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ABSTRACT: Improving production efficiency and minimizing the environmental impact of dairy farming are 2 important goals of the dairy industry. Achieving these objectives requires improving the feed-to-milk conversion efficiency. One way to achieve this goal is through genetic selection. However, measuring feed efficiency in commercial herds is currently not feasible. As such, we conducted a study to evaluate the genetic accuracy of various selection indexes derived from Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FTIR) spectra or milk composition. We used 7,793 weekly records on 537 genotyped cows (78,964 SNPs), with information on residual feed intake (RFI) and FTIR spectra. We fitted various types of selection indexes using the complete FTIR spectra of milk samples. The estimated heritability of RFI (± SD) was 0.12 ± 0.02. The accuracy of indirect selection using the FTIR spectra was maximized by using a principal components selection index (0.16 ± 0.07), followed by a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-type penalized selection index (0.14 ± 0.06). We determined that an index based on milk spectral data recorded on ∼25 daughters produced a progeny average with an accuracy comparable to direct phenotypic selection for RFI. We conclude that indirect selection for RFI using FTIR spectra data can be effective for sires with progeny; however, future studies with a larger sample size are needed to validate these results.

Microplastic, resulting from the breakdown of larger plastic objects, poses substantial threats to ecosystems and human health. This research addresses the escalating environmental concern of airborne microplastics by developing a low-cost detection machine employing infrared sensors. The near-infrared light is attached to the machine for detection using the sensors. Different types of microplastic, specifically less than 5mm, are used. There are 3 types of plastics used for detection, 30 pieces each of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyester microplastics. Each type of microplastic is tested for detection in different time frames, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes each, and the three types of plastics are combined randomly for the last detection with the same number of minutes. Because of the final results, it can determine the effectiveness of the sensor in detecting airborne microplastics in terms of the number of correctly detected microplastics. In conclusion, this research advances our capacity to detect airborne microplastics, contributing to environmental conservation and public health protection. The detection machine's development and the insights gained from the study have broader implications for standardizing methodologies, advancing technology, and fostering collaborative efforts in addressing the challenges posed by airborne microplastics.

Abstract In this work, we investigate the violation of Lorentz symmetry through the Casimir effect, one of the most intriguing phenomena in modern physics. The Casimir effect, which represents a macroscopic quantum force between two neutral conducting surfaces, is widely regarded as a triumph of Quantum Field Theory. In this study, we present new results for the Casimir effect, focusing on the contribution of mass associated with fermionic quantum fields confined between two large parallel plates, in the context of Lorentz symmetry violation within the Horava–Lifshitz formalism. To calculate the Casimir energy and pressure, we impose a MIT bag boundary condition on the two plates, compatible with the higher-order derivative term in the modified Dirac equation. Our results reveal a strong influence of Lorentz violation on the Casimir effect. We observe that the Casimir energy is significantly affected, both in intensity and sign, potentially resulting in a repulsive or attractive force between the plates, depending on the critical exponent associated with the Horava–Lifshitz formalism.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by germline-activating pathogenic variants in the RET proto-oncogene. MEN2A is the most common subtype, with a risk for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), pheochromocytoma (PHEO), and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), whereas MEN2B is less common and associated with MTC and PHEO along with mucosal neuromas. Little is known about the specific RET germline heterozygous variant K666N. This variant has been described in very few families, and in most cases, patients were diagnosed with a very indolent MTC as the only feature. There is one case of MTC and bilateral PHEO. The RET K666N variant is not stratified yet by the American Thyroid Association, and data are limited on pathogenicity; therefore, appropriate screening and treatment of asymptomatic RET K666N carriers are unclear. Here, we report a family with a heterozygous germline RET K666N variant. The proband was identified when she experienced cardiogenic shock and multi-organ failure after an elective hysterectomy and subsequently was found to have PHEO, with genetic testing revealing the RET K666N germline variant. Patient consent was obtained through IRB protocol COMIRB #15-0516.

Members of the genus Scaphanocephalus mature in accipitrids, particularly osprey, Pandion haliaetus, with metacercaria causing Black Spot Syndrome in reef fishes. In most of the world, only the type species, Scaphanocephalus expansus (Creplin, 1842) has been reported. Recent molecular studies in the Western Atlantic, Mediterranean and Persian Gulf reveal multiple species of Scaphanocephalus, but have relied on 28S rDNA, mainly from metacercariae, which limits both morphological identification and resolution of closely related species. Here we combine nuclear rDNA with mitochondrial sequences from adult worms collected in osprey across North America and the Caribbean to describe species and elucidate life cycles in Scaphanocephalus. A new species described herein can be distinguished from S. expansus based on overall body shape and size. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole mitochondrial genome of Scaphanocephalus indicates a close relationship with Cryptocotyle. We conclude that at least 3 species of Scaphanocephalus are present in the Americas and 2 others are in the Old World. Specimens in the Americas have similar or identical 28S to those in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf, but amphi-Atlantic species are unlikely in light of divergence in cytochrome c oxidase I and the lack of amphi-Atlantic avian and fish hosts. Our results provide insight into the geographic distribution and taxonomy of a little-studied trematode recently linked to an emerging pathology in ecologically important reef fishes.

Summary: Background & aims: A 2-hour postprandial glucose (2-h PG) concentration greater than 140 mg/dL is associated with a greater risk of type-2 diabetes (TD2) and cardiovascular disease. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the method most used for detecting either prediabetes or T2D; however, its use in clinical practice is limited due to the 2-h testing period. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess dysglycaemia, through a prognostic assessment of body composition, biochemical and clinical parameters as predictors of an abnormal 2-h PG. Methods: Participants underwent a physical examination in which their anthropometric measurements were obtained, and a blood sample was taken for biochemical and hormonal analysis. All patients underwent a 75-g OGTT after 8 h of fasting, and the levels of glucose and insulin were measured. The results were compared statistically by dividing the participants' 2-h postprandial glucose (2-h PG) into the following groups: normoglycaemia (NGT),

This work investigates the multi-agent bipartite consensus problem in the presence of switching antagonistic interactions. For leaderless multi-agent systems communicating over a structurally balanced sign graph with switching antagonistic interactions, we show that, whenever the sum of the agents’ initial conditions on both subsets of a bipartite graph are identical, the agents converge to the origin. For multi-agent systems communicating over balanced bipartite graphs, that have achieved or are initially in consensus, we show that bipartite consensus is not admissible. We demonstrate that switching antagonistic interactions in the multi-agent bipartite consensus problem results in a multi-agent consensus to the origin. For leader-based multi-agent systems with antagonistic interactions, the bipartite consensus problem becomes a forced bipartite consensus problem with applications in robotics, for example, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight formation. An application of forced bipartite consensus with switching antagonistic interactions to a quadrotor formation is presented. The results are validated using simulations.

