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[Display omitted] • Cd is the main pollutant in the soil of Qionghai Lake Wetland. • Microplastics were studied in one of the largest wetland parks in Southwest China. • Film and black is the main characteristic of microplastics at sampling sites. • PE and PP were found to be the most dominant polymer types of microplastics. Urban wetlands are reported to be ideal habitats for accumulation of HMs and MPs. However, study on combined pollution of HMs and MPs in soil is rare in urban wetland environment. In this study, the characteristics of HMs and MPs in the soils of the Qionghai Lake wetland in southwest China were studied by using ICP–MS, and FTIR. The results showed that the average concentration of HMs in soil ranges from 0.84 to 552.75 (mg/kg). According to the EF and Igeo analysis results, Cd and Cr in the soil were significant enriched (EF=12.64) and moderately enriched (EF=2.09), and were at the moderate to heavy pollution level (I geo = 2.83) and the unpolluted to moderate pollution level (I geo = 0.23), and the other elements were at a low level. MPs are emerging micropollutants in the soil environment, and the abundance (pieces/g) of MPs in the soil was 3.90, 7.00, 3.10, 3.40, 14.80, and 1.10 at Stations M1, M2, M3, M4, M8, and M9, respectively, with an average of 5.55 ± 4.92. Films represented the main microplastic shape, accounting for 81.55 %, followed by fibers, accounting for 11.33 %. The proportion of MPs with a particle size of 0.1–0.5 mm is the highest. Black, blue, and green are the predominant colors found in MPs. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the main MP materials based on FTIR identification, accounting for 52.16 % and 42.31 % of the total MPs, respectively. The pollution load index (PLI) of MPs was 2.2, which is a level Ⅰ pollution. The research on HMs and MPs in urban wetland soil is still in its preliminary stage. Our aim is to offer a fresh perspective for evaluating the pollution status and risk associated with these two pollutants in urban wetland soil, while also providing a valuable reference for subsequent studies on wetland soil pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politische Vierteljahresschrift is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in oceans worldwide, posing a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. The abundance of these particles in water is related to population density and urban development, functioning as a sink for MPs. However, the pollution levels due to the accumulation of MPs in the estuarine in Amazonian mangrove areas remain unknown. Here, we show that population density and fishing activities influence the distribution of MP pollution in these waters. We found the highest abundance of MPs in the inner (1.03 items/m3) and outer (0.82 items/m3) portions of the estuary, corresponding to the areas with the highest population density and fishing activity, respectively. The main morphological characteristics of MPs are fibers (89.8%), blue color (55.2%), and size of 1000–2000 μm (31.7%). The risk analysis showed a low level of danger, suggesting that the potential impact on the ecosystem is still small. Our results demonstrate that the presence of human populations and their fishing activities significantly influence the accumulation of MPs in the estuarine waters on the Amazon coast. Based on our findings, more sophisticated analysis using MPs' spatial distribution models can be associated with hydrodynamic processes, aiming to define pollution hotspots and support the mitigation of their emerging negative effects. In addition, monitoring and generating valuable information are the main targets for developing comprehensive strategies to preserve biodiversity and sustainability in the Amazon coastal zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) and exercise electrocardiography (Ex‐ECG) results are of prognostic importance for short‐term follow up duration. However, the value of MPS or Ex‐ECG findings for long‐term risk assessment is less evident as underlying risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD) gain in importance. Objectives: To assess the short‐ and long‐term prognostic value of MPS and Ex‐ECG in relation to known risk factors. Methods and Materials: An observational study of 908 patients (age 63 years, 49% male, 45% prior IHD) referred for MPS and Ex‐ECG. Follow‐up was divided into two periods (short‐term: <5 years and long‐term: >5 years). Cardiac events were defined as a composite of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, unplanned revascularization and cardiovascular death. Results: The composite endpoint occurred in 95 patients (short‐term follow up) and in 94 patients (long‐term follow up). In multivariable models stress testing had a strong predictive value for short‐term follow up (HR for MPS = 2.9, CI = 1.9–4.5, p < 0.001 and HR for Ex‐ECG = 2.1, CI 1.3–3.3, p = 0.002), but no predictive value for long‐term follow up (HR for MPS = 0.9, CI = 0.5–1.5, p = 0.70 and HR for Ex‐ECG = 1.0, CI = 0.6–1.6, p = 0.92). Male sex and prior IHD were significant predictors regardless of follow up duration. Age, diabetes and decreased exercise capacity were risk factors for long‐term follow up. Conclusions: The prognostic value of MPS and Ex‐ECG results are strong for short‐term follow up but diminish over time and do not contribute significantly in multivariable models after 5 years. Long‐term prognosis is primarily governed by underlying risk factors and exercise capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disinformation, a pervasive issue in contemporary society, significantly influences citizens' political decision-making. In response, fact-checking has emerged as a prominent movement, striving to enhance journalistic standards. Although this trend has sparked substantial academic research, only a few studies have thoroughly examined the impact of these journalistic practices on society. Moreover, while fact-checking agencies monitor parliamentary messages, research on the interplay between fact-checkers and legislative activity remains in its infancy. This research addresses the role of fact-checkers in the context of parliamentary disinformation in Spain and their presence in the speeches of MPs, as well as the importance given by fact-checking agencies themselves to parliamentary speeches and the perception citizens have when discussing disinformation. We are interested in knowing what presence they have in parliamentary speeches, what importance the fact-checkers themselves give to parliamentary speeches and what perception citizens have of them when disinformation in parliament is discussed. To this aim, we propose a mixed methodological approach in three phases: (1) documentary analysis of disinformation published in the Bulletins of Congress and the Spanish Parliament, as well as in the speeches made by the Joint Commission on National Security; (2) in-depth interviews with three journalists from the main Spanish verification agencies working on parliamentary activity: Newtral, Maldita and Efe Verifica; (3) citizen focus groups to address different questions about the ecosystem of information disinformation in Spain. The results show growing attention to disinformation in the parliamentary context; verifiers occupy a relevant space in the political discourse, even replacing mentions of traditional journalists when discussing disinformation, and this contrasts with the lack of recognition by citizens who, despite referring to it as a problem for democracy, barely mention the work of verification agencies in their discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) are well-known and efficient mesh-less numerical methods widely used to investigate a wide range of complicated practical engineering problems. Recently, two modified Laplacian models [1, 2] have been proposed by using different efficient mathematical techniques, and the analogy between SPH and MPS methods. These two models exhibit significantly superior precision in comparison with several existing modified schemes [3-9] but still suffer from lower accuracy near calculation domain boundaries as they work with the conventional weight or interpolation functions. In this paper, the models were reformulated and further improved by replacing the weight functions with well-known moving least squares (MLS) shape functions without requiring dummy calculation nodes beyond boundaries. The proposed Laplacian models in this study could achieve very accurate results compared with the existing models [1, 2] for the solution of four different two-dimensional Poisson equations on irregular node distributions.

Analyzing the modern trend of “digitalization” in various spheres of contemporary social life, the authors considered its applications in order to form the image of the political elite of Saint Petersburg in the person of representatives of the legislative power of the city - the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg. This analysis is important for the construction of competent and relevant communication with the public, as well as in the formation of the trend for openness and transparency of communication between the authorities and the population. Moreover, the authors explore how digital tools and platforms can enhance civic engagement and participation, providing a framework for understanding the dynamics of power and accountability in the digital age. The findings underscore the necessity for political representatives to adapt to technological advancements to foster trust and collaboration with constituents, ultimately contributing to a more informed and engaged society.

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in oceans worldwide, posing a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. The abundance of these particles in water is related to population density and urban development, functioning as a sink for MPs. However, the pollution levels due to the accumulation of MPs in the estuarine in Amazonian mangrove areas remain unknown. Here, we show that population density and fishing activities influence the distribution of MP pollution in these waters. We found the highest abundance of MPs in the inner (1.03 items/m3) and outer (0.82 items/m3) portions of the estuary, corresponding to the areas with the highest population density and fishing activity, respectively. The main morphological characteristics of MPs are fibers (89.8%), blue color (55.2%), and size of 1000–2000 μm (31.7%). The risk analysis showed a low level of danger, suggesting that the potential impact on the ecosystem is still small. Our results demonstrate that the presence of human populations and their fishing activities significantly influence the accumulation of MPs in the estuarine waters on the Amazon coast. Based on our findings, more sophisticated analysis using MPs’ spatial distribution models can be associated with hydrodynamic processes, aiming to define pollution hotspots and support the mitigation of their emerging negative effects. In addition, monitoring and generating valuable information are the main targets for developing comprehensive strategies to preserve biodiversity and sustainability in the Amazon coastal zone.

Abstract In this paper, a robust control method is introduced for autonomous vehicle control in different scenarios. Dual controllers have been used in this method to ensure high performance and low errors during the vehicle’s trip. The new control system is called Model Predictive and Stanley based controller (MPS), which is an integration of a model predictive controller and a Stanley controller. Each of these two controllers has its drawbacks and weaknesses. The proposed method tries to overcome these points and come up with a high-performance control system. This hybrid way of combining two of the famous controllers has the benefit of using the best part of each one and trying to enhance the other part. The MPS is tested for both path-following and vehicle control in different scenarios and on both straight and curved roads. This controller has shown high performance and flexibility to deal with different scenarios of autonomous driving. The results are compared to previous types of controllers, and the proposed system outperformed these types.

Abstract Background Mucopolysaccharidosis type IVa (Morquio A syndrome) and mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome) are rare inherited lysosomal storage diseases associated with significant functional impairment and a wide spectrum of debilitating clinical manifestations. These conditions are thought to have higher-than-average prevalence rates in Saudi Arabia due to high rates of consanguineous marriage in the country. There are several unmet needs associated with the management of these diseases in Saudi Arabia. Main body The aim of this manuscript is to contextualize unmet management needs and provide recommendations to optimize diagnosis, multidisciplinary care delivery, and local data generation in this disease area. An expert panel was assembled comprising seven consultant geneticists from across Saudi Arabia. The Delphi methodology was used to obtain a consensus on statements relating to several aspects of mucopolysaccharidosis types IVa and VI. A consensus was reached for all statements by means of an online, anonymized voting system. The consensus statements pertain to screening and diagnosis, management approaches, including recommendations pertaining to enzyme replacement therapy, and local data generation. Conclusion The consensus statements presented provide specific recommendations to improve diagnostic and treatment approaches, promote multidisciplinary care and data sharing, and optimize the overall management of these rare inherited diseases in Saudi Arabia.

