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In the CK samples, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria accounted for ~69.8% of the total bacteria, but they were gradually replaced by Firmicutes with increasing proportions of HT-PFR, which can be caused by the high protein content in PFR. Consisting with bacterial community, more gram-positive bacteria were observed in T1 and T2, and most of them are related to manganese oxidation and chitinolysis. As composting proceeded, bacteria having symbiotic or pathogenic relationships with animals and plants were reduced, but those related to ureolysis and cellulolysis were enriched. Above all, hydrothermal treatment is effective in destroying the lactam structure of penicillin, which makes that most ARGs and pathogenic bacteria are eliminated in the subsequent composting.The high toxicity and persistence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment demands the development of effective remediation for PCBs-contaminated soils. In this study, electrokinetic (EK) remediation integrated with iron-carbon material (Fe/C) was established and used to remediate PCB28 (1 mg kg-1) contaminated soil under a voltage gradient of 1 V cm-1. Effects of Fe/C dosage, soil type, and remediation time were investigated. The operational condition was optimized as 4 g kg-1 Fe/C, yellow soil, and 14 d-remediation, achieving PCB28 removal efficiency of 58.6 ± 8.8% and energy utilization efficiency of 146.5. Introduction of EK-Fe/C did not significantly affect soil properties except for slight soil moisture content increase and total Fe content loss. Soil electrical conductivity exhibited an increasing trend from anode to cathode attributed to EK-induced electromigration and electroosmosis. EK accelerated the corrosion and consumption of reactive Fe0/Fe3C in Fe/C by generating acid condition. Fe/C in turn effectively prevented EK-induced soil acidification and maintained soil neutral to weak alkaline condition. A synergistic effect between EK and Fe/C was revealed by the order of PCB28 removal efficiency-EK-Fe/C (58.6 ± 8.8%) > EK (37.7 ± 1.6%) > Fe/C (6.8 ± 5.0%). This could be primarily attributed to EK and Fe/C enhanced Fenton reaction, where EK promoted Fe/C dissolution and H2O2 generation. In addition to oxidation by Fenton reaction generated ·OH, EK-mediated electrochemical oxidation, Fe/C-induced reduction and migration of Fe/C adsorbed PCBs were all significant contributors to PCB28 removal in the EK-Fe/C system. These findings suggest that the combination of EK and Fe/C is a promising technology for remediation of organics-contaminated soil.Volatile brominated compounds are important trace gases for stratospheric ozone chemistry. In this study, the spatial variations of dibromomethane (CH2Br2), bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl2), dibromochloromethane (CHBr2Cl) and bromoform (CHBr3) in the seawater and overlying atmosphere were measured in the Yellow Sea (YS) and the East China Sea (ECS) in winter. The air-sea fluxes of CH2Br2, CHBrCl2, CHBr2Cl and CHBr3 ranged from -11.46 to 25.33, -4.68 to 7.91, -8.60 to 4.08 and -88.57 to 8.84 nmol m-2·d-1, respectively. In order to understand the mechanism of halocarbons production, we measured bromoperoxidase (BrPO) activity (39.18-186.74 μU·L-1) in the YS and ECS for the first time using an aminophenyl fluorescein (APF) method and performed in-situ incubation experiments in BrPO-treated seawater. The production rates of CH2Br2, CHBrCl2, CHBr2Cl and CHBr3 ranged from 14.21 to 94.74, 0.00 to 19.74, 0.00 to 30.62 and 6.18-72.75 pmol L-1·h-1, respectively, in BrPO-treated seawater. There were significantly higher production rates in coastal waters compared with the open sea (P = 0.016) because of higher DOC levels near the coast. Moreover, the production rates of halocarbons increased with BrPO activity and H2O2 concentration. The results showed that enzyme-mediated reaction was an important source for the production of halocarbons in seawater. The present research is of great significance for understanding the production mechanisms of halocarbons in seawater and global oceanic halocarbons emissions.Plant male sterility (MS) is an important agronomic trait that provides an efficient tool for hybridization and heterosis utilization of crops. Based on phenotypic and cytological observations, our study performed a multi-comparison transcriptome analysis strategy on multiple sterile and fertile rubber tree varieties using RNA-seq. Compared with the male-fertile varieties, a total of 1590 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in male-sterile varieties, including 970 up-regulated and 620 down-regulated transcripts in sterile varieties. Key DEGs were further assessed focusing on anther development, microsporogenesis and plant hormone metabolism. Twenty DEGs were selected randomly to validate transcriptome data using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Eleven key genes were subjected to expression pattern analysis using qRT-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Among them, nine genes, i.e., A6, GAI1, ACA7, TKPR1, CYP704B1, XTH26, MS1, MS35 and MYB33, that regulate callose metabolism, pollen wall formation, tapetum and microspores development were identified as candidate male-sterile genes. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism of male sterility in rubber tree.

Many individuals who get cancer may be exposed to stigmatization from their close relatives and their entourage. This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted in order to determine stigmatization, discrimination and perception of illness among oncology patients in Northern Turkey.

The sample of the study consisted of 367 inpatients who were hospitalized in the oncology and hematology clinics of a University Hospital in northern Turkey between 31.01.2019 and 30.07.2019. Data were collected using the demographics form, Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale and Illness Perception Questionnaire.

The mean total score of the patients according to Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale is 30.4±8.8. In this study, no statistically significant relationship was determined between Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale total score and Illness Perception Questionnaire sub-dimension scores (p>.05). It can be said that the oncology patients were exposed to stigmatization and discrimination, and that certain socio demographic and clinical characteristics such as sex, marital status, education level, employment status, diagnosis, and the clinical phase of the disease are significant predictors of Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale scores.

In order to help them express their feelings in oncology patients, reduce their anxiety, increase their adaptation to their illness and treatment, help them cope with the multi-faceted crisis caused by the disease and improve their quality of life, cancer stigmatization should be evaluated objectively.

In order to help them express their feelings in oncology patients, reduce their anxiety, increase their adaptation to their illness and treatment, help them cope with the multi-faceted crisis caused by the disease and improve their quality of life, cancer stigmatization should be evaluated objectively.

This study aimed to identify the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) among Korean breast cancer survivors and further explore their experiences based on their level of FCR.

A mixed-methods study was conducted with a quantitative approach (phase I) followed by a qualitative approach (phase II) between August 2019 and February 2020.70 participants who completed the FCR inventory questionnaire were categorized into either high or low groups based on their FCR level. In phase II, in-depth interviews with 14 participants from phase I were conducted to explore their specific experiences of FCR.

38 participants (54.3%) experienced high levels of FCR, characterized by higher severity of FCR, more reaction to triggers, higher stress levels, more functional impairments, more insight, and frequent reassurance-seeking behaviors than those with low levels of FCR. Differences in FCR levels by age were statistically significant (F=6.83, p=.002), and participants younger than 50 years had significantly higher FCR scores than those aged 60 years and older. Of similarities and differences found between the two groups, qualitative findings showed that the experience of the high FCR group was characterized by "living with cancer but keeping a certain distance from fear of recurrence" and that of the low FCR group was characterized by "living a healing life while controlling latent fears."

It is necessary to help those survivors who experience high FCR reduce its negative impact on their health. These findings can serve as a basis to develop a personalized approach with better understanding of the FCR among Korean women.

It is necessary to help those survivors who experience high FCR reduce its negative impact on their health. These findings can serve as a basis to develop a personalized approach with better understanding of the FCR among Korean women.To study the impacts of thermosonication (TS), the spinach juice treated with TS (200 W, 400 W, and 600 W, 30 kHz, at 60 ± 1 °C for 20 mint) were investigated for bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities, color properties, particle size, rheological behavior, suspension stability, enzymatic and microbial loads. As a result, TS processing significantly improved the bioactive compounds (total flavonols, total flavonoids, total phenolic, carotenoids, chlorophyll, and anthocyanins), antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP assay) in spinach juice. Also, TS treatments had higher b*,L*, hue angle (h0), and chroma (C) values, while minimuma* value as compared to untreated and pasteurized samples. TS processing significantly reduced the particle size, improved the suspension stability and rheological properties (shear stress, apparent viscosity, and shear rate) of spinach juice as compared to the untreated and pasteurized sample. TS plays a synergistic part in microbial reduction and gained maximum microbial safety. Moreover, TS treatments inactivated the polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase from 0.97 and 0.034 Abs min-1 (untreated) to 0.31 and 0.018 Abs min-1, respectively. The spinach juice sample treated at a high intensity (600 W, 30 kHz, at 60 ± 1 °C for 20 mint, TS3) exhibited complete inactivation of microbial loads ( less then 1 log CFU/ml), the highest reduction in enzymatic activities, better suspension stability, color properties, and highest bioactive compounds. Collectively, the verdicts proposed that TS processing could be a worthwhile option to pasteurize the spinach juice to enhance the overall quality.

Colchicine reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary disease. Colchicine has broad anti-inflammatory effects and part of the atheroprotective effects have been suggested to be the result of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. We studied the effect of colchicine on extracellular vesicle (EV) NLRP3 protein levels and inflammatory markers, high sensitivity-CRP (hs-CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6, in patients with chronic coronary disease.

In vitro, the NLRP3 inflammasome was stimulated in PMA-differentiated- and undifferentiated THP-1cells. In vivo, measurements were performed in serum obtained from 278 participants of the LoDoCo2 trial, one year after randomization to colchicine 0.5mg once daily or placebo. EVs were isolated using precipitation. NLRP3 protein presence in EVs was confirmed using iodixanol density gradient centrifugation. Levels of NLRP3 protein, hs-CRP and IL-6 were measured using ELISA.

In vitro, NLRP3 inflammasome stimulation showed an increase of EV NLRP3 protein levels. EV NLRP3 protein levels were lower in patients treated with colchicine (median 1.38ng/mL), compared to placebo (median 1.58ng/mL) (p=0.025). No difference was observed in serum NLRP3 protein levels. Serum hs-CRP levels were lower in patients treated with colchicine (median 0.80mg/L) compared to placebo (median 1.34mg/L) (p<0.005). IL-6 levels were lower in patients treated with colchicine (median 2.07ng/L) compared to placebo (median 2.59ng/L), although this was not statistically significant (p=0.076).