Two new copper dimers, namely, bis(dimethyl sulfoxide)tetrakis(μ-pyrene-1-carboxylato)dicopper(Cu—Cu), [Cu2(C17H9O2)4(C2H6OS)2] or [Cu2(pyr-COO−)4(DMSO)2] (1), and bis(dimethylformamide)tetrakis(μ-pyrene-1-carboxylato)dicopper(Cu—Cu), [Cu2(C17H9O2)4(C3H7NO)2] or [Cu2(pyr-COO−)4(DMF)2] (2) (pyr = pyrene), were synthesized from the reaction of pyrene-1-carboxylic acid, copper(II) nitrate and triethylamine from solvents DMSO and DMF, respectively. While 1 crystallized in the space group P\overline{1}, the crystal structure of 2 is in space group P21/n. The Cu atoms have octahedral geometries, with four oxygen atoms from carboxylate pyrene ligands occupying the equatorial positions, a solvent molecule coordinating at one of the axial positions, and a Cu...Cu contact in the opposite position. The packing in the crystal structures exhibits π–π stacking interactions and short contacts through the solvent molecules. The Hirshfeld surfaces and two-dimensional fingerprint plots were generated for both compounds to better understand the intermolecular interactions and the contribution of heteroatoms from the solvent ligands to the crystal packing. In addition, a Cu2+/Cu1+ quasi-reversible redox process was identified for compound 2 using cyclic voltammetry that accounts for a diffusion-controlled electron-donation process to the Cu dimer.

The molecular chaperone heat shock proteins 70 (Hsp70) play a pivotal role in preserving cellular integrity and managing stress. This study extensively examined two Hsp70 proteins, On-Hsp70cBi, inducible, and On-Hsp70cBc, constitutively expressed, in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) utilizing in silico analysis, homology modeling, and functional annotation. Employing the SWISS-MODEL program for homology modeling, the proposed models underwent thorough reliability assessment via ProSA, Verify 3D, PROVE, ERRAT, and Ramachandran plot analyses. Key features of On-Hsp70cBi and On-Hsp70cBc included amino acid lengths (640 and 645) and molecular weights (70,233.48 and 70,773.17 Da). Moreover, theoretical isoelectric points (pI = 5.63 and 5.28), indicated their acidic nature. Counts of negatively and positively charged residues (95 and 86; 95 and 81) revealed neutrality, while instability index (II) values of 35.27 (On-Hsp70cBi) and 38.85 (On-Hsp70cBc) suggested stability. Aliphatic index (AI) values were notably high for both proteins (84.58 and 82.85), indicating stability across a broad temperature range. Domain architecture analysis showed both proteins to contain an MreB/Mbl domain. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified the co-chaperone Stip1 as a primary functional partner. Comparative modeling yielded highly reliable 3D models, showcasing structural similarity to known proteins and predicted binding sites. Additionally, both proteins are primarily localized in the cytoplasm. Functional analysis predicted an AMP-PNP binding site for On-Hsp70cBi and an ATP binding site for On-Hsp70cBc. These findings deepened our understanding of Hsp70cBc and Hsp70cBi in Nile tilapia, underscoring their significance in fish physiology and warranting further investigation, thus advancing our knowledge of these proteins' roles in cellular processes and stress responses, potentially impacting fish health and resilience.

Biofilm formation by the pathobiont Haemophilus influenzae is associated with human nasopharynx colonization, otitis media in children, and chronic respiratory infections in adults suffering from chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). β-lactam and quinolone antibiotics are commonly used to treat these infections. However, considering the resistance of biofilm-resident bacteria to antibiotic-mediated killing, the use of antibiotics may be insufficient and require being replaced or complemented with novel strategies. Moreover, unlike the standard minimal inhibitory concentration assay used to assess antibacterial activity against planktonic cells, standardization of methods to evaluate anti-biofilm drug activity is limited. In this work, we detail a panel of protocols for systematic analysis of drug antimicrobial effect on bacterial biofilms, customized to evaluate drug effects against H. influenzae biofilms. Testing of two cinnamaldehyde analogs, (E)-trans-2-nonenal and (E)-3-decen-2-one, demonstrated their effectiveness in both H. influenzae inhibition of biofilm formation and eradication or preformed biofilms. Assay complementarity allowed quantifying the dynamics and extent of the inhibitory effects, also observed for ampicillin resistant clinical strains forming biofilms refractory to this antibiotic. Moreover, cinnamaldehyde analog encapsulation into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymeric nanoparticles allowed drug vehiculization while maintaining efficacy. Overall, we demonstrate the usefulness of cinnamaldehyde analogs against H. influenzae biofilms, present a test panel that can be easily adapted to a wide range of pathogens and drugs, and highlight the benefits of drug nanoencapsulation towards safe controlled release.

Abstract The research proposed in this paper focuses on the analysis of perception for the selection of postgraduate programs in face-to-face and virtual modality in the Directorate of Postgraduate and Continuing Education of the ESPAM MFL. Although it is true, face-to-face education is of vital importance for the formation of a student, since it fixes their attention in place, time, and space, promoting social interaction that becomes a key to success in learning. However, in the last three years, in the face of adverse and unexpected situations, virtual university education has prepared to revolutionize the concept of learning beyond face-to-face learning. The objective of this research is inclined toward the description of the appreciation of students who have received master's classes in both virtual and face-to-face modalities. In order to obtain the data that allowed defining the results and conclusions, a survey was applied through a Google Forms questionnaire with a total of 13 questions that determined the perception that 87 students have when selecting a postgraduate program, and it raised a descriptive investigation to represent the data found. Finally, with the information obtained, it was possible to show that the applicants reflect a favorable attitude toward learning in virtual environments, because it allows them to continue with their other activities and foster skills with the use of technological tools that contribute to creativity, innovation, and arouse interest in learning.

Delineating spatial boundaries that accurately encompass complex, often cryptic, life histories of highly migratory marine megafauna can be a significant conservation challenge. For example, marine turtles range across vast ocean basins and coastal areas, thus complicating the evaluation of relative impacts of multiple overlapping threats and the creation of coherent conservation strategies. To address these challenges, spatially explicit ‘regional management units’ (RMUs) were developed in 2010 for all marine turtle species, globally. RMUs were intended to provide a consistent framework that organizes conspecific assemblages into units above the level of nesting rookeries and genetic stocks, but below the species level, within regional entities that may share demographic trajectories because they experience similar environmental conditions and other factors. From their initial conception, RMUs were intended to be periodically revised using new information about marine turtle distributions, life history, habitat use patterns, and population structure. Here, we describe the process used to update the 2010 RMU framework by incorporating newly published information and inputs from global marine turtle experts who are members of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group. A total of 48 RMUs for 6 of 7 marine turtle species and 166 distinct genetic stocks for all 7 species are presented herein. The updated RMU framework reflects a significant advance in knowledge of marine turtle biology and biogeography, and it provides improved clarity about the RMU concept and its potential applications. All RMU products have been made open access to support research and conservation initiatives worldwide.

Abstract Background Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a deadly illness that remains undertreated, despite effective pharmacological treatments. Barriers, such as stigma, treatment affordability, and a lack of training and prescribing within medical practices result in low access to treatment. Software-delivered measurement-based care (MBC) is one way to increase treatment access. MBC uses systematic patient symptom assessments to inform an algorithm to support clinicians at critical decision points. Method Focus groups of faculty clinicians (N = 33) from 3 clinics were conducted to understand perceptions of OUD diagnosis and treatment and whether a computerized MBC model might assist with diagnosis and treatment. Themes from the transcribed focus groups were identified in two phases: (1) content analysis focused on uncovering general themes; and (2) systematic coding and interpretation of the data. Results Analysis revealed six major themes utilized to develop the coding terms: “distinguishing between chronic pain and OUD,” “current practices with patients using prescribed or illicit opioids or other drugs,” “attitudes and mindsets about providing screening or treatment for OUD in your practice,” “perceived resources needed for treating OUD,” “primary care physician role in patient care not specific to OUD,” and “reactions to implementation of proposed clinical decision support tool.” Conclusion Results revealed that systemic and attitudinal barriers to screening, diagnosing, and treating OUD continue to persist. Providers tended to view the software-based MBC program favorably, indicating that it may be a solution to increasing accessibility to OUD treatment; however, further interventions to combat stigma would likely be needed prior to implementation of these programs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04059016; 16 August 2019; retrospectively registered; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04059016 .

Aerosol particles in Southeast Asia are challenging to characterize due to their complex life cycle within the diverse topography and weather of the region. An emerging aerosol climatology was established based on AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data (December 2009 to October 2018) for clear-sky days in Metro Manila, the Philippines. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) values were highest from August to October, partly from fine urban aerosol particles, including soot, coinciding with the burning season in insular Southeast Asia when smoke is often transported to Metro Manila during the southwest monsoon. Clustering of AERONET volume size distributions (VSDs) resulted in five aerosol particle sources based on the position and magnitude of their peaks in the VSD and the contributions of specific particle species to AOD per cluster based on MERRA-2. The clustering showed that the majority of aerosol particles above Metro Manila were from a clean marine source (58 %), which could be related to AOD values there being relatively low compared to other cities in the region. The following are the other particle sources over Metro Manila: fine polluted sources (20 %), mixed-dust sources (12 %), urban and industrial sources (5 %), and cloud processing sources (5 %). Furthermore, MERRA-2 AOD data over Southeast Asia were analyzed using empirical orthogonal functions. Along with AOD fractional compositional contributions and wind regimes, four dominant aerosol particle air masses emerged: two sulfate air masses from East Asia, an organic carbon source from Indonesia, and a sulfate source from the Philippines. Knowing the local and regional aerosol particle air masses that impact Metro Manila is useful in identifying the sources while gaining insight into how aerosol particles are affected by long-range transport and their impact on regional weather.

Abstract The indigenous population of the Canary Islands, which colonized the archipelago around the 3rd century CE, provides both a window into the past of North Africa and a unique model to explore the effects of insularity. We generate genome-wide data from 40 individuals from the seven islands, dated between the 3rd–16rd centuries CE. Along with components already present in Moroccan Neolithic populations, the Canarian natives show signatures related to Bronze Age expansions in Eurasia and trans-Saharan migrations. The lack of gene flow between islands and constant or decreasing effective population sizes suggest that populations were isolated. While some island populations maintained relatively high genetic diversity, with the only detected bottleneck coinciding with the colonization time, other islands with fewer natural resources show the effects of insularity and isolation. Finally, consistent genetic differentiation between eastern and western islands points to a more complex colonization process than previously thought.

The controlled-swap and controlled-controlled-not gates are at the heart of the original proposal of reversible classical computation by Fredkin and Toffoli. Their widespread use in quantum computation, both in the implementation of classical logic subroutines of quantum algorithms and in quantum schemes with no direct classical counterparts, has made it imperative early on to pursue their efficient decomposition in terms of the lower-level gate sets native to different physical platforms. Here, we add to this body of literature by providing several logically equivalent circuits for the Toffoli and Fredkin gates under all-to-all and linear qubit connectivity, the latter with two different routings for control and target qubits. Besides achieving the lowest cnot counts in the literature for all these configurations, we also demonstrate the remarkable effectiveness of the obtained decompositions at mitigating coherent errors on near-term quantum computers via equivalent circuit averaging. We first quantify the performance of the method in silico with a coherent-noise model before validating it experimentally on a superconducting quantum processor. In addition, we consider the case where the three qubits on which the Toffoli or Fredkin gates act nontrivially are not adjacent, proposing a novel scheme to reorder them that saves one cnot for every swap. This scheme also finds use in the shallow implementation of long-range cnots. Our results highlight the importance of considering different entangling gate structures and connectivity constraints when designing efficient quantum circuits.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are envisioned as a potential cellular vehicle for targeted cancer therapies due to their tumor tropism and immune permissiveness. An obstacle in their use is the duality in their interactions within tumors, rendering them pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic, in a context dependent manner. MSC preconditioning, or priming, has been proposed as a strategy for directing the effector properties of MSC at tumor sites.Methods: We primed human MSC derived from adipose tissues (ASC), a clinically advantageous MSC source, utilizing toll-like receptor agonists. Subsequently, we explored the consequences in tumor progression and transcriptome upon the interaction of tumor cells with primed or unprimed ASC in an in vivo model of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer related death in men in the USA.Results and discussion: In the studied model, poly I:C-primed ASC were found to significantly accelerate tumor growth progression. And while unprimed and LPS-primed ASC did not exert a significant effect on tumor growth at the macroscopic level, gene expression analyses suggested that all treatments promoted distinct modulatory effects in the tumor microenvironment, including altered modulation of angiogenesis, and immune response processes. However, the effects resulting from the collective interaction across these processes must be sufficiently skewed in a pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic direction for evidence of tumor progression modulation to be detectable at the macroscopic level. Our study highlights potential MSC-tumor microenvironment interactions that may be leveraged and should be considered in the development of cancer therapeutics utilizing MSC.

Introduction Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with abnormalities in atrial mechanics, atrial remodeling, and an increased risk of heart rhythm disorders. One of the most commonly used approaches to the prevention of cardiac remodeling in arterial hypertension is the administration of renin–angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of RAS inhibitors on atrial mechanics parameters in patients with MS. Methods and materials This longitudinal observational study included 55 patients with hypertension and MS, as defined by the ATP III criteria. The patients were evaluated at the start of antihypertensive treatment with an RAS inhibitor. The patients’ clinical characteristics, chosen pharmacological treatment, and transthoracic echocardiography findings were recorded at baseline and 6 months thereafter. A student's dependent sample t -test was used for comparisons between groups. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relationships between variables. Results Patients with MS had higher peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) values at 6 months than at baseline. Meanwhile, systolic strain and peak late strain rates were lower at follow-up than at baseline. The different antihypertensive treatments had comparable effects on the PALS changes during the follow-up period. Higher high-density lipoprotein levels at baseline were correlated with changes in PALS. Conclusion The administration of RAS inhibitors improved atrial mechanics parameters in the early stages of antihypertensive management in MS.