Microplastics (MPs), tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, have emerged as a common and worrying pollutant in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments worldwide. In this study, we revealed the microplastic exposure of two endemic newt species for Türkiye. We found that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the predominant microplastic polymer type in both species, with the blue fiber shape in particular. We also found that there was a negative correlation between microplastic size and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) weight, but there was no significant difference between body length and GIT weight of both species. Our findings might be surprising as the studied species live in natural spring waters in remote, high-altitude areas. However, the detection of water bottles in their habitats appears to be the reason for their exposure to microplastic pollution. Therefore, reducing the use of single-use plastics is predicted to contribute to the conservation of these endemic newts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) persist for long periods in the environment, causing adverse effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The accumulation of MPs in various trophic levels mostly depends on weathering phenomena, their reduced dimensions and the improved bioavailability; this ultimately causes their ingestion by organisms living in different niches. The modern concern about MPs toxicity collides with the current unavailability of standardized and reliable methodologies to assess the risks associated with the exposure of organisms from different habitats. Hence, the identification and selection of appropriate biomonitors for MPs pollution risk assessment should focus on the identification of easy-to-implement assays, rapidly interpretable results (e.g., based on the MPs bioaccumulation capabilities in their tissues) and standardizable methodologies. The present review analyzed some emerging biomonitors exploited for MPs evaluation, selected and examined according to their potential use as specific biological indicators for diverse environments. The research was focused on plants, as biological models for airborne microfibers toxicity evaluation; mussels, as key organisms for the establishment of MPs accumulation in marine environments; land snails, representing emerging organisms selected for studies of MPs' impact on soil. Furthermore, recent findings evidenced the influence of microplastics on the composition of environmental microbiota, enhancing pathogenic biofilms formation, leading to increased water, soil, food, crops and waste contamination. Disposing of harmonized and validated methods to study MPs' impact on the environment, integrated with promising machine learning tools, might sensibly support the risk management strategies protecting human and animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ambivalent stance of Latin American governments towards Russia's actions in Ukraine. Using Proyecto Élites Parlamentarias de la Universidad de Salamanca (PELA‐USAL) data, it explores ideological self‐placement, Putin's approval and alliance preferences among Latin American Members of Parliament, highlighting the influence of anti‐imperialism and multilateralism on their international alignments and support for Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA typing of latent fingerprints is highly desirable to increase chances of individualization. We recovered DNA from Cyanoacrylate (CA) fumed fingerprints and used both GlobalFiler™ and ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep kits for DNA typing. For GlobalFiler™, samples were processed using a protocol modified for Low Template (LT)‐DNA samples (half‐volume reactions, 30 cycles) while for ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep, samples were processed using a standard protocol and fluorometer‐based library quantitation. We evaluated genotyping success and quality of profiles in terms of completeness, Peak Height Ratio/Allele Coverage Ratio, presence of PCR artifacts and drop‐in alleles. With GlobalFiler™, average autosomal STR (aSTR) profile completeness was 44.4% with 2–20 pg, 54.3% with 22–60 pg, and 95% with 64–250 pg DNA input. CODIS uploadable profiles were obtained in 2/10, 3/11, and 11/12 samples in these ranges. With ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep, average aSTR profile completeness was 19.7% with 1–20 pg and 45.2% with 22–47 pg but increased to 78.3% with 68–122 pg and 86.7% with 618–1000 pg DNA input. Uploadable profiles were obtained in 0/12, 4/11, 4/7, and 3/3 samples for these ranges. Results show very high sensitivity using both kits. Half‐volume reactions and 30 cycles had minimal negative effect on Globalfiler™ profile quality, providing support for wider use after validation experiments to routinely improve results from LT samples. A standard protocol for the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep kit was also highly successful with LT DNA obtained from CA‐fumed fingerprints with additional information from isometric STR alleles and other markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic (MP) pollution in agriculture is garnering growing concern due to its potential detrimental impact on soil properties and crop growth, particularly affecting staple food crops such as rice. Irrigation plays a crucial role in the migration of MPs. However, limited research has focused on how different irrigation modes affect the migration of MPs in paddy fields. To simulate real-world conditions, in this experiment, two different irrigation modes were set: shallow–frequent irrigation (FWI, I0) and controlled irrigation (CI, I1). The experiment also included treatments with and without duckweed (D0 and D1, respectively), as well as treatments with and without MPs (M0 and M1). This resulted in a total of eight treatments: I0M0D0, I0M0D1, I1M0D0, I1M0D1, I0M1D0, I0M1D1, I1M1D0, and I1M1D1. Our findings indicated that compared to CI, FWI significantly increased the MP concentration in the leakage but reduced the numbers of MPs in the first soil layer and adhered by duckweed. Notably, dry–wet cycles under CI induced soil cracking, and the MP concentrations in cracked areas were significantly higher than those of crack-free soil. Moreover, compared with the MP-free treatment, MP treatments significantly influenced rice root growth, such as enhancing the average root diameter by 13.44%, root volume by 46.87%, root surface area by 30.81%, and biomass aboveground by 26.13%, respectively. The abundance of some microorganisms was also significantly influenced by the relative mobility (RM) of MPs. Furthermore, the root length was positively correlated with Planctomycetota. Meanwhile, Actinobacteriota was negatively correlated with the root surface area, root volume, and branch number, and Bacteroidota was negatively correlated with the number of root tips. However, further research is needed to elucidate how MPs influence microorganisms and, in turn, affect rice root growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are one of the most productive and diverse ecosystems offering a range of ecosystem services. Human interventions deteriorate mangrove ecosystems by converting them into a sink for all kinds of waste, including plastics and microplastics. Microplastics are potentially hazardous materials to ecosystems and human health due to their size, bioavailability, and potential for transmission of toxins and pathogens which necessitates their degradation. A significant strategy for microplastic degradation is by utilizing an indigenous microbial consortium. The current manuscript is a comprehensive review analysis of microplastic contamination in mangrove ecosystems and the possible degradation method by microorganisms. A thorough analysis of articles was done using different search engines and keywords. The result of the analysis showed that most of the literature dealt with isolation, separation, identification, and quantification of microplastics, techniques for identification of microplastics, an overview of microplastic biodegradation, and a few research articles focused on microbial degradation of microplastics. Although numerous articles were published, an all-inclusive manuscript considering various facets of microplastic pollution and microbial degradation possibilities was not seen. The exploration of the literature revealed significant gaps in microplastic research which can be relied upon for future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a robust control method is introduced for autonomous vehicle control in different scenarios. Dual controllers have been used in this method to ensure high performance and low errors during the vehicle’s trip. The new control system is called Model Predictive and Stanley based controller (MPS), which is an integration of a model predictive controller and a Stanley controller. Each of these two controllers has its drawbacks and weaknesses. The proposed method tries to overcome these points and come up with a high-performance control system. This hybrid way of combining two of the famous controllers has the benefit of using the best part of each one and trying to enhance the other part. The MPS is tested for both path-following and vehicle control in different scenarios and on both straight and curved roads. This controller has shown high performance and flexibility to deal with different scenarios of autonomous driving. The results are compared to previous types of controllers, and the proposed system outperformed these