Colchicine leads to a reduction of EV NLRP3 protein levels. This indicates that inhibitory effects on the NLRP3 inflammasome might contribute to the atheroprotective effects of colchicine in coronary disease.

Colchicine leads to a reduction of EV NLRP3 protein levels. This indicates that inhibitory effects on the NLRP3 inflammasome might contribute to the atheroprotective effects of colchicine in coronary disease.

Few studies have examined and compared spousal concordance in different populations. This study aimed to quantify and compare spousal similarities in cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases between Dutch and Japanese populations.

This cross-sectional study included 28,265 Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study spouse pairs (2006-2013) and 5,391 Japanese Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) Cohort Study pairs (2013-2016). Spousal similarities in cardiometabolic risk factors were evaluated using Pearson's correlation or logistic regression analyses adjusted for spousal age.

The husbands' and wives' average ages in the Lifelines and ToMMo cohorts were 50.0 and 47.7 years and 63.2 and 60.4 years, respectively. Significant spousal similarities occurred with all cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases of interest in both cohorts. The age-adjusted correlation coefficients ranged from 0.032 to 0.263, with the strongest correlations observed in anthropometric traits. Spousal odds ratios [95% confidence interval] for the Lifelines vs. ToMMo cohort ranged from 1.45 (1.36-1.55) vs. 1.20 (1.05-1.38) for hypertension to 6.86 (6.30-7.48) vs. 4.60 (3.52-6.02) for current smoking. An increasing trend in spousal concordance with age was observed for sufficient physical activity in both cohorts. For current smoking, those aged 20-39 years showed the strongest concordance between pairs in both cohorts. The Dutch pairs showed stronger similarities in anthropometric traits and lifestyle habits (smoking and drinking) than their Japanese counterparts.

Spouses showed similarities in several cardiometabolic risk factors among Dutch and Japanese populations, with regional and cultural influences on spousal similarities.

Spouses showed similarities in several cardiometabolic risk factors among Dutch and Japanese populations, with regional and cultural influences on spousal similarities.Infertility is a common disorder affecting 20% of couples worldwide. Furthermore, 40% of all cases are related to male infertility. The first step in the determination of male infertility is semen analysis. The morphology, concentration, and motility of sperm are important characteristics evaluated by experts during semen analysis. Most laboratories perform the tests manually. However, manual semen analysis requires much time and is subject to observer variability during the evaluation. Therefore, computer-assisted systems are required. Additionally, to obtain more objective results, a large amount of data is necessary. Deep learning networks, which have become popular in recent years, are used for processing and analysing such quantities of data. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are a class of deep learning algorithm that are used extensively for processing and analysing images. In this study, six different CNN models were created for completely automating the morphological classification of sperm images. Additionally, two decision-level fusion techniques namely hard-voting and soft-voting were applied over these CNNs. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, three publicly available sperm morphology data sets were used in the experimental tests. For an objective analysis, a cross-validation technique was applied by dividing the data sets into five sub-sets. In addition, various data augmentation scales and mini-batch analysis were employed to obtain the highest classification accuracies. Finally, in the classification, accuracies 90.73%, 85.18% and 71.91% were obtained for the SMIDS, HuSHeM and SCIAN-Morpho data sets, respectively, using the soft-voting based fusion approach over the six created CNN models. The results suggested that the proposed approach could automatically classify as well as achieve high success in three different data sets.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) acts as a most effective growth inhibitor for normal epithelial cells. Loss of this anti-proliferative factor in breast tissues favors invasion and development of osteolytic metastases, aided by a master transcription factor, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). Several reports identified Runx2 regulation with the help of non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs) under physiological and pathological conditions.

Using bioinformatics tools such as miRDB, STarMir, Venny, TarBase, a unique list of miRNAs that putatively target the 3' UTR Runx2 was identified. Further, the expression patterns of those miRNAs at the precursor and mature levels were studied by RT-qPCR analyses. Following this, computational analyses using software like TransmiR and bc-GenExMiner v4.6 were done to speculate the miRNA's other target genes that indirectly regulate Runx2 activity in breast cancer.