BackgroundDemographic changes in the world population have resulted in an increasingly aging society, with a progressive increase in the number of people in situations of dependence, who require assistance from family members to meet their basic needs. Caring for older adults involves performing diverse activities, resulting in reduced free time and tiredness, and fulfilling the demands and expectations related to personal, family, physical, and social life, consequently compromising the quality of life of the caregiver. In this context, the informal caregiver of hospitalized older adults emerges as the focus of attention. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the sociodemographic profile, health conditions, and burden of informal caregivers of older adults admitted to a university hospital in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic period. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study that was conducted with 25 informal caregivers of hospitalized older adults in a university hospital in Brazil between August and September 2022. Three instruments were applied: Caregiver Burden Inventory, sociodemographic questionnaire, and health conditions questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0. Descriptive (frequency and percentage) and inferential analyses were performed using 2-sided Student t test with 95% CIs. ResultsOf the 25 interviewees, 18 (72%) were females, 17 (46%) were married or in a stable union, 14 (56%) completed secondary education, and 11 (44%) lived with the older adults who needed care. The average age of the participants was 44 (SD 12.8) years. Regarding their health conditions, most caregivers self-reported it as good (12/25, 48%). They provided care to their father or mother older than 70 years (14/25, 56%). The Caregiver Burden Inventory analysis showed that the caregivers were the most negatively impacted in the domains of personal life overload (mean 10.8, SD 3.46; P=.047) and physical overload (mean 10.6, SD 2.32; P=.02). ConclusionsIn recent years, there has been an increase in the burden on informal caregivers of hospitalized older adults in Brazil, thereby impacting their personal and physical lives. The findings of our study show that health care professionals should be trained to promote health guidelines and actions to improve the personal and physical lives of the caregiver population in Brazil.

Abstract Wind turbines are increasingly expanding worldwide and Doubly‐Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is a key component of most of them. Stator winding fault is a major fault in this equipment and its incipient detection is of vital importance. However, there is a paucity of research in this field. In this study, a novel machine learning‐based method is proposed for incipient detection of inter‐turn short‐circuit fault (ITF) in the DFIG stator based on the current signals of the stator. The proposed method makes use of state‐of‐the‐art deep learning methods along with conventional signal processing tools and general machine learning techniques. More specifically, the incipient fault detection problem is regarded as a multi‐class classification problem and a Long Short‐Term Memory network, which is more appropriate for time‐series data is utilised for inference. Furthermore, a variant of the celebrated Empirical mode Decomposition analysis tool is used to extract some well‐known statistical features among which the most informative ones are selected using a new feature selection method. Our tests using experimental data in steady‐state conditions show that the proposed method can accurately detect ITF fault at its initial stage when only one turn is shorted. Moreover, its performance is considerably higher than that of a variety of machine learning‐based methods.

Dynamic Ensemble Selection (DES) algorithms have obtained better performance in many tasks compared to monolithic classifiers and static ensembles. However, it is reasonable to assume that no DES algorithm is the optimal solution in different scenarios since diversity plays an important role. Thus, this paper addresses this research gap by proposing a novel approach called Hardness-aware Oracle with Dynamic Ensemble Selection (HaO-DES) that operates as a post-selection strategy, evaluating and selecting the best DES techniques per instance. Each DES technique ensemble is evaluated using a new measure called Hardness-aware Oracle (HaO). HaO extends the traditional Oracle concept by assessing a DES technique based on how the classifiers in the selected ensemble work together, contrasting with the individual classifier evaluation in the traditional assessment. We performed experiments over 30 databases, using three base classifiers (Perceptron, Logistic Regression, and Naive Bayes) in homogeneous and heterogenous pools’ configurations, to assess HaO-DES with four DES approaches (KNORA-U, KNOP, DES-P, and META-DES). We use three performance metrics to evaluate the experiments: accuracy, F-score, and Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). The results show that our approach outperforms or obtains similar results against the four individual DES approaches, mainly when considering heterogeneous pool settings. We also demonstrated the HaO-DES efficiency in choosing suitable DES techniques in different situations.

Abstract: Background: Respiratory failure in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a severe inflammatory response. Acetylcholine (ACh) reduces systemic inflammation in experimental bacterial and viral infections. Pyridostigmine increases the half-life of endogenous ACh, potentially reducing systemic inflammation. We aimed to determine if pyridostigmine decreases a composite outcome of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and death in adult patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: We performed a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 2/3 randomized controlled trial of oral pyridostigmine (60 mg/day) or placebo as add-on therapy in adult patients admitted due to confirmed severe COVID-19 not requiring IMV at enrollment. The primary outcome was a composite of IMV or death by day 28. Secondary outcomes included reduction of inflammatory markers and circulating cytokines, and 90-day mortality. Adverse events (AEs) related to study treatment were documented and described. Results: We recruited 188 participants (94 per group); 112 (59.6%) were men; the median (IQR) age was 52 (44–64) years. The study was terminated early due to a significant reduction in the primary outcome in the treatment arm and increased difficulty with recruitment. The primary outcome occurred in 22 (23.4%) participants in the placebo group vs. 11 (11.7%) in the pyridostigmine group (hazard ratio, 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.24–0.9; P = 0.03). This effect was driven by a reduction in mortality (19 vs. 8 deaths, respectively). Conclusion: Our data indicate that adding pyridostigmine to standard care reduces mortality among patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19.

Introduction: Hartmann’s procedure (HP) is the conventional treatment in patients with complicated diverticulitis. Segmental resection with primary anastomosis (PA) is a treatment alternative for those patients. Our aim was to compare the postoperative results of HP and PA in patients with complicated diverticulitis (Hinchey stage III). Methods: A case-control study was conducted on patients operated on for purulent Hinchey stage III diverticulitis, within the time frame of 2000 and 2019. Results: Twenty-seven patients that underwent PA were compared with 27 that underwent HP. The patients that underwent HP had a greater probability of morbidity at 30 days (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.13–11.25), as well as a greater probability of major complications (OR 10.9; 95% CI 1.26–95.05). Conclusion: The patients that underwent segmental resection and PA presented with lower morbidity rates and higher stoma reversal rates than the patients that underwent HP. Resumen: Introducción: El tratamiento convencional en pacientes con diverticulitis complicada es el procedimiento de Hartmann (PH). La resección segmentaria con anastomosis primaria (AP) es una alternativa para el tratamiento de estos pacientes. El objetivo fue comparar los resultados postoperatorios entre el PH y la AP en pacientes con diverticulitis complicada (Hinchey III). Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles de pacientes intervenidos por diverticulitis purulenta Hinchey III del 2000 a 2019. Resultados: Se estudiaron 27 pacientes con AP y se compararon con 27 pacientes con PH. Los pacientes a los que se les realizó PH tuvieron mayor probabilidad de morbilidad a 30 días (RM 3.5; IC 95% 1.13–11.25) y mayor probabilidad de complicaciones mayores (RM 10.9; IC 95% 1.26–95.05). Conclusión: Los pacientes con resección segmentaria y AP tuvieron menor morbilidad y mayores tasas de reversión de estoma que los pacientes que se sometieron a PH.

