Conventional light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems usually employ equal interval multi-pulses as signal carrier. It leads to error-prone ranging and high false alarm probability. As an unequal interval multi-pulses communication method, pulse position modulation (PPM) can also provide commendable ranging performance for LiDAR. In this letter, a novel integrated sensing and communication optical wireless (ISAC-OW) scheme based on fourth-order PPM (4-PPM) is proposed. And a prototype is demonstrated under laboratory conditions, which can transmit 10 Mbps data while ensuring a ranging accuracy of less than 0.12 millimeters.

This work is mainly to describe the phenomenon at low frequency in my previous publication. In this paper, the impact of the magnetostriction mechanism is taken into consideration for the main idea. The axisymmetric FEM model of the spiral-coil EMAT is established to implement the simulation. With the help of the simulation, it is demonstrated that the directivity of ultrasonic wave can be manipulated by frequency. And it is found that the direction of Lorentz force that dominates in the rail varies with time, but the magnetostrictive force compels the ultrasonic wave mainly generated by the Lorentz force to the axis. This describes well that the power of two combined mechanisms is greater than that of only the Lorentz-force mechanism at low frequency.

We present a 64-channel implantable neural stimulator with sub-nC charge balanced current stimulation for seizure suppression applications. The regulated cascode current driver achieves almost full VDD compliance voltage range. A passive charge balancing by shorting working and reference electrodes with a bootstrapped switch keeps the residual charge level within a safe limit, enabling faster-switching operation. The stimulation parameters, such as current pulse width, channel activation, activation frequency, and current amplitude, are highly reconfigurable and adjusted through the SPI interface. Significantly, the current amplitude can be varied from 1μA to 1.8 mA. As a result, the proposed neural stimulator fabricated with a 0.18μm standard CMOS process effectively suppresses seizures within a safe limit with a residual charge of less than 1nC through the in-vivo test.

Background: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) seems to be a promising treatment for hazelnut allergy but the available data is limited. Our objective was to evaluate the proportion of patients desensitised after hazelnut OIT, as well as to evaluate the proportion and type of adverse events (AEs) occurring during OIT and to identify clinical and biological factors predictive of OIT success. Methods: Single-center retrospective study, including pediatrics patients. Oral food challenge (OFC) was performed before and after OIT. For each patient, we collected clinical data and the level of hazelnut IgEs f17, nCor a 9, rCor a 14, at the time of the 2 OFCs. Results: After 12 months of OIT, 52.2% of children were desensitized. Those not desensitized increased their reactogenic dose by 6-fold. One-third presented an AE, mostly non-serious. They were significantly more likely to be desensitized if the levels of hazelnut IgE f17, nCor a 9, and rCor a 14 were initially low. Predictive thresholds of 16.3 kUA/L for hazelnut IgE f17 (p=0.0066) and 4.13 kUA/L for rCor a 14 (p=0.0447) were calculated with an NPV of 85%. Conclusion: Hazelnut OIT is effective in inducing tolerance in 52.2% of children. Children with lower specific IgEs (hazelnut f17, nCor a 9 and rCor a 14) were significantly more likely to achieve desensitization after 12 months of OIT. Predictive thresholds for f17 and rCor a 14 were defined above which the risks of failure of OIT are high.

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Studies on water origin and transformation relationship between groundwater and surface water is important for understanding on hydrological processes and water resources management. In this study surface water and groundwater samples from Xiliugou and Wulagai River basin were collected and analyzed for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and hydrochemistry data. The results show that the pH of all water samples ranged from 6.81 to 8.91, blongs to weak alkaline water; the average value of TDS in surface water and groundwater is less than 1000mg/l, which is low mineralization water. Na•Ca-SO 4•HCO 3 type and Ca•Na-HCO 3 type was the dominatnt hydrochemical types for surface water in Xiliugou and Wulagai River basin, respectively; Na•Ca-HCO 3 type and Ca•Mg-HCO 3 type for groundwater in Xiliugou and Wulagai River basin respectively. The End-Members Mixing Analysis (EMMA) used for hydrograph separation indicated that in the growing season, the groundwater was recharged by precipitation (76.87 %), and surface water (23.13 %) in Xiliugou; the groundwater in Wulagai was mainly recharged by precipitation (65%) and surface water (35 %).

