Search

The study of honey in Iasi County reveals its ecological, economic and health importance, emphasizing its unique properties, role in biodiversity and value in promoting sustainable beekeeping and regional identity. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of honey from Iasi County, Romania, analyzing 27 samples collected in 2020 and 2021. The samples include tilia (8 raw, 7 commercial), acacia (2 raw, 2 commercial), rapeseed (3 raw), sunflower (3 raw) and lavender (2 raw) honey. Analyses were carried out under Romanian/EU standards, assessing parameters such as color, electrical conductivity, moisture, total soluble solids (TSS), acidity (free, lactone, total), pH, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), ash and mineral composition (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe). The results revealed significant differences between raw and commercial honeys. Notably, in commercial tilia honey, higher values were found for color (38.58 mm Pfund vs. 24.14 mm Pfund), total acidity (25.93 meq·kg−1 vs. 17.36 meq·kg−1) and HMF levels (8.84 mg·kg−1 vs. 3.68 mg·kg−1). Conversely, water-insoluble solids (0.08% vs. 0.15%) and ash content (0.21% vs. 0.30%) were lower in commercial samples. Potassium was the most abundant mineral detected, while copper and zinc levels were the lowest. Significant correlations were observed between several parameters, including ash with electrical conductivity and HMF with acidity. This study underscores the impact of processing on honey quality and highlights the importance of understanding honey composition for consumers and producers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To summarize the current evidence on relapse-associated worsening (RAW) and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) through a quantitative synthesis of real-world studies. Methods: Scientific databases were searched to identify suitable articles. Random-effects meta-analyses, subgroup analyses and meta-regression models were ran to provide pooled estimates of RAW and PIRA events and to identify their potential moderators (PROSPERO registration: CRD42024503895). Results: Eighteen articles met the eligibility criteria, with a pooled sample size of 52,667 patients (93% relapsing–remitting, 6% clinically isolated syndrome and 1% progressive) followed for 2.4 to 12.1 years, yielding to 415,825 patient-years. Pooled event rates for RAW and PIRA were 1.6 (95 confidence interval (CI) = 1.1–2.1) and 3.1 (95% CI = 2.3–3.9) per 100 patient-years, respectively. Less RAW events were found in cohorts including patients with progressive course (β = −0.069, p = 0.006) and under high-efficacy disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) (β = −0.031, p = 0.007), while PIRA events were directly related to older age (β = 0.397, p = 0.027). In addition, we found significant differences in PIRA event rates according to the criteria adopted to define confirmed disability accrual (p < 0.05). Discussion: PIRA accounts for most events causing disability accumulation in the real-world setting, even at the earlier disease stages, whereas RAW represents a less frequent phenomenon, likely due to effective treatments. The detection and statistical analysis of PIRA outcomes pose challenges, raising the risk of erroneous inference. When interpreting our findings, caution is needed given the wide heterogeneity of included studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-nutritional contents of feedstuffs have deleterious effects on human/animal nutrition. Reducing the anti-nutritional content of these feedstuffs and enhancing their use in feed formulation, requires appropriate processing methods. An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of feeding processed and raw Cola rostrata (monkey cola) seed meal (CRSM) on the histopathology of some organs (liver, kidney, duodenum, jejunum and ileum), of male albino rats. The CRSM was processed using four different methods i.e. boiling only, boiling and fermenting, fermenting only, and toasting. Six experimental diets were formulated with diet T1 (Control) containing 0% CRSM, while diets T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 contained, boiled, boiled and fermented, fermented, toasted and raw CRSM respectively. 90 male rats (aged, 6 - 7 weeks), were divided into six dietary treatment groups of five animals triplicated in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The experiment lasted for 21 days and the data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means separated using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results indicated that rats on T1 and T2 recorded no noticeable defects or abnormalities in all the organs observed. However, focal segmental sclerosis in the kidney, hepatocellular necrosis of the liver, hypercellularity and disorganisation of the mucosal glandular tissues were observed in rats from the other treatments (T6, T3, T4, and T5). It can be concluded that C. rostrata seed boiled for at least 30 minutes can be used as a feed ingredient in animal diets without any deleterious effect on their organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of honey in Iasi County reveals its ecological, economic and health importance, emphasizing its unique properties, role in biodiversity and value in promoting sustainable beekeeping and regional identity. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of honey from Iasi County, Romania, analyzing 27 samples collected in 2020 and 2021. The samples include tilia (8 raw, 7 commercial), acacia (2 raw, 2 commercial), rapeseed (3 raw), sunflower (3 raw) and lavender (2 raw) honey. Analyses were carried out under Romanian/EU standards, assessing parameters such as color, electrical conductivity, moisture, total soluble solids (TSS), acidity (free, lactone, total), pH, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), ash and mineral composition (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe). The results revealed significant differences between raw and commercial honeys. Notably, in commercial tilia honey, higher values were found for color (38.58 mm Pfund vs. 24.14 mm Pfund), total acidity (25.93 meq·kg−1 vs. 17.36 meq·kg−1) and HMF levels (8.84 mg·kg−1 vs. 3.68 mg·kg−1). Conversely, water-insoluble solids (0.08% vs. 0.15%) and ash content (0.21% vs. 0.30%) were lower in commercial samples. Potassium was the most abundant mineral detected, while copper and zinc levels were the lowest. Significant correlations were observed between several parameters, including ash with electrical conductivity and HMF with acidity. This study underscores the impact of processing on honey quality and highlights the importance of understanding honey composition for consumers and producers alike.

This research proposed a model of Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) scheme which is one of the techniques used in reducing collision and usually prioritized due to its contention window to determine the impact of distance change on the IEEE 802.11 ah standard. The proposed model was analyzed using the Markov Chain approach to determine the effect of distance change on collisions levels while the numerical were simulated using MATLAB. Moreover, the Markov chain solution was used to evaluate parameters such as throughput, energy consumption, and delay. The results showed the increment in RAW slot duration and the distance change for each station can reduce the performance on the standard and the scenario when the RAW slot duration was changed by 50 ms performed better than 100 ms and 250 ms.

Raw meat diets (RMD) for dogs are an increasingly popular alternative pet food choice, however studies worldwide have demonstrated them to be contaminated with zoonotic and antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, including bacteria resistant to critically important antibiotics. Despite this, few data exist surrounding the presence of these bacteria in RMD in the United Kingdom. The present study aimed to identify the most commonly selected RMD and nonraw diets (NRMD) by United Kingdom dog owners. Additionally, it investigated the presence of AMR-Enterobacteriaceae in samples of pre-prepared RMD and cooked commercial kibble dog foods. An online survey investigating diet preferences of United Kingdom dog owners was open for 6 weeks between February-March 2020. From this, the top 10 brands of pre-prepared raw and cooked kibble diets were ascertained and 134 samples purchased (110 RMD, 24 kibble) and subjected to microbiological testing. Bacterial enumeration of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae was undertaken, and the presence of Salmonella spp. and AMR-E. coli within samples determined. Whole genome sequencing was undertaken on Salmonella spp. and third-generation cephalosporinresistant 3GCR-E. coli isolates. Pre-prepared RMD was most commonly selected by dog owners who fed RMD, and cooked commercial complete dry food was most frequently fed by owners who fed NRMD. Damaged and leaking packaging was observed in samples of RMD, alongside variability in information provided surrounding product traceability. Counts of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae exceeding >5,000 CFU/g were identified in samples of RMD. AMR-, extendedspectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and 3GCR-E. coli was isolated from 39, 14 and 16% of RMD samples, respectively. Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes were identified in 3GCR-E. coli isolates. Of the ESBL encoding genes, blaCTX-M-15 was most commonly identified. S. enterica was isolated from 5% of RMD samples. No Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from any of the cooked kibble samples. The present study suggests that pre-prepared RMD available for dogs in the United Kingdom can be contaminated with zoonotic and AMREnterobacteriaceae. RMDs, therefore, are potentially an important One Health concern. Veterinary and medical professionals, pet food retailers and pet owners should be aware of these risks; and stringent hygiene measures should be practiced if owners choose to feed RMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The rapid growth in the number of smart devices capable of exchanging data within a single network leads to the emergence of mechanisms that allow adapting data transmission technologies to the Internet of Things networks. One of them is the mechanism of the periodic restricted access window (PRAW) presented in the 802.11ah standard. A competent choice of parameters of the PRAW mechanism allows a large number of sensors to transmit data quickly and energy-efficiently, but the 802.11ah standard itself does not give recommendations on their choice. This article solves the following optimization problems: minimizing (a) the average delay, (b) the average energy consumption per transmitted packet when the average delay limit is met, and (c) the share of channel time consumed by the PRAW mechanism when the restrictions on both metrics are met. Based on the results of solving these problems, we give recommendations on the choice of PRAW parameters for different network loads determined by the intensity of packet generation and the number of stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw meat diets (RMD) for dogs are an increasingly popular alternative pet food choice, however studies worldwide have demonstrated them to be contaminated with zoonotic and antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, including bacteria resistant to critically important antibiotics. Despite this, few data exist surrounding the presence of these bacteria in RMD in the United Kingdom. The present study aimed to identify the most commonly selected RMD and non-raw diets (NRMD) by United Kingdom dog owners. Additionally, it investigated the presence of AMR-Enterobacteriaceae in samples of pre-prepared RMD and cooked commercial kibble dog foods. An online survey investigating diet preferences of United Kingdom dog owners was open for 6 weeks between February–March 2020. From this, the top 10 brands of pre-prepared raw and cooked kibble diets were ascertained and 134 samples purchased (110 RMD, 24 kibble) and subjected to microbiological testing. Bacterial enumeration of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae was undertaken, and the presence of Salmonella spp. and AMR-E. coli within samples determined. Whole genome sequencing was undertaken on Salmonella spp. and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant 3GCR-E. coli isolates. Pre-prepared RMD was most commonly selected by dog owners who fed RMD, and cooked commercial complete dry food was most frequently fed by owners who fed NRMD. Damaged and leaking packaging was observed in samples of RMD, alongside variability in information provided surrounding product traceability. Counts of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae exceeding >5,000 CFU/g were identified in samples of RMD. AMR-, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and 3GCR-E. coli was isolated from 39, 14 and 16% of RMD samples, respectively. Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes were identified in 3GCR-E. coli isolates. Of the ESBL encoding genes, blaCTX-M-15 was most commonly identified. S. enterica was isolated from 5% of RMD samples. No Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from any of the cooked kibble samples. The present study suggests that pre-prepared RMD available for dogs in the United Kingdom can be contaminated with zoonotic and AMR-Enterobacteriaceae. RMDs, therefore, are potentially an important One Health concern. Veterinary and medical professionals, pet food retailers and pet owners should be aware of these risks; and stringent hygiene measures should be practiced if owners choose to feed RMD.

Nuts are highly valued for their properties and are consumed worldwide owing to their health benefits, particularly, for the prevention and treatment of diseases, as well as a source of essential macro- and micronutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of roasting on the nutritional value of nuts. Three types of nuts, raw and roasted almonds, cashews, and walnuts were selected from three well-known companies in Saudi Arabia. To analyze and evaluate the stability of macro- and micronutrients in nuts, modern separation and quantification methods, including inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OSE), were used to analyze and evaluate the stability of nutrients and heavy metals in nuts that are widely distributed and consumed. The results of this study indicate that nuts have high nutritional value and an inverse roasting effect. Comparing the nutrient and metal contents of raw and roasted nuts provides useful information on the nutritional science of nuts consumed by well-known manufacturers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Further investigations of nuts are needed to draw firm conclusions regarding their association with the prevention of many different diseases.

This research proposed a model of Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) scheme which is one of the techniques used in reducing collision and usually prioritized due to its contention window to determine the impact of distance change on the IEEE 802.11 ah standard. The proposed model was analyzed using the Markov Chain approach to determine the effect of distance change on collisions levels while the numerical were simulated using MATLAB. Moreover, the Markov chain solution was used to evaluate parameters such as throughput, energy consumption, and delay. The results showed the increment in RAW slot duration and the distance change for each station can reduce the performance on the standard and the scenario when the RAW slot duration was changed by 50 ms performed better than 100 ms and 250 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted at the poultry \ Animal Production Department - College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad, for the period from 22/11/2020 to 2/1/2021 . To study the effect of adding germinated red grains sorghum (GRGS) and raw red grains sorghum(RRGS) as a complete substitute for maize to broiler diets on production performance. 225 broiler chicks were used in this experiment and randomly distributed to five treatments by 45 chicks/treatment with three replicates/treatment, 15 chicks/replicate : T1 control treatment (maize), T2 (20%) GRGS + (80%) RRGS, T3 (40%) GRGS + (60%) RRGS, T4 (60%) GRGS + (40%) RRGS, T5 (80%) GRGS + (20%) RRGS . the data was analyzed statistically according to complete randomize design (CRD), register Qualities understudy over three periods 1 to 10 days a starter diet, and during the period from 11 to 24 days on a growth diet, and during the period from 25 to 42 days on a finisher diet according to the production guide of Ross 308. The results were showed significant superiority (P<0.01) of the T2 treatment as compared with other treatments for the body weight and weight gain and feed intake, a significant superiority (P<0.01) in the feed conversion ratio of the T1 treatment as compared with other treatments T2, T3, T5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its isolation, graphene has received growing attention from academia and industry due to its unique properties. However, the "what is my material" barrier hinders further commercialization. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is considered as a method of choice for the determination of the elemental and chemical composition. In this work the influence of the morphology of graphene particles on the XPS results is studied and investigated as a function of X‐ray energy, using conventional XPS with Al Kα radiation and hard X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES) using Cr Kα radiation. Thereby, the information depth is varied between 10 and 30 nm. For this purpose, two commercial powders containing graphene nanoplatelets with lateral dimensions of either ≈100 nm or in the micrometer range are compared. These larger ones exist as stack of graphene layers which is inspected with scanning electron microscopy. Both kinds of particles are then functionalized with either oxygen or fluorine. The size of the graphene particles is found to influence the degree of functionalization. Only the combination of XPS and HAXPES allows to detect the functionalization at the outermost surface of the particles or even of the stacks and to provide new insights into the functionalization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. La pasteurisation est destinée à détruire la flore pathogène et la majorité de la flore non pathogène d’altération du lait. Objectif. La présente étude avait pour objectif l’évaluation de la qualité du lait pasteurisé et la vérification du procédé de pasteurisation dans une laiterie. Matériel et méthodes. Cinquante échantillons de lait pasteurisé (20 laits crus et 30 laits reconstitués) ont été prélevés aux points de vente. Dans la laiterie, 70 échantillons ont été réalisés à des temps différents pendant la pasteurisation. L’analyse microbiologique a concerné le dénombrement de la flore totale (FT) à 30°C. Résultats. Quatre-vingt-dix % et 43% des laits crus et reconstitués pasteurisés, respectivement, sont de mauvaise qualité avec une contamination moyenne de 4,95±1,62(x105) UFC.mL-1 et de 1,64±0,38(x105) UFC.mL-1. Pour le dérou-lement de la pasteurisation, il a été observé une baisse significative de la charge en FT entre la charge initiale du lait cru 28,5±8,3(x105) UFC.mL-1 et la charge finale 0,82±0,27(x105) UFC.mL-1 (p=0,001). Les laits obtenus ont été à 78,6% de qualité acceptable et 21,4% de mauvaise qualité. Conclusion. La mauvaise qualité du lait pasteurisé à la vente est due à la mauvaise qualité du lait cru mais probablement aussi à une contamination post-pasteurisation. [Introduction. Pasteurization is intended to destroy the pathogenic flora and the majority of the non-pathogenic flora of milk alteration. Objective. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of pasteurized milk, and to verify the pasteurization process in a dairy industry. Material and methods. Fifty samples of pasteurized milk (20 raw milks and 30 reconstituted milks) were taken at the sale points. In the dairy, 70 samples were taken at different times during pasteurization. The microbiological analysis concerned the total flora (TF) at 30°C. Results. Ninety % and 43% of pasteurized raw and reconstituted milks, respectively, were of poor quality with an average contamination of 4.95±1.62(x105) CFU.mL-1 and 1.64±0.38(x105) CFU.mL-1. For the pasteurization process, a significant decrease in the TF load was observed between the initial raw milk load 28.5±8.3(x105) CFU.mL-1 and the final load 0.82±0.27(x105) CFU.mL-1 (p=0.001). The milks obtained were 78.6% of acceptable quality and 21.4% of poor quality. Conclusion. The poor quality of pasteurized milk for sale is due to the poor quality of raw milk but probably also to post-pasteurization contamination.]