Resumen: Introducción: El tratamiento convencional en pacientes con diverticulitis complicada es el procedimiento de Hartmann (PH). La resección segmentaria con anastomosis primaria (AP) es una alternativa para el tratamiento de estos pacientes. El objetivo fue comparar los resultados postoperatorios entre el PH y la AP en pacientes con diverticulitis complicada (Hinchey III). Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles de pacientes intervenidos por diverticulitis purulenta Hinchey III del 2000 al 2019. Resultados: Se estudiaron 27 pacientes con AP y se compararon con 27 pacientes con PH. Los pacientes a los que se les realizó PH tuvieron mayor probabilidad de morbilidad a 30 días (RM 3.5; IC 95% 1.13-11.25) y mayor probabilidad de complicaciones mayores (RM 10.9; IC 95% 1.26-95.05). Conclusión: Los pacientes con resección segmentaria y AP tuvieron menor morbilidad y mayores tasas de reversión de estoma que los pacientes que se sometieron a PH. Abstract: Introduction: Hartmann's procedure (HP) is the conventional treatment in patients with complicated diverticulitis. Segmental resection with primary anastomosis (PA) is a treatment alternative for those patients. Our aim was to compare the postoperative results of HP and PA in patients with complicated diverticulitis (Hinchey stage III). Methods: A case-control study was conducted on patients operated on for purulent Hinchey stage III diverticulitis, within the time frame of 2000 and 2019. Results: Twenty-seven patients that underwent PA were compared with 27 that underwent HP. The patients that underwent HP had a greater probability of morbidity at 30 days (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.13-11.25), as well as a greater probability of major complications (OR 10.9; 95% CI 1.26-95.05). Conclusion: The patients that underwent segmental resection and PA presented with lower morbidity rates and higher stoma reversal rates than the patients that underwent HP.

Palladium phthalocyanine (PdPc) nanowires (NWs) were developed to achieve the gas sensing of NO2 in the sub-parts-per-million (ppm) range. Non-substituted metal phthalocyanine are well known for their p-type semiconducting behavior, which is responsible for its gas-sensing capabilities. Nanofabrication of the PdPc NWs was performed by physical vapor deposition (PVD) on an interdigitated gold electrode (IDE). The coordination of palladium in the structure was confirmed with UV–Vis spectroscopy. Gas-sensing experiments for NO2 detection were undertaken at different sensed gas concentrations from 4 ppm to 0.5 ppm at room temperature. In this work, the responses at different gas concentrations are reported. In addition, structural studies of the PdPc NWs with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDS) are shown.

Malaria, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis are tropical diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania, respectively. These diseases constitute a major burden on public health in several regions worldwide, mainly affecting low-income populations in economically poor countries. Severe side effects of currently available drug treatments and the emergence of resistant parasites need to be addressed by the development of novel drug candidates. Natural 2,5-Diketopiperazines (2,5-DKPs) constitute N-heterocyclic secondary metabolites with a wide range of biological activities of medicinal interest. Its structural and physicochemical properties make the 2,5-DKP ring a versatile, peptide-like, and stable pharmacophore attractive for synthetic drug design. In the present work, twenty-three novel synthetic 2,5-DKPs, previously synthesized through the versatile Ugi multicomponent reaction, were assayed for their anti-protozoal activities against P. falciparum, T. cruzi, and L. infantum. Some of the 2,5-DKPs have shown promising activities against the target protozoans, with inhibitory concentrations (IC50) ranging from 5.4 to 9.5 µg/mL. The most active compounds also show low cytotoxicity (CC50), affording selectivity indices ≥ 15. Results allowed for observing a clear relationship between the substitution pattern at the aromatic rings of the 2,5-DKPs and their corresponding anti-Plasmodium activity. Finally, calculated drug-like properties of the compounds revealed points for further structure optimization of promising drug candidates.

Background. Corpus callosal abnormalities (CCA) are midline developmental brain malformations and are usually associated with a wide spectrum of other neurological and non-neurological abnormalities. The study aims to highlight the diagnostic role of fetal MRI to characterize heterogeneous corpus callosal abnormalities using the latest classification system. It also helps to identify associated anomalies, which have prognostic implications for the postnatal outcome. Methods. In this study, retrospective data from antenatal women who underwent fetal MRI between January 2014 and July 2023 at Rush University Medical Center were evaluated for CCA and classified based on structural morphology. Patients were further assessed for associated neurological and non-neurological anomalies. Results. The most frequent class of CCA was complete agenesis (79.1%), followed by hypoplasia (12.5%), dysplasia (4.2%), and hypoplasia with dysplasia (4.2%). Among them, 17% had isolated CCA, while the majority (83%) had complex forms of CCA associated with other CNS and non-CNS anomalies. Out of the complex CCA cases, 58% were associated with other CNS anomalies, while 8% were associated with non-CNS anomalies. 17% of cases had both. Conclusion. The use of fetal MRI is valuable in the classification of abnormalities of the corpus callosum after the confirmation of a suspected diagnosis on prenatal ultrasound. This technique is an invaluable method for distinguishing between isolated and complex forms of CCA, especially in cases of apparent isolated CCA. The use of diffusion-weighted imaging or diffusion tensor imaging in fetal neuroimaging is expected to provide further insights into white matter abnormalities in fetuses diagnosed with CCA in the future.

In the above article [1], several projects are missing in the funding information. Thus, the correct information should be:

Miniaturized cultivation systems offer the potential to enhance experimental throughput in bioprocess development. However, they usually lack the miniaturized pumps necessary for fed-batch mode, which is commonly employed in industrial bioprocesses. An alternative are enzyme-mediated glucose release systems from starch-derived polymers, facilitating continuous glucose supply. Nevertheless, while the glucose release, and thus the feed rate, is controlled by the enzyme concentration, it also strongly depends on the type of starch derivative, and the culture conditions as well as pH and temperature. So far it was not possible to implement controlled feeding strategies (e.g., exponential feeding). In this context, we propose a model-based approach to achieve precise control over enzyme-mediated glucose release in cultivations. To this aim, an existing mathematical model was integrated into a computational framework to calculate setpoints for enzyme additions. We demonstrate the ability of the tool to maintain different pre-defined exponential growth rates during Escherichia coli cultivations in parallel mini-bioreactors integrated into a robotic facility. Although in this case study, the intermittent additions of enzyme and dextrin were performed by a liquid handler, the approach is adaptable to manual applications. Thus, we present a straightforward and robust approach for implementing defined continuous fed-batch processes in small-scale systems, where continuous feeding was only possible with low accuracy or high technical efforts until now.

