bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Διερεύνηση του ρόλου της μερικής πίεσης του διοξειδίου του άνθρακα στην πνευμονική αρτηριακή υπέρταση κατά τον επεμβατικό μηχανικό αερισμό
Authors: Τριαντάρης Απόστολος
Published: January 2024

Η προστατευτική υπερκαπνία (permissive hypercapnia) χρησιμοποιείται συνήθως σε μηχανικά αεριζόμενους ασθενείς για την αποφυγή τραυματισμού των πνευμόνων, αλλά η επίδρασή της στην PAP εξακολουθεί να είναι ασαφής, ιδιαίτερα σε συνδυασμό με τις εναλλαγές του Vt. Ως εκ τούτου, πραγματοποιήθηκε μια in vivo μελέτη σε ενήλικα κουνέλια που αερίζονταν με χαμηλό Vt (9 ml/kg, LVt) ή υψηλό Vt (15 ml/kg, ομάδα HVt) και υπολογίστηκαν οι μεταβολές στην PAP. Και οι δύο ομάδες ζώων αρχικά αερίστηκαν με FiO2 0,3 (Νορμοκαπνικό Στάδιο-1) για 30 λεπτά. Έπειτα εκτέθηκαν σε μίγμα αερίου εμπλουτισμένο με CO2 (FiCO2 0.10) για την ανάπτυξη υπερκαπνίας (Υπερκαπνικό Στάδιο-1). Μετά από 30 λεπτά υπερκαπνίας, τα πειραματόζωα αερίστηκαν εκ νέου με FiO2 0.3 για να αναπτύξουν ξανά νορμοκαπνία (Νορμοκαπνικό Στάδιο-2) και στη συνέχεια με FiCO2 0.10 για να αναπτύξουν το δεύτερο υπερκαπνικό επεισόδιο (Υπερκαπνικό Στάδιο -2). Η sPAP, η dPAP και η mPAP αξιολογήθηκαν με τη βοήθεια ενός καθετήρα στην πνευμονική αρτηρία. Στα ΥΣ- 1 και ΥΣ-2, η PaCO2 αυξήθηκε (p < 0,0001) τόσο στην ομάδα των πειραματόζωων με χρήση LVt όσο και στην ομάδα με HVt. Το pH μειώθηκε σε ≈7,2 στο ΥΣ-1 και ≈7,1 στο ΥΣ-2. Στην νορμοκαπνία, η αύξηση του Vt από 9 σε 15 ml/kg προκάλεσε αύξηση της Cstat, της Pplat και της PAP. Η υπερκαπνία αύξησε την PAP είτε στην ομάδα με χρήση LVt είτε στην ομάδα με χρήση HVt χωρίς σημαντική επίδραση στην Cstat ή στην Pplat. Με τη στατιστική ανάλυση που διενεργήθηκε αναδείχθηκε ότι δεν υπήρξε στατιστικά σημαντική αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ των επιδράσεων της υπερκαπνίας και του αναπνεόμενου όγκου στην mPAP (p = 0,76). Εν κατακλείδι, η αύξηση του Vt per se προκάλεσε αύξηση των Cstat, Pplat και PAP στην νορμοκαπνία. Η υπερκαπνία αύξησε την PAP σε κουνέλια που αερίζονται με χαμηλό ή υψηλό Vt, αλλά αυτό το αποτέλεσμα δεν ήταν μακράς διαρκείας.
Πειραματικό μοντέλο κολίτιδας και η επίδραση αντιοξειδωτικών παραγόντων
Authors: Κοττάκης Γεώργιος
Published: January 2024

Θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο και στόχοι: Η δράση των ελεύθερων ριζών οξυγόνου και η οξειδωτική βλάβη που προκαλούν έχουν αναδειχθεί ως κύριοι παθογενετικοί μηχανισμοί στην ανάπτυξη φλεγμονής του παχέος εντέρου. Τα φυτικής προέλευσης αντιοξειδωτικά σκευάσματα παρέχουν τη δυνατότητα παρέμβασης στο συγκεκριμένο παθογενετικό μηχανισμό, ενώ χαρακτηρίζονται και από ιδιαίτερα ευνοϊκό τοξικολογικό προφίλ. Η κερκετίνη, ένα μέλος της οικογένειας των φλαβονοειδών που ανευρίσκεται σε διάφορα φρούτα, λαχανικά και δημητριακά, έχει διαπιστωθεί πως διαθέτει ένα ευρύ φάσμα βιολογικών επιδράσεων στην ανθρώπινη φυσιολογία. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν η διερεύνηση των επιδράσεων της κερκετίνης , όταν αυτή χορηγείται από το στόμα με τη μορφή του υδατοδιαλυτού συμπλόκου εγκλεισμού με υδροξυπροπυλο-β-κυκλοδεξτρίνη (Que-HP-β-CD), σε πειραματικό μοντέλο κολίτιδας σε μύες, υπολογίζοντας την επίδραση του παράγοντα στις μεταβολές του δείκτη δραστηριότητας νόσου (Disease Activity Index – DAI), της ιστολογικής εικόνας, του μήκους του παχέος εντέρου και στις συγκεντρώσεις ανοσολογικών δεικτών (Ιντεγκρίνη α4β7, Ιντεγκρίνη CD11b, MAdCAM-1). Υλικά και μέθοδοι: Τα ζώα εργαστηρίου έλαβαν είτε θειικό νάτριο δεξτράνης (DSS), για την πρόκληση κολίτιδας, συγχρόνως με χορήγηση Que-HP-β-CD (ομάδα Α), μόνο DSS (ομάδα Β) ή δεν έλαβαν καμία παρέμβαση (control, ομάδα Γ) για 7 ημέρες. Όλα τα ζώα εργαστηρίου ζυγίζονταν καθημερινά και η αξιολόγηση της κολίτιδας πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη χρήση του DAI. Την 7η ημέρα λήφθηκε δείγμα αίματος από όλα τα ζώα εργαστηρίου, έγινε ευθανασία, μετρήθηκε το μήκος του παχέος εντέρου και πραγματοποιήθηκαν ιστολογικές και ανοσολογικές αναλύσεις. Αποτελέσματα: Ο DAI παρουσίασε αύξηση των τιμών με την πάροδο του χρόνου για τις ομάδες που έλαβαν DSS (ομάδες Α και Β) σε σύγκριση με την ομάδα ελέγχου (ομάδα Γ), ενώ σημαντικός βαθμός προστασίας παρατηρήθηκε στην ομάδα που έλαβε επίσης κερκετίνη (ομάδα Α): Η κλίση του DAI με την πάροδο του χρόνου για την ομάδα Β ήταν υψηλότερη από εκείνη της ομάδας Α κατά 0,26 μονάδες/ημέρα (95% Cl 0,20-0,33, p < 0,01). Σημαντική ήταν η επίδραση της αγωγής και στο μήκος του παχέος εντέρου, το οποίο μετρήθηκε κατά μέσο όρο μικρότερο στην ομάδα Β συγκριτικά με την ομάδα Α κατά 11mm (95% CI 5,45-17,40, p < 0,01). Τα αποτελέσματα της ανοσοϊστοχημείας επικύρωσαν τα ευρήματα των ανωτέρω. Συμπεράσματα: Συμπερασματικά, η χορήγηση κερκετίνης σε ένα μοντέλο ελκώδους κολίτιδας σε μύες παρουσιάζει θεραπευτικό/προφυλακτικό δυναμικό που χρήζει περαιτέρω διερεύνησης.
Can Positive Emotions Predict Consumer Satisfaction in Adverse Services?
Authors: Akthar Nahima , Nