Pollardbowers3719

The rising automation level and development of the Industry 4.0 concept in the mining sector increase the risk of cyber-attacks. As a result, this article focuses on developing a risk analysis method that integrates Kaplan's and Garrick's approach and fuzzy theory. The proposed approach takes into account the level of automation of the operating mining processes. Moreover, it follows five main steps, including identifying the automation level in a selected mine, definition of cyber-attack targets, identification of cyber-attack techniques, definition of cyber-attack consequences, and risk ratio assessment. The proposed risk assessment procedure was performed according to three cyber-attack targets (databases, internal networks, machinery) and seven selected types of cyber-attack techniques. The fuzzy theory is implemented in risk parameter estimation for cyber-attack scenario occurrence in the mining industry. To illustrate the given method's applicability, seven scenarios for three levels of mine automation are analyzed. The proposed method may be used to reveal the current cybersecurity status of the mine. Moreover, it will be a valuable guide for mines in which automation is planned in the near future.This review aims to identify attributes of patient-centered self-management (PCSM) in the current literature and explore its implementation in resolving patient obstacles in chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment and management. A search of relevant articles and literature on PCSM, integrated care, and challenges of CKD management was conducted. Vital attributes of PCSM and current self-management interventions employed to resolve patient obstacles in CKD management were identified from inclusion studies. Findings affirm that PCSM strategies have positive effects on CKD management, but a lack of quality primary study, and long-term evidence presents the need for further development. Future research should focus on the development of a standardized and universal integrated PCSM model and a uniform system of data collection in the clinical setting. The difficulty of CKD management lies in how it is a comorbid and progressive disease. A pure biomedical approach is inadequate. Our review recommends that an integrated PCSM approach with health literacy and information technology intervention, which unifies and integrates patient education, can address the difficulties that are contributing to unsuccessful treatment outcomes. An integrated PCSM model should be implemented systematically and methodologically into future CKD management and health policies.

Aquatic physiotherapy has been shown to be effective in developing balance, strength, and functional reach over time. When dealing with immediate effects, the literature has concentrated more on the body's physiological response to the physical and mechanical properties of water during passive immersion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a single 45-min active aquatic physiotherapy session on standing balance and strength, and its relationship with functional reach in persons 55 years and older with upper limb dysfunction.

The intervention group (

= 12) was assessed before and after a single aquatic physiotherapy session, while the control group (

= 10) was evaluated before and after 45 min of sitting rest. Functional assessment was made using the visual analogue pain scale (points), step test (repetitions), functional reach test (cm), and global balance-standing test on a force platform (% time). A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was applied (

< 0.05).

The intervention group showed non-significant improvements between measurement before and after the intervention Pain 6.2 ± 1.9 vs. 5.2 ± 2.3 cm, steps 7.0 ± 2.0 vs. 7.4 ± 1.8 repetitions, reach 9.1 ± 2.8 vs. 10.4 ± 3.8 cm, and balance 61.7 ± 5.9 vs. 71.3 ± 18.2% time in balance on the platform. The control group showed fewer changes but had better baseline values. A comparison between groups with time showed no significant differences in these changes.

No significant immediate effects were found for one session of aquatic physiotherapy applied to patients older than 55 years with upper limb dysfunction.

No significant immediate effects were found for one session of aquatic physiotherapy applied to patients older than 55 years with upper limb dysfunction.Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are secreted from the gut upon nutrient stimulation and regulate postprandial metabolism. These hormones are known as classical incretin hormones and are responsible for a major part of postprandial insulin release. The incretin effect is severely reduced in patients with type 2 diabetes, but it was discovered that administration of GLP-1 agonists was capable of normalizing glucose control in these patients. Over the last decades, much research has been focused on the development of incretin-based therapies for type 2 diabetes. These therapies include incretin receptor agonists and inhibitors of the incretin-degrading enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4. Especially the development of diverse GLP-1 receptor agonists has shown immense success, whereas studies of GIP monotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes have consistently been disappointing. Interestingly, both GIP-GLP-1 co-agonists and GIP receptor antagonists administered in combination with GLP-1R agonists appear to be efficient with respect to both weight loss and control of diabetes, although the molecular mechanisms behind these effects remain unknown. This review describes our current knowledge of the two incretin hormones and the development of incretin-based therapies for treatment of type 2 diabetes.For the efficient and durable design of concrete, the role of fiber-reinforcements with mineral admixtures needs to be properly investigated considering various factors such as contents of fibers and potential supplementary cementitious material. Interactive effects of fibers and mineral admixtures are also needed to be appropriately studied. In this paper, properties of concrete were investigated with individual and combined incorporation of steel fiber (SF) and micro-silica (MS). SF was used at six different levels i.e., low fiber volume (0.05% and 0.1%), medium fiber volume (0.25% and 0.5%) and high fiber volume (1% and 2%). Each volume fraction of SF was investigated with 0%, 5% and 10% MS as by volume of binder. All concrete mixtures were assessed