Antecedentes: Los ecosistemas ganaderos requieren de serias transformaciones en los sistemas de manejo, basados en principios agroecológicos, donde la agroforestería puede jugar un importante pape. O Caracterizar el rendimiento de follaje, hojarasca y la fauna edáfica asociada a tres especies forestales en cercas vivas en ecosistemas ganaderos sobre serpentina de Camagüey. Métodos: Se desarrolló un estudio durante dos años en áreas de la UBPC Finca Habana perteneciente a la Empresa Pecuaria Minas, Camagüey, en el mismo se utilizaron árboles de Gliricidia sepium (Jacq) Kunth ex Walp, Bursera simaruba (L) Sargent y Moringa oleifera Lam ya establecidos en cercas colindantes plantados a una distancia de 1,0 m. Se evaluó el rendimiento de follaje, la deposición de hojarasca y la macrofauna edáfica asociada a cada una de las arbóreas estudiadas. Se determinaron los estadísticos descriptivos (Media y ES) y se realizó un ANOVA simple para cada una de las variables estudiadas. Las medias se compararon a través de la prueba de rangos múltiples HSD Tukey, para un nivel de significación de p< 0,05. Resultados: Los resultados indican lo beneficioso del uso de estas especies como cercas vivas si se consideran las altas producciones de follaje (entre1,02 y 2,54 kg MS/a/corte) así como su efecto ambiental positivo al aportar al suelo altas cantidades de hojarasca, así como hospedar cantidades apreciables de fauna edáfica. Conclusiones: Las especies evaluadas producen altos niveles de forraje y hojarasca al suelo, así como una fauna edáfica asociada abundante. Palabras clave: ganadería, fauna del suelo, sistemas agroforestales (Fuente: Agrovoc)

Summary: TSPEAR variants cause autosomal recessive ectodermal dysplasia (ARED) 14. The function of TSPEAR is unknown. The clinical features, the mutation spectrum, and the underlying mechanisms of ARED14 are poorly understood. Combining data from new and previously published individuals established that ARED14 is primarily characterized by dental anomalies such as conical tooth cusps and hypodontia, like those seen in individuals with WNT10A-related odontoonychodermal dysplasia. AlphaFold-predicted structure-based analysis showed that most of the pathogenic TSPEAR missense variants likely destabilize the β-propeller of the protein. Analysis of 100000 Genomes Project (100KGP) data revealed multiple founder TSPEAR variants across different populations. Mutational and recombination clock analyses demonstrated that non-Finnish European founder variants likely originated around the end of the last ice age, a period of major climatic transition. Analysis of gnomAD data showed that the non-Finnish European population TSPEAR gene-carrier rate is ∼1/140, making it one of the commonest AREDs. Phylogenetic and AlphaFold structural analyses showed that TSPEAR is an ortholog of drosophila Closca, an extracellular matrix-dependent signaling regulator. We, therefore, hypothesized that TSPEAR could have a role in enamel knot, a structure that coordinates patterning of developing tooth cusps. Analysis of mouse single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data revealed highly restricted expression of Tspear in clusters representing enamel knots. A tspeara−/−;tspearb−/− double-knockout zebrafish model recapitulated the clinical features of ARED14 and fin regeneration abnormalities of wnt10a knockout fish, thus suggesting interaction between tspear and wnt10a. In summary, we provide insights into the role of TSPEAR in ectodermal development and the evolutionary history, epidemiology, mechanisms, and consequences of its loss of function variants.

Abstract The World Health Organisation (WHO) presents an upper limit for lead in drinking water of 10 parts per billion ppb. Typically, to reach this level of sensitivity, expensive metrology is required. To increase the sensitivity range of low-cost devices, this paper explores the prospects of using a volume reduction technique of a boiled water sample doped with Lead-210 ( $${}^{210}$$ 210 Pb), as a means to increase the solute’s concentration. $${}^{210}$$ 210 Pb is a radioactive lead isotope and its concentration in a water sample can be measured with e.g. High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors at the Boulby Underground Germanium Suite. Concentrations close to the WHO limit have not been examined. This paper presents a measurement of the volume reduction technique retaining $$99\pm (9)$$ 99 ± ( 9 ) % of $${}^{210}$$ 210 Pb starting from a concentration of $$1.9 \times 10^{-6}$$ 1.9 × 10 - 6 ppb before reduction and resulting in $$2.63 \times 10^{-4}$$ 2.63 × 10 - 4 ppb after reduction. This work also applies the volume reduction technique to London tap water and reports the radioassay results from gamma counting in HPGe detectors. Among other radio-isotopes, $${}^{40}$$ 40 K, $${}^{210}$$ 210 Pb, $${}^{131}$$ 131 I and $${}^{177}$$ 177 Lu were identified at measured concentrations of $$2.83 \times 10^{3}$$ 2.83 × 10 3 ppb, $$2.55 \times 10^{-7}$$ 2.55 × 10 - 7 ppb, $$5.06 \times 10^{-10}$$ 5.06 × 10 - 10 ppb and $$5.84 \times 10^{-10}$$ 5.84 × 10 - 10 ppb in the London tap water sample. This technique retained $${90 \pm 50}{\%}$$ 90 ± 50 % of $${}^{40}$$ 40 K. Stable lead was inferred from the same water sample at a measured concentration of 0.012 ppb, prior to reduction.

This study compared the effect of oregano essential oil versus sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and benzalkonium chloride against the viability of adhered Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on 304 stainless steel. Oregano essential oil was effective in disrupting the biofilms of both bacteria at concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 0.52 mg mL−1. In addition, damage to stainless-steel surfaces following disinfection treatments was assessed by weight loss analysis and via visual inspection using light microscopy. Compared to the other treatments, oregano oil caused the least damage to stainless steel (~0.001% weight loss), whereas sodium hypochlorite caused the most severe damage (0.00817% weight loss) when applied at 0.5 mg mL−1. Moreover, oregano oil also had an apparent protective impact on the stainless steel as weight losses were less than for the control surfaces (distilled water only). On the other hand, sodium hypochlorite caused the most severe damage to stainless steel (0.00817% weight loss). In conclusion, oregano oil eliminated monoculture biofilms of two important foodborne pathogens on 304 stainless-steel surfaces, while at the same time minimizing damage to the surfaces compared with conventional disinfectant treatments.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) represent the key technology to continuously feed and protect a wide range of critical applications in electric power systems. Due to their continuous operation, UPS components degrade over time, including their filtering elements, leading to decreased filtering capabilities. With these deviations, UPS performance is typically reduced. Moreover, if filter parameter deviations are not considered in the control system, performance degradation can be further increased and the critical load can be seriously compromised. This is especially important with Model Predictive Control (MPC), which heavily relies on system parameters accuracy. Thus, control performance optimization using estimated filter parameters in UPS systems can be extremely important. Nevertheless, this has not yet been covered in the literature for UPS systems. In light of these facts, this paper proposes a new mechanism that, by using online estimated filter parameters, optimizes the performance of an MPC strategy, in a UPS system. In the scope of this optimization mechanism, an estimation method that enables parameter identification and control optimization not only in balanced but also in highly unbalanced filter conditions (rarely studied in the literature) is proposed. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed estimators and the effectiveness of the proposed control performance optimization mechanism. Under severe filter parameter variations, the proposed performance optimization scheme enabled to reduce the degradation (caused by filter variation) of the grid current and load voltage THD by 29.41% and 91.60%, respectively. Furthermore, the degradation of the RMS load voltage value was also significantly reduced by 97.89%.