There were 13 miRNAs that putatively target Runx2 identified using bioinformatics tocancer-mediated bone metastasis. In addition, it would potentially pave the way for miRNAs to be used as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in cancer research.Lung nodule segmentation is an exciting area of research for the effective detection of lung cancer. One of the significant challenges in detecting lung cancer is Accuracy, which is affected due to the visual deviations and heterogeneity in the lung nodules. Hence, to improve the segmentation process's Accuracy, a Salp Shuffled Shepherd Optimization Algorithm-based Generative Adversarial Network (SSSOA-based GAN) model is developed in this research for lung nodule segmentation. The SSSOA is the hybrid optimization algorithm developed by integrating the Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA) and shuffled shepherd optimization algorithm (SSOA). The artefacts in the input Computed Tomography (CT) image are removed by performing pre-processing with the help of a Gaussian filter. The pre-processed image is subjected to lung lobe segmentation, which is done with the help of deep joint segmentation for segmenting the appropriate regions. The lung nodule segmentation is performed using the GAN. The GAN is trained using the SSSOA to effectively segment the lung nodule from the lung lobe image. The metrics, such as Dice Coefficient, Accuracy, and Jaccard Similarity, are used to evaluate the performance. The developed SSSOA-based GAN method obtained a maximum Accuracy of 0.9387, a maximum Dice Coefficient of 0.7986, and a maximum Jaccard Similarity of 0.8026, respectively, compared with the existing lung nodule segmentation method.Planning for bone tumor resection surgery is a technically demanding and time-consuming task, reliant on manual positioning of cutting planes (CPs). This work describes an automated approach for generating bone tumor resection plans, where the volume of healthy bone collaterally resected with the tumor is minimized through optimized placement of CPs. Particle swarm optimization calculates the optimal position and orientation of the CPs by introducing a single new CP to an existing resection, then optimizing all CPs to find the global minima. The bone bounded by all CPs is collaterally resected with the tumor. The approach was compared to manual resection plans from an experienced surgeon for 20 tumor cases. It was found that a greater number of CPs reduce the collaterally resected healthy bone, with diminishing returns on this improvement after five CPs. The algorithm-generated resection plan with equivalent number of CPs resulted in a statistically significant improvement over manual plans (paired t-test, p less then 0.001). The described approach has potential to improve patient outcomes by reducing loss of healthy bone in tumor surgery while offering a surgeon multiple resection plan options.Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an environmental pollutant in the atmosphere which is easily absorbed by the human body. After being inhaled in the body, SO2 is quickly converted into bisulfite (HSO3-), forming a balance in which SO2 and HSO3- coexist in the body status. A large number of epidemiological studies have shown that abnormal levels of sulfite and bisulfite are related to the appearance of numerous diseases such as atherosclerosis, essential hypertension, and lung tissue fibrosis. Therefore, it is essential to develop an effective method to detect bisulfite. In this work, starting from 4-bromonaphthalene-1-carbonitrile, three uncomplicated but efficient HSO3- sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probes HNIC, CIVP and HVIC were designed and synthesized through ICT mechanism and the Michael-type addition reaction. The probes can image HSO3- in living cells. The probes not only have good fluorescence stability and strong anti-interference ability, but also display mitochondrial targeting ability.Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an energy molecule of significant importance, and, the monitoring of ATP in living cells is considerable for the clinical diagnosis of many related diseases, including cancer. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have recently been attracting widespread interest in biomedical applications due to their chemical and thermal stability, high sensitivity, good biocompatibility, and excellent tissue penetration. Herein, a Cy3-aptamer-cDNA- UCNPs nanosensor was synthesized, based on the luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) between UCNPs and Cy3 for monitoring ATP in living cells. It showed a selective sensing ability for ATP levels by changes of fluorescence intensity of UNCPs at 536 nm. The investigated biosensor showed a precise, efficient detection with sufficient selectivity which was achieved through the optimization of conditions. In the range of 1-1000 μM, the ATP-induced changes of the fluorescence intensity were linearly proportional to the ATP concentrations. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity assay revealed that the UCNPs sensor exhibited favorable biocompatibility, implicating the use of UCNPs in vivo imaging. This study highlights the potential of using a combination of UCNPs and ATP-binding aptamer to design an ATP-activatable probe for fluorescence-mediated imaging in living cells. These results implied that the nanosensor can be applicable for the monitoring of intracellular ATP by fluorescence imaging and the quantitative analysis of biological liquids.The catalytic amplification signal of polystyrene nanosphere (PN) is used to conveniently fabricate the resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS)/surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) dual-mode method to sensitively and selectively detect urea in food. PN has strong catalysis of the slow nanoreaction of citrate-Ag(I) to produce yellow silver nanoparticles (AgNP), which exhibit strong RRS effect and SERS effect with molecular probes. When aptamer (Apt) is present, the Apt is adsorbed on the PN surface, the catalysis is weakened, the AgNP is reduced, and the SERS/RRS signal is weakened. After adding urea to exhibit specific Aptamer reaction, the Apt is desorbed from the PN surface and the catalysis is restored. As urea increase, the desorbed PNs increase to produce more AgNPs indicator to increase SERS/RRS signal. The increase value △I of SERS/RRS is linearly to urea concentration. Therefore, a sensitive and selective SERS/RRS dual-mode method for urea is established based on aptamers-regulated the catalysis