types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article undertakes a comprehensive investigation into several common critiques of career politicians. Career politicians are said to be self‐serving: active and assertive when it suits their career interests, and much more interested in attaining higher offices than in serving as constituency‐oriented MPs. Yet, empirical investigations of their alleged behaviours are few, and the results are patchy and mixed. Focusing on the United Kingdom case and using a multi‐dimensional conceptualization that accords with academic and popular understandings of career politicians, the article draws on uniquely rich attitudinal and longitudinal behavioural data covering the first large generational wave of career politicians to be elected to parliament in the early 1970s. It reports findings consistent with contemporary critiques, suggesting that such dispositions are inherent in the role of career politician. The strongest career politicians among this first wave concentrated strategically on career‐serving activities, voted strategically to safeguard their careers, attained and retained successfully ministerial offices and prioritized their personal goals over their party obligations. The article further demonstrates that different measures used by researchers can produce contradictory results and that future comparative research should seek to range beyond unidimensional indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research has highlighted how parties use parliamentary tools to monitor coalition partners and ensure that they loyally execute compromises, the role of electoral competition in intra-coalition oversight is less well documented. Do coalition parties actually 'police the bargain' or do they rather use their tools to publicly target and potentially discredit parties with whom they will eventually compete for votes? Although generally difficult to disentangle, this study focuses on the unique Belgian polity, where Flemish and francophone parties govern together in a federal cabinet but compete electorally in two separate party systems. Multivariate analyses of MPs' use of parliamentary questions between 1995 and 2018 (N = 30,661) confirm that coalition partners are particularly scrutinized when they are ideologically distant or control salient portfolios. Contrary to expectations, however, electoral competitors are not targeted more intensively, nor does direct electoral competition decrease the relative importance of ideological divisiveness or issue salience. These findings provide new insights into how and to what extent parliaments serve as arenas for intra-coalition governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This research investigated microplastic ingestion in two marine crustacean species of high commercial importance, namely the Giant Red Shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea and the Deep-Water Rose Shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris. The primary purpose of this study was to better understand how these species are affected by microplastic pollution, a growing concern in the marine environment worldwide. Based on stable isotope analysis of muscle tissue and on the examination of their gastrointestinal tracts, it was found that the trophic niche of the two species is similar, but the type of particles ingested differed significantly in terms of shape, colour, size class, and polymer. These outcomes shed light on the pervasive impact of microplastic contamination on marine wildlife, emphasising potential threats to consumers at higher levels of the food web. A better knowledge of pathways that microplastics follow through marine food webs is crucial for understanding the ecological implications posed by this emerging contaminant. Increasing plastic contamination poses a serious threat to marine organisms. Microplastics (MPs) ingestion can represent a risk for the organism itself and for the ultimate consumer. Through the analysis of the gastrointestinal tract, coupled with stable isotope analysis on the muscle tissue, this study provides insights into the relationship between MPs pollution and ecology in two commercial marine species caught in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea: Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Parapenaeus longirostris. Stable isotope analysis was conducted to determine the trophic position and the trophic niche width. The gastrointestinal tracts were processed, and the resultant MPs were analysed under FT-IR spectroscopy to estimate the occurrence, abundance, and typology of the ingested MPs. The trophic level of the species was similar (P. longirostris TP = 3 ± 0.10 and A. foliacea TP = 3.1 ± 0.08), with an important trophic niche overlap, where 38% and 52% of P. longirostris and A. foliacea has ingested MPs, respectively. Though species-level differences may not be evident regarding MP's abundance per individual, a high degree of dissimilarity was noted in the typologies of ingested particles. This research provides valuable insights into how MPs enter marine trophic webs, stressing that isotopic niche analysis should be combined with other methods to explain in detail the differences in MPs ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the lubrication characteristics in high-speed train gearboxes, a two-stage herringbone gearbox with an idle gear was analyzed. The lubricant flow and distribution were shown using the moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method. A liquid film flow model was brought in to enhance the non-slip wall boundary conditions, enabling MPS to predict the film flow characteristics. This study investigates the influence of gear rotating speed, lubricant volume, and temperature on lubricant flow, liquid film distribution, lubrication state in the meshing zone, and churning power loss. The results indicate that lubrication characteristics depend on the splashing effect of rotating gears and lubricant fluidity. Increasing gear rotating speed and lubricant temperature can improve liquid film distribution on the inner wall, increase lubricant volume, and thus enhance film thickness. The lubricant particles in the meshing zone correlate positively with the gear rotating speed and lubricant volume, correlate negatively with a temperature above 20 °C, and decrease notably at low temperatures. Churning power loss mainly comes from the output gear. As lubricant volume and gear rotating speed increase, churning torque and power loss increase. Above 20 °C, viscosity decreases, reducing power loss; low temperatures lessen lubricant fluidity, reducing churning power loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of rare genetic diseases with a metabolic etiology. Currently, there are no effective methods of treating MPS, and new ways of treating patients are constantly being sought. Aim of the study: The purpose of this article is to review the available literature concerning clinical trials involving new treatments for MPS. Material and methods: The review of research literature published between 1999 and 2023 was conducted, with a specific focus on the last ten years. The literature for this article was selected from publications available online in databases such as Google Scholar or PubMed. The research was based on keywords such as mucopolysaccharidoses, clinical trials, gene therapy, and MPS. Results: A total of 104 publications were considered in the study, including 95 scientific articles and 9 clinical trial reports (consisting of 1 fDA approval). Out of those 104 articles, 82 discussed potential future therapies for patients with MPS. Among them, as many as 51 focused on gene therapy. Conclusions: The only currently approved treatments for MPS are enzyme replacement therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which are not suitable for all types of MPS and have their limitations. In addition, there is no single therapy for all types of MPS, as they are the result of mutations in different genes and result from the deficiency of different enzymes. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies are being conducted on therapies for MPS. These include therapies that allow manipulation of cellular pathways, substrate reduction, and gene therapy, which is the most promising form of treatment. Some of the studies have successfully passed the first and second phases of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Science is the property of Sultan Qaboos University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The pervasive presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has raised significant concerns about their infiltration into the human food chain. In current review, the occurrence and distribution of MPs in various food matrices such as seafood, drinking water, fruits, vegetables, and beverages are discussed along with their potential routes of MPs entry into the human food chain. The toxicity of MPs on human health and different organs are discussed in brief. Current technological advancement and green analytical methods for the detection of MPs in food samples are compared, discussing their advantages and limitations. Green analytical methods, including stereomicroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and enzymatic digestion, are evaluated for their efficacy and environmental impact. The Analytical Eco-Scale is used to assess the greenness of these methods. Challenges associated with MPs detection in food, such as complex food matrices, pretreatment methods, and variability in MPs concentrations, are addressed.