Abstract Since its isolation, graphene has received growing attention from academia and industry due to its unique properties. However, the “what is my material” barrier hinders further commercialization. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is considered as a method of choice for the determination of the elemental and chemical composition. In this work the influence of the morphology of graphene particles on the XPS results is studied and investigated as a function of X‐ray energy, using conventional XPS with Al Kα radiation and hard X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES) using Cr Kα radiation. Thereby, the information depth is varied between 10 and 30 nm. For this purpose, two commercial powders containing graphene nanoplatelets with lateral dimensions of either ≈100 nm or in the micrometer range are compared. These larger ones exist as stack of graphene layers which is inspected with scanning electron microscopy. Both kinds of particles are then functionalized with either oxygen or fluorine. The size of the graphene particles is found to influence the degree of functionalization. Only the combination of XPS and HAXPES allows to detect the functionalization at the outermost surface of the particles or even of the stacks and to provide new insights into the functionalization process.

BACKGROUND: The effects of performing occupational tasks that demand physical and mental efforts in combined and simultaneous approaches are unknown, especially when pushing force is analyzed as a physical effort and solving arithmetic problems as a mental effort. OBJECTIVE: In this study, physical and mental demands were simulated in a lab environment to assess the workload. METHODS: Using a push force dynamometer, the maximum push force strength of each participant was recorded, and the physical demand was simulated exerting the push force in low, medium, and high levels. Mental demands were simulated solving arithmetic tasks in low, medium, and high levels. Two experimental conditions were defined: (1) task with combined physical and mental workload (performing physical demands first and mental demands after) and (2) task in a simultaneous way (performing both demands at the same time. NASA-TLX Traditional and RAW were applied to assess the workload. RESULTS: The time to complete the tasks was significantly longer in the combined than the simultaneous approach, and performance was significantly higher in the combined than the simultaneous tasks. CONCLUSION: The combined approach obtained better results than simultaneous and Traditional NASA-TLX presented a significantly higher level of global workload index than RAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE 802.11ah standard is intended to adapt the specifications of IEEE 802.11 to the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario. One of the main features of IEEE 802.11ah consists of the Restricted Access Window (RAW) mechanism, designed for scheduling transmissions of groups of stations within certain periods of time or windows. With an appropriate configuration, the RAW feature reduces contention and improves energy efficiency. However, the standard specification does not provide mechanisms for the optimal setting of RAW parameters. In this way, this paper presents a grouping strategy based on a genetic algorithm (GA) for IEEE 802.11ah networks operating under the RAW mechanism and considering heterogeneous stations, that is, stations using different modulation and coding schemes (MCS). We define a fitness function from the combination of the predicted system throughput and fairness, and provide the tuning of the GA parameters to obtain the best result in a short time. The paper also includes a comparison of different alternatives with regard to the stages of the GA, i.e., parent selection, crossover, and mutation methods. As a proof of concept, the proposed GA-based RAW grouping is tested on a more constrained device, a Raspberry Pi 3B+, where the grouping method converges in around 5 s. The evaluation concludes with a comparison of the GA-based grouping strategy with other grouping approaches, thus showing that the proposed mechanism provides a good trade-off between throughput and fairness performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the racializing logic of white feminism and its alignment with white heteronormative registers of human life. It does so by considering Julia Ducournau's (2017) film Raw in relation to cannibalism's intersections of gender, sexuality and race. The film invokes feminist pleasures, centring on female desire and pitting Justine's compulsive appetites against an inflexible social hierarchy of gender and species. However, its articulation of cannibal consumption and female subjectivity is dangerously ambivalent. By focusing on the colonial history and racializing logic of the cannibal, this article reads Raw as symptomatic of the subjective formations and social violence of white feminism. Raw portrays cannibalism as a feminist practice of posthuman resistance, but its seductive appeal also produces a troubling ambivalence around non-white and queer bodies, which resonates with black critiques of posthumanism's reproduction of whiteness. The film invites us to inhabit our raw desires as a monstrous resistance, but what genres of human and nonhuman haunt this politics of monstrosity? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chocolate flavors vary depending on the origin of the cocoa beans used. Differences in soil, microorganisms, and environmental factors contribute to the formation of flavor precursors in cocoa beans. During cocoa bean fermentation, environmental temperature has been shown to alter metabolite concentrations. However, the correlation between the metabolite profile of cocoa beans and the temperature of their region of origin has not been fully defined. In this study, the metabolite profiles of Indonesian cocoa beans of various origins were evaluated using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-based analysis, and were found to differ depending on the origin of the bean. Subsequently, the correlation between metabolite profile and environmental temperature of the origin was assessed using orthogonal projection to latent structure regression (OPLS-R) analysis. The analysis revealed that seven metabolites were associated with temperature: γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), ethanolamine, glycerol, isocitric acid + citric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, and saccharic acid. The findings of this study will be valuable to chocolate industries for the production of single-origin chocolates. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the process of development of economic and cultural commercial agriculture and specialization of commodity production, the growth of commodity and money circulation and the emergence of fair, market and stationary trade, as well as the strengthening of trade relations of the Karakalpaks with neighboring peoples in the late XIX- early XX century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE 802.11ah standard has been released to support machine-to-machine (M2M) communications among many sensor devices, which is rapidly increasing with the Internet of Things (IoT). The medium access control of 802.11ah introduces a restricted access window (RAW) into each beacon interval (BI). The RAW is further divided into many slots that allow only sensor devices to contend for transmission. This paper proposes a dynamic slot allocation scheme (DSAS) in the RAW of 802.11ah networks. To alleviate the contention in crowded M2M environments, the DSAS defines two sets of thresholds, high and low, to determine the sleeping-time level of a machine and the contention level for a slot, respectively. The innovative aspect of the DSAS is that machines with short sleeping time are allocated to less congested slots whereas machines with long sleeping time are allocated to more congested slots. To avoid unnecessary slot reallocation, machines with sleeping-time levels or contention levels between the high and low thresholds continue to use their original transmission contention slots. Simulations performed on ns-3 show our proposed DSAS has significantly improved average backoff time and packet delay and increased the overall system throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the latest protocols developed for the Internet of Things networks is IEEE 802.11ah, proposed by the WiFi Alliance. The new channel access mechanism in IEEE 802.11ah, which is called Restricted Access Window, aims at reducing the contention between the stations by allowing only selected stations to transmit data at certain time slots. Stations may exhibit selfish behavior to maximize their own throughput. This will come at the cost of the overall network quality of service. In this paper, we first analyze the default behavior of the IEEE 802.11ah protocol in terms of fairness. We then introduce various percentages of selfish stations and observe how the network's quality of service in terms of fairness, throughput and packet-loss are affected. After establishing the inherent fairness of IEEE 802.11ah, we analyze applicability of two existing selfish behavior detection algorithms designed for IEEE 802.11 to the IEEE 802.11ah protocol. Due to their poor performance, we propose a new definition of 'selfish behavior' specifically for IEEE 802.11ah, based on which we present a new algorithm for detecting selfish behavior. To combat selfish behavior and to create a better fairness, throughput and lower packet loss, we consequently present a novel mitigation algorithm called Selfish Stations Quarantine Punishment Algorithm (SSQPA). The proposed algorithm takes advantage of the RAW grouping to isolate selfish stations from the honest stations, thus mitigating the effect of the selfish behavior. SSQPA comes in two variants: honest stations-centric and network-centric. Our experimental results show that both variants can successfully mitigate selfish behavior effects in IEEE 802.11ah networks and either one can be used depending on the goal of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trametes species are polyporoid white rot fungi that are important in medicine as well as serving as bioremediator and biodegrader of cellulosic waste. The present study investigates the bioactive compounds and antistaphylococcal properties of extracts obtained from raw and fermented Trametes polyzona. T. polyzona was collected from dead woods in farmland around Akungba-Akoko (7o27’ 32.4’’N 5o 45’ 07.8’’E) and subjected to submerged and solid-state fermentation. The raw and fermented samples were extracted using acetone and methanol. The mycochemical and antistaphylococcal properties of the extract obtained from raw and fermented T. polyzona were assessed using standard methods. Extract obtained from T. polyzona subjected to submerged fermentation exhibited higher and better antistaphylococcal activity (28.00 mm) on Staphylococcus aureus isolated from blood when compared to other extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts against Staphylococcus aureus ranged from 100mg/mL to 400mg/mL. Gas chromatography Mass Spectrophometric (GC-MS) analysis of the sample confirmed the presence of fourteen bioactive compounds of fatty acid group. Results from this study revealed that extracts obtained from T. polyzona contain bioactive compounds with potent antistaphylococcal properties that can be exploited by biopharmaceutical companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional hard Xinotyri cheese was manufactured using raw or pasteurized goat milk, without starter cultures, and the changes in microbiological and biochemical characteristics were studied during ripening and storage. Mesophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) predominated (>8.5 log CFU/g) in freshly fermented Xinotyri cheeses (pH 4.5–4.6), regardless of milk pasteurization. Enterobacteria, pseudomonads and staphylococci were suppressed below 6 and 4–5 log CFU/g in fresh cheeses from raw and pasteurized milk, respectively. Salmonella and Listeria spp. were absent in 25 g cheese samples. Coagulase-positive staphylococci exceeded the 5-log safety threshold in fresh raw milk cheeses, which also had 10-fold higher levels of enterococci than pasteurized milk cheeses. Non-LAB groups declined <100 CFU/g, whereas yeasts increased to 5–6 log CFU/g in both cheeses during ripening. Milk pasteurization affected the protein, fat, ash, moisture, nitrogen fractions, total free fatty acids and total free amino acids content of cheeses. Primary proteolysis, detectable by urea-PAGE, was more intense in raw milk cheeses than in pasteurized milk cheeses. However, the hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides and their ratio in the water-soluble fraction were similar in both cheeses. Cheeses discriminated clearly according to the milk kind (raw, pasteurized) and the stage of ripening, based on the examined biochemical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erin M Binagia, Nyssa A Levy Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USACorrespondence: Nyssa A LevyDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USATel +1 517-355-6571Fax +1 517-432-4091Email nlevy@msu.eduAbstract: This report describes two cases of Salmonella mesenteric lymphadenitis leading to septic peritonitis in two young dogs. The cases were similar in presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and length of hospitalization. Both cases presented with clinical signs of vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever and were treated successfully via surgical debridement, omentalization, and antibiotic therapy. Both cases grew multi-drug resistant Salmonella spp. with resistance to ampicillin sulbactam, which is a common empiric antibiotic choice for cases of canine septic peritonitis. In both cases, the source of Salmonella is proposed to be the raw diet that preceded the septic peritonitis diagnosis. While Salmonella mesenteric lymphadenitis has been reported in humans and pigs, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of Salmonella mesenteric lymphadenitis in dogs.Keywords: sepsis, abscess, raw, diet

A robust HS-SPME and GC/MS method was developed for analyzing the composition of volatiles in raw and dry-roasted almonds. Almonds were analyzed directly as ground almonds extracted at room temperature. In total, 58 volatiles were identified in raw and roasted almonds. Straight chain aldehydes and alcohols demonstrated significant but minimal increases, while the levels of branch-chain aldehydes, alcohols, heterocyclic and sulfur containing compounds increased significantly (500-fold) in response to roasting (p

Purpose. To establish the biochemical composition of the above ground part of Serratula coronata L. (Crowned saw-wort) for introduction in Central Polissia of Ukraine. Methods. The object of research was the plants of S. coronata from the collection of the Botanical garden of Zhytomyr National Agroecological University. Plant raw material was evaluated in the flowering phase in the biochemical laboratory of the Department of Cultural Flora of the M. M. Hryshko National Botanic Gardens of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine according to the relevant methods during 2014–2016. Results. The results of the study of phytochemical features of S. coronata under conditions of introduction in the Central Polissia of Ukraine in the flowering phase are given. Quantitative content of raw material in dry matter, total sugars, carotene, ascorbic acid, tannins, fats, free acids, macroelements of phosphorus, calcium and trace elements of iron, copper, zinc, manganese was revealed. Conclusions. The biochemical composition of the above ground part of S. coronata was determined for the first time in the conditions of introduction in Central Polissia of Ukraine. The peculiarities of the dependence of the content of biochemical compounds and macroelements on age characteristics of plants were determined. Plants of S. coronata of the third year of life were distinguished by the highest content of ascorbic acid, carotene and dry matter; two-year – organic acids, phosphorus, ash, common sugars; the fourth year of life – the content of oil and calcium. Significant amounts of vitamin C and iron were found in the raw material. The obtained results testify to the prospect of further study of the pharmacological properties of S. coronata in order to obtain new food products, bio-additives and phytopreparations enriched with biologically active substances and essential for human life.

Background: The increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in dogs necessitates research in its disease etiology. Objectives: To explore the association between puppyhood dietary exposures and prevalence of owner‐reported allergy/atopy skin signs (AASS) after the age of 1 year. Animals: Four thousand and twenty‐two dogs were eligible, 1158 cases, and 2864 controls. Methods: This cross‐sectional hypothesis‐driven observational study was extracted from the DogRisk food frequency questionnaire. Forty‐six food items and the ratio of 4 major diet types were tested for their association with AASS incidence later in life. Potential puppyhood dietary risk factors for AASS incidence were specified using binary multivariable logistic regression. The model was adjusted for age and sex. Results: Eating raw tripe (odds ratio, 95% confidence intervals OR, 95% CI = 0.36, 0.16‐0.79; P =.01), raw organ meats (OR, 95% CI = 0.23, 0.08‐0.67; P =.007), human meal leftovers, and fish oil supplements as well as eating more that 20% of the diet as raw and/or <80% of the diet as dry, in general, were associated with significantly lower AASS incidence in adulthood. In contrast, dogs fed fruits (OR, 95% CI = 2.01, 1.31‐3.07; P =.001), mixed‐oil supplements, dried animal parts, and dogs that drank from puddles showed significantly higher AASS incidence in adulthood. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Puppyhood exposure to raw animal‐based foods might have a protective influence on AASS incidence in adulthood, while puppyhood exposure to mixed oils, heat processed foods and sugary fruits might be a potential risk factor of AASS incidence later. The study suggests a causal relationship but does not prove it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work is the substantiate the development of a GNSS deformation monitoring network at the site of the underground research laboratory, for estimating the safety of underground isolation of radioactive waste in the Nizhne-Kansk massif. The article overviews the international experience of GNSS observations of recent crustal movements in the vicinities of underground research laboratories location (Switzerland, Finland, Sweden). The general information and main results of research works during 2010–2020 in the Nizhne-Kansk geodynamic test area are described. The article presents the prospects for extending the geodetic network in connection with the start of construction of the underground research laboratory. Based on the Delaunay triangulation we have analyzed the triangular finite elements of the existing and planned geodetic network. It is shown that the location of new points will significantly affect the geometry of the network. As a result, the number of near-equilateral triangles in the network will increase, which has a positive effect on increasing the accuracy in determining deformations of the Earth's surface when processing geodetic measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE 802.1 1 ah standard has been released to support machine-to-machine (M2M) communications among many sensor devices, which is rapidly increasing with the Internet of Things (IoT). The medium access control of 802.11 ah introduces a restricted access window (RAW) into each beacon interval (BI). The RAW is further divided into many slots that allow only sensor devices to contend for transmission. This paper proposes a dynamic slot allocation scheme (DSAS) in the RAW of 802.11 ah networks. To alleviate the contention in crowded M2M environments, the DSAS defines two sets of thresholds, high and low, to determine the sleeping-time level of a machine and the contention level for a slot, respectively. The innovative aspect of the DSAS is that machines with short sleeping time are allocated to less congested slots whereas machines with long sleeping time are allocated to more congested slots. To avoid unnecessary slot reallocation, machines with sleeping-time levels or contention levels between the high and low thresholds continue to use their original transmission contention slots. Simulations performed on ns-3 show our proposed DSAS has significantly improved average backoff time and packet delay and increased the overall system throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE 802.11ah standard was developed from IEEE 802.11, which works on a Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN). This standard works in the sub-band 1GHz, to increase the range of an Access Point (AP) up to 1 km2, with the ability to handle approximately 8000 stations (STA). The IEEE 802.11ah standard occurs in the MAC and PHY layers. However, the high number of STAs produces high collision, therefore this standard introduces the Restricted Access Window (RAW) at the MAC layer. This research accurately examines a surrogate model to predict RAW performance under hidden nodes scenario. The solution to the surrogate model was analyzed using the Markov chain and numerically simulated with Matlab. Furthermore, the Markov chain solution is used to determine the performance measure parameters, namely throughput, energy consumption, and average delay. This research also examines the effect of hidden nodes on the IEEE 802.11ah standard network’s performance, especially in RAW, with variables obtained using Bianchi’s approach. The result showed that the simulated RAW slot duration of 52 μs on the IEEE 802.11ah standard made performance results better than 104 μs and 156 μs. The effect of the hidden nodes makes the successful transmission time probability longer due to its increment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The popularity of raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) for pets has been increasing in recent years even if the reputed health benefits are mainly anecdotal. A web-based survey was developed to better understand the motivations and habits of owners who decided to feed their dogs RMBDs. Results The questionnaire was completed by 218 dog owners, 62 of whom were living with people whose immune system was impaired or weakened. Internet was the preferred source of information for more than half of the respondents, and feeding dogs a more natural and healthier diet was the main reason behind owners’ interest in RMBDs. About 80% of the participants completely abandoned commercial pet food and showed marked distrust especially towards the lack of clarity on the ingredients used (n = 169). The vast majority of owners interviewed (94%) believed RMBDs to be absolutely safe for dogs, and shinier coat, muscle mass gain, and cleaner teeth were the principal improvements seen on their pets. Controlling the composition and quality of the ingredients provided to their animals was the main advantage of RMBDs for 57% of the owners, while the main disadvantages were related to the purchase of some components (38%) and the time required (22%) for the preparation of the diet. Only 8% of the respondents relied on veterinarians for RMBD formulation, and a wide variety of feeding regimens and combinations of ingredients was observed. Conclusions As revealed by this study, most owners are unaware of the risks posed by the feeding of RMBDs for both animal and human health, and they often rely on questionable sources for advice on pet nutrition. Owners see RMBDs as a more natural and healthier alternative to commercial pet food even if the actual benefits remain unproven. Consulting veterinarians for proper information and board-certified nutritionists for the formulation of complete and balanced RMBDs should be promoted.