of PNs. This method is applied to the detection of urea in milk with satisfactory results. The relative standard deviation is 3.9-6.8% and the recovery rate is 94.5-102%.In this work, we developed an aptamer-based optical assay for the analysis of Pb2+, a hazardous heavy metal that may be present in the food chain and harmful to human health. An aptamer targeted against Pb2+ was immobilized onto the microplate as the capture probe. SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and used as carriers of the signaling horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to achieve amplification of the optical signal. Complementary DNA (cDNA) of the aptamer was also linked to the above mentioned SiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) as the signal probe. The aptamers were found to be able to capture Pb2+, and the unbound aptamers were subsequently hybridized with cDNA-HRP-SiO2 conjugates. As a result, the addition of TMB-H2O2 promoted the formation of blue products in the catalytic system. The assay adopting SiO2 NPs as an enhancer resulted in higher sensitivity with an LOD of 2.5 nM compared to normal procedures. The feasibility of the aptamer-based colorimetric assay was verified by successful detection of Pb2+ in water samples with recoveries in the range of 97.4-103.52%.In recent years, fluorescent probes based on chemical reactions have been widely investigated as a powerful and noninvasive method for the diagnosis of diseases. β-Galactosidase (β-gal), a typical lysosomal glycosidase, over expressed in senescent cells and primary ovarian cancer cells, which has been considered as an important biomarker cell senescence and primary ovarian cancers. Fluorescent probes for the determination of β-gal provide an excellent choice for visualization of cell senescence. In this work, a turn on fluorescent probe (HBT-gal) for β-gal activity was developed based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds. HBT-gal showed little fluorescence in aqueous buffer excited at 415 nm, while emitted green fluorescence centered at ∼ 492 nm upon incubated with β-gal. The sensing scheme showed high selectivity and sensitivity for β-gal activity with a limit of detection calculated as low as 0.19 mU/mL. Moreover, HBT-gal was successfully applied to image β-gal activity in senescent Hep G2 cells treated with H2O2. Therefore, probe HBT-gal demonstrated a potential usage for the determination of cell senescence using β-gal as a biomarker.A highly stable heterometallic MOF, [(Me2NH2)2]·[Cd2K2(L)2(H2O)]n (H4L = terphenyl-2, 2', 4, 4'-tetracarboxylic acid) (1), was synthesized. 1 featuring one-dimensional channels can efficiently detect Aspartic acid with a low limit of detection (LOD) value (2.5 μM). More interestingly, 1 can encapsulate Eu3+ and sensitize the visible-emitting characteristic fluorescence of Eu3+ in aqueous solution. Then, Eu3+@CdK-MOF is found to be an excellent fluorescence sensor for the detection of Ornidazole (ODZ) and the portable ODZ test paper is also successfully designed. Eu3+@CdK-MOF can also be used as fluorescent ink to write some words. The words can be hidden when treated with acid vapor and then the words can be restored when treated with alkaline vapor. More importantly, the hidden information can be read repeatedly. Therefore, this reversible light-emitting and reusable property have great potential for development in information encryption and decryption and information storage.Iridin, one of the main bioactive components isolated from Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC, exerts various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and antitumor. However, the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of iridin are still unknown. After 100 mg/kg administration of iridin orally, the plasma, urine, and fecal bio-samples from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were collected and detected by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The pharmacokinetics of the major metabolite irigenin (aglycon of iridin) and a total of thirteen metabolites of iridin were identified, including five metabolites in plasma, ten metabolites in urine, and six metabolites in feces. The most principal metabolic pathway of iridin was glucuronidation after demethylation and was mediated by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) 1A7, 1A8, 1A9 and 1A10. This study highlights the first-time investigation of the metabolism of iridin in vivo, and the pharmacokinetics of irigenin (the major metabolite of iridin) in rats. These results provide robust evidence for further research and clinical application of iridin.Analytical methods used for quality control of plants and plant extracts are based on the identification and quantification of chemical markers to manage batch reproducibility and efficacy. The aim of this work was to assess the performance of a High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method developed for quality control of industrial dry extracts of ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata L.), using 2,2-diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) effect directed chemical reaction for antioxidant activity of acteoside, a phenylethanoid glycoside commonly used as a marker for P. lanceolata L., and to demonstrate the applicability of the Life Cycle Management of Analytical Methods concept to quantitative HPTLC-DPPH methods. The first step was the determination of the Analytical Target Profile (ATP) and Target Measurement Uncertainty (TMU), taking into account the quality control requirements for such extracts and the detection method applicable range. Once the desired range was established, an evaluation of the calibration function was conducted using several calibration models. Due to the lack of reference samples, spiked samples were used to evaluate the accuracy of the method by means of Total Analytical Error (TAE) determination, using prediction intervals calculation for the selected calibration functions. Measurement Uncertainty (MU) was also estimated, allowing the final choice of the calibration function to be used for quality control, giving the most fit for purpose performance level in accordance with the product specifications. As Life Cycle Management of the method also includes its routine use, the Measurement Uncertainty was checked on spiked and unspiked extract samples with different dilution levels, in order to verify the accordance of results between spiked and unspiked samples and to prepare a replication strategy to be applied during the routine use of the method.