based on the results of important mechanical and permeability tests. The results revealed that varying fiber dosage showed mixed effects on the compressive (compressive strength and elastic modulus) and permeability (water absorption and chloride ion penetration) properties of concrete. Generally, low to medium volume fractions of fibers were useful in advancing the compressive strength and elastic modulus of concrete, whereas high fiber fractions showed detrimental effects on compressive strength and permeability resistance. The addition of MS with SF is not only beneficial to boost the strength properties, but it also improves the interaction between fibers and binder matrix. MS minimizes the negative effects of high fiber doses on the properties of concrete.Distribution patterns of the European fruit lecanium Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) and of grapevine leafroll-associated virus-1 (GLRaV-1) and grapevine virus A (GVA) were monitored from 2003 to 2015 in a Riesling vine plot in the northeast of France. Virus spread was compared between two periods 2003-2008 and 2009-2014. The percentage of infected vines increased from 54 to 78% for GLRaV-1 and from 14 to 26% for GVA. The spatial distribution of viruses and of P. corni was analysed using permutation tests and revealed an aggregative pattern. Virus distribution was not associated with the density of P. corni population on grapevines. However, GLRaV-1 and GVA spread mainly from initially infected vines. New GLRaV-1 and GVA infections were more frequent on vines near primarily infected vines, first anisotropically along the row, then between neighbouring rows. Virus spread was similar to those described in literature with grapevine mealybug species. This slow vine-to-vine progression suggests that P. corni was responsible for the virus spread, in accordance with the low mobility and low transmission capacities of its local population.Smart cities are complex, socio-technological systems built as a strongly connected System of Systems, whose functioning is driven by human-machine interactions and whose ultimate goals are the well-being of their inhabitants. Consequently, controlling a smart city is an objective that may be achieved by using a specific framework that integrates algorithmic control, intelligent control, cognitive control and especially human reasoning and communication. Among the many functions of a smart city, intelligent transportation is one of the most important, with specific restrictions and a high level of dynamics. This paper focuses on the application of a neuro-inspired control framework for urban traffic as a component of a complex system. It is a proof of concept for a systemic integrative approach to the global problem of smart city management and integrates a previously designed urban traffic control architecture (for the city of Bucharest) with the actual purpose of ensuring its proactivity by means of traffic flow prediction. Analyses of requirements and methods for prediction are performed in order to determine the best way for fulfilling the perception function of the architecture with respect to the traffic control problem definition. A parametric method and an AI-based method are discussed in order to predict the traffic flow, both in the short and long term, based on real data. A brief comparative analysis of the prediction performances is also presented.The vibration of the periodic oscillator coupled damping beam model is reduced through the band gaps designing method, which can be applied in equivalent engineering structures. In this paper, the flexural wave dispersion relations of the infinite long periodic oscillator coupled damping beam were calculated using the reverberation-ray matrix method combined with the Bloch theorem. The flexural wave vibration frequency response function of the finite long periodic oscillator coupled damping beam was carried out using the finite element method. The flexural wave vibration band gaps occur in the infinite long periodic oscillator coupled damping beam model in both the analytical and numerical results. In these band gaps, flexural waves' propagation is prohibited, and flexural vibration is significantly suppressed. Furthermore, the effects of structure and material parameters on the flexural wave vibration band gaps characteristics are studied. Thus, the structural vibration reduction design can be realized by adjusting the related parameters of the periodic coupled damping beam structures and the equivalent 2D periodic stiffened plate structures.This study aimed to identify determinants of quantitative dimensions of physical activity (PA; duration, frequency, and intensity) in community-dwelling, multi-morbid, older persons with cognitive impairment (CI). In addition, qualitative and quantitative aspects of habitual PA have been described. Quantitative PA and qualitative gait characteristics while walking straight and while walking turns were documented by a validated, sensor-based activity monitor. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to delineate associations of quantitative PA dimensions with qualitative characteristics of gait performance and further potential influencing factors (motor capacity measures, demographic, and health-related parameters). In 94 multi-morbid, older adults (82.3 ± 5.9 years) with CI (Mini-Mental State Examination score 23.3 ± 2.4), analyses of quantitative and qualitative PA documented highly inactive behavior (89.6% inactivity) and a high incidence of gait deficits, respectively. The multiple regression models (adjusted R2 = 0.395-0.679, all p less then 0.001) identified specific qualitative gait characteristics as independent determinants for all quantitative PA dimensions, whereas motor capacity was an independent determinant only for the PA dimension duration. Demographic and health-related parameters were not identified as independent determinants. High associations between innovative, qualitative, and established, quantitative PA performances may suggest gait quality as a potential target to increase quantity of PA in multi-morbid, older persons.The induction of protein degradation in a highly selective and efficient way by means of druggable molecules is known as targeted protein degradation (TPD). TPD emerged in the literature as a revolutionary idea a heterobifunctional chimera with the capacity of creating an interaction between a protein of interest (POI) and a E3 ubiquitin ligase will induce a process of events