With the development of agriculture and industry, the increase in nitrogen (N) deposition has caused widespread concern among scientists. Although emission reduction policies have slowed N releases in Europe and North America, the threat to biodiversity cannot be ignored. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of plant communities in forest ecosystems, both their distribution and diversity have vital ecological functions. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of long-term N addition on AM fungi and understory herbaceous plants in Korean pine plantation in northern China, measured the soil properties, AM fungal and herbaceous community structure and diversity with different concentrations of NH4NO3 (0,20,40,80 kg N ha-1 year-1) applied for 7 consecutive years. The results showed that long-term nitrogen fertilization affected soil properties, decreased soil pH, increased soil ammonium content, and caused significant fluctuations in P elements. Nitrogen application improved the stability of soil aggregates by increasing the content of GRSP (glomus-related soil protein); N addition changed the AM fungal community composition, and Glomus genus was more adaptable to the acidic environment treated with the highest nitrogen concentration; with the increase of N treatment, The species of AM fungi and herbaceous plants and the biomass of fine roots decreased. In summary, we concluded that long-term understory application of different concentrations of N altered soil pH, changed the distribution of N, P elements, and the soil aggregate fractions, reduced AM fungal and herb diversity. The importance of AM fungi in maintaining forest ecosystem diversity under the pressure of global change was verified.

Background: Human papillomavirus is a pathogen that can cause genital warts and malignancies both in males and females. Material and method: The study was conducted as a descriptive, cross-sectional survey between June 20-30, 2023. A questionnaire was developed by reviewing similar studies to evaluate the sociodemographic structure, knowledge about HPV, knowledge about vaccination and attitude towards vaccination. Results: A total of 322 volunteers completed the questionnaire. Participants mostly gived true answers to the questions about human papillomavirus, while they gived falso answers to the questions about vaccination at a high rate. In addition, the overall Human papillomavirus knowledge score of vaccinated participants or participants willing to be vaccinated was significantly higher than that of unvaccinated participants and participants unwilling to be vaccinated (p<0.05). There was a significant and moderately strong relationship between Human papillomavirus vaccine knowledge level and willingness (Phi = 0.26, p = 2.94e-06), while there was a significant but low strenghth relationship between vaccination status (Phi = 0.17, p = 1.86e-03). It was determined that medical position, age, alcohol use and regular physical activity were more likely to negatively affect the Human papillomavirus knowledge levels of assistant health care workers. Vaccine unwillingness was also high in 27-40 age group. Conclusion: Human papillomavirus knowledge, medical position, number of sexual partners, social habits, view about vaccination, cost, religious and cultural values directly affect the rate of human papillomavirus vaccination and willingness to be vaccinated.

Digital health, also known as digitalization in healthcare is a growing industry that is bringing several benefits to people around the globe. Online healthcare services are playing a major role in the digital transformation of the health sector. While there are various advantages of digitalization of health services including sharing medical history, easier and faster access of healthcare services, electronic data collection, reduced costs of building infrastructure, and efficiency in the delivery of healthcare services. On the other hand, this also poses challenges in the acceptance of customers and their decision-making towards online health services So, this research focuses on customer acceptance and customer decision-making for online healthcare services with digital transformation. There are two dependent variables in this research including customer acceptance and customer decision making and one independent variable of online healthcare service. The variable of digital transformation plays the role of mediator between online healthcare service and customer acceptance and decision making. Technology acceptance model is the underpinning theory of this research with the consumer decision-making model as a supporting theory. Quantitative research methodology was used by utilizing a survey strategy via questionnaire and data were collected from the customers of online healthcare services residing in Lahore. Moreover, SEM has been used for data analysis via AMOS. Out of four hypotheses of this study, three hypotheses (H2, H3, and H4) have been accepted and one hypothesis (H1) has been rejected as explained in the findings. The findings of this research are beneficial for future researchers as it adds to the existing knowledge and provides recommendations for future research. The findings of this research are beneficial for hospital administration and policymakers to help customers in catering their problems regarding online healthcare services and making lives better for society.

Food allergy: What are people looking for? An infodemiology studyAuthors :Karla Robles-Velasco, MD 1,2, Matias Panchana-Lascano, MD 2,3, Flavio Veintemilla Burgos, MD 2,3, Romina Hinostroza, MD 1,2, Jonathan A Bernstein, MD 4, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda, MD, MSc 1,2Affiliations :1 Universidad Espiritu Santo, Samborondon 0901952, Ecuador2 Respiralab Research Group, Guayaquil 090507, Ecuador3 Universidad Catolica Santiago de Guayaquil 09014671, Ecuador4 University of Cincinnati Physicians Immunology Research Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

The application of metabolomics for studying modifications in host metabolism due to viral infections has proven to be a game-changing approach. Prior to our study, only one other ‘omics’ study has been carried out that investigates the interplay between the host and CCHFV and its subsequent pathogenesis. We employed NMR spectroscopy, given its advantages in terms of reproducibility, minimal sample preparation, and capability to analyze complex biofluids. Our methodology builds upon the proven success of metabolomics in the research of other viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, Marburg, and Dengue. Our research underlines the critical role of SAH, a metabolite involved in numerous biochemical reactions. We provide new insights into the metabolic alterations occurring in CCHF patients. These alterations not only shed light on the disease’s pathogenesis but also pave the way for potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Among all the metabolites detected, S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine and Carnosine stood out as the most prevalent, warranting further exploration of their roles in CCHFV pathogenesis and their potential as therapeutic targets.

10-20% of soft tissue sarcomas cannot be accurately classified with histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and require further molecular investigation. We report an unclassified myoid neoplasm in a 5-year-old girl presenting with localized left heel swelling and impaired weight-bearing. Histology and IHC determined this as an undifferentiated sarcoma. Molecular work-up of this soft-tissue lesion demonstrated a novel SRF-MKL2 fusion as well as chromosomal copy number anomalies including 1p, 6q, 22 loss, and 1q gain. Pathologic and molecular features of this tumor fit best in the SRF-rearranged family of cellular myoid tumors. The patient remains disease-free 20 months after margin-negative resection.

Background: Unlike other pediatric cancers, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment includes a prolonged maintenance phase during which children typically resume regular activities. As COVID-19 transmission persists despite the end of the public health emergency declaration, physicians need data regarding the impact of COVID-19 in this population to guide families in managing risk. Procedure: The Pediatric Oncology COVID-19 Case Report (POCC) collected de-identified clinical and sociodemographic data on children with cancer and COVID-19. This subset analysis compares 481 children (≤21yo at COVID-19 infection) with ALL in maintenance (ALL-MTN) to other children with cancer and COVID-19 (n=1,190). Results: Children in ALL-MTN had fewer hospitalizations, (23% vs 29%, p=0.01), intensive care unit admissions (ICU: 3% vs 5%, p=0.01), and were less likely to die (0% vs 2%, p=<0.01). However, they more often had cancer therapy changed (50% vs 33%, p=<0.01). Lower odds of hospitalization and ICU admission persisted in multivariable analyses adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, insurance, ANC, and comorbidities. There were independent associations among children in ALL-MTN with sociodemographic factors (Hispanic ethnicity, public insurance) and clinical characteristics (comorbid conditions, neutropenia) and both hospitalization and ICU admission. Vaccination decreased odds of hospitalization. Conclusions: Children in ALL-MTN continue to have significant COVID-19 risks, with less hospitalization and ICU admission but more therapy changes than other children with cancer. These risks should be addressed when discussing participation in activities (school, camp, sports, etc.), prevention (COVID-19 vaccination) and mitigation (masking) strategies. The high level of therapy modifications could have long-term consequences and should continue to be followed.

Advanced cystic fibrosis liver disease (aCFLD) with portal hypertension develops in a minority of people (5-7.5%) with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), necessitating surgical interventions, including portosystemic shunting, gastrostomy tube placement, and in some cases, liver transplantation. This manuscript also aims to explore the different endoscopic, endovascular and surgical procedures needed to diagnose and manage aCFLD, including liver biopsy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, intraoperative cholangiograms, hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement and portosystemic shunt procedures in patients with aCFLD. By utilizing advanced diagnostic and surgical techniques, healthcare professionals can effectively manage aCFLD and improve patient outcomes.

This letter presents the design and implementation of a K-band four-element dual-beam phased-array receiver with more than 28.14 dB transmit-receive isolation in 65-nm CMOS SOI for SATCOM applications. By properly designing the inter-stage and output matching networks of the four-stage low noise amplifier, the isolation between the transmit and receive chains of the full-duplex shared-aperture phased-array antenna system can be effectively enhanced to meet the practical requirements. In addition, to meet the demands of precise phase shifts of phased-array systems, an active vector-modulated phase shifter with low power consumption, small area occupation, and positive gain is designed. Based on the proposed methodology, a K-band four-element dual beam phased-array receiver operating from 17.7 to 21.2 GHz is designed and measured. The measurement results show the transmit-receive isolation is greater than 28.14 dB, the single-channel gain is 21.48-25.31 dB, and the noise figure is 2.42-2.77 dB over the entire working frequency. Meanwhile, the measured RMS gain error and RMS phase error are less than 0.43 dB and 3.8°, respectively.

Cystic fibrosis-related hepatobiliary involvement (CFHBI) is a term used to describe a spectrum of hepatobiliary involvement ranging from benign elevation of transaminase levels to advanced cystic fibrosis associated liver disease (aCFLD). While CFHBI is common among people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF), aCFLD is rare impacting only approximately 5-10% of the CF population. Importantly though, aCFLD is the third leading cause of death among PwCF, is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and is associated with significant morbidity. Despite this recognition, our ability to predict those patients at greatest risk for aCFLD, identify early aCFLD and monitor incremental progression of CFHBI is lacking. Here we review the strengths and weaknesses of the common biomarkers and imaging modalities used in the evaluation and monitoring of CFHBI, as well as the current understanding of genetic modifiers related to aCFLD.

Background: Several childhood illnesses are at risk of developing significant respiratory problems associated with insufficient respiratory muscle strength. Predictive equations for respiratory muscle strength have been proposed in healthy children and adolescents. There are no studies summarizing prediction equations for respiratory muscle strength (RMS) in pediatric population. Objectice: To provide and discuss the contemporary literature regarding predictive equations for respiratory maximal mouth presssures in children and adolescents. Methods: Online databases were used in this integrative review to identify papers published up to 2023, from which we selected those used equations to predict RMS by maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures in subjects under 18 years of age. Results: The publications reported nine studies from 2,534 healthy individuals ranging from 4 to 18 years old and 38 equations. The variables used for constructing the predictive model diverge, but the most used were lung function (spirometry) and independent variables (age, gender, weight, height and adequate geographic population). Conclusion: This review gathered different predictive equations that determine the normal value of maximum respiratory pressures in the pediatric population. Although most equations were generated from unstandardized procedure, it should compose the functional assessment of the respiratory muscles, as it is a quick, non-invasive and effective measure to detect respiratory muscle weakness. The proposed equations must be judiciously used by the health professional, taking into account demographic and individual characteristics.

COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), is an emerging infectious disease (EID) with a relatively high infectivity and mortality rate. During the state of emergency announced by the Japanese government in the spring of 2020, citizens were requested to stay home, the number of infected people was drastically reduced without a legally-binding lockdown. It is well-acknowledged that there is a trade-off between maintaining economic activity and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. We aimed to reduce the total loss caused by the epidemic of an EID like COVID-19 in the present study. We focused on early and late stages of the epidemic and proposed a framework to reduce the total loss resulted from the damage by infection and the cost for the countermeasure. Mathematical epidemic models were used to estimate the effect of interventions on the number of deaths by infection. The total loss was converted into the monetary base and different policies were compared. In the early stage, we calculated the damage by infection when behavioral restrictions were implemented. The favorable intensity of the intervention depended on the basic reproduction number, infection fatality rate, and the economic impact. In the late stage, we calculated indicators and showed it depended on the ratio of the cost to maintain the hospitalization system to the monetary loss per deaths by infection which strategies should be adopted.

Aim. To estimate the effect of the reduced-function polymorphism SLCO1B1 c.521T>C on the renal graft function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR) over 12 months in patients treated with mycophenolic acid (MPA). Methods. Consecutive eligible adults (≥16 years of age) engrafted over a 6-year period who received MPA as a part of maintenance immunosuppression were assessed for eGFR on 9 occasions over 12 post-transplant months. The SLCO1B1 c.521C>T variant allele carriers (treated) and wild-type subjects (controls) were balanced on a range of demographic, medical, and genetic variables at baseline, and the development of eGFR (slope) was estimated with further adjustment for time-varying covariates. A subset of patients were assessed for exposure to MPA 5-7 days after the transplantation. Results. The adjusted eGFR slopes from day 1 to day 28 (peak), and from day 28 to day 365 were practically identical in treated (n=86) and control (n=168) patients (GMR=0.99, 95%CI 0.92-1.06, and GMR=0.98, 0.94-1.01, respectively). The rates of adverse renal outcomes and possible MPA-related adverse effects were low, and similar in treated and controls (adjusted RR=0.94, 0.49-1.84 and RR=1.08, 0.74-1.58, respectively). The pharmacokinetic substudy did not signal that treated and control patients differed with respect to MPA clearance, peak, trough or total exposure, overall (treated n=23, control n=45), if cotreated with cyclosporine (n=17 vs. n=26) or with tacrolimus (n=8 vs. n=17). Discussion. In patients treated with MPA, variant allele SLCO1B1 c.521T>C has no effect on the 12-month renal graft function. It does not seem to affect exposure to- and safety of MPA.

Children fast-map new words to their referents early on but do not show robust retention until much later. This paper examines whether children’s interest in a natural category relates to retention of newly learned words in that category. German-speaking 24-month-olds and 38-month-olds (n = 88, 41 female) were trained on novel word-object-associations from different categories. Pupillary arousal and parental reports served as indices of interest in the objects and categories presented. Recognition and retention were tested directly after exposure, five minutes later, and 24 hours later. Both younger and older children showed successful word-object recognition and retention. Furthermore, interest in the category modulates young children’s recognition and retention of newly learned word-object associations from semantic categories across ages.

Herein we report a condition-controlled divergent synthesis of spiro indene-2,1’-isoindolinones and spiro isochroman-3,1’-isoindolinones through cobalt-catalyzed formal [4 + 1] and [4 + 1 + 1] spirocyclization of aromatic amides with 2-diazo-1H-indene-1,3(2H)-dione. When the reaction is carried out under air in ethyl acetate, spiro indene-2,1’-isoindolinones are formed through Co(II)-catalyzed C−H/N−H [4 + 1] spirocyclization. When the reaction is run under O2 in CH3CN, on the other hand, spiro isochroman-3,1’-isoindolinones are generated through Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of the in situ formed spiro indene-2,1’-isoindolinones with O2 as a cheaper and environmental-friendly oxygen source. In general, these protocols have advantages such as using non-precious and earth-abundant metal catalyst, no extra additive, high efficiency and regioselectivity. A gram-scale synthesis and the removal of the directing group further highlight its utility.

The Operational Momentum (OM) effect refers to the tendency to overestimate addition and underestimate subtraction outcomes during mental arithmetic, however, whether OM effect arises from multiple competing sources remains unclear. To explore the mechanism of OM effect, based on the theory of operand encoding in Triple Code Model (TCM), we divide operands into magnitude encoding and verbal encoding, and compare the differences of OM-congruent probe and OM-incongruent probe at behavioral and electrophysiological level under different encoding conditions. We found that in the magnitude encoding condition, participants exhibited a stable OM effect, and OM-congruent probes elicited a positive P3 component (250–350ms) in the parietal lobes, while OM-incongruent probes triggered a more negative N2 component (150–250ms) in the parietal lobes. In the verbal encoding condition, participants exhibited a reserved OM effect and OM-incongruent probes elicited a more negative N2 component (150–250ms) in the frontal lobes. These results indicate OM effect arises from multiple competing sources of bias in mental arithmetic, which is consistent with the assumptions of the AHAB model.

Hydrophobins have great potential in many biotechnological applications due to changing surface characteristics. In recent years, although there has been a significant increase in the biotechnological applications of hydrophobins, industrial production has still not been achieved due to yield problems. Therefore, more studies are needed on the recombinant production of hydrophobins. In this work, the recombinant production of class I hydrophobin DewA from Aspergillus nidulans, which is determined to have high contact angle in the literature, was aimed. As a result, DewA protein was recombinantly produced using P. pastoris X-33 strain under AOX1 promoter by transferring into pPICZα-A vector. The optimal culture condition for DewA expression was obtained at 1% methanol concentration as 77 mg/L in 96 hour. Recombinant DewA has been proven to change the surface characteristics on the teflon and glass surfaces. Then, the surface stability of the protein was evaluated by applying hot SDS and UV to these surfaces. The surface-coated DewA was resistant to hot SDS application on both glass and teflon surfaces; in the UV application, it was understood that while the protein was degraded by UV exposure on glass surfaces, it preserved its structure on teflon surfaces. In the study, the DewA protein of A.nidulans was cloned into the pPICZα-A vector and recombinantly produced in the P.pastoris X-33 strain for the first time.

Controllable contraception in male animals was demonstrated through the utilization of gold nanorods’ photothermal effect to accomplish mild testicular hyperthermia. However, the challenges arising from testicular administration and the non-biodegradability of nanoparticles hinder further clinical implementation. Therefore, a straightforward, non-invasive, and enhanced contraception approach is required. This study explores the utilization of human heavy chain ferritin (HFn) nanocarriers loaded with aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) for noninvasive, controllable male contraception guided by Near-Infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging. The HFn-caged AIEgens (HFn@BBT) are delivered via intravenous injection and activated by near-infrared irradiation. Lower hyperthermia treatment induces partial damage to the testes and seminiferous tubules, reducing fertility indices by approximately 100% on the 7th day, which gradually recovers to 80% on the 60th day. Conversely, implementation of elevated hyperthermia therapy causes total destruction of both testes and seminiferous tubules, leading to a complete loss of fertility on the 60th day. Additionally, the use of AIEgens in NIR-II imaging offers improved fluorescence efficiency and penetration depth. The findings of this study hold significant promise for the advancement of safe and effective male contraceptive methods, addressing the need for noninvasive and controllable approaches to reproductive health and population control.

The aim of this study is to introduce a new modification of fasciomyocutaneus infrahyoid flap with higher volume and longer durability in order to reduce the need of using free flaps in reconstructions after oral tongue cancers. six Patients with advanced cancers of the oral tongue, especially with base of tongue involvement, who traditionally had to be reconstructed with a free flap due to a large defect after resection, were involved in the study. In this study, they were reconstructed with modified fasciomyocutaneusinfrahyoid flap. From these six patients who were reconstructed with a modified infrahyoid flap, none of them showed evidence of necrosis or flap complications such as flap atrophy after surgery and over the time. The new modification of this flap can provide more volume than the previous modifications of this flap, and lead to a more routine use of this flap in oncological surgeries of the oral tongue.

This article presents a case study conducted at ‘AG TECH’ LLP, a Kazakhstani IT firm, to explore the implementation of Scrum as an agile project management methodology. The study aims to identify the lessons learned during the implementation process, focusing on the challenges faced and the strategies employed to overcome them. The research employed a qualitative approach, utilizing participant observation as the primary data collection method. The findings highlight several key insights into the successful adoption of Scrum, including the importance of organizational commitment, effective communication, and continuous improvement. Additionally, the study identifies common pitfalls and offers recommendations for improving the implementation of Scrum in similar organizational contexts. The lessons learned from this case study contribute to the growing body of knowledge on Scrum implementation and provide practical guidance for organizations seeking to adopt agile methodologies in their project management practices.

In order to treat persons suffering from narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) it is necessary to agree on therapeutic goals and om tasks to undertake in order to meet them. This is difficult with NPD, as they have difficulties finding meaningful goals to strive for, other than the quest for status. Moreover, in order to change they need to expose themselves to experience painful feelings such as shame, guilt or fear, feelings that they automatically tend to keep at bay. Finally, they have problems forming a benevolent image of their therapists and to harken to it in order to cooperate towards mutually agreed goals and tasks. As a consequence, NPD patients ask for change but hardly engage themselves in the work necessary to achieve it. Therapists therefore need to pay the uttermost attention to drafting, negotiating and continuously updating a reasonable and realistic therapeutic contract. In this paper we describe the story of a man in his thirties with NPD who was ridden with depression, guilt, envy and anger and did not find ways to pursue the healthy and adaptive behaviors he would need to pursue in order to leave a richer social life. The therapist overcame ruptures in the therapeutic alliance and then involved the patient in a process where they set the steps to follow, making sure the patient was convinced they made sense. After a contract was reached progress became possible. Implications for the role of the therapeutic contract in NPD treatment are discussed.

This study sought to investigate the effect of differences in educational levels and wage earnings in Cameroon. To achieve this, data was obtained from Cameroon household survey (ECAM4) database. The study employed the regression-based decomposition technique and the Shapley value approach to attain the objective. The findings revealed that there was a positive relationship. Equally, the result further revealed that, there was also a positive relationship between work experience and wage earnings in Cameroon. More results indicated that primary education explain 5.36% of inequality in wage earnings on a scale of 100. Equally, secondary and higher education explain 1.09% and 0.03% respectively. Meanwhile, work experience explains 27.17% of inequality in wage earnings. Hours’ work, household’s size, age, sex, marital status and residence explain 41.68%, 2.70%, 12.76%, 1.13%, 7.07%, and 0.99% respectively. It was recommended that education for all should be encouraged not only at the primary level as spelt out in the development goals but even at tertiary levels. This can be done by sensitizing parents on the importance of education for their children as well as offering study leave possibilities to most workers. It can also be done by further subsidizing education at the tertiary level. Highlights - This study examined the effect of educational levels on wage earnings in Cameroon using regression-based decomposition and the Shapley value approach. - The findings revealed a positive relationship between educational levels and wage earnings in Cameroon. - Primary education explained 5.36% of wage earnings inequality, while secondary and higher education explain 1.09% and 0.03% respectively. - Work experience was a significant factor, explaining 27.17% of wage earnings inequality.

In many wind farms scheduled & unscheduled maintenances are big challenge to O&M (operation and maintenance) teams, owners of most of the wind turbines are unable to conduct the regular maintenance necessary to ensure the well-being of the wind turbines. In this article an analytical technique proposed to find the operation & maintenance costs, reliability of the system and the average wind turbines failure rate, based on the wind speed site data.

Early and precise detection and identification of various pathogens are essential for epidemiological monitoring, disease management, and reducing clinical infectious diseases. Currently, available pathogen detection techniques, which include mass spectrometry, biochemical tests (metabolic fingerprinting), molecular testing (usually PCR), and culture-based procedures, are limited in application and time-consuming to produce results. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) have emerged as an essential technology for identifying clinical pathogens. NGS is a cutting-edge DNA sequencing method with high throughput, which can create massive volumes of sequences with a wide range of potential uses in research and diagnostic settings. NGS presents a revolutionary way to overcome the issues above with fast speed, available application in unknown pathogens detection, improved sensitivity, as well as efficient data interpretation. This review introduces the NGS technology in detail and summarizes the application of the NGS in detecting different pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and analyzing the challenges and the outlook for using NGS to detect clinical pathogens. Therefore, this work provides theoretical basis for NGS study and promotes the application of NGS in diagnosing various clinical pathogens.