The role of overcrowded and multigenerational households as a risk factor for COVID-19 remains unmeasured. The objective of this study is to examine and quantify the association between overcrowded and multigenerational households and COVID-19 in New York City (NYC).

Cohort study.

We conducted a Bayesian ecological time series analysis at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level in NYC to assess whether ZCTAs with higher proportions of overcrowded (defined as the proportion of the estimated number of housing units with more than one occupant per room) and multigenerational households (defined as the estimated percentage of residences occupied by a grandparent and a grandchild less than 18 years of age) were independently associated with higher suspected COVID-19 case rates (from NYC Department of Health Syndromic Surveillance data for March 1 to 30, 2020). Our main measure was an adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of suspected COVID-19 cases per 10,000 population. Our final model controlled for ZCTA-l SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk and COVID-19 disease in these populations.

Overcrowdedness and multigenerational housing are independent risk factors for suspected COVID-19. In the early phase of the surge in COVID cases, social distancing measures that increase house-bound populations may inadvertently but temporarily increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk and COVID-19 disease in these populations.

COVID-19 is a health burden threatening the elderly and those with comorbidities. Malta is an ageing and cardiometabolic country. The study depicts how Malta protected the elderly and the effect of vaccination on this subpopulation.

Observational study with quantitative analyses.

Data were obtained from Malta's COVID dashboard, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and Maltese newspapers. The case-fatality ratio (CFR) and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) for COVID were calculated. Comparisons were made between COVID-19 mortality and YLL to the pre-COVID leading mortality causes. Comparative observations were made between positive and mortality cases stratified by age groups in relation to the cumulative vaccination doses.

The elderly were cocooned during the first wave (CFR 0.98) through the Vulnerable Act, with only 10.80% of positive cases and seven out nine deaths above 65 years. The Vulnerable Act was not reinstated again, with 13.68% of positive cases and 91.34% (n=369) of deaths above 65 years during the second wave (CRF 1.39). The elderly were given priority in COVID-19 vaccination rollout leading to an inverse relationship between positive cases/mortality and vaccination coverage.

The elderly should be protected with timely restrictions to reduce morbidity, mortality and burden on healthcare systems. Vaccination is key to protecting the elderly, although mitigation measures, such as physical distancing, are still required to prevent the resurgence of infections and hospitalizations, especially in this group.

The elderly should be protected with timely restrictions to reduce morbidity, mortality and burden on healthcare systems. Vaccination is key to protecting the elderly, although mitigation measures, such as physical distancing, are still required to prevent the resurgence of infections and hospitalizations, especially in this group.

To identify general characteristics, the use of persuasive techniques, and the nutritional quality of Mexican digital marketing of food and beverages/brand with the greatest number of followers and views (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) with specific appeal to children/adolescents.

Cross sectional, quantitative, exploratory, and descriptive study.

Multistep process to select a sample of 46 products with a Mexican website and major audiences on social networks. The energy and nutrient content of the foods and beverages were analyzed with the Pan American Health Organization Nutrient Profile Model.

Cola and soft drinks, sweetened juices were the products with the greatest number of followers on Facebook and Twitter (13,321,274 and 1,020,504). Companies used diverse persuasive techniques combining promotional characters (79.1%), incentives (65.1%), and digital techniques (78.3%). Products with excess critical nutrients were most frequently advertised regardless of the type of social network and the marketing techniques used.

Digital Marketing represents a major threat for children and adolescents in Mexico, and probably all over the world, because of its persuasive techniques, and it shall be regulated.

Digital Marketing represents a major threat for children and adolescents in Mexico, and probably all over the world, because of its persuasive techniques, and it shall be regulated.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination is attributable to sociodemographic factors and their complex interactions. Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines in the United States are changing frequently, especially since the launch of the vaccines and as the United States faces a third wave of the pandemic. Our primary objective was to determine the relative influence of sociodemographic predictors on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The secondary objectives were to understand the reasons behind vaccine refusal and compare COVID-19 vaccine acceptance with influenza vaccine uptake.

This was a nationwide US-based survey study.

A REDCap survey link was distributed using various online platforms. The primary study outcome was COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (yes/no). Sociodemographic factors, such as age, ethnicity, gender, education, family income, healthcare worker profession, residence regions, local healthcare facility and 'vaccine launch' period (pre vs post), were included as potential predictors. The differences in vacographic predictors, such as education, ethnicity and age, significantly influenced COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and concerns of side-effects and efficacy led to increased vaccine hesitancy.

Radiographic factors estimate the state of the static knee joint, and it is questionable how well these parameters reflect the dynamic knee condition. The external knee adduction moment (KAM) during gait is known to be a kinetic variable contributing to osteoarthritis progression. This study aims to investigate the effects of static radiographic parameters on the dynamic KAM during gait.

Overall, 123 patients (mean age, 65.7 years; standard deviation, 8.1 years; 34 men and 89 women) were included. Seven radiographic parameters including the mechanical tibiofemoral angle (mTFA), Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and ankle joint line orientation (AJLO) were measured on radiographs, and the maximum KAM and KAM-time integral in the stance phase were obtained using three-dimensional gait analysis. The correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed for identifying significant radiographic measurements associated with the KAM.

Most of the radiographic measurements correlated with the maximum KAM and KAM-time integral. As a result of multiple regression analysis, the mTFA (p < 0.001) and AJLO (p = 0.003) were identified as significant factors associated with the KAM-time integral (R

 = 0.450); the mTFA (p < 0.001) and AJLO (p = 0.003) were identified as a significant factor associated with the maximum KAM (R

 = 0.352) in multiple regression analysis. The discriminant validity of KAM was highest at varus 5.7 degree of the mTFA and 7.5 degree of the AJLO.

The mTFA and AJLO were significantly associated with the KAM. However, to be used as a surgical indication for corrective osteotomy, a longitudinal study is needed to validate whether the mTFA and AJLO values directly cause osteoarthritis progression as we have suggested.

III.

III.

Amongst the literature researching the effects of exercise-induced fatigue on postural control in healthy adults, many studies have used the Borg scales to document the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and have shown a broad range of RPE values. Our main aim was to map fatigue-induced RPE values in included publications. Secondary aims were to summarize the preference and purpose for the use of Borg scales within the included publications and to explore the potential associations between fatigue-induced RPE values and postural control changes.

Five databases (Ovid Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) were systematically searched for synthesizing data among the publications that reported RPE values on the Borg RPE- and Category-Ratio (CR) 10 scales and also found fatigue effects on postural control in healthy adults. Spearman's rank correlations were conducted to assess potential associations between fatigue-induced RPE values and maximal postural control changes across the included publicatvels can lead to postural control changes. However, one should be careful in comparing the extent of fatigue from RPE values and its potential effect on postural control in the light of many confounding factors.Several current theories have essences as primary drivers of inductive potential e.g., people infer dogs share properties because they share essences. We investigated the possibility that people take occupational roles as having robust inductive potential because of a different source their position in stable social institutions. In Studies 1-4, participants learned a novel property about a target, and then decided whether two new individuals had the property (one with the same occupation, one without). Participants used occupational roles to robustly generalize rights and obligations, functional behaviors, personality traits, and skills. In Studies 5-6, we contrasted occupational roles (via label) with race/gender (via visual face cues). Participants reliably favored occupational roles over race/gender for generalizing rights and obligations, functional behaviors, personality traits, and skills (they favored race/gender for inferring leisure behaviors and physiological properties). Occupational roles supported inferences to the same extent as animal categories (Studies 4 and 6). In Study 7, we examined why members of occupational roles share properties. Participants did not attribute the inductive potential of occupational roles to essences, they attributed it to social institutions. In combination, these seven studies demonstrate that any theory of inductive potential must pluralistically allow for both essences and social institutions to form the basis of inductive potential.Suicide is a major public health problem among adolescents. Identifying factors that confer increased risk for suicidal ideation, particularly during the high-risk period following psychiatric hospitalization, is essential for preventing suicide in this population. Negative and positive affect are two such important modifiable risk factors. This study examined relationships between specific affective states and suicidal ideation, collected via daily diary, as continuous functions of time among discharged adolescents. Adolescents hospitalized for suicidal ideation and/or behavior responded to daily surveys for four weeks after discharge (N = 34; 952 observations). Time-varying effects models (TVEM) were used to predict same- and next-day suicidal ideation. Examining between-persons effects, adolescents reporting greater misery and less happiness compared to others had a significantly increased likelihood of same-day suicidal ideation; between-person anger was not significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Within-persons effects suggested that elevated same-day, but not previous-day, misery and anger were associated with suicidal ideation. Elevated within-person happiness was protective for same-day suicidal ideation, but was also associated with next-day suicidal ideation. These findings begin to clarify not only which, but when, specific affective processes influence suicidal ideation for discharged adolescents. These dynamic risk factors represent modifiable treatment targets relevant for real-time interventions.Flow-based cytometry methods are widely used to analyze heterogeneous cell populations. However, their use for small molecule studies remains limited due to bulky fluorescent labels that often interfere with biochemical activity in cells. In contrast, radiotracers require minimal modification of their target molecules and can track biochemical processes with negligible interference and high specificity. Here, we introduce flow radiocytometry (FRCM) that broadens the scope of current cytometry methods to include beta-emitting radiotracers as probes for single cell studies. FRCM uses droplet microfluidics and radiofluorogenesis to translate the radioactivity of single cells into a fluorescent signal that is then read out using a high-throughput optofluidic device. As a proof of concept, we quantitated [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose radiotracer uptake in single human breast cancer cells and successfully assessed the metabolic flux of glucose and its heterogeneity at the cellular level. We believe FRCM has potential applications ranging from analytical assays for cancer and other diseases to development of small-molecule drugs.Osteomyelitis is one of the most challenging diseases in the field of orthopedics for its complex pathogenesis and unsatisfactory treatment. The mechanism underlying its occurrence and development is still unclear. In our previous study, we found that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NONHSAT009968 inhibited the ability of osteogenic differentiation in staphylococcal protein A (SPA)-treated human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The current study was aimed at elucidating the possible mechanism of NONHSAT009968 in regulating osteogenic differentiation and bone defect repairability of hBMMSCs under infection. It was revealed that Wnt3a played a key role in promoting osteogenic differentiation of hBMMSCs treated with SPA in vitro. In addition, NONHSAT009968 inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hBMMSCs treated with SPA via Wnt3a, both in vivo and in vitro. In sum, the results suggested that lncNONHSAT009968 inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hBMMSCs in SA-induced inflammation through Wnt3a, which may have affected the occurrence and development of osteomyelitis. This study might provide novel insights regarding osteomyelitis and infectious bone defects.Radiation therapy requires clinical linear accelerators to be mechanically and dosimetrically calibrated to a high standard. One important quality assurance test is the Winston-Lutz test which localises the radiation isocentre of the linac. In the current work we demonstrate a novel method of analysing EPID based Winston-Lutz QA images using a deep learning model trained only on synthetic image data. In addition, we propose a novel method of generating the synthetic WL images and associated 'ground-truth' masks using an optical path-tracing engine to 'fake' mega-voltage EPID images. The model called DeepWL was trained on 1500 synthetic WL images using data augmentation techniques for 180 epochs. The model was built using Keras with a TensorFlow backend on an Intel Core i5-6500T CPU and trained in approximately 15 h. DeepWL was shown to produce ball bearing and multi-leaf collimator field segmentations with a mean dice coefficient of 0.964 and 0.994 respectively on previously unseen synthetic testing data. When DeepWL was applied to WL data measured on an EPID, the predicted mean displacements were shown to be statistically similar to the Canny Edge detection method. However, the DeepWL predictions for the ball bearing locations were shown to correlate better with manual annotations compared with the Canny edge detection algorithm. DeepWL was demonstrated to analyse Winston-Lutz images with an accuracy suitable for routine linac quality assurance with some statistical evidence that it may outperform Canny Edge detection methods in terms of segmentation robustness and the resultant displacement predictions.Micropollutants (MPs), especially endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), are mainly released from WWTPs into surface water bodies and can subsequently lead to adverse effects in biota. Treatment with ozone proved to be a suitable method for eliminating such MPs. This method was implemented at the WWTP Aachen-Soers by commissioning the largest full-scale ozonation plant in Europe at the moment. Recently, effect-based methods (EBMs) have been successfully proved for compliance monitoring, e.g. estrogenic compounds. Therefore, the impact of ozone treatment on endocrine potential (agonistic and antagonistic) of treated wastewater was investigated using the ERα- and AR CALUX assays. Additionally, the impact on the receiving stream and a potential preload of the water body was assessed. Therefore, the current study could deal as a case study for small rivers being highly impacted by WWTPs. The estrogenic potential was nearly fully eliminated after ozone treatment. Contrary, the antagonistic (anti-estrogenic and ant.Land use and land cover (LULC) scenarios in rural catchment hydrology are crucial to describe the effects of future water dynamics. However, there is a lack of understanding of the effectiveness of including static land covers at the subbasin level to provide inter-annual stability in changing the different water balance components. We developed a step-by-step mapping protocol to extend and enrich the hydrological assessment of future LULC scenarios defined through participatory stakeholder involvement. This novelty included specific allocation of static and dynamic LULC change among the scenarios and then compared the change of water dynamics to the current situation. For this, we quantified the LULC impact on the components of the water balance from three contrasting participatory scenarios implemented with the SWAT model in a rural basin in central Spain. The Land-sharing scenario (LSH) had the highest percentage of permanent grassland and shrubs and no increase of irrigated land compared to baseline. The land-sparing scenario (LSP) intensified agricultural land use close to urban areas, and the land balance scenario (LBA) was intermediate. The LSH increased the aquifer recharge by +1.7% and streamflow by +1.5%, while evapotranspiration and soil water storage decreased by -0.2%. In contrast, the LBA decreased in the riverine flux of -0.5%, an aquifer recharge of -0.6%, a soil water storage of -3.5%, and an evapotranspiration rate of +0.3%. Thus, LSH revealed that the allocation of permanent land cover such as grassland could buffer water dynamics, suggesting that dedicated planning and allocation of permanently vegetated LULC will favour land and water conservation.Accurate, high spatial and temporal resolution water quality monitoring in inland waters is vital for environmental management. However, water quality monitoring in inland waters by satellite remote sensing remains challenging due to low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and instrumental resolution limitations. We propose the concept of proximal remote sensing for monitoring water quality. The proximal hyperspectral imager, developed by Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Hikvision Digital Technology, Ltd., is a high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution (1 nm) sensor for continuous observation, allowing for effective and practical long-term monitoring of inland water quality. In this study, machine learning and empirical algorithms were developed and validated using in situ total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations and spectral reflectance from Lake Taihu (N = 171), the Liangxi River (N = 94) and the Fuchunjiang Reservoir (N = 109) covering different water quality. Our dataset includes a large range for three key water quality parameters of TN from 0.93 to 6.46 mg/L, TP from 0.04 to 0.62 mg/L, and COD from 1.32 to 15.41 mg/L. Overall, the back-propagation (BP) neural network model had an accuracy of over 80% for TN (R2 = 0.84, RMSE = 0.33 mg/L, and MRE = 11.4%) and over 90% for TP (R2 = 0.93, RMSE = 0.02 mg/L, and MRE = 12.4%) and COD (R2 = 0.91, RMSE = 0.66 mg/L, and MRE = 9.3%). Our results show that proximal remote sensing combined with machine learning algorithms has great potential for monitoring water quality in inland waters.Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) have been increasingly released in aquatic ecosystems over the past decades as they are used in many applications. Cu toxicity to different organisms has already been highlighted in the literature, however toxicity mechanisms of the nanoparticulate form remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effect, transfer and localization of CuO-NPs compared to Cu salt on the aquatic plant Myriophyllum spicatum, an ecotoxicological model species with a pivotal role in freshwater ecosystems, to establish a clear mode of action. Plants were exposed to 0.5 mg/L Cu salt, 5 and 70 mg/L CuO-NPs during 96 h and 10 days. Several morphological and physiological endpoints were measured. Cu salt was found more toxic than CuO-NPs to plants based on all the measured endpoints despite a similar internal Cu concentration demonstrated via Cu mapping by micro particle-induced X-ray emission (μPIXE) coupled to Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). Biomacromolecule composition investigated by FTIR converged between 70 mg/L CuO-NPs and Cu salt treatments after 10 days.