In this paper, a novel control method is proposed based on energy balance principle in the circuit for hybrid conduction mode (HCM) boost power factor correction (PFC) rectifier. The proposed control method is universal for both the continuous conduction mode (CCM) and the discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). With this superiority, no mode transition is needed inside one mains half-cycle when operating in HCM, and thus high-quality input current can be achieved. And the proposed control method is simple to implement but rather effective. Simulation results show significant improvement compared with conventional control methods.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a highly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin whose toxicity includes hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity. Recently, there have been many studies on OTA biosynthetic gene clusters. AoOTAbZIP (also known as otaR1) basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP)-specific gene that controls the expression levels of 4 biosynthetic genes in the OTA biosynthetic pathway, bZIP gene is known to be involved in the regulation of mycotoxin biosynthesis by various environmental factors in eukaryotes. This study explored the regulation of OTA biosynthesis in Aspergillus ochraceus under AoOTAbZIP-mediated water activity stress. High water activity (0.96 AW) was beneficial to the growth of A. ochraceus, and moderate water activity conditions of 0.91 AW has a stress effect on A. ochraceus, among them the growth of the mutant strain was better than that of the wild type. The mutant did not produce OTA at any condition. Wild type toxin production and expression levels of the OTA biosynthetic genes decreased under both high water activity (0.96 AW) and moderate water activity (0.91 AW), indicating that the toxin production of A. ochraceus was also affected by this water activity degree, moreover, the expression levels of the biosynthetic genes in the mutant strain were inhibited to extremely low levels compared to the wild type. The pathogenicity experiments revealed that pears infected with WT and ΔAoOTAbZIP mutant strains showed no significant differences, indicating that the deletion of the AoOTAbZIP gene has no significant effect on the pathogenicity of A. ochraceus.

Malting is the controlled germination of a cereal grain. In barley, malted grains provide the fermentable sugars necessary for brewing and distilling processes. Harvested barley must adhere to strict industry quality standards to be considered for malting including robust hydrolytic enzyme content, low protein content and high rates of germination. Failure to meet quality metrics results in significant loss of market value and presents a risk to growers considering malting barley. Modern cultivars of malting barley are susceptible to preharvest sprout (PHS), or germination of the seed prior to harvest, resulting in premature endosperm modification, reduced enzyme content and poor malthouse germination. Seeds with PHS damage fail quality assessments and are sold for feed at reduced prices. Most presprouted grain shows no visual signs of damage and accepted methods to assess PHS damage including Hagberg falling number and stirring number (Rapid Visco Analyzer), which are costly and destructive to the seed. To address this need, we applied time-series hyperspectral imaging of barley seeds with varying levels of PHS damage and used a deep neural network to predict stirring number and alpha amylase values, which are indicators of sprouting. Prediction models were generated for each of the seven genotypes tested individually and also for all genotypes when combined. Our prediction models had mean average errors from 10.5 to 23.9 and root mean square errors from 19.0 to 35.1 demonstrating the applicability of hyperspectral imaging as a high-throughput, nondestructive method for predicting levels PHS damage in malting barley.

In this paper, the leader-follower architecture is constructed by combining intermittent-influence leaders with a signed social network. Unlike a typical network with leaders where leaders are supposed to continuously influence followers, in this article, the leaders intermittently influence followers. Furthermore, the number of influences is limited. We focus on how intermittent-influence leaders impact the evolution of followers' opinions. The relationship between followers' opinions and the number of leader broadcasts is analyzed in detail. Then, the number of broadcasts is regarded as the cost, and the changing trend of the revenue per broadcast is obtained. The results show that as the number of broadcasts increases, the revenue per broadcast decreases gradually. Finally, the concept of assimilation is introduced to weigh the costs and benefits, and the minimum number of broadcasts required for the leader to assimilate the followers is derived. Two examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the main conclusions.

Oxidative polymerization of plant oils and lipids is poorly understood yet widely encountered. Oil oxidation is accelerated at high temperatures, typically above 110°C, where tri-acylglycerides are converted into toxic compounds and viscous deleterious polymers. Polymerization of mono-unsaturated oil (210°C, 3h, open to air) was investigated by comparing four similar sized molecules with different functional groups: oleic acid, methyl oleate, trans-7-tetradecene and stearic acid. Non-volatile products identified by NMR spectroscopy are minor ketones for saturated fatty acid (stearic acid), epoxides for acyl chains without acid groups (methyl oleate, tetradecane) and copious oligomerization, through ester cross-links, for acyl chains with acid and olefinic groups (oleic acid). Long range C-H coupling clearly shows ester (not ether) cross-links, contradicting long held beliefs. Chain fragmentation also occurs as revealed by species with methylene groups bonded to oxygen, -CH2-O-C(=O)-R. Large size (slow diffusion) of the first oligomer (trimer) formed by thermal oxidation of oleic acid, (representing hydrolyzed vegetable oil) was evidenced by DOSY (diffusion ordered spectroscopy). Since the first oligomers formed still have reactive groups (olefin, carboxylic acid), poly-ester formation is inevitable at longer oxidation times. Model oil reactions monitored by NMR spectroscopy are important for resolving the complex chemistry of vegetable oil polymerization.

Tillers are shoots that arise from the base of a plant. When plants tiller, they place more carbon resources into vegetative growth as opposed to their grains. Understanding the environmental and genetic factors behind tillering is hampered by lack of high-throughput phenotyping for determining plant tiller count and angle. Currently, plant tiller counts are determined through manual inspection, which is laborious and low-throughput. In this study, we introduce a PlantCV (https://plantcv.danforthcenter.org/)-based algorithm for detecting tillers. This method uses OpenCV's line detection algorithm to detect lines that correspond to the tillers of the plant. From this, tiller count and angle of growth can be inferred. We use this method on Sorghum bicolor accessions from the TERRA-REF project that were grown for two weeks, cut back, and then allowed to regrow for two weeks. Of 200 randomly chosen images, this algorithm was able to accurately count within 1 tiller of the true number of tillers for 165 images. Furthermore, we find that these Sorghum bicolor accessions appear to place less resources into their tillers in the regrowth phase.

Global change affects terrestrial litter inputs with cascading effects on soil respiration (SR). Cellulase and ligninase are dominant carbon-degrading enzymes, targeting the decomposition of readily decomposable and structurally complex carbon pools, respectively. Nevertheless, how litter alterations influence cellulase and ligninase activities and the implications for SR remain unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to show that litter addition increased cellulase activity by 25.2%, whereas litter removal decreased it by 25.9%. Neither litter addition nor removal influenced ligninase activity. The changes in cellulase activity correlated positively with changes in SR, but not for ligninase activity. The effects of litter addition and removal on cellulase activity decreased with treatment duration. These results indicate that litter alterations affect SR primarily by controlling the microbial decomposition of readily decomposable rather than structurally complex carbon pools. Altogether, we suggest that the total and long-term effects of litter alterations on SR might be smaller than previously thought.

The effects of climate changes on the stability of plant communities is a major concern, especially for the maintenance of ecosystem processes and services. Biodiversity may buffer communities from the effects of these disturbances, providing resistance and resilience. Here we assess the interplay between biodiversity facets on resistance and resilience of biomass productivity under anomalous dry and wet conditions in subtropical grasslands. Overall, high levels of taxonomic and functional biodiversity components, coupled to the community type derived from functional traits, positively affected the resistance under anomalous dry and wet conditions, whereas resilience was positively affected in the recovery from wet periods. We conclude that increased diversity of the plant communities can ensure ecosystem stability throughout the climatic anomalies, but this is contingent on the biodiversity component evaluated, the direction and intensity of the climatic anomaly, and the functional structure of the communities.

Hydromorphodynamic interactions with vegetation are a part of fluvial biomorphodynamics in actively meandering rivers. Using palynofacies and grain size from sub-urban to urban reaches across the river valley, we examine the spatial patterns of organic matter behaviour in a 38 km reach of the river Gomati in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, India, in an effort to understand how they responds to the alteration, preservation, and degradation after getting transported and deposited in sediment. To this we analyzed thirteen surface sediment samples of the Gomati River flood plain for palynofacies and grain size to ascertain its fate in this stretch which essentially is a big picture for past settlements. The shifts in the proportions of palynofacies associations viz. phytoclasts, palynomorphs, and amorphous organic matter (AOM) along with grain size aims to visualize the depositional process. The CONISS clusters analysis revealed four zones reflecting high degradation and alteration of palynofacies in the urban regime compared to the sub-urban reaches where the low interference with natural settings illustrate low deterioration of palynofacies. The relationship between grain size and palynofacies was obtained using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to emphasize their correlation with palynofacies in this meandering fluvial system of Gomati River. In the flood plains deposits, the behaviours of palynofacies, allow for the distinction of the regional aspect of fluvial disposition. The study offers a comparison between urban and sub-urban settlement premises of today’s communities and contributes to our understanding of the growth, dispersal, and decline of earlier human settlements.

Processes involving surface water erosion are crucial to the functioning of ecological systems and river-scale management. However, these processes are not well understood at the regional and global levels, and forested agricultural catchments have undergone major degradation because soils in river valleys are continuously inundated with rainwater. Most Carpathian catchments, particularly those at lower elevations, are used for forest or agricultural purposes, which experience the leaching of inorganic nutrients and fluxes of total suspended sediments (TSS). The objective of the current study was to investigate the distribution of inorganic nutrients and TSS in waterways draining into flysch catchments by using a new SWAT+ tool. The highest concentrations of inorganic nutrients were recorded in the main watercourse and in the outflows from the catchments. Nevertheless, the same trend was not observed for the TSS concentrations. Moreover, statistically significant relationships were revealed between agricultural use and N-NO 3 - ion concentrations and between permanent grasslands and P- PO 4 3- anions. The SWAT+ model can be a valuable tool for studying TSS distributions and inorganic nutrient leaching.

Introduction: In breast cancer, adjuvant endocrine therapy improves treatment outcomes. Though, not the whole patients completed their scheduled treatment protocols. This study aimed to assess adherence to oral hormonal therapy in Egyptian breast cancer patients. Patients and methods: From February 2022 to May 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Cancer Institute, Breast Cancer Hospital. An interview was conducted, along with a survey to assess the adherence of breast cancer patients to oral hormonal treatment. Adherence was measured using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8). Results: The survey was completed entirely by 300 patients. There were 98.3% females and 1.7 % males among the patients. 30% of the patients belonged to this age group (40-50 years). The majority of patients were postmenopausal (90.3%). 18% have a high level of education, while 53.3% are illiterates. 50.7% of patients have other chronic diseases. 44.7% prefer to get medication information from a physician, 27.7% prefer pharmacists, and 27.7% get medication information from both. 99.7% of patients received proper medication counselling. As a result of the MMAS-8 survey, 40.3% of all patients were high adherent to their oral hormonal treatment, 32.7% of the patients have moderate adherence, and 27% have low adherence. No subgroups (gender, age, educational level, duration of endocrine therapy, Breast cancer stage, or other co-morbidities) were significantly associated with adherence level. Conclusion: This study demonstrates significantly high and moderate adherence to oral endocrine therapy. Reasons for this could include proper medication counselling in the setting and regular patients’ follow-up.

Temporal analysis reveals diverse root system architecture and development differences among pennycress accessions to nitrate nutrition (Thlaspi arvense L.) Roots have a central role in plant resource capture and are the interface between the plant and the soil affecting multiple ecosystem processes. Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is a diploid annual cover crop species that has potential utility for reducing soil erosion and nutrient losses; and has rich oil seeds amenable as a biofuel (30-35% oil) or high-protein animal feed. The objective of this research was to (1) precisely characterise root system architecture and development, (2) understand adaptive responses of pennycress roots to nitrate nutrition, (3) and determine genotypic variance available in root development and nitrate plasticity. Using a root imaging and analysis pipeline 4D pennycress root system architecture was characterised under four nitrate regimes (from zero to 5 mM nitrate concentration) across four time points (days 5, 9, 13 and 17 after sowing). Significant nitrate condition response and genotype interaction was identified for many root traits with a greater impact on lateral root traits. In trace nitrate conditions a greater lateral root count, length, interbranch density, and a steeper lateral root angle was observed compared to high nitrate conditions. Genotype by nitrate condition interaction were observed for root width, width depth ratio, mean lateral root length, and lateral root density. These results illustrate root trait variance available in pennycress accessions and useful targets for breeding of improved nitrate responsive cover crops for greater productivity, resilience, and ecosystem service.

Background: Meta-analysis results of observational studies show that metformin can prolong progression-free survival and overall survival in cancer patients However, these studies do not strictly distinguish whether patients have type 2 diabetes or not Therefore, whether metformin adjuvant chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of non-diabetic tumor patients still needs further verification Methods: Embase、Pubmed and The Cochrane library was systematically searched for metformin and tumor subject words and free words. Extract PFS,OS and other related data according to the eligibility criteria. The pooled data were analysed by meta-analysis using Revman 5.4 to assess the efficacy and safety of metformin application. Results: A total of 3228 articles were retrieved from the database. After screening, a total of 13 studies and 1255 patients were included in meta-analysis. All included studies were randomized controlled trials. Metformin combined with adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve progression-free survival (HR=0. 01, 95CI-0. 24-0.26) ，overall survival (HR=-0. 03, 95% CI-0. 32-0.26) and not increase the objective response rate of patients. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of grade 3-4 adverse reactions compared with placebo Conclusions: Our findings suggest that chemotherapy combined with metformin may not be beneficial in patients with non-diabetic tumors, especially in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, Therefore more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to verify the positive effect of metformin in chemotherapy in non-diabetic tumors patients.

An individual’s fitness cost associated with environmental change likely depends on the rate of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and yet our understanding of plasticity rates in an ecological and evolutionary context remains limited. We provide the first quantitative synthesis of existing plasticity rate data, focusing on acclimation of temperature tolerance in ectothermic animals, where we demonstrate applicability of a recently proposed analytical approach. The analyses reveal considerable variation in plasticity rates of this trait among species, with half-times (how long it takes for the initial deviation from the acclimated phenotype to be reduced by 50% when individuals are shifted to a new environment) ranging from 3.7 to 770.2 h. Furthermore, rates differ among higher taxa, being higher for amphibians and reptiles than for crustaceans and fishes, and with insects being intermediate. We argue that a more comprehensive understanding of phenotypic plasticity will be attained through increased focus on the rate parameter.

The question of whether the concept of adaptation can be applied to Earth surface systems (independently of biological adaptation) is addressed by examining hydrological flow systems. Hydrological systems are represented in terms of a partitioning of water inputs among various flux and storage components and outflows or outputs of the system. Partitioning is contingent on the flow system in question and the synoptic situation (i.e., drier, low-input vs. wetter, high-input conditions). The general allocation among inputs, flows through or within the system, storage, and outputs is examined via analysis of 20 scenarios for soil hydrology, a fluvial channel-wetland complex, and a fluviokarst landscape representing different combinations of positive, negative, and zero (neutral) relationships among these elements, and positive self-reinforcing and negative self-limiting effects. Conditions for stability were determined using the Routh-Hurwitz criteria and linked to the two fundamental roles or “jobs” of hydrological flow systems. The ecological job is to support biota and biogeochemical fluxes and transformations necessary for ecosystem functions. The geophysical job is to remove excess water. Results show that low-input scenarios for the soil, fluvial-wetland, and fluviokarst scenarios are all marked by dynamical instability. During drier periods the geophysical job is irrelevant and the ecological functions are suboptimal. Instability allows for rapid state changes when moisture inputs increase, to system states that support ecosystem functions. High-input, excess moisture and flood scenarios, by contrast, are generally dynamically stable. In wetter conditions the ecological functions are not moisture-stressed, and the geophysical job becomes paramount.The high-input stability is associated with activation of “spillway” mechanisms that allow the systems to maintain themselves by efficient export and augmented storage of excess water. Contingent partitioning indeed appears to be an adaptational mechanism in hydrological systems and suggests the possibility of adaptation in other Earth surface systems with important abiotic components.

The effect of niobium ion with high valence doping on high voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 materials was investigated. LiNi0.5Mn1.5-xNbxO4 was prepared by doping high-valent niobium ion into LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 material using the organic assisted combustion method. The experimental samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance analysis. The experimental results show that the doping with high valence niobium ion change the orientation of the crystal plane growth of spinel particles, and the morphology of these particles change from the octahedral shape before doping to the spherical shape after doping. With the increase of doping amount, the crystal structure changes gradually, resulting in the Li0.96Nb1.01O3 impurity phase. The doping of high valence niobium ion increases the content of Mn3+ in the material, resulting in the appearance of a 4 V discharge platform, and the formation of a 4.7 V and 4 V discharge platform. The doping of Nb can improve the cycling stability of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 material, but the specific capacity of the material is reduced.

A novel capacitor voltage-reduced bidirectional (CVRB) PWM DC-DC buck-boost converter is presented in this study. Compared to the conventional bidirectional buck-boost converter, the proposed converter has a lower voltage rating filter capacitor. Accordingly, the given converter has a lower cost and 3.3% higher power density than the conventional buck-boost converter. Additionally, the proposed converter is more efficient due to the direct power transfer feature. Besides, the semiconductor switches have no extra voltage/current stress. The theoretical analysis of the converter is made, and its mathematical analysis is presented. The novel converter is experimentally operated in both the buck and boost modes. The experimental waveforms are shown for both operations. The proposed converter is operated in 100 W output power and 20 kHz switching frequency conditions.

Dew is closely related to the micro-use of water and to large-scale hydrological processes. Dew formation on grasslands plays a particularly vital role in maintaining the ecohydrological cycle. Stable isotope information for dew, ambient water vapor, soil water, plant water, creek water, and precipitation were tracked to determine the role of dew in ecohydrological processes in the meadow. The structural equation modeling was used to investigate how environmental factors affect dew formation. The Mix SIAR model in R was used to determine the source of dew, and explore the dew transport route of six species of the graminoid-Kobresia meadow in an alpine graminoid-Kobresia meadow in northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our results showed that the amounts of dew ranged from 0.002 mm to 0.22 mm, the frequency of dew was 42.86%-45.83% during summer in 2020 and 2021. Both atmospheric pressure and temperature showed significant positive effects on dew formation, while wind speed had a negative effect. Evapotranspiration indirectly affected dew formation. The contribution rates of soil water, plant water, and ambient water vapor to dew formation were 48.20±5.46%, 38.30±5.07%, and 13.50±1.82%, respectively. The proportion of dew utilization by graminoid and Kobresia species showed no significant species differences. Our statistical analysis determines the role of dew in an alpine graminoid-Kobresia meadow in the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which provides an improved understanding of dew formation based on a stable isotope technology.

A 55-year-old female patient presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Laboratory evaluation showe low calcium (4.9 mg/dL), low PTH (0.9 pg/mL), & positive activating CaSR antibodies. The condition was diagnosed as autoimmune hypoparathyroidism. Vitamin supplements did not correct the patient’s hypocalcemia and steroids were added to the treatment.

Quantifying space use and segregation, as well as the extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting them, is crucial to increase our knowledge of species-specific movement ecology and to design effective management and conservation measures. This is particularly relevant in the case of species that are highly mobile and dependent on sparse and unpredictable trophic resources, such as vultures. Here, we used the GPS-tagged data of 127 adult Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus captured at five different breeding regions in Spain to describe the movement patterns (home-range size and fidelity, and monthly cumulative distance). We also examined how individual sex, season and breeding region determined the cumulative distance travelled and the size and overlap between consecutive monthly home-ranges. Overall, Griffon Vultures exhibited very large annual home-range sizes of 5,027 ± 2,123 km2, mean monthly cumulative distances of 1,776 ± 1,497 km, and showed a monthly home-range fidelity of 67.8 ± 25.5 %. However, individuals from northern breeding regions showed smaller home-ranges and travelled shorter monthly distances than those from southern ones. In all cases, home-ranges were larger in spring and summer than in winter and autumn. Moreover, females showed larger home-ranges and less monthly fidelity than males, indicating that the latter tended to use the similar areas throughout the year. Overall, our results indicate that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors modulate the home-range the social Griffon Vulture and that spatial segregation depend on sex and season at the individual level, without relevant differences between breeding regions in individual site fidelity.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting disialoganglioside 2 (GD2) are an important treatment advance for high-risk neuroblastoma, including in patients with refractory or relapsed disease. Dinutuximab and dinutuximab beta are administered for ≥8 hours (and up to 10 days for dinutuximab beta), whereas naxitamab is administered over 0.5 to 2 hours as tolerated. As acute pain is a class effect of anti-GD2 mAbs, effective pain management is crucial to successful treatment. Here, we provide an overview of current pain-management strategies for anti-GD2 mAb infusions, including discussion of opioid analgesics, ketamine, gabapentin, and other similar agents, and non-pharmacologic approaches. Potential future pain management options are also discussed, in addition to the use of sedatives to reduce the anxiety that may be associated with infusion-related pain. Specific guidance for pain management during naxitamab infusions is provided, as these infusions are administered over 0.5 to 2 hours and may not need overnight hospitalization based on the physician’s assessment, and require rapid-onset analgesia options suitable for potential outpatient administration.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a multi-system inflammatory condition that has been observed as a rare adverse effect of the COVID19 vaccination. AML occurring in a pediatric patient as HLH enters remission has never been documented previously. Our case describes a 17-year-old male who was treated for this pathology with immunosuppressants and two different chemotherapeutic protocols. Due to the aggressive nature of his MLL-rearranged genetic profile, this cancer was pervasive and refractory to treatment.

Background Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) surveillance is recommended to assess severity of respiratory infections disease. In 2021, the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, in collaboration with two central hospitals, implemented a SARI sentinel surveillance system based on electronic health registries. We describe its application in the 2021/2022 season and compare the evolution of SARI cases with the COVID-19 and influenza activity in two regions of Portugal. Methods We identified SARI cases based on ICD-10 codes for influenza-like illness, cardiovascular diagnosis, respiratory diagnosis and respiratory infection. Pearson correlation and cross-correlations between weekly SARI cases, weekly COVID-19 cases and the number of weekly positive samples for influenza were estimated. Results A high correlation between SARI cases or hospitalizations due to respiratory infection and COVID-19 incidence was obtained (ρ = 0.78 and ρ = 0.82, respectively). Weekly SARI hospitalizations detected the COVID-19 epidemic peak a week earlier. A weak correlation was observed between SARI cases and the number of positive samples for influenza (ρ = -0.20). However, if restricted to hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diagnosis, a moderate correlation was observed (ρ = 0.37). Moreover, hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diagnosis detected the increase of influenza epidemic activity a week earlier. Conclusion In the 2021/2022 season, the Portuguese SARI sentinel surveillance system pilot was able to early detect the 5th COVID-19 epidemic wave and the increase of influenza activity. Establishing complementary virological inpatient surveillance is vital to aid in understanding the relationship between respiratory virus epidemics and disease severity.

Beamforming technique can effectively improve the spectrum utilization of multi-antenna systems, while the dirty-paper coding (DPC) technique can reduce inter-user interference. In this letter, we aim to maximize the weighted sum-rate under power constraint in a multiple-input-single-output (MISO) system with the DPC. However, the existing methods of beamforming optimization mainly rely on customized iterative algorithms, which have high computational complexity. To address this issue, by utilizing the deep learning technique and the uplink-downlink duality, and carefully exploring the optimal solution structure, we devise a beamforming neural network (BFNNet), which includes a deep neural network module and a signal processing module. Besides, we use the modulus of the channel coefficients as the input of deep neural network, which reduces the input size. Simulation results show that a well-trained BFNNet can achieve near-optimal solutions, while significantly reducing computational complexity