showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Geometric Inverse Problems
2023
This up-to-date treatment of recent developments in geometric inverse problems introduces graduate students and researchers to an exciting area of research. With an emphasis on the two-dimensional case, topics covered include geodesic X-ray transforms, boundary rigidity, tensor tomography, attenuated X-ray transforms and the Calderón problem. The presentation is self-contained and begins with the Radon transform and radial sound speeds as motivating examples. The required geometric background is developed in detail in the context of simple manifolds with boundary. An in-depth analysis of various geodesic X-ray transforms is carried out together with related uniqueness, stability, reconstruc…
Postprandial Abdominal Pain Caused by Gastroptosis—A Case Report
2023
Gastroptosis is a condition in which the stomach is displaced downward and is a condition affects the spontaneous muscle mobility in the stomach. The reason for its current prevalence remains unclear as the medical literature is scarce on the condition in children. In this study, we describe the case of a 17-year-old girl suffering from chronic, position-dependent epigastric pain. The symptoms were observed during post-meal activity, with a significant increase in pain intensity while in an upright position. An inferior stomach displacement was noted in an upper gastrointestinal X-ray study using barium.
Special considerations for studies of extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths: A community-led roadmap to increase rigour and reproducibility.
2023
Over the last decade, research interest in defining how extracellular vesicles (EVs) shape cross-species communication has grown rapidly. Parasitic helminths, worm species found in the phyla Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, are well-recognised manipulators of host immune function and physiology. Emerging evidence supports a role for helminth-derived EVs in these processes and highlights EVs as an important participant in cross-phylum communication. While the mammalian EV field is guided by a community-agreed framework for studying EVs derived from model organisms or cell systems [e.g., Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV)], the helminth community requires a supplem…
Removal of Brilliant Green Dye from Water Using Ficus benghalensis Tree Leaves as an Efficient Biosorbent
2023
The presence of dyes in water stream is a major environmental problem that affects aquatic and human life negatively. Therefore, it is essential to remove dye from wastewater before its discharge into the water bodies. In this study, Banyan (Ficus benghalensis, F. benghalensis) tree leaves, a low-cost biosorbent, were used to remove brilliant green (BG), a cationic dye, from an aqueous solution. Batch model experiments were carried out by varying operational parameters, such as initial concentration of dye solution, contact time, adsorbent dose, and pH of the solution, to obtain optimum conditions for removing BG dye. Under optimum conditions, maximum percent removal of 97.3% and adsorption…
Implementation of A Year-Long Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in A 227-Bed Community Hospital in Southern Italy
2023
Background: Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAIs) are serious healthcare complications affecting hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, and costs. Root cause analysis has identified the inappropriate use of antibiotics as the main causative factor in the expansion of multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in our hospital. An Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) program was implemented to optimize antibiotic use, limit the development of resistance, improve therapeutic efficacy and clinical outcomes, and reduce costs. Methods: The stewardship strategies were: antimicrobial oversight on “critical” antibiotics; the development of hospital guidelines on antibiotic selection with the production of a co…
One-year breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection and correlates of protection in fully vaccinated hematological patients
2023
AbstractThe long-term clinical efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines according to antibody response in immunosuppressed patients such as hematological patients has been little explored. A prospective multicenter registry-based cohort study conducted from December 2020 to July 2022 by the Spanish Transplant and Cell Therapy group, was used to analyze the relationship of antibody response over time after full vaccination (at 3–6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months) (2 doses) and of booster doses with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in 1551 patients with hematological disorders. At a median follow-up of 388 days after complete immunization, 266 out of 1551 (17%) developed breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection a…
Iodine Biofortification and Seaweed Extract-Based Biostimulant Supply Interactively Drive the Yield, Quality, and Functional Traits in Strawberry Fru…
2023
The horticultural sector is seeking innovative and sustainable agronomic practices which could lead to enhanced yield and product quality. Currently, plant biofortification is recognized as a valuable technique to improve microelement concentrations in plant tissues. Among trace elements, iodine (I) is an essential microelement for human nutrition. Concomitantly, the application of biostimulants may improve overall plant production and quality traits. With the above background in mind, an experiment was designed with the aim of assessing the interactive impact of a seaweed extract-based biostimulant (SwE) (0 mL L−1 (served as control) or 3 mL L−1 (optimal dosage)) and 0, 100, 30…
Editorial: Methodological issues in psychology and social sciences research
2023
In recent decades, the classical methods of studying the psychometric properties of tests have advanced to evolve into new innovative statistical methods, which allows obtaining a new view of the data. In this sense, progress has been made in the use of item response theory and in the use of structural equation models. Likewise, classical statistical inference methods have advanced in hypothesis testing and Bayesian statistics is rapidly making its way both in experimental studies and in psychometric studies. The aim of this issue has been to contribute to the dissemination of new research methodologies in quantitative and qualitative analysis in Psychology, as well as to evaluate the effec…
Human Factor Interrelationships to Improve Worker Reliability: Implementation of MCDM in the Agri-Food Sector
2023
Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) are contextual, individual, and cognitive factors used in Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) to quantify the worker contribution to errors when performing a generic task. Although the empirical evidence demonstrates the existence of PSF interrelationships, the majority of HRA methods assume their independence. As a consequence, the resulting Human Error Probability (HEP) might be over- or underestimated. To deal with this issue, only a few qualitative guidelines or statistical-based approaches have been proposed so far. While the former are not well structured, the latter require a high computational effort and a proper number of input data. Therefore, the p…
Electron-nuclear decoupling at a spin clock transition
2023
The ability to design quantum systems that decouple from environmental noise sources is highly desirable for development of quantum technologies with optimal coherence. The chemical tunability of electronic states in magnetic molecules combined with advanced electron spin resonance techniques provides excellent opportunities to address this problem. Indeed, so-called clock transitions have been shown to protect molecular spin qubits from magnetic noise, giving rise to significantly enhanced coherence. Here we conduct a spectroscopic and computational investigation of this physics, focusing on the role of the nuclear bath. Away from the clock transition, linear coupling to the nuclear degree…
Green Roofs’ End of Life: A Literature Review
2023
Green roofs are increasingly being used in urban settings because of the many benefits they are capable of providing. Because of their widespread use, the issue of how to conduct proper disposal of green roofs once they have reached their end of life is beginning to be raised. The present study is a review of the scientific literature published between 2007 and 2022. Specifically, the contribution of this review study is to clarify whether a waste scenario exists and if so, identify the methodological frameworks and/or criteria used in green roof-related studies to establish the end-of-life scenario of a given green roof, which will then be used to analyze its environmental and economic per…
Sensor Technology for Sports Monitoring
2023
Over the past decades, huge steps have been made in the development of sensor technology related to sports monitoring [...]
Fighting Antibiotic Resistance: New Pyrimidine-Clubbed Benzimidazole Derivatives as Potential DHFR Inhibitors
2023
The present work describes the design and development of seventeen pyrimidine-clubbed benzimidazole derivatives as potential dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors. These compounds were filtered by using ADMET, drug-likeness characteristics calculations, and molecular docking experiments. Compounds 27, 29, 30, 33, 37, 38, and 41 were chosen for the synthesis based on the results of the in silico screening. Each of the synthesized compounds was tested for its in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities using a variety of strains. All the compounds showed antibacterial properties against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pyogenes) as well as Gram-negativ…
Pd-Co-Based Electrodes for Hydrogen Production by Water Splitting in Acidic Media
2023
To realize the benefits of a hydrogen economy, hydrogen must be produced cleanly, efficiently and affordably from renewable resources and, preferentially, close to the end-users. The goal is a sustainable cycle of hydrogen production and use: in the first stage of the cycle, hydrogen is produced from renewable resources and then used to feed a fuel cell. This cycle produces no pollution and no greenhouse gases. In this context, the development of electrolyzers producing high-purity hydrogen with a high efficiency and low cost is of great importance. Electrode materials play a fundamental role in influencing electrolyzer performances; consequently, in recent years considerable efforts have b…
Peoples wellbeing, civic capital and sustainable practices: Evidence from the European Values Study survey
2023
The climate change issue is showing an unprecedented level of awareness in the political realm. Changing occasional sustainable practices into stable behaviors is the challenge that policymakers face. However, what makes people environmentally aware is an unsolved question, and research on this direction is in evolution. This paper examines factors that promote environmentally responsible behaviors. The study tests the hypothesis that people's wellbeing (SWB) predisposes individuals toward environmentalism. The mechanism of social and civic capital may underlie this association since people reporting higher wellbeing levels show empathy, solidarity, and greater civic engagement. This hypoth…
(Multivariate)-Metal–Organic Framework for Highly Efficient Antibiotic Capture from Aquatic Environmental Matrices
2023
Contamination of aquatic environments by pharmaceuticals used by modern societies has become a serious threat to human beings. Among them, antibiotics are of particular concern due to the risk of creating drug-resistant bacteria and, thus, developing efficient protocols for the capture of this particular type of drug is mandatory. Herein, we report a family of three isoreticular MOFs, derived from natural amino acids, that exhibit high efficiency in the removal of a mixture of four distinct families of antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones, penicillins, lincomycins, and cephalosporins, as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents. In particular, a multivariate (MTV)-MOF, prepared using equal pe…
Exploring the use of multi-gene genetic programming in regional models for the simulation of monthly river runoff series
2023
The use of new data-driven approaches based on the so-called expert systems to simulate runoff generation processes is a promising frontier that may allow for overcoming some modeling difficulties related to more complex traditional approaches. The present study highlights the potential of expert systems in creating regional hydrological models, for which they can benefit from the availability of large database. Different soft computing models for the reconstruction of the monthly natural runoff in river basins are explored, focusing on a new class of heuristic models, which is the Multi-Gene Genetic Programming (MGGP). The region under study is Sicily (Italy), where a regression based rain…
Metal–organic frameworks as chemical nanoreactors for the preparation of catalytically active metal compounds
2023
Since the emergence of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a myriad of thrilling properties and applications, in a wide range of fields, have been reported for these materials, which mainly arise from their porous nature and rich host-guest chemistry. However, other important features of MOFs that offer great potential rewards have been only barely explored. For instance, despite the fact that MOFs are suitable candidates to be used as chemical nanoreactors for the preparation, stabilization and characterization of unique functional species, that would be hardly accessible outside the functional constrained space offered by MOF channels, only very few examples have been reported so far. In par…
The Impact of Single-Level ACDF on Neural Foramen and Disc Height of Surgical and Adjacent Cervical Segments: A Case-Series Radiological Analysis
2023
Background: ACDF has become one of the established procedures for the surgical treatment of symptomatic cervical spondylosis, showing excellent clinical results and effective improvements in neural functions and neck pain relief. The main purpose of ACDF is neural decompression, and it is considered by some authors as an indirect result of the intervertebral distraction and cage insertion and the consequent restoration of the disc space and foramen height. Methods: Radiological data from 28 patients who underwent single-level ACDF were retrospectively collected and evaluated. For neural foramen evaluation, antero-posterior (A-P) and cranio-caudal (C-C) diameters were manually calculated; fo…
Whole-genome analysis reveals contrasting relationships among nuclear and mitochondrial genomes between three sympatric bat species
2023
Understanding mechanisms involved in speciation can be challenging, especially when hybridization or introgression blurs species boundaries. In bats resolving relationships of some closely related groups has proven difficult due subtle interspecific variation both in morphometrics and molecular datasets. The endemic South American Histiotus bats, currently considered a sub-genus of Eptesicus, harbor unresolved phylogenetic relationships and of those is a trio consisting of two closely related species: Eptesicus (Histiotus) macrotus and E. (H.) montanus, and their relationship with a third, E. (H.) magellanicus. The three sympatric species bear marked resemblance to each other, but can be di…
Contribution of Extracellular Vesicles and Molecular Chaperones in Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disorders of the CNS
2023
Many neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the abnormal aggregation of misfolded proteins that form amyloid deposits which possess prion-like behavior such as self-replication, intercellular transmission, and consequent induction of native forms of the same protein in surrounding cells. The distribution of the accumulated proteins and their correlated toxicity seem to be involved in the progression of nervous system degeneration. Molecular chaperones are known to maintain proteostasis, contribute to protein refolding to protect their function, and eliminate fatally misfolded proteins, prohibiting harmful effects. However, chaperone network efficiency declines during aging, prompt…
Synchronie entre l'offre et la demande dans le cycle des nutriments: apprendre des écosystèmes naturels pour construire des agrosystèmes durables
2023
