of the Net Promoter Scale (NPS) survey and debrief interviews. ResultsA total of 37 participants (26 nurses and 11 patients) completed user testing. The majority of nurse and patient participants were able to complete most required tasks independently, demonstrating comprehension and retention of required Guardian and eTrAC system workflows. Tasks which required additional prompting by the facilitator, for some, were related to the use of system features that enable continuous transmission of patient vital signs (eg, pairing wireless sensors to the patient) and assigning remote patient monitoring protocols. NPS scores by user group (nurses using Guardian: mean 8.8, SD 0.89; nurses using eTrAC: mean 7.7, SD 1.4; patients using eTrAC: mean 9.2, SD 0.75), overall NPS scores, and participant debrief interviews indicated nurse and patient satisfaction and acceptance of the Guardian and eTrAC systems. Both user groups stressed the need for additional opportunities to practice in order to become comfortable and proficient in the use of these systems. ConclusionsUser testing indicated a high degree of user acceptance of Philips’ Guardian and eTrAC systems among nurses and patients. Key insights were provided that informed refinement of clinical workflow training and systems implementation. These results were used to optimize workflows before the launch of an international RCT of in-hospital RAM and virtual hospital-to-home care for patients undergoing cardiac and major vascular surgery.