in the POI, including ubiquitination, targeting to the proteasome, proteolysis and functional silencing, acting as a sort of degradative knockdown. With this programmed protein degradation, toxic and disease-causing proteins could be depleted from cells with potentially effective low drug doses. The proof-of-principle validation of this hypothesis in many studies has made the TPD strategy become a new attractive paradigm for the development of therapies for the treatment of multiple unmet diseases. Indeed, since the initial protacs (Proteolysis targeting chimeras) were posited in the 2000s, the TPD field has expanded extraordinarily, developing innovative chemistry and exploiting multiple degradation approaches. In this article, we review the breakthroughs and recent novel concepts in this highly active discipline.Owing to their extraordinary thermal, mechanical, optical, and electrical properties, boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have been attracting considerable attention in various scientific fields, making it more promising as a nanomaterial compared to other nanotubes. Recent studies reported that BNNTs exhibit better properties than carbon nanotubes, which have been extensively investigated for most environment-energy applications. Irrespective of its chirality, BNNT is a constant wide-bandgap insulator, exhibiting thermal oxidation resistance, piezoelectric properties, high hydrogen adsorption, ultraviolet luminescence, cytocompatibility, and stability. These unique properties of BNNT render it an exceptional material for separation applications, e.g., membranes. Recent studies reported that water filtration, gas separation, sensing, and battery separator membranes can considerably benefit from these properties. That is, flux, rejection, anti-fouling, sensing, structural, thermal, electrical, and optical properties of membranes can be enhanced by the contribution of BNNTs. Thus far, a majority of studies have focused on molecular simulation. Hence, the requirement of an extensive review has emerged. In this perspective article, advanced properties of BNNTs are analyzed, followed by a discussion on the advantages of these properties for membrane science with an overview of the current literature. We hope to provide insights into BNNT materials and accelerate research for environment-energy applications.Chitin is a long-chain polymer of N-acetyl-glucosamine, which is regularly found in the exoskeleton of arthropods including insects, shellfish and the cell wall of fungi. It has been known that chitin can be used for biological and biomedical applications, especially as a biomaterial for tissue repairing, encapsulating drug for drug delivery. However, chitin has been postulated as an inducer of proinflammatory cytokines and certain diseases including asthma. Likewise, chitosan, a long-chain polymer of N-acetyl-glucosamine and d-glucosamine derived from chitin deacetylation, and chitosan oligosaccharide, a short chain polymer, have been known for their potential therapeutic effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiarrheal, and anti-Alzheimer effects. This review summarizes potential utilization and limitation of chitin, chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharide in a variety of diseases. Furthermore, future direction of research and development of chitin, chitosan, and chitosan oligosaccharide for biomedical applications is discussed.Resorcinol-formaldehyde/titanium dioxide composite (RF/TiO2) gel was prepared simultaneously by acid catalysis and then dried to aerogel with supercritical fluid CO2. The carbon/titanium dioxide aerogel was obtained by carbonization and then converted to nanoporous titanium carbide/carbon composite aerogel via 800 °C magnesiothermic catalysis. Meanwhile, the evolution of the samples in different stages was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), an energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and specific surface area analysis (BET). The results showed that the final product was nanoporous TiC/C composite aerogel with a low apparent density of 339.5 mg/cm3 and a high specific surface area of 459.5 m2/g. Comparing to C aerogel, it could also be considered as one type of highly potential material with efficient photothermal conversion. The idea of converting oxide-carbon composite into titanium carbide via the confining template and low-temperature magnesiothermic catalysis may provide new sight to the synthesis of novel nanoscale carbide materials.Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) is a keystone pathogen associated with periodontitis in adolescents. The knowledge on the prevalence of Aa and periodontitis among adolescents in Northern Europe is sparse. A total of 525 14- to 15-year-old adolescents from the municipality of Aarhus, Denmark, underwent a full-mouth clinical examination. Plaque score (PS), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were recorded. Subgingival plaque samples (SPS) and stimulated saliva samples (SSS) were collected and analyzed for the presence of JP2 and non-JP2 genotypes of Aa using real-time PCR. A total of 70 (13.3%) individuals were positive for Aa, with 17 found in SPS, 19 in SSS, and 35 in both. The highly leukotoxic JP2 genotype of Aa was not detected. The individuals positive for Aa in both SPS and SSS had poorer periodontal outcomes (PPD and CAL) than individuals without Aa and individuals carrying Aa in either SPS or SSS only. In conclusion, 13% of 14- to 15-year-old Danish adolescents were positive for Aa, and the presence of Aa in both SPS and SSS was associated with poorer periodontal outcomes.The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis serves as a model species for studying fungal dimorphism and its role in phytopathogenic development. The pathogen has two growth phases a saprobic yeast phase and a pathogenic filamentous phase. Dimorphic transition of U. maydis involves complex processes of signal perception, mating, and cellular reprogramming. Recent advances in improvement of reference genomes, high-throughput sequencing and molecular genetics studies have been expanding research in this field. However, the biology of other non-model species is frequently overlooked. This leads to uncertainty regarding how much of what is known in U. maydis is applicable to other dimorphic fungi. In this review, we will discuss dimorphic fungi in the aspects of physiology, reproductive biology, genomics, and molecular genetics. We also perform comparative analyses between U. maydis and other fungi in Ustilaginomycotina, the subphylum to which U. maydis belongs. We find that lipid/hydrophobicity is a potential common cue for dimorphic transition in plant-associated dimorphic fungi. However, genomic profiles alone are not adequate to explain dimorphism across different fungi.Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is among the most widespread aromatic plants due to its versatility of use and its beneficial health properties. This aromatic plant thrives in hydroponics, which is a valid tool to improve the production and functional quality of crops, but nevertheless, it offers the possibility to de-seasonalize production. A floating raft system was adopted to test the production and quality potential during autumn season of three different genotypes of Genovese basil (Aroma 2, Eleonora and Italiano Classico) grown in three nutrient solutions with crescent electrical conductivity (EC 1, 2 and 3 dS m-1). The aromatic and phenolic profiles were determined by GC/MS and HPLC analysis, respectively. The combination Aroma 2 and the EC 2 dS m-1 resulted in the highest production, both in terms of fresh weight and dry biomass. The 2 dS m-1 treatment determined the major phenolic content, 44%, compared to the other two EC. Italiano Classico showed a higher total polyphenolic content in addition to a different aromatic profile compared to the other cultivars, characterized by a higher percentage of Eucalyptol (+37%) and Eugenol (+107%) and a lower percentage of linalool (-44%). Correct management of the nutritional solution combined with adequate genetic material managed an improvement in the production and the obtainment of the desired aromatic and phenolic profiles.The present study aimed to screen plants for bioactive compounds with potential antibacterial activities. In our efforts to evaluate plants from Borneo, we isolated and elucidated the structures of four natural products from the bioactive fraction of a chloroform extract of Goniothalamus longistipetes using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The bioactive compounds were identified as a known styryllactone, (+)-altholactone ((2S,3R,3aS,7aS)-3-hydroxy-2-phenyl-2,3,3a,7a-tetrahydrobenzo-5(4H)-5-one) (1), a new styryllactone, (2S,3R,3aS,7aS)-3-hydroxy-2-phenyl-2,3,3a,7a-tetrahydrobenzo-5(4H)-5-one) (2) as well as a new alkaloid, 2,6-dimethoxyisonicotinaldehyde (3) and a new alkenyl-5-hydroxyl-phenyl benzoic acid (4). 1 and 4 showed broad-spectrum anti-bacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as acid-fast model selected for this study. Compound 2 only demonstrated activities against Gram-positive bacteria whilst 3 displayed selective inhibitory activities against Gram-positive bacterial strains. Additionally, their mechanisms of anti-bacterial action were also investigated. Using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a fast-growing model of tubercle bacilli, compounds 1, 2 and 4 demonstrated inhibitory activities against whole-cell drug efflux and biofilm formation; two key intrinsic mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Interestingly, the amphiphilic compound 4 exhibited inhibitory activity against the conjugation of plasmid pKM101 in Escherichia coli using a plate conjugation assay. Plasmid conjugation is a mechanism by which Gram-positive and Gram-negative-bacteria acquire drug resistance and virulence. These results indicated that bioactive compounds isolated from Goniothalamus longistipetes can be potential candidates as 'hits' for further optimisation.Several studies have assessed the effects of milk and dairy product intake on sleep quality and duration. Such investigations have varied in terms of their geographic locations, amounts of milk and dairy products, study participants (age, sex, race), and study designs. The present study aimed to summarize this literature and provide a unified view on whether the intake of milk and dairy products affects sleep quality. This systematic review was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following keywords were chosen as electronic database search items from MeSH (medical subject headings) terms and descriptors in health sciences (DeHS) lists milk, yogurt, dairy product, cheese, sleep, human, observational study, and interventional study. As a result, a total of 14 studies published between 1972 and 2019 were included in this review, including eight randomized controlled trials, two experimental studies with cross-over designs, one longitudinal study, and three cross-sectional studies. Four studies targeted older adults, three included toddlers, two targeted children, and six enrolled adults inclusive of university students. Overall, these studies indicated that a well-balanced diet that includes milk and dairy products is effective in improving sleep quality, despite mixed results across studies attributable to differences in study populations and methods.Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs can decrease non-optimal use of antibiotics in hospital settings. There are limited data on AMS programs in burn and chronic wound centers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). A post-prescription review and feedback (PPRF) program was implemented in three hospitals in Nepal with a focus on wound and burn care. A total of 241 baseline and 236 post-intervention patient chart data were collected from three hospitals. There was a significant decrease in utilizing days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000 PD) of penicillin (p = 0.02), aminoglycoside (p less then 0.001), and cephalosporin (p = 0.04). Increases in DOT/1000 PD at post-intervention were significant for metronidazole (p less then 0.001), quinolone (p = 0.01), and other antibiotics (p less then 0.001). Changes in use of antibiotics varied across hospitals, e.g., cephalosporin use decreased significantly at Kirtipur Hospital (p less then 0.001) and Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences (p = 0.02), but not at Kathmandu Model Hospital (p = 0.59). An independent review conducted by infectious disease specialists at the Henry Ford Health System revealed significant changes in antibiotic prescribing practices both overall and by hospital. There was a decrease in mean number of intravenous antibiotic days between baseline (10.1 (SD 8.8)) and post-intervention (8.8 (SD 6.5)) (t = 3.56; p less then 0.001), but no difference for oral antibiotics. Compared to baseline, over the 6-month post-intervention period, we found an increase in justified use of antibiotics (p less then 0.001), de-escalation (p less then 0.001), accurate documentation (p less then 0.001), and adherence to the study antibiotic prescribing guidelines at 72 h (p less then 0.001) and after diagnoses (p less then 0.001). The evaluation data presented provide evidence that PPRF training and program implementation can contribute to hospital-based antibiotic stewardship for wound and burn care in Nepal.Monitoring regional antibiotic resistance patterns of uropathogens are important for deciding suitable empirical antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children. This study aimed to investigate regional differences in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of E. coli and Klebsiella spp. in children below 24 months old, diagnosed with their first episode of UTI, and to find factors associated with an increased risk for UTI caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing uropathogens. This was a retrospective cohort study of children diagnosed between 2011 and 2017 in four different hospitals located in four different regions of South Korea; regions A, B, C, and D. The government's big data repository was used to acquire data on regional antibiotic prescriptions. The pooled antimicrobial susceptibilities of E. coli and Klebsiella spp. (n = 2044) were as follows ampicillin-sulbactam (61.0%), 3rd generation cephalosporin (3C) (82.8%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (72.0%). Multivariate analysis showed that children diagnosed at hospital A (OR, 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.6; P = 0.002) and every year that increased in the study period (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.1-1.2; P less then 0.001) were factors associated with an increased risk for UTIs with ESBL-producers. Regions A and B had significantly higher amounts of oral 3Cs prescribed compared to regions C and D (P = 0.009), which correlate with hospitals in the regions that had higher proportions of UTIs with ESBL-producing uropathogens (A and B vs. C and D, P less then 0.001). Therefore, children in certain regions are at a higher risk for UTIs caused by ESBL-producers compared to other regions, which correlate with regions that had higher amounts of oral 3Cs prescribed.The paper presents some examples of new technological solutions for the recovery and re-use of recycled carbon fiber in automotive and railway industries, as well as in aviation and wind turbine constructions. The new technologies of fiber recovery that are described can enable the mass-scale use of recycled carbon fiber in the future.A kind of hyperbranched silicone containing macrophotoinitiators (HBSMIs) were synthesized from 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl propanone (HMPP) and the UV-curing behaviors of HBSMIs were investigated in UV-cured transparent polyurethane-acrylate (PUA) coatings. HBSMIs show higher UV-initiating efficiency than HMPP. The migration of HBSMIs from the UV-cured coatings can be as low as 1.7-6.0 wt%, which is obviously lower than the migration of HMPP. There is a remarkable improvement of the tensile strength of the UV-cured materials initiated by HBSMI in comparison to that of the materials prepared with the same PUA initiated by HMPP. Especially for the UV-cured materials prepared from PUA with 20 wt% 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)propane (TMP), the tensile strength and the strain at break increased from 6.81 MPa to 12.14 MPa and from 43.0% to 71.9%, respectively. The fraction of improvement for the tensile strength and the strain at break is as high as 78.9% and 67.2%, respectively. The coatings prepared with HBSMI also have better UV resistance ability than those coatings prepared with HMPP because they turn slightly yellow when they are aged by UV for about 15 min while the coating prepared with 4 wt% of HMPP will turn yellow only aged by UV for 2 min. These results suggest that preparation hyperbranched silicone containing macrophotoinitiators will be one of the good strategies to improve the curing efficiency of the UV-curing system, reduce the migration of UV initiator from cured material, improve the mechanical and UV resistance performance of UV-cured materials.Asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, and atopic dermatitis are common childhood diseases with several different underlying mechanisms, i.e., endotypes of disease. Metabolomics has the potential to identify disease endotypes, which could beneficially promote personalized prevention and treatment. Here, we summarize the findings from metabolomics studies of children with atopic diseases focusing on tyrosine and tryptophan metabolism, lipids (particularly, sphingolipids), polyunsaturated fatty acids, microbially derived metabolites (particularly, short-chain fatty acids), and bile acids. We included 25 studies 23 examined asthma or wheezing, five examined allergy endpoints, and two focused on atopic dermatitis. Of the 25 studies, 20 reported findings in the pathways of interest with findings for asthma in all pathways and for allergy and atopic dermatitis in most pathways except tyrosine metabolism and short-chain fatty acids, respectively. Particularly, tyrosine, 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, N-acetyltyrosine, tryptophan, indolelactic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, p-Cresol sulfate, taurocholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, glycohyocholic acid, glycocholic acid, and docosapentaenoate n-6 were identified in at least two studies. This pathway-specific review provides a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence from metabolomics studies of childhood atopic diseases. The altered metabolic pathways uncover some of the underlying biochemical mechanisms leading to these common childhood disorders, which may become of potential value in clinical practice.Sports performance depends on a complex interaction of variables, such as psychological, physical, technical and tactical abilities. The purpose of the three studies described in this article was to validate an instrument to measure perceived performance in athletes (studies 1 and 2), and to analyze the predictive power of perceived performance, basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation on the intention to be physically active (which was used as a predictor of adherence to sport) (study 3). In study 1, the Perceived Performance in Sports Questionnaire was validated in the Spanish sports context, analyzing its factorial structure, reliability, and temporal stability with 146 soccer players. The objective of study 2 was to check the factorial structure of the questionnaire with an objective performance measure (points scored and time played). The sample was 180 young basketball players. The objective of study 3 was to analyze the predictive power of basic psychological needs in exercise, intrinsic motivation, and perceived performance on the intention to be physically active in 339 athletes of fifteen different sports. The results show the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, and positive correlations with the points scored. Finally, the analysis of the structural equation model showed that the satisfaction of the need for competence predicted perceived performance and intrinsic motivation predicted perceived performance and intention to remain physically active.This study aimed to investigate the association between the frequency of home cooking and cardiovascular disease risk among Japanese adolescents. We used cross-sectional data on adolescents from the 2018 Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty study, which targeted junior high school students aged 13-14 years in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan. Frequency of home cooking by 553 caregivers was assessed via questionnaire and classified as high (almost daily), medium (4-5 days/week), or low (≤3 days/week). Cardiovascular disease risk factors included blood pressure, serum cholesterol (total, LDL, and HDL), hemoglobin A1c, and body mass index. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that adolescents exposed to a low frequency of home cooking showed higher diastolic blood pressure (β = 3.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42 to 6.75) and lower HDL cholesterol (β = -6.15, 95% CI -11.2 to -1.07) than those exposed to a high frequency of home cooking, adjusting for adolescents' sex, household income, and parental comorbidity. Future studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship and mechanisms through which home cooking influences adolescents' cardiovascular health.Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. Although insulin resistance is assumed to be a main pathophysiological feature of the development of T2DM, recent studies have revealed that a deficit of functional beta-cell mass is an essential factor for the pathophysiology of T2DM. Pancreatic fat contents increase with obesity and are suggested to cause beta-cell dysfunction. Since the beta-cell dysfunction induced by obesity or progressive decline with disease duration results in a worsening glycemic control, and treatment failure, preserving beta-cell mass is an important treatment strategy for T2DM. In this mini-review, we summarize the current knowledge on beta-cell mass, beta-cell function, and pancreas fat in obesity and T2DM, and we discuss treatment strategies for T2DM in relation to beta-cell preservation.This study investigated a resurgence of Liothrips oleae Costa (Thysanoptera Phlaeothripidae), an insect pest of olive crops, in a focal Southern Italian olive-producing area (Calabria Region). The young and adult olive thrips feed on the leaves and fruits of wild and cultivated olive trees, producing distortions, necrosis, and premature dropping of fruit. In our study, organic and integrated olive groves were compared for two years in order to establish the relationship between leaf and fruit damage among olive groves managed under different phytosanitary conditions. Sampling techniques were used in order to collect and count leaves and fruits (on plants and dropped premature drupes) presenting symptoms of thrips' feeding activity. The impact of the thrips was significant in all orchards, and the estimated damage level on drupes and leaves was higher in organic olive management in each year. A morphological description of the adult females of the species is provided, and the first molecular characterization of the Calabrian olive thrips population was performed by using three different genetic regions (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 28S ribosomal subunit (28S), and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2)).There are limited and discordant results on the comparison between microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This meta-analysis aims to compare the two treatments in terms of efficacy and safety, based on a meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs). A computerized bibliographic search was performed on the main databases throughout August 2020. The primary outcome was the complete response rate, while survival rate (at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year), disease-free survival rate (at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year), local and distant recurrence rate, adverse event rate, and number of treatment sessions were the secondary outcomes. Seven RCTs enrolling 921 patients were included. No difference in terms of complete response between the two treatments was observed (risk ratio (RR) 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.02). Survival rates were constantly similar, with RRs ranging from 1.05 (0.96-1.15) at 1 year to 0.91 (0.81-1.03) at 5 years. While local recurrence rate was similar between MWA and RFA (RR 0.70, 0.43-1.14), distant recurrence rate was significantly lower with MWA (RR 0.60, 0.39-0.92). Disease-free survival at 1, 2, and 3 years was similar between the two groups with RR 1.00 (0.96-1.04), 0.94 (0.84-1.06), and 1.06 (0.93-1.21), respectively. On the other hand, RR for disease-free survival at 5 years was significantly in favor of MWA (3.66, 1.32-42.27). Adverse event rate was similar between the two treatments (RR 1.06, 0.48-2.34), with bleeding and hematoma representing the most frequent complications. Our results indicate a similar efficacy and safety profile between the two techniques. MWA seems to decrease the rate of long-term recurrences, but this finding needs to be confirmed in further trials.Thermal interface material (TIM) is crucial for heat transfer from a heat source to a heat sink. A high-performance thermal interface material with solid-solid phase change properties was prepared to improve both thermal conductivity and interfacial wettability by using reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-coated polyurethane (PU) foam as a filler, and segmented polyurethane (SPU) as a matrix. The rGO-coated foam (rGOF) was fabricated by a self-assembling method and the SPU was synthesized by an in situ polymerization method. The pure SPU and rGOF/SPU composite exhibited obvious solid-solid phase change properties with proper phase change temperature, high latent heat, good wettability, and no leakage. It was found that the SPU had better heat transfer performance than the PU without phase change properties in a practical application as a TIM, while the thermal conductivity of the rGOF/SPU composite was 63% higher than that of the pure SPU at an ultra-low rGO content of 0.8 wt.%, showing great potential for thermal management.Melamine is a high-production-volume chemical and a kidney toxicant. Diet is a key source of melamine exposure, yet little is known about which foods in the US diet may be contaminated. This study evaluated the associations of foods and dietary patterns with melamine exposure using data from 478 US adults and children from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004. Melamine concentrations were measured in spot urine samples. Dietary recalls were used to collect dietary data from the day preceding urine collection. Melamine was detectable (>0.09 ng/mL) in 76.2% of the participants' urine. The geometric mean urinary melamine was 11.563 µg/g of creatinine (standard error (SE) 1.235). In adjusted linear regression models, each additional ounce of processed meats or whole grains was associated with 10.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.7, 19.0; p = 0.007) or 17.4% (95% CI 4.7, 31.7; p = 0.006) greater creatinine-adjusted melamine concentrations, respectively. A dietary pattern characterized by high fruit, whole grain, milk, and yogurt intake was positively associated with melamine exposure. In conclusion, processed meats, whole grains, and possibly other plant-based foods may be important melamine sources in the US. Future research should confirm these findings using more recent data and examine the potential health risks of chronic low-level melamine exposure.Single-stranded DNA binding protein 2 (SSBP2) is involved in DNA damage response and may induce growth arrest in cancer cells, having a potent tumor suppressor role. SSBP2 is ubiquitously expressed and the loss of its expression has been reported in various tumor types. However, the correlation between SSBP2 expression and colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis remains unclear. SSBP2 nuclear expression was evaluated immunohistochemically in 48 normal colonic mucosae, 47 adenomas, 391 primary adenocarcinomas, and 131 metastatic carcinoma tissue samples. The clinicopathological factors, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival were evaluated, and associations with the clinicopathological parameters were analyzed in 391 colorectal adenocarcinoma patients. A diffuse nuclear SSBP2 expression was detected in all normal colonic mucosa and adenoma samples. SSBP2 expression loss was observed in 131 (34.3%) primary adenocarcinoma and 100 (76.3%) metastatic carcinoma samples. SSBP2 expression was significantly associated with poor prognostic factors, such as vascular invasion (p = 0.005), high pT category (p = 0.045), and shorter OS (p = 0.038), using univariate survival analysis. Nuclear SSBP2 expression loss was significantly observed in colorectal carcinoma and metastatic carcinoma tissues, being associated with poor prognostic factors. SSBP2 acts as a tumor suppressor and may be used as a CRC prognostic biomarker.Congenital cataracts are the prime cause for irreversible blindness in children. The global incidence of congenital cataract is 2.2-13.6 per 10,000 births, with the highest prevalence in Asia. Nearly half of the congenital cataracts are of familial nature, with a predominant autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Over 38 of the 45 mapped loci for isolated congenital or infantile cataracts have been associated with a mutation in a specific gene. The clinical and genetic heterogeneity of congenital cataracts makes the molecular diagnosis a bit of a complicated task. Hence, whole exome sequencing (WES) was utilized to concurrently screen all known cataract genes and to examine novel candidate factors for a disease-causing mutation in probands from 11 pedigrees affected with familial congenital cataracts. Analysis of the WES data for known cataract genes identified causative mutations in six pedigrees (55%) in PAX6, FYCO1 (two variants), EPHA2, P3H2,TDRD7 and an additional likely causative mutation in a novel gene NCOA6, which represents the first dominant mutation in this gene. This study identifies a novel cataract gene not yet linked to human disease. NCOA6 is a transcriptional coactivator that interacts with nuclear hormone receptors to enhance their transcriptional activator function.Prefrontal synthesis (PFS) is defined as the ability to juxtapose mental visuospatial objects at will. Paralysis of PFS may be responsible for the lack of comprehension of spatial prepositions, semantically-reversible sentences, and recursive sentences observed in 30 to 40% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this report we present data from a three-year-long clinical trial of 6454 ASD children age 2 to 12 years, which were administered a PFS-targeting intervention. Tablet-based verbal and nonverbal exercises emphasizing mental-juxtaposition-of-objects were organized into an application called Mental Imagery Therapy for Autism (MITA). The test group included participants who completed more than one thousand exercises and made no more than one error per exercise. The control group was selected from the rest of participants by a matching procedure. Each test group participant was matched to the control group participant by age, gender, expressive language, receptive language, sociability, cognitive awareness, and health score at first evaluation using propensity score analysis. The test group showed a 2.2-fold improvement in receptive language score vs. control group (p less then 0.0001) and a 1.4-fold improvement in expressive language (p = 0.0144). No statistically significant change was detected in other subscales not targeted by the exercises. These findings show that language acquisition improves after training PFS and that a further investigation of the PFS-targeting intervention in a randomized controlled study is warranted.This paper aims to develop a resonant accelerometer for high-sensitivity detection and to investigate the nonlinear vibration of the MEMS resonant accelerometer driven by electrostatic comb fingers. First, a nonlinear vibration model of the resonator with comb fingers in a MEMS resonant accelerometer is established. Then, the nonlinear and nonlinear stiffness coefficients are calculated and analyzed with the Galérkin principle. The linear natural frequency, tracking error, and nonlinear frequency offset are obtained by multi-scale method. Finally, to further analyze the nonlinear vibration, a sample-based stochastic model is established, and the uncertainty analysis method is applied. It is concluded from the results that nonlinear vibration can be reduced by reducing the resonant beam length and increasing the resonant beam width and thickness. In addition, the resonant beam length and thickness have more significant effects, while the resonant beam width and the single concentrated mass of comb fingers have little effect, which are verified by experiments. The results of this research have proved that uncertainty analysis is an effective approach in nonlinear vibration analysis and instructional in practical resonant accelerometer design.Extensive research has been carried out during the last few decades, providing a detailed account of thousands of discovered phytochemicals and their biological activities that have the potential to be exploited for a wide variety of medicinal purposes. These phytochemicals, which are pharmacologically important for clinical use, primarily consist of polyphenols, followed by terpenoids and alkaloids. There are numerous published reports indicating the primary role of phytochemicals proven to possess therapeutic potential against several diseases. However, not all phytochemicals possess significant medicinal properties, and only some of them exhibit viable biological effects. Naringenin, a flavanone found in citrus fruits, is known to improve immunity, repair DNA damage, and scavenge free radicals. Despite the very low bioavailability of naringenin, it is known to exhibit various promising biological properties of medicinal importance, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This review focuses on the various aspects related to naringenin, particularly its physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic properties. Furthermore, various pharmacological activities of naringenin, such as anticancer, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, nephroprotective, and gastroprotective effects, have been discussed along with their mechanisms of action.Nowadays, there is a growing interest in botanicals for human nutrition and care. Arbutus unedo wild berries are edible and medicinal fruits that contain many healthy bioactive components, which can be considered a valuable resource for the food ingredient market and for nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors. In the present study, the polyphenols and in vitro antiradical and hypoglycemic activities of five wild Italian accessions of A. unedo were investigated, and their chemical profiles were treated by means of unsupervised chemometric techniques like the hierarchical and principal component analysis. Moreover, Fourier-transformed mid-infrared spectroscopy was used to provide a rapid assessment of the phytochemical composition of different accessions. Samples differed mainly in their anthocyanin content and overall nutraceutical potential. Anthocyanins were present mainly as glycosides of cyanidin and delphinidin, with delphinidin-3-O-glucoside being the most abundant one, ranging from 49 ± 1 to 111 ± 3 mg g-1 and high. Moreover, principal component analysis made it possible to establish similarities among the accessions depending on their overall nutraceutical characteristics and on the relative anthocyanin content.The chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulses worldwide. The objective was to identify, compare and evaluate peptides from chickpea hydrolysates produced by two enzymatic treatments. The antidiabetic potential and bitterness of the peptides and induction of bitter receptors were identified in silico. Proteins were isolated from the Kabuli variety. Peptides were produced from the proteins using a simulated digestive system (pepsin/pancreatin, 150 Enzyme/Protein, E/P), and these peptides were compared with those produced via bromelain hydrolysis (150 E/P). The protein profiles, sequences and characteristics of the peptides were evaluated. The biochemical inhibition and molecular docking of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV), α-amylase and α-glucosidase were also studied. The molecular docking identified peptides from enzymatic hydrolysis as inhibitors of DPP-IV. The high hydrophobicity of the peptides indicated the potential for bitterness. There was no correlation between peptide length and DPP-IV binding. Peptides sequenced from the pepsin/pancreatin hydrolysates, PHPATSGGGL and YVDGSGTPLT, had greater affinity for the DPP-IV catalytic site than the peptides from the bromelain hydrolysates. These results are in agreement with their biochemical inhibition, when considering the inhibition of sitagliptin (54.3 µg/mL) as a standard. The bitter receptors hTAS2R38, hTAS2R5, hTAS2R7 and hTAS2R14 were stimulated by most sequences, which could be beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Chickpea hydrolysates could be utilized as functional ingredients to be included in the diet for the prevention of diabetes.In this study, the experimental two-dimensional forming limit diagram (FLD) data for a ZIRLO™ sheet, which is used in nuclear fuel rod support grids, were converted and presented as a triaxiality failure diagram (TFD). Most previous studies assumed ZIRLO™ to be isotropic when calculating the effective stress and strain. However, for highly anisotropic materials, the anisotropy should be considered for calculations of effective stress and strain; hence, in this study, they were calculated by introducing the normal anisotropy coefficient. To obtain this parameter of the ZIRLO™ specimens, tensile tests were performed on specimens with 0°, 45°, and 90° angles with respect to the rolling direction. It was observed that the average normal anisotropy coefficient measured during the tests was 4.94, which is very high. The von Mises isotropic and Hill 48 anisotropic yield criterion were applied to the FLD data that were experimentally determined using a limit dome height test and were converted into effective stress and effective strain.