The increase in the global population has led to a rise in the manufacturing and utilization of plastic products. Finally, the amount of plastic waste present in the environment has increased. With the increase in plastic waste and its conversion into smaller particles, the amount of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has increased. MPs pose a significant threat to human health and the environment. They are formed from the decomposition of plastic products under the influence of some process and they are known to carry a variety of pollutants, including heavy metals (HMs), antibiotic-resistance genes, microorganisms, and other contaminants. They also contain plastic additives. These particles also threaten the survival of aquatic organisms. Therefore, a lack of proper management and not having a strategic plan to control the use of plastics will affect the future life of humanity and the ecosystem. The objective of this mini_review article is to investigate the challenges posed by MPs, their role as a vector for pollutants, and the harms of MPs to Humans, Aquatic Animals, and the Ecosystem. In the end, it can be concluded that to address these challenges, it is crucial to continue efforts to prevent global pollution, use degradable additives and polymers, and reduce the production and consumption of plastic by providing good management programs.

Microplastics have emerged as a significant global concern, particularly in marine ecosystems. While extensive research has focused on the toxicological effects of microplastics on marine animals and/or their associated microorganisms as two separate entities, the holistic perspective of the adaptability and fitness of a marine animal metaorganism—comprising the animal host and its microbiome—remains largely unexplored. In this study, mussel metaorganisms subjected chronic PS-MPs exposure experienced acute mortality but rapidly adapted. We investigated the response of innate immunity, digestive enzymes and their associated microbiomes to chronic PS-MPs exposure. We found that PS-MPs directly and indirectly interacted with the host and microbe within the exposure system. The adaptation was a joint effort between the physiological adjustments of mussel host and genetic adaptation of its microbiome. The mussel hosts exhibited increased antioxidant activity, denser gill filaments and increased immune cells, enhancing their innate immunity. Concurrently, the gill microbiome and the digestive gland microbiome respective selectively enriched for plastic-degrading bacteria and particulate organic matter-utilizing bacteria, facilitating the microbiome’s adaptation. The microbial adaptation to chronic PS-MPs exposure altered the ecological roles of mussel microbiome, as evidenced by alterations in microbial interactions and nutrient cycling functions. These findings provided new insights into the ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on marine organisms from a metaorganism perspective.

Access control (AC) in IoT (Internet of Things) systems presents significant challenges. These systems are evolving, heterogeneous, and dynamic, combined with the lack of appropriate tools to specify and design Access Control Policies (ACP). Despite various proposals, complexity persists, especially in restrictive environments like IoT. In this perspective, Higher-Order Attribute-Based Access Control (HoBAC) was proposed as a general AC model that extends Attribute Based AC (ABAC). It allows the design of flexible AC models and policies applicable to IoT and non-IoT systems. The work presented in this paper focuses on addressing the need for tools to support the adoption of HoBAC for IoT systems by proposing HoBACDSL, a Domain Specific Language (DSL). HoBACDSL abstracts the complexities of HoBAC and makes its concepts more accessible. We illustrate how this DSL is concretely used to specify, and generate AC policies in the Extensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML) standard for a Smart Home use case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blood coagulation test is an indispensable test for monitoring the blood coagulation and fibrinolysis functions. Currently, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) is the most widely used approach to coagulation testing. However, APTT reagents need to be optimized due to the fact that they are unstable, highly variable, and cannot be easily controlled. In this study, we created apoptotic cell-inspired methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylserine (MPS) particles for blood coagulation as an alternative to conventional APTT reagents. Particle size could be controlled by changing the concentration of the polymer. The blood coagulation ability of particles was stable at different environmental temperatures. Moreover, the procoagulant activity could be enhanced by increasing the concentration to 0.06 mg/mL and reducing the size of the particles to around 900 nm. Fibrin clotted by particles showed no significant difference from that formed by APTT regent Actin FSL. We propose that MPS particles are a potential alternative to Actin FS for the application of blood coagulation tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is shown that from the point of view of the generalized pairing Hamiltonian, the atomic nucleus is a system with small entanglement and can thus be described efficiently using a 1D tensor network (matrix‐product state) despite the presence of long‐range interactions. The ground state can be obtained using the density‐matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm, which is accurate up to machine precision even for large nuclei, is numerically as cheap as the widely used Bardeen‐Cooper‐Schrieffer (BCS) approach, and does not suffer from any mean‐field artifacts. This framework is applied to compute the even‐odd mass differences of all known lead isotopes from 178Pb$^{178}\text{Pb}$ to 220Pb$^{220}\text{Pb}$ in a very large configuration space of 13 shells between the neutron magic numbers 82 and 184 (i.e., two major shells) and find good agreement with the experiment. Pairing with non‐zero angular momentum is also considered and the lowest excited states in the full configuration space of one major shell is determined, which is demonstrated for the N=126$N=126$, Z≥82$Z\ge 82$ isotones. To demonstrate the capabilities of the method beyond low‐lying excitations, the first 100 excited states of 208Pb$^{208}\text{Pb}$ with singlet pairing and the two‐neutron removal spectral function of 210Pb$^{210}\text{Pb}$ are calculated, which relate to a two‐neutron pickup experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impacts of plastic have attracted the interest of the scientists, media, and policymakers, but the impact of microplastics (MPs) on our environment remains largely unknown. These novel pollutants are so widespread that the scientific community has defined the present historical epoch as “The Plasticene”. There is growing concern over the bioaccumulation and entry of these miniature plastic particles released from almost every article of daily use into the food chains, which will ultimately contaminate the human population. Given the presence of these pollutants in almost every strata and biome of the earth, adsorption of other toxic pollutants and generation of novel categories of chemicals, MP pose an eminent challenge to almost every biotic community. At present times, we have very little knowledge about the possible effects of micropollutants as risk assessment and risk management rely on standardized data and reliable methodology adopted, so in present times it is impossible to evaluate the toxic response and deleterious effects on biotic communities. The detailed understanding of origin, exposure pathways, toxic response of biota, remediation options, and precautionary operations are of prime importance for averting the plastic disaster. MPs significant affect rooting ability of plants, reduce photosynthetic ability by dysregulation of chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratios and cause imbalance in carbon/nitrogen balance. MPs have most prominent effect on aquatic animals where they cause feeding disruption, alterations in metabolism, hormonal imbalance and henceforth reproductive problems. On cellular levels MPs causes cytotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, immune dysregulation, neurotoxicity and genotoxicity. MPs have been found to affect the microbes which results in replacement of beneficial organisms by harmful organisms at niche areas and MPs acts as vehicle and transport agents for transport and proliferation of harmful organism like Ostreopsis and Coolia and Vibrio genera. Owing to the deleterious effects on environment and biota, various remedial measures proposed by researchers includes biodegradation, coagulation, photo-catalytic degradation and thermal degradation. Therefore, current manuscript attempts to review the status of these pollutants in various biomes of the biosphere, their possible toxic effects on residents of the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere, their effect on human health, and various remediation processes with the intention of special and surgical emphasis on future research in the area for fulfillment of the knowledge gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislators operate in different spaces within a legislative estate. The public and scholarly focus is on behaviour in formal space—the chamber and committee rooms, where formal decisions are taken—but the utilisation of informal and party (and now virtual) space can and does have consequences for legislative outcomes as well as the future of political leaders. This article addresses behaviour in party space and its consequences. Drawing on anthropological and archival research, it utilises a case study, identifying the consequences of the Conservative 1922 Committee in the British House of Commons. The body, constituting Conservative private members, has a distinctive history, but its consequences, or functions, inherent or developed over time, provide a framework for comparative analysis and emphasise the importance of exploring how legislators use space beyond that of the formal arena of the chamber and committee rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In paternity testing, when there are Mendelian errors in the alleles between the child and the parents, a slippage mutation, or silent allele may not fully explain the phenomenon. Sometimes, it is attributed to chromosomal abnormalities, such as uniparental disomy (UPD). Here, we present the investigation of two cases of suspected UPD in paternity testing based on short tandem repeat (STR) detection (capillary electrophoresis platform). Case 1 involves a trio, where all genotypes detected on chromosome 6 in the child are homozygous and found in the father. Case 2 is a duo (mother and child), where all genotypes on chromosome 3 in the child are homozygous and not always found in the mother. At the same time, Mendelian error alleles were also observed at specific loci in these two chromosomes. Furthermore, we used the MGIEasy Signature Identification Library Prep Kit for sequencing on the massively parallel sequencing platform, which included common autosomal, X and Y chromosomes, and mitochondrial genetic markers used in forensic practice. The results showed that the genotypes of shared STRs on the two platforms were consistent, and STRs and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on these two chromosomes were homozygous. All other genetic markers followed the laws of inheritance. A comprehensive analysis supported the parent–child relationship between the child and the alleged parent, and the observed genetic anomalies can be attributed to UPD. UPD occurrences are rare, and ignoring its presence can lead to erroneous exclusions in paternity testing, particularly when multiple loci on a chromosome exhibit homozygosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research has as objectives the design of the 3D graphic schemes of the MPS modules; the programming of the virtual information of these and design a mobile application for Android devices and finally, evaluates the functionality in a distributed control system of the MPS modules. In order to achieve this, an App with augmented reality was developed using Unity-Vuforia where the information of the selected element is displayed on a mobile device, the 3D graphic, and the access to the product datasheet on the web page after scanning its QR code. In order to evaluate the App in the DSC, a horizontal and vertical integration was performed using a PN/EI communication protocol. The network clients are the PLCs that control the MPS processes of transport and discrimination; verification and reaming; and finished product classification, the management of the controller-server is done through the PN protocol, and the configuration of the TSend/TRcv functions. Downloaded the App from a QR code, the camera of the mobile device is activated and the user chooses to scan the QR code of any element of the MPS system, in addition, a catalogue of the functionality of each modular production system is included. The designed application was validated and a usability percentage of 76% was obtained. This project highlights the technological upgrade of a traditional MPS system to one based on Industry 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bibliometrics can trace general research trends in a particular field. Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), as a group of rare genetic diseases, seriously affect the quality of life of patients and their families. Scholars have devoted themselves to studying MPS's pathogenesis and treatment modalities and have published many papers. Therefore, we conducted a bibliometric and visual study of the top 100 most highly cited articles to provide researchers with an indication of the current state of research and potential directions in the field. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was searched for articles on MPS from 1 January 1900, to 8 November 2023, and the top 100 most cited articles were screened. The title, year of publication, institution, country, and first author of the articles were extracted and statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007. Keyword co-occurrence and collaborative networks were analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.16. Results: A total of 9,273 articles were retrieved, and the top 100 most cited articles were filtered out. The articles were cited 18,790 times, with an annual average of 188 citations (122--507). Forty-two journals published these articles, with Molecular Genetics and Metabolism and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States being the most published journal (N = 8), followed by Pediatrics (N = 7), Blood (N = 6). The United States (N = 68), the UK (N = 25), and Germany (N = 20) were the top contributing countries. The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (N = 20) and the University of North Carolina (N = 18) were the most contributing institutions. Muenzer J was the most prolific author (N = 14). Conclusion: We conducted a bibliometric and visual analysis of the top 100 cited articles in MPS. This study identifies the most influential articles currently available in the field of MPS, which provides a good basis for a better understanding of the disease and informs future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corporate governance literature has often been concerned with whether individuals with a high number of board directorships are too busy to serve in their role. In the UK, many MPs also hold positions on boards of directors. This raises the question of whether MPs with board memberships are too busy to serve their constituents, party and parliament. To address this question, we construct a network of directors (including MPs) and the firms they are associated with. We then draw on measures from social network analysis to capture how embedded these individuals are in the UK corporate system. We employ a regression approach to examine the relationship between MPs' position in the corporate system and their participation in Parliament. We find that that some positions within the corporate network are associated with increased participation and others with decreased participation. MP participation increases when they have high numbers of directorships or high levels of corporate opportunity, but it decreases for those who are deeply embedded in the corporate system, sitting on the boards of well-connected firms. The latter are potentially 'too busy' to serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of a new incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (I-SPH) model for simulating free surface flows using Lagrangian description of motion is numerically evaluated. In the SPH method, kernel or weight functions are used for approximation of a function and its spatial derivatives based on the theory of integral interpolants exhibiting poor accuracy. In this study, the pressure field is obtained by solving a pressure Poisson equation that is derived from a two-step prediction–correction approach applied for temporal discretization of the governing equations of fluid flows and enforcement of incompressibility. A newly developed gradient model in the context of the mesh-less moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method is applied to improve the standard gradient and Laplacian models of I-SPH method in the proposed approach. The higher accuracy of the modified SPH scheme, which is a kernel gradient-free model, in comparison with the standard I-SPH method is validated trough solving the classic benchmark problems including the dam break flow, solitary wave propagation, standing wave motion, liquid sloshing and water drop stretching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment poses a significant threat to biological survival and human health. However, our understanding of the toxic effects of MPs on the kidneys remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of the toxic effects of MPs on the kidneys using an ischemia–reperfusion (IR) mouse model. Four‐week‐old ICR mice were exposed to 0.5 μm MPs for 12 weeks prior to IR injury. The results showed that MPs exposure could aggravate the IR‐induced damage to renal tubules and glomeruli. Although there were no significant changes in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels 7 days after IR, MPs treatment resulted in a slight increase in both parameters. In addition, the expression levels of inflammatory factors (MCP‐1 and IL‐6) at the mRNA level, as well as macrophage markers (CD68 and F4/80), were significantly higher in the MPs + IR group than in the Sham group after IR. Furthermore, MPs exposure exacerbated IR‐induced renal fibrosis. Importantly, the expression of pyroptosis‐related genes, including NLRP3, ASC, GSDMD, cleaved caspase‐1, and IL‐18, was significantly upregulated by MPs, indicating that MPs exacerbate pyroptosis in the context of renal IR. In conclusion, our findings suggest that MPs exposure can aggravate renal IR‐induced pyroptosis by activating NLRP3‐GSDMD signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the Harbin section of the Songhua River in the cold region of northern China. The occurrence characteristics and pollution level of microplastics (MPs) are explored in both the ice and water of urban inland rivers and estuaries during the ice-covered periods. The abundance of MPs in Majiagou ice averaged 324.4 ± 261.5 particles/L, and the abundance of MPs in Songhua ice averaged 65.0 ± 68.2 particles/L. In the water with different depths of Songhua, the MP abundance ranged from 1.0 ± 0.7 particles/L to 12.9 ± 9.4 particles/L, with an average of 5.6 ± 7.6 particles/L. The amount of MPs in ice is about 11 times that in water, where ice formation is mainly responsible for the decline in the MP abundance in aquatic environments. The abundance of MPs in urban inland rivers gradually increased from south to north, while that in the mainstream of the Songhua River showed an increasing trend from east to west. Detected MPs were mainly fiber and white in shape and color, respectively, with a particle size < 0.5 mm. The extent of microplastics in ice is greater than that in water, and melting in the following spring will exacerbate the environmental impact. The results identified the discharge of domestic sewage as the main source of MPs in urban inland rivers. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyacrylonitrile were the main types of polymers. The results of the ecological risk assessment showed that the MP pollution in the Harbin section of the Songhua River reached moderate and severe pollution levels during the ice-covered periods. Its potential risk should receive more attention, and control should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an enhanced integration algorithm that combines the magnetic field-based positioning system (MPS—Magnetic Pose Estimation System) with an inertial system with the advantage of an invariant filter structure. Specifically, to mitigate the nonlinearity of the propagation model and perturbing effect from the estimated uncertainty, the formulation of the invariant Kalman filter was derived in detail. Then, experiments were conducted to validate the algorithm with an unmanned vehicle equipped with an IMU and MPS receiver. As a result, the navigation performance of the IEKF-based inertial and magnetic field integration system was presented and compared with the conventional Kalman filter results. Furthermore, the convergence and navigation performance were evaluated in the presence of state variable initialization errors. The findings indicate that the inertial and magnetic field coupled with the IEKF outperforms the typical KF approach, particularly when dealing with initial estimate uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of microplastics (MPs) in two important Hungarian freshwater habitats was determined in the size range of 50 μm–1 mm. Lake Balaton (LB) is the largest shallow lake in Central Europe, with a significant role in recreation and tourism. Its main inflow, the Zala River, enters the lake through an artificially constructed wetland, the Kis-Balaton Water Protection System and its catchment area (KB), which helps preserve the water quality of the lake. From these two areas, 15 samples were taken with an in situ filtration sampling method. After preparation, the samples were analyzed automatically by FT-IR microscopy. All samples, from both areas, contained MPs; the dominant microplastic (MP) shape was the fragment, while the most frequently polymer types were polyethylene, polypropylene and alkyd. Small MPs were dominant in both areas; around 90% of the MPs were smaller than 500 μm. On average, LB contained more MPs (21.0 ± 12.5 MPs/m3) compared to the KB, which presented an average concentration of MPs of 7.8 ± 5.9 MPs/m3. In the examined areas, two potential MP sources were determined, i.e., treated wastewater and road traffic. The importance of tourism should also be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) syndromes are a group of heterogeneous genetic disorders in terms of genetic basis and clinical manifestations, ranging from mild to fatal forms. There are a number of applied or prospective treatment modalities for MPS, including bone marrow transplantation, enzyme replacement therapy, targeted gene therapy and substrate reduction therapy. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has emerged as a novel tool for several metabolic disorders, such as MPS. This review concentrates on the application of this technique in the treatment of MPS, particularly MPS I, and modeling of disease-causing mutations.

The moving particle simulation (MPS) method is a simulation technique capable of calculating free surface and incompressible flows. As a particle-based method, MPS requires significant computational resources when simulating flow in a large-scale domain with a huge number of particles. Therefore, improving computational speed is a crucial aspect of current research in particle methods. In recent decades, many-core CPUs and GPUs have been widely utilized in scientific simulations to significantly enhance computational efficiency. However, the implementation of MPS on different types of hardware is not a trivial task. In this study, we present an implementation method for the explicit MPS that utilizes the Taichi parallel programming language. When it comes to CPU computing, Taichi’s computational efficiency is comparable to that of OpenMP. Nevertheless, when GPU computing is utilized, the acceleration of Taichi in parallel computing is not as fast as the CUDA implementation. Our developed explicit MPS solver demonstrates significant performance improvements in simulating dam-break flow dynamics.

Jennifer Corwin-Buell, Denise Callahan, Deborah McGrath, Kimberly Millard, Gary Mosehauer, Nitasha R Phatak Vision Care, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Rochester, NY, USACorrespondence: Nitasha R Phatak, Vision Care, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Rochester, NY, USA, Tel +1 585-413-6397, Email Nitasha.Phatak@bausch.comPurpose: This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the in vitro disinfection efficacies of six commercial lens cleaning and disinfecting products for planned replacement soft contact lenses.Methods: Disinfection efficacies of five multi-purpose solutions (MPSs) and one hydrogen peroxide solution (HPS) as control were evaluated in the presence of organic soil according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, Geneva, Switzerland) ISO 14729 stand-alone test protocol. The five specified compendial organisms, three bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens) and two fungi (Candida albicans and Fusarium solani) were incubated with each solution under standard conditions, after which microbes were recovered and quantified.Results: Each of the solutions evaluated met or exceeded the standard’s primary criteria (3-log reduction of bacteria and 1-log reduction of fungi) after incubation for the manufacturer-recommended soaking time, except for COMPLETE MPS, which achieved only 0.4 ± 0.1 average log reduction for C. albicans. However, differences in efficacy between the solutions were noted. Average log reduction across all microbes for Biotrue Hydration Plus (4.6 ± 0.1) was comparable to that for CLEAR CARE PLUS HPS (4.3 ± 0.1) and greater than those for OPTI-FREE puremoist (3.6 ± 0.1), OPTI-FREE Replenish (4.0 ± 0.2), ACUVUE RevitaLens (3.9 ± 0.03), and COMPLETE MPS (3.6 ± 0.1). Biotrue Hydration Plus was especially effective at reducing the population of C. albicans (4.2 ± 0.7-log reduction).Conclusion: Products marketed for planned replacement soft CL disinfection generally meet the ISO 14729 standard’s primary criteria for reducing populations of compendial organisms, with larger differences between solutions noted with C. albicans.Keywords: multi-purpose solution, MPS, hydrogen peroxide solution, HPS, disinfection, myristamidopropyl dimethylamine, MAPD, polyhexamethylene biguanide, PHMB, ISO 14729

Analysis of microplastic (MP) occurrence in commercially relevant species is a prerequisite for food risk assessment. Using a standardized methodology, we aimed to investigate MP contamination in point-of-sale clams, mussels, and Crustacea shellfish collected from various markets (Belgium, Croatia, Serbia, and South Korea). An improved digestion protocol yielded ≥ 99.8% digestion efficiency for all species analyzed. In a total of 190 samples analyzed individually by microFTIR, MPs were identified in 43.68% of the samples with less than 1 MP/individual average (0–4 MP/individual, 0–1.35 MPs/g tissue). Significant differences between species were observed when considering samples contaminated with MPs, with Crustacea shellfish having the lowest MPs/g of edible tissue. Polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene were dominant MPs found in clams and mussels, while polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride were the most abundant in Crustacea shellfish. Our data do not support the bioaccumulation or biomagnification of MPs with the size of the animal in the shellfish group. MP contamination is more strongly associated with the type of shellfish than with the geographical origin of the market.