Redesigning agrosystems with more ecological regulations can help feed a growing population, preserve soils for future productivity and reduce environmental impacts. However, guidelines for redesigning agrosystems from natural systems are limited. Reviewing the last knowledge of ecosystem functioning, we outlined four ecological systems synchronizing the supply of soluble nutrients by soil biota to fluctuating plant nutrient demand. This synchrony limits deficiencies and excesses of soluble nutrient, which usually penalize both production and regulating services of agrosystems such as nutrient retention and soil carbon storage. We detail how ecological systems promoting synchrony can be ins…
Identificazione e Prevenzione delle allergie indoor
2023
L’inquinamento può essere definito come la presenza di un eccesso di elementi nell’ambiente con conseguenti effetti dannosi per la salute. Può assumere la forma di sostanze chimiche o di energia, come rumore, calore o luce. Può contaminare l’aria, il suolo e l’acqua, e può provenire da contaminanti naturali o da attività di ingegneria umana. Si stima che nel 2015 l’inquinamento abbia causato la morte di 9 milioni di persone in tutto il mondo, di cui l’inquinamento atmosferico (AP) domestico è stato responsabile di 2.9 milioni di morti. L’AP riguarda sostanze emesse al di sopra dei livelli ammissibili nell’aria ambiente ed è generato da emissioni solide (particolato), liquide o gassose. In b…
Prevention and the treatment of oral mucositis: the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate vs other agents: a systematic review
2023
Abstract Introduction Oral mucositis (OM) is a major side effect of cancer therapy, which is associated with significant symptoms, treatment delays and increased costs for the health system. It is an important component of the quality of life of cancer patients and, until now, there has been no gold standard regarding prevention or treatment of this pathology. Notwithstanding the paucity of treatment guidelines (due to limited evidence from high-quality, rigorous studies), sodium bicarbonate (SB) rinses are one of the most used agents for OM management. Objectives A systematic review (2000–2022) was performed in order to compare and examine different agents versus sodium bicarbonate (SB) in…
Studentu karcera laika kapsulas
2023
Raksts veltīts unikālam atklājumam Latvijas Universitātes vēsturiskajā Studentu karcerī, kas glabājies kopš 19./20. gs. mijas. Tiek analizētas 3 papirosu paciņas un 1 sērkociņu kastīte no Krievijas impērijas laika, noskaidrojot tā izcelsmi, pielietojumu un zinātnisko novitāti. Atrastie priekšmeti liecina, ka Studentu karcerī ieslēgtie studenti spēja apiet Rīgas Politehnikuma Studentu disciplinēšanas regulā noteikto sodu par smēķēšanu. Priekšmeti arī ir Latvijas industriālās vēstures atstāts mantojums, kas liecina par Baltijas reģiona nozīmi Krievijas impērijas rūpniecības attīstībā.
Analysis of runs of homozygosity of cattle living in different climate zones
2023
Abstract Aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and characteristics of runs of homozygosity in Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus breeds, as well as their crosses, farmed all around the world. With this aim in view, we used single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes for 3,263 cattle belonging to 204 different breeds. After quality control, 23,311 SNPs were retained for the analysis. Animals were divided into seven different groups: 1) continental taurus, 2) temperate taurus, 3) temperate indicus, 4) temperate composite, 5) tropical taurus, 6) tropical indicus, and 7) tropical composite. The climatic zones were created according to the latitude of the breeds’ country of…
Monolayer-to-mesoscale modulation of the optical properties in 2D CrI3 mapped by hyperspectral microscopy
2023
Magnetic 2D materials hold promise to change the miniaturization paradigm of unidirectional photonic components. However, the integration of these materials in devices hinges on the accurate determination of the optical properties down to the monolayer limit, which is still missing. By using hyperspectral wide-field imaging at room temperature, we reveal a nonmonotonic thickness dependence of the complex optical dielectric function in the archetypal magnetic 2D material CrI3 extending across different length scales: onsetting at the mesoscale, peaking at the nanoscale, and decreasing again down to the single layer. These results portray a modification of the electronic properties of the mat…
Co zostało z tamtych lat, czyli życie szkoły w dokumentach zapisane. Piotr Gołdyn, Źródła do dziejów szkolnictwa w XX wieku. Sprawozdania szkolne – p…
2023
Recenzja: Co zostało z tamtych lat, czyli życie szkoły w dokumentach zapisane. Piotr Gołdyn, Źródła do dziejów szkolnictwa w XX wieku.Sprawozdania szkolne – protokoły rad pedagogicznych – kroniki szkolne, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Poznań 2019, ss. 180
Anaerobic Degradation of the Invasive Weed Solidago canadensis L. (goldenrod) and Copper Immobilization by a Community of Sulfate-Reducing and Methan…
2023
The weed Solidago canadensis L. poses a global threat to the environment as it spreads uncontrollably on roadsides, in forests, fields, meadows, and farmland. Goldenrod emits toxic substances that suppress other plants on the site, displacing wild ones. Thus, goldenrod conquers huge areas very quickly. The use of herbicides and mechanical methods does not solve the problem of the spontaneous spread of goldenrod. On the other hand, many scientists consider goldenrod as a valuable source of biologically active substances: flavonoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, etc. In this study, we consider Solidago plants as a promising, free (cheap), and renewable substrate for the production of methane…
Contemporary Outcomes for the Curative Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Pulmonary Metastases.
2023
Purpose: Treatment of pulmonary metastases (PM) from colorectal cancer (CRC) is the standard of care by several guidelines from Europe and the USA, but the validity of this strategy has been recently questioned, and the available evidence supporting this strategy is weak. We report the outcomes of a curative intent strategy in a very recent and homogenous series of patients. Methods: We did a retrospective review of all curative intent surgical or ablative treatment of PM from CRC performed consecutively in 3 French institutions from January 2015 to December 2019. Demographics, clinicopathological, and molecular characteristics were evaluated. Cox regression models were used to identify pro…
Fertility-Sparing Strategies for Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer: Stepping towards Precision Medicine Based on the Molecular Fingerprint
2023
Endometrial cancer represents the fifth most common cancer in women, and the most common gynecological malignancy in developed countries [...]
Laser assisted particle removal from Silicon wafers
2023
We have studied the removal of submicrometer particles from silicon wafers by the steam laser cleaning (SLC) and dry laser cleaning (DLC) processes. These processes are currently being investigated as new promising cleaning technologies for complementing traditional methods in industrial applications. For SLC a thin liquid layer (e.g. a water-alcohol mixture) is condensed onto the substrate, and is subsequently evaporated by irradiating the surface with a short laser pulse. The DLC process, on the other hand, relies only on the laser pulse, without application of a vapor jet. Using well-characterized monodisperse polystyrene and silica particles as well as irregularly shaped alumina particl…
Sicilian Populations of Capparis spinosa L. and Capparis orientalis Duhamel as Source of the Bioactive Flavonol Quercetin
2023
The genus Capparis is a taxon of difficult delimitation that has several species and ecotypes due to its wide heterogeneity, its extreme phenotypic diversity, and the presence of intermediate forms linked to hybridization phenomena. The Sicilian territory hosts numerous wild and cultivated populations of two spp. Capparis spinosa L. and Capparis orientalis Duhamel, which are ecologically and morphologically distinct. The caper has considerable interest and economic value for its medicinal properties, culinary uses, and cultivation characteristics. It is one of the foods with the highest quercetin content. Quercetin is a flavonol with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant prope…
The Assassination of Lieutenant Joe Petrosino: A Contested Symbol in the Mainstream and Italian-American Press in the Early 20th Century
2023
Recently, scholars have looked at the ethnic press through a social constructionist lens, examining the process through which immigrants developed a sense of identity and the role of print culture in forming “imagined communities” (Anderson). Here, I analyze the coverage of the 1909 assassination of police Lieutenant Petrosino in both mainstream and Italian-American press and popular culture. This shocking event ignited a debate over the nature and origin of the Mafia and the dangerousness of the Italian community, a debate involving discourses of racial difference, immigration restriction, and the capability of Italians to assimilate. This debate became an important arena in which Italian …
M-Centrality: identifying key nodes based on global position and local degree variation
2023
Identifying influential nodes in a network is a major issue due to the great deal of applications concerned, such as disease spreading and rumor dynamics. That is why, a plethora of centrality measures has emerged over the years in order to rank nodes according to their topological importance in the network. Local metrics such as degree centrality make use of a very limited information and are easy to compute. Global metrics such as betweenness centrality exploit the information of the whole network structure at the cost of a very high computational complexity. Recent works have shown that combining multiple metrics is a promising strategy to quantify the node's influential ability. Our wor…
First-Episode Psychosis Patients Who Deteriorated in the Premorbid Period Do Not Have Higher Polygenic Risk Scores Than Others: A Cluster Analysis of…
2023
Abstract Cluster studies identified a subgroup of patients with psychosis whose premorbid adjustment deteriorates before the onset, which may reflect variation in genetic influence. However, other studies reported a complex relationship between distinctive patterns of cannabis use and cognitive and premorbid impairment that is worthy of consideration. We examined whether: (1) premorbid social functioning (PSF) and premorbid academic functioning (PAF) in childhood and adolescence and current intellectual quotient (IQ) define different clusters in 802 first-episode of psychosis (FEP) patients; resulting clusters vary in (2) polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for schizophrenia (SCZ_PRS), bipolar dis…