Introduction: Ischemic heart disease, the leading cause of death in this age group, increases dependency and disability. Cardiac rehabilitation reduces hospital readmissions, morbidity, and mortality and improves function and quality of life (QoL). Few studies on older Mexicans have analyzed the impact of cardiac rehabilitation on the perception of QoL. Objectives: The aim is to compare the initial and final measurements of QoL of cardiac rehabilitation therapy in older adults using the infarct code program. Materials and methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study. Patients ≥ 60 years of the Infarct Code program who completed Cardiac Rehabilitation during 2018-2021, with initial and final measurements of the Velasco del Barrio instrument, were included. Demographic variables, comorbidities, and physical improvement were also documented. The analyses were performed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: A total of 143 patients were included in this study, 80% of male, with a median age of 67 years. Arterial hypertension (71%) and diabetes mellitus (52%) were the primary comorbidities. The initial metabolic equivalent of task was 5 ± 1.7 versus the final 7.3 ± 2. Regarding the instrument applied, 18% had an excellent QoL, 78% were good, and 3.5% were intermediate. Finally, 75% had an excellent QoL, and 25% had a good QoL, with statistical significance. Conclusions: Older patients who completed the cardiac rehabilitation program had improved QoL in all dimensions.

Abstract In this work, we investigate the quasinormal modes for a massive scalar field with a nonminimal coupling with gravity in the spacetime of a loop quantum black hole, known as the self-dual black hole. In this way, we have calculated the characteristic frequencies using the 3rd order WKB approach, where we can verify a strong dependence with the mass of scalar field, the parameter of nonminimal coupling with gravity, and parameters of the loop quantum gravity. From our results, we can check that the self-dual black hole is stable under the scalar perturbations when assuming small values for the parameters. Also, such results tell us that the quasinormal modes assume different values for the cases where the mass of field is null and the nonminimal coupling assumes $$\xi =0$$ ξ = 0 and $$\xi =1/6$$ ξ = 1 / 6 , i.e., a possible breaking of the conformal invariance can be seen in the context of loop quantum black holes.

Abstract Biotic stresses, including diseases, severely affect rice production, compromising producers’ ability to meet increasing global consumption. Understanding quantitative responses for resistance to diverse pathogens can guide development of reliable molecular markers, which, combined with advanced backcross populations, can accelerate the production of more resistant varieties. A candidate gene (CG) approach was used to accumulate different disease QTL from Moroberekan, a blast-resistant rice variety, into Vandana, a drought-tolerant variety. The advanced backcross progeny were evaluated for resistance to blast and tolerance to drought at five sites in India and the Philippines. Gene-based markers were designed to determine introgression of Moroberekan alleles for 11 CGs into the progeny. Six CGs, coding for chitinase, HSP90, oxalate oxidase, germin-like proteins, peroxidase and thaumatin-like protein, and 21 SSR markers were significantly associated with resistance to blast across screening sites. Multiple lines with different combinations, classes and numbers of CGs were associated with significant levels of race non-specific resistance to rice blast and sheath blight. Overall, the level of resistance effective in multiple locations was proportional to the number of CG alleles accumulated in advanced breeding lines. These disease resistant lines maintained tolerance to drought stress at the reproductive stage under blast disease pressure.

PURPOSEA nationwide lockdown was enforced in Brazil starting in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic when cancer screening activities were reduced. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer (BC) diagnosis.METHODSWe extracted data from the medical records of patients age older than 18 years who were diagnosed with BC and started treatment or follow-up in private oncology institutions in Brazil between 2018 and 2021. The primary objective was to compare the stage distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) with a historical prepandemic control cohort (2018-2019). Early BC was defined as stage I-II and advanced disease as stage IV.RESULTSWe collected data for 11,753 patients with an initial diagnosis of BC, with 6,493 patients in the pandemic (2020-2021) and 5,260 patients in the prepandemic period (2018-2019). We observed a lower prevalence of early-stage BC (63.6% v 68.4%) and a higher prevalence of advanced-stage BC (16.9 v 12.7%), after the onset of the pandemic (both P < .01). This pattern was similar for both estrogen receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive tumors: significantly decreased in the early stage from 69% to 67% and 68% to 58%, respectively, and a considerable increase in advanced-stage disease from 13% to 15% and 13% to 20%, respectively. For triple-negative BC, there was a significantly higher percentage of patients with advanced-stage disease during the pandemic (17% v 11%). Overall, age 50 years or older and postmenopausal status were associated with a greater risk of advanced stage at diagnosis during the pandemic period.CONCLUSIONWe observed a substantial increase in the number of cases of advanced-stage BC in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This work focuses on total organic carbon (TOC) and contributing species in cloud water over Southeast Asia using a rare airborne dataset collected during NASA's Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex), in which a wide variety of maritime clouds were studied, including cumulus congestus, altocumulus, altostratus, and cumulus. Knowledge of TOC masses and their contributing species is needed for improved modeling of cloud processing of organics and to understand how aerosols and gases impact and are impacted by clouds. This work relies on 159 samples collected with an axial cyclone cloud-water collector at altitudes of 0.2–6.8 km that had sufficient volume for both TOC and speciated organic composition analysis. Species included monocarboxylic acids (glycolate, acetate, formate, and pyruvate), dicarboxylic acids (glutarate, adipate, succinate, maleate, and oxalate), methanesulfonic acid (MSA), and dimethylamine (DMA). TOC values range between 0.018 and 13.66 ppm C with a mean of 0.902 ppm C. The highest TOC values are observed below 2 km with a general reduction aloft. An exception is samples impacted by biomass burning for which TOC remains enhanced at altitudes as high as 6.5 km (7.048 ppm C). Estimated total organic matter derived from TOC contributes a mean of 30.7 % to total measured mass (inorganics + organics). Speciated organics contribute (on a carbon mass basis) an average of 30.0 % to TOC in the study region and account for an average of 10.3 % to total measured mass. The order of the average contribution of species to TOC, in decreasing contribution of carbon mass, is as follows (±1 standard deviation): acetate (14.7 ± 20.5 %), formate (5.4 ± 9.3 %), oxalate (2.8 ± 4.3 %), DMA (1.7 ± 6.3 %), succinate (1.6 ± 2.4 %), pyruvate (1.3 ± 4.5 %), glycolate (1.3 ± 3.7 %), adipate (1.0 ± 3.6 %), MSA (0.1 ± 0.1 %), glutarate (0.1 ± 0.2 %), and maleate (< 0.1 ± 0.1 %). Approximately 70 % of TOC remains unaccounted for, highlighting the complex nature of organics in the study region; in samples collected in biomass burning plumes, up to 95.6 % of TOC mass is unaccounted for based on the species detected. Consistent with other regions, monocarboxylic acids dominate the speciated organic mass (∼ 75 %) and are about 4 times more abundant than dicarboxylic acids. Samples are categorized into four cases based on back-trajectory history, revealing source-independent similarity between the bulk contributions of monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids to TOC (16.03 %–23.66 % and 3.70 %–8.75 %, respectively). Furthermore, acetate, formate, succinate, glutarate, pyruvate, oxalate, and MSA are especially enhanced during biomass burning periods, which is attributed to peat emissions transported from Sumatra and Borneo. Lastly, dust (Ca2+) and sea salt (Na+/Cl-) tracers exhibit strong correlations with speciated organics, supporting how coarse aerosol surfaces interact with these water-soluble organics.