This study discusses the beliefs and rites related to spinning, textiles, robes, and nudity that markedly outline some coherent symbolic systems within European belief systems. Their deep structure consists in the symbolic series of oppositions of nature-culture, raw-cooked, and life-death. In this binary universe, nature is characterized by the absence of cultural processes and products: ploughing, sowing, domesticating wild animals, the furnace, smithery, the iron, spinning and weaving, clothes, and Christian sacraments. The paper will discuss how the “raw” world of nature was tamed; how human beings, born as natural beings, were transformed into social beings, in the course of which the main role among the basic working processes of human culture is attributed to spinning and weaving.

Background: The practice of feeding a raw meat-based diet (RMBD) to dogs is a topic of increasing interest to owners and veterinary professionals alike. Despite the research around the practice, particularly about the risk of nutritional imbalances and microbial contamination, an increasing number of dog owners are adopting a raw diet for their dogs. This study expands the research into owner motivations for feeding RMBDs and cooked diets and asks themtheir opinions about risk and nutritional value. Methods: An anonymized, online, internationally accessible questionnaire was developed to ascertain owner perspectives on the risks, benefits, and nutritional value of commercially prepared and homemade RMBDs as compared with commercially prepared cooked diets (CCDs). Results: The questionnaire was completed by 419 dog owners of diverse backgrounds across the world. Of the participants, 25.3% fed RMBDs. Just over 70.0% of all participants had spoken to their veterinarian about their dog's nutrition. Owners who fed RMBDs ranked their veterinarian's knowledge lower and their own knowledge of canine nutrition higher than owners who fed CCDs. They rated commercial and homemade RMBDs as highly nutritious 83.5% and 73.6% of the time, respectively, while only 12.5% rated CCDs as highly nutritious. Owners who fed CCDs ranked RMBDs as highly nutritious less often, but also only ranked CCDs as highly nutritious 52.7% of the time. All participants agreed that CCDs were low risk to human health. Owners who fed RMBDs ranked raw diets as highly risky to human or dog health under 20.0% of the time but deemed CCDs risky to animal health over 65.0% of the time. When asked about benefits of raw diets, the most repeated words offered by owners were "health", "better", "coat" and "teeth". The most repeated risks presented were "bacteria", "nutrition", "risk" and "Salmonella". Owners who fed RMBDs tended to use vague terminology like "health" and "better" when asked why they fed a raw diet. Owners who did not feed RMBDs used more specific terminology like "expensive", "time" and "risk" when asked why they did not feed a raw diet. Overall, the two groups differed in their perceptions around RMBD and CCD feeding, which highlights the need for a better line of communication and education between veterinarians and owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuronal pruning is essential for proper wiring of the nervous systems in invertebrates and vertebrates. Drosophila ddaC sensory neurons selectively prune their larval dendrites to sculpt the nervous system during early metamorphosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ddaC dendrite pruning remain elusive. Here, we identify an important and cell-autonomous role of the membrane protein Raw in dendrite pruning of ddaC neurons. Raw appears to regulate dendrite pruning via a novel mechanism, which is independent of JNK signaling. Importantly, we show that Raw promotes endocytosis and downregulation of the conserved L1-type cell-adhesion molecule Neuroglian (Nrg) prior to dendrite pruning. Moreover, Raw is required to modulate the secretory pathway by regulating the integrity of secretory organelles and efficient protein secretion. Mechanistically, Raw facilitates Nrg downregulation and dendrite pruning in part through regulation of the secretory pathway. Thus, this study reveals a JNK-independent role of Raw in regulating the secretory pathway and thereby promoting dendrite pruning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sourcing of choice timber species is becoming increasingly difficult in the forests of West Africa including Nigeria. There is a need to provide alternative species by investigating the technical qualities of species that are hitherto neglected, therefore, the need to evaluate wood properties of Bambusa vulgaris with a view to assessing its potentials for appropriate utilizations. B. vulgaris culms were processed into different laminate thickness of 4mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm and test samples were also obtained from raw (unprocessed) bamboo. The Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) and Modulus of Rupture (MOR) of the two categories were then evaluated using Jinan Hensgrand Universal Electronic Testing Machine (Model WDW- 50). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at a0.05. The mean MOE of raw B. vulgaris was 4556.21±98.42N/mm?. While the mean MOE for laminated B. vulgaris was 9300.03±898.16N/mm?. The mean values varied accordingly with the laminate thickness. MOE values increased from laminate thickness of 4mm to 10mm with 4944.75±250.57N/mm? for 4mm thick; 6302.96±3269.47N/mm? for 6mm thick; 11003.80±6322.20N/mm? for 8mm thick and for 10mm thick is 14948.55±5190.75N/mm?. on the other hand the mean MOR of raw B. vulgaris was 51.88± 112.80N/mm? and laminated was 60.87±16.40N/mm?. There was increase from laminate thickness of 4mm to 10mm and is as follows: 45.53±10.58N/mm?, 56.96±8.81N/mm?, 61.17±11.95N/mm? and 79.81±12.53N/mm? for 4mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm thick, respectively. Statistically, there was significant difference among the different laminate thickness and the raw bamboo for MOR but no significant difference for MOE. MOE and MOR increased with increase in laminate thickness. The flexural properties of both raw and laminated B. vulgaris compared favourably with some other conventional timber species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]