This study presents a comparative analysis of radar cross section (RCS) simulations using Ansys High-Frequency Simulation Software (HFSS) and MATLAB. The primary objective is to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of RCS calculations performed by these two software tools for metallic cylinders. Metallic cylinders are selected as radar targets due to their well-defined and standardized shapes, which enable easier modeling and comparative analysis. To validate the RCS simulations, actual RCS measurements were conducted on an airport runway. The measurements took place at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) using an FOD detection system operating at 93.1 GHz. By comparing the measured RCS data with the simulations results, the agreement and reliability of the simulation techniques were assessed, considering metallic cylinders of six different sizes. The findings indicate that the RCS values obtained from measurements align with the simulation results, exhibiting a similar RCS pattern. Both simulations exhibit minimal discrepancies, ranging between 0.01 to 0.1 dBsm. Through the analysis of the simulation results and measurements, valuable insight were gained regarding the performance and effectiveness of HFSS and MATLAB in predicting RCS values. Consequently, this study contributes to the understanding and validation of RCS simulation techniques and their practical applicability in real-world scenarios.

In recent years, as the era of electronic payment has brought about the development of intelligent multi-scale forecasting of highway traffic in my country, it has also been developed because of its late start. Expressway intelligence, in simple terms, is the combination of human operation intelligent technology, digital transmission and analysis and professional skills mastery in the process of highway management. This technology can imitate people's thinking and analysis capabilities to ensure that the original plan is normal run. The core point of the goal of realizing highway intelligence is the relationship between the road, the driving vehicle and the owner and the establishment of a relatively stable and efficient transportation route. From the perspective of intelligent areas that have implemented multi-scale prediction of expressway traffic, it is mainly reflected in the form of ETC, multi-scale prediction of networked traffic, that is, according to the province or larger area, a one-time payment method is adopted for all-in-one cards. Form a complete set of intelligent flow multi-scale prediction system system, maximize the consideration of road users and economic development needs, effectively solve the closed flow multi-scale prediction system generated by different attributions or business entities and improve the efficiency of expressway use and service quality , Reduce the corresponding energy consumption and lay a good foundation for the sustainable development of highways in our country.

Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia*Corresponding author email: juansanc@uniandes.edu.co 

AbstractThe article starts by offering a definition of fake kindness focused on the dissociation between the behavioural components of kindness and the intent to sincerely pay some heed to the needs of others. Using the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu this definition is then used to articulate how fake kindness can be conceptualized as a specific form of symbolic violence. Such a view allows explaining how and why the prevalence and effectiveness of fake kindness vary according to microsociological norms and values.

The question of why socially monogamous females engage in extra-pair behaviour is long-standing in evolutionary biology. Recent theoretical work has moved away from the indirect-benefits hypothesis to explain female extra-pair behaviours, instead favouring suggestions that they are the result of pleiotropic effects. That is, a trait under strong positive selection in either or both sexes are genetically linked to another, often unrelated, trait. For example, where genes beneficial to female fecundity (contributing to within-pair solicitation of her social partner) are linked with extra-pair behaviour (soliciting copulations from extra-pair males). Here, we test two predictions from this hypothesis: We test the prediction that female divorce, measured from the number of social mates within a given year, is linked with (1) the number of extra-pair males and (2) the proportion of her offspring that are extra-pair. Our results suggest that females who frequently divorce social partners are more likely to produce extra-pair offspring than those who maintain social monogamy. However, by contrast, those females do not also have a higher proportion of extra-pair offspring. The number of broods initiated was also positively correlated with extra-pair males, probably through increased opportunity for extra-pair males to sire offspring over a longer breeding season. Our results provide an empirical example of a behavioural trait, beneficial to female fecundity, that is linked with extra-pair behaviour. These empirical results support the intrasexual pleiotropy hypothesis as a driver of female extra-pair behaviour.

Introduction: Centralized management of queues helps to reduce the surgical waiting time in the publicly funded healthcare system, but this is not a reality in the Brazilian Unified Healthcare System. Objectives: To describe the implementation of the “Patients with Surgical Indication” (PSI) in a Brazilian public tertiary hospital; To assess the impact on waiting time and its use in rationing oncological surgeries during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Methods: Retrospective observational study of elective surgical requests (2016-2022) in a Brazilian general, public, tertiary university hospital. We recovered information regarding the inflows (indications), outflows and their reasons, the number of patients, and waiting time in queue. Results: We enrolled 82,844 indications in the PSI (2016-2022). The waiting time (median and interquartile range) in days decreased from 98(48;168) in 2016 to 14(3;152) in 2022 (p<0.01). The same occurred with the backlog that ranged from 6,884 in 2016 to 844 in 2022 (p<001). During the Pandemic, there was a reduction in the number of non-oncological surgeries per month (95% confidence interval) of -10.9(-18.0;-3.8) during Phase I (January 2019-March 2020), maintenance in Phase II (April 2020-August 2021) 0.1(-10.0;10.4) and increment in Phase III (September 2021-December 2022) of 23.0(15.3;30.8). In the oncological conditions, these numbers were 0.6(-2.1;3.3) for Phase I, an increase of 3.2(0.7;5.6) in Phase II and 3.9(1 ,4;6,4) in Phase III. Conclusion: Implementing a centralized list of surgical indications and developing queue management principles proved feasible, with effective rationing. It unprecedentedly demonstrated the decrease in the median waiting time in Brazil.

This research paper examines the health expenditure incurred by inpatients in Urban Kerala, a southern province in India known for its commendable health indicators. Despite its reputation, the state grapples with a significant burden of Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE), as evidenced by robust nationally representative surveys conducted by the esteemed ‘National Sample Survey’ (NSS). In this context, the paper aims to achieve two objectives. Firstly, it brings out the estimates of out of pocket expenditure and explores the determinants of Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE). Secondly, it investigates the inequality in the incidence of CHE and factors contributing to it. The study uses unit-level data of 75th round of the National Sample Survey. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, Concentration index, and its Decomposition are employed in the study. Results indicate that covariates such as social group, medical institution type, and consumption expenditure correlate with CHE. Further, the findings reveal socio-economic inequality in CHE incidence and highlight the significant contribution of type of medical institution and consumption expenditure to the total inequality. The present study, by employing a magnifying lens on pre-existing inequalities, highlights the shortcomings of health financing in urban areas and calls for a reconsideration of extant policy design by means of which public money is often siphoned to private purse through the channels of Public funded health insurance, which in the first place was intended to curb inequities and financial catastrophic experiences. The study emphasizes the need for multisectoral collaborations and changes in design features in order to address supply-side inefficiencies and moral hazards that can hinder equitable health finance. The critical role of agile institutions is highlighted.

The results of tertiary structure assessment at CASP15 are reported. For the first time, recognising the outstanding performance of AlphaFold 2 (AF2) at CASP14, all single chain predictions were assessed together, irrespective of whether a template was available. At CASP15 there was no single stand-out group, with most of the best-scoring groups - led by PEZYFoldings, UM-TBM and Yang Server - employing AF2 in one way or another. Many top groups paid special attention to generating deep Multiple Sequence Alignments (MSAs) and testing variant MSAs, thereby allowing them to successfully address some of the hardest targets. Such difficult targets, as well as lacking templates, were typically proteins with few homologues: small size, high α-helical content and monomeric structure were other likely aggravating factors. Local divergence between prediction and target correlated with localisation at crystal lattice or chain interfaces, and with regions exhibiting high B-factor factors in crystal structure targets, but should not necessarily be considered as representing error in the prediction. However, analysis of exposed and buried side chain accuracy showed room for improvement even in the latter. Nevertheless, a majority of groups, including those applying methods similar to those used to generate major resources such as the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database and the ESM Metagenomic atlas, produced high quality predictions for most targets which are valuable for experimental structure determination, functional analysis and many other tasks across biology.

Objective Concerns about the low fertility and population decline are increasing worldwide, and Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world. This study aims to comprehensively examine the policies implemented by local governments and investigate the longitudinal impact of fertility subsidy policy on the fertility rate in Korea. Method The study utilized data on the total fertility rate of local governments from 2014 to 2018. Data analysis was conducted via SPSS 25.0 and M-plus 8.0 software. Model fit was assessed using TLI (Tucker-Lewis Index), CFI (Comparative Fit Index), and RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation). Results The results showed a significant relationship between the rate of change in the fertility subsidy and the rate of change in the fertility rate (B=.006, p<.01). Specifically, as the fertility subsidy increased rapidly over time, the fertility rate gradually decreased. Conversely, a gradual increase in the fertility subsidy led to a sharp decline in the fertility rate. Conclusion To effectively increase the fertility rate in South Korea, it is crucial to implement comprehensive policies that take into account social, economic, and demographic factors, as well as the findings of this study regarding fertility support. Highlights

We assess how reptile population extinctions on Mediterranean islands has been influenced since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) by the interacting effects of island area, timing of fragmentation, changing climate, and topography. By using geophysical models of sea-level rise we produce island-fragmentation cladograms which depict the sequence and timing by which 80 islands and 52 paleo-islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas progressively became separated from paleo-landmasses. These cladograms are used to reconstruct the progressive sequence of local reptile population extinctions. We found that population extinctions rise linearly with increased duration of isolation and that extinctions correlate negatively with (paleo-) island area. In addition, extinctions are positively associated with higher summer temperatures implicating heat stress, as well as with higher island topographic roughness, which may be an indication of diminished resource availability. These conclusions point forward to understanding, predicting, and eventually preventing future species extinctions due to climatic change.

Trans-activation response DNA binding protein of 43kDa (TDP-43) regulates a great variety of cellular processes in the nucleus and cytosol. In addition, a defined subset of neurodegenerative diseases is characterized by nuclear depletion of TDP-43 as well as cytosolic mislocalization and aggregation. To perform its diverse functions TDP-43 can associate with different ribonucleoprotein complexes. Combined with transcriptomics, MS interactome studies have unveiled associations between TDP-43 and the spliceosome machinery, polysomes and RNA granules. Moreover, the highly dynamic, low-valency interactions regulated by its low-complexity domain calls for innovative proximity labeling methodologies. In addition to protein partners, the analysis of posttranslational modifications showed that they may play a role in the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, RNA binding, liquid-liquid phase separation and protein aggregation of TDP-43. Here we review the various TDP-43 ribonucleoprotein complexes characterized so far, how they contribute to the diverse functions of TDP-43, and roles of post-translational modifications. Further understanding of the fluid dynamic properties of TDP-43 in ribonucleoprotein complexes, RNA granules, and self-assemblies will advance the understanding of RNA processing in cells and perhaps help to develop novel therapeutic approaches for TDPopathies.

Sunflower oil is an oil that is prone to oxidation due to its chemical structure and prevention of such oxidation is widely studied. This study assessed the the effectiveness of  gama glutamyl cyctein (GC) and glutathione (GSH), in preventing oxidation of sunflower oil stored at 50°C for a period of 15 days. Tertiary hydroquinone (TBHQ) was used as a control. Oxidation level indicators such as peroxide (PV), free fatty acidity (FFA), p-anisidine (p-AV) but also total oxidation (Totox), colour (L*, a*, b*) and free fatty acid profile were determined. At the end of storage, oxidation in sunflower oil was substantially reduced by 40 mg/L of GC. Analysis with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) resulted in the following order of antioxidant activities: TBHQ>BHA>GC>GSH>BHT. The samples resistance to the generation of primary and secondary oxidation products was T>GC+T>GC>GSH+T>GSH>C for up to 15 days under storage conditions. The free fatty acid profile analysed by GC/MS further demonstrated that these thiols outperformed the control group in terms of performance. Findings demonstrated that GC, precursor of GSH, has stronger antioxidant activity than GSH. As a result, it is recommended to be explored as a potential source of antioxidants in applications for the food industry to prevent lipid oxidation.

INTRODUCTION The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), spread worldwide from China, causing a pandemic from late December 2019. Due to the high proportion of asymptomatic or mild infections (approximately 80%), data restricted to laboratory-confirmed cases do not capture the true extent of the spread or burden of the virus, or its infection-fatality ratio. Therefore, serological detection of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can better estimate the true number of infections. The current study aims to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among the whole blood donors without any prior COVID-19 history or symptoms. OBJECTIVE 1. To determine seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) antibody (IgG and IgM) among asymptomatic healthy blood donors. METHODS This was a cross sectional study conducted between March and July, 2021 among 300 blood donors without any prior COVID-19 history or symptoms who came to a tertiary care, multispecialty hospital in south India. Any donor who had recently travelled abroad or donors who had received COVID-19 vaccine are excluded from the study. 3 ml venous blood was drawn in EDTA tube from participants and was tested by “Access SARS CoV-2 IgG assay” and “Access SARS CoV-2 IgM assay” by UniCel DxI 800 Immunoassay analyzer (Beckman coulter). The Access SARS CoV-2 IgG assay and the Access SARS Cov-2 IgM assay detect antibodies to the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the Spike Protein. Result was reported as Reactive if Signal/Cut-off (S/CO)>1.0 and non-Reactive if S/CO <1. Data was collected and entered into excel sheets and was analyzed by using the software SPSS version 25. RESULTS A total of 300 healthy blood donors were included. The study reported seroprevalence of 15.3% for IgG and 4.3% for IgM (95%CI) among asymptomatic whole blood donors. No significant difference was observed across age groups, diet, BMI, ABO/Rh blood type or Ayurveda/homeo immune medicine intake with respect to IgG and IgM reactivity. CONCLUSION 15% of blood donors were seroconverted for COVID-19 during second wave. This is a reflection of widespread seroprevalence in the adult population. Real-time seroprevalence studies will help to know the herd immunity among the blood donors which will assist in knowing the COVID-19 transmission dynamics and distribution of immunity levels at a particular point in time. KEYWORDS COVID-19, Seroprevalence, Blood donors.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a worldwide food [flavour enhancer](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/flavor-enhancers) commonly used by the food industry. This feed additive may cause male infertility. Nigella sativa seeds (NSS) is a widely used in herbal medicine as it has many biological benefits and could provide a solution. This work was designed to investigate the histological effects of NSS on rats ingesting MSG. To achieve this aim, adult male albino rats (2- 3 months old) were randomly and equally assigned into three experimental groups. For a period of 21 days, control group received no treatment, MSG group received MSG as 30 g/kg feed, and MSG + NSS group received MSG as 30 g/kg feed and NSS as 30 g/kg feed. Seminal vesicle histopathology in MSG group showed mild seminal vesiculitis with degeneration of smooth muscle fibers in tunica muscularis. In addition, there was an increase in the amount of connective tissue and apoptotic cells count. Periodic Acid Schiff stain indicated irregular and interrupted epithelial basement membranes. Glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and caspase-3 immuno-expressions increased in MSG group. It was found that there was an increase in the number of apoptotic cells, intraepithelial lymphocytes and dendritic cells in MSG group. However, treatment with NSS ameliorated these disturbances. NSS mitigated MSG-induced seminal vesicle damage by its histoprotective, cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic activities.

Capacity crunch has become critical in recent years as commercial communication systems approach their theoretical data rate limits. This work presents a low-complexity digital backpropagation (DBP) implementation approach based on step size distribution that uses a binary logarithmic step size method to achieve high data rate optical transmission. The proposed scheme shows performance improvements (∆Q) of 2.36 dB, 1.19 dB, and 0.71 dB over linear compensation, constant step size DBP, and logarithmic step size DBP techniques in a 2400 km 112 Gbit/s DP-16QAM system, respectively. At 13 dBm, a high performance (Q) of 10.9 dB (BER = 2.25×10-4) is achieved, above the 3.80×10-3 hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) limit, using the proposed scheme. Also, the allowable transmission distance is extended by 960 km at the HD-FEC limit over the linear compensation technique. The optimization achieves a 38% savings in the number of DBP calculation steps compared to the constant step size DBP, which considerably reduces the computational cost since a few steps are required for effective nonlinearity compensation.

Disaster relief, police work, and environmental checks rely heavily on satellite imagery. Some users need human assistance manually identifying facilities and items in the photos. Due to the significant regions that need to be searched and the scarcity of available analysts, automation is crucial. Yet, standard object identification and classification techniques must improve accuracy to solve the problem. A set of machine learning techniques called “deep learning” has shown promise for automating these operations. It has had success using convolutional neural networks to comprehend images. Using high-resolution, multi-spectral satellite images, we apply them to the issue of object and facility identification in this work. We outline a deep-learning object classification system. We use the Satellite Image Classification Dataset-RSI- CB256 for this study. This dataset has four classifications combined using Google Maps snapshots and sensors. Suggested hybrid model in this paper gives an accuracy of 98.96%.

INTRODUCTION Pheochromocytoma, arising from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, can cause excessive catecholamines secretion and trigger pheochromocytoma crisis, characterized by high mortality rate up to 13%1. Pheochromocytoma crisis induced catecholaminergic cardiomyopathy may lead to multiple organ system damage or dysfunction, myocardial infarction, acute left ventricular failure, cardiogenic shock, and other fatal outcomes, commonly in undiagnosed or well-controlled pheochromocytoma2. Surgical resection is the primary treatment; however, the instability of perioperative hemodynamics poses a high risk of anesthesia and poses great challenges in treatment3. Currently, research on the diagnosis, treatment, and nursing care of such patients is mainly based on case reports. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA -ECMO) has been reported to stabilize circulation and extend the surgical window for patients with severe myocardial injury or circulatory failure4. In June 2021, we successfully treated a patient with pheochromocytoma presenting with cardiogenic shock as the first manifestation of multiple organ failure. This case report presents our experience in diagnosis, treatment, and nursing care of pheochromocytoma with various severe complications.