Abstract Local characterizations of electric, magnetic, mechanical, electrochemical, and structural properties of materials by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) can be carried out by sensing variations of the contact cantilever's resonance frequencies, resulting in diverse microscopy techniques such as piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) and piezomagnetic force microscopy (PmFM), to name a few. In this work, we provide a simple setup to determine such frequencies, together with the dynamic response of the SPM cantilever and its harmonics. The setup is less expensive when compared to the commercial versions and allows a better control of the in‐and‐out PFM. It is based on the use of the internal AC source of a lock‐in amplifier controlled by software developed in LabVIEW. In order to illustrate the utility of the contact resonance frequencies in the SPM, resonance‐PFM, PFM non‐linearities, discrimination of ferroelectric from non‐ferroelectric responses and PmFM measurements, and determination of the modulus of elasticity by AFAM are conducted.

ObjectiveDocument the outcomes of bilateral arthroscopic subtotal coronoidectomy for the fragmented medial coronoid process, quantify persistent lameness that required additional treatment (PRP), and document the outcomes of dogs that followed up with PRP injections.Study designRetrospective study.Sample populationOverall, 115 dogs underwent arthroscopy alone and 31 received PRP at least 6 weeks after arthroscopy. The owner's response rate was ~50% (73 dogs).MethodsCollected data included signalment, unilateral or bilateral clinical signs, intra-articular chondroprotective injection during the procedure, if PRP intra-articular injection was received postoperatively, and if it was received, the time from the initial surgery to administration was recorded. Outcomes were assessed via standardized owner questionnaires using the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) score, the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) score, and the overall quality of life (QOL) assessment.ResultsApproximately 20% of the patients received PRP post-operatively due to persistent lameness following surgery. Similar pain scores were found between the two groups with an average of 11–13 LOAD score, 13–15 CBPI score, and good quality of life. Older animals at the time of surgery and those that received pain-relieving medications after the procedure were more painful and affected their functional outcome. PRP as an adjunctive therapy achieved a perceived good to excellent quality of life in ~90% of pets in this population.ConclusionArthroscopy and subtotal coronoidectomy followed by PRP, if needed, seemed to decrease pain, and improve lameness in the long term.Clinical significancePRP should be considered as adjunctive therapy in dogs with the limited response to arthroscopy alone.

Objetivo: El presente artículo está enfocado en conocer cuál es el panorama actual del cribado en cáncer de mama a nivel mundial y centrarlo en la población mexicana. Material y métodos: Se realizó una revisión de la literatura disponible sobre las recomendaciones del tamizaje de cáncer de mama en las guías internacionales más importantes, así como los lineamientos actuales en México; además se analizaron datos epidemiológicos del cáncer de mama en nuestro país. Resultados: Las pacientes se dividen en tres grupos con base en su riesgo de padecer cáncer de mama en: riesgo promedio, intermedio y alto. Las normas o lineamientos que rigen el cribado del cáncer de mama en pacientes con riesgo promedio (el grupo más numeroso) en México y el mundo son muy heterogéneos, todos concuerdan en realizarlo mediante la mastografía, pero la mayoría discrepan en la edad de inicio, la edad de término y el periodo de tiempo en el que debería realizarse. Conclusiones: La evidencia científica que demuestra cómo se comporta el cáncer de mama en México nos permite colocar en el contexto apropiado las recomendaciones existentes, mastografía anual a partir de los 40 años, se recomienda no detener el tamizaje a menos que la expectativa de vida de la paciente sea menor a 10 años.

Small pelagic fish off the coast of Peru in the eastern tropical South Pacific (ETSP) support around 10 % of global fish catches. Their stocks fluctuate interannually due to environmental variability which can be exacerbated by fishing pressure. Because these fish are planktivorous, any change in fish abundance may directly affect the plankton and the biogeochemical system. To investigate the potential effects of variability in small pelagic fish populations on lower trophic levels, we used a coupled physical–biogeochemical model to build scenarios for the ETSP and compare these against an already-published reference simulation. The scenarios mimic changes in fish predation by either increasing or decreasing mortality of the model's large and small zooplankton compartments. The results revealed that large zooplankton was the main driver of the response of the community. Its concentration increased under low mortality conditions, and its prey, small zooplankton and large phytoplankton, decreased. The response was opposite, but weaker, in the high mortality scenarios. This asymmetric behaviour can be explained by the different ecological roles of large, omnivorous zooplankton and small zooplankton, which in the model is strictly herbivorous. The response of small zooplankton depended on the antagonistic effects of mortality changes as well as on the grazing pressure by large zooplankton. The results of this study provide a first insight into how the plankton ecosystem might respond if variations in fish populations were modelled explicitly.

Fireworks degrade air quality, reduce visibility, alter atmospheric chemistry, and cause short-term adverse health effects. However, there have not been any comprehensive physicochemical and optical measurements of fireworks and their associated impacts in a Southeast Asia megacity, where fireworks are a regular part of the culture. Size-resolved particulate matter (PM) measurements were made before, during, and after New Year 2019 at the Manila Observatory in Quezon City, Philippines, as part of the Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex). A high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) recorded a substantial increase in backscattered signal associated with high aerosol loading ∼440 m above the surface during the peak of firework activities around 00:00 (local time). This was accompanied by PM2.5 concentrations peaking at 383.9 µg m−3. During the firework event, water-soluble ions and elements, which affect particle formation, growth, and fate, were mostly in the submicrometer diameter range. Total (>0.056 µm) water-soluble bulk particle mass concentrations were enriched by 5.7 times during the fireworks relative to the background (i.e., average of before and after the firework). The water-soluble mass fraction of PM2.5 increased by 18.5 % above that of background values. This corresponded to increased volume fractions of inorganics which increased bulk particle hygroscopicity, kappa (κ), from 0.11 (background) to 0.18 (fireworks). Potassium and non-sea-salt (nss) SO42- contributed the most (70.9 %) to the water-soluble mass, with their mass size distributions shifting from a smaller to a larger submicrometer mode during the firework event. On the other hand, mass size distributions for NO3-, Cl−, and Mg2+ (21.1 % mass contribution) shifted from a supermicrometer mode to a submicrometer mode. Being both uninfluenced by secondary aerosol formation and constituents of firework materials, a subset of species were identified as the best firework tracer species (Cu, Ba, Sr, K+, Al, and Pb). Although these species (excluding K+) only contributed 2.1 % of the total mass concentration of water-soluble ions and elements, they exhibited the highest enrichments (6.1 to 65.2) during the fireworks. Surface microscopy analysis confirmed the presence of potassium/chloride-rich cubic particles along with capsule-shaped particles in firework samples. The results of this study highlight how firework emissions change the physicochemical and optical properties of water-soluble particles (e.g., mass size distribution, composition, hygroscopicity, and aerosol backscatter), which subsequently alters the background aerosol's respirability, influence on surroundings, ability to uptake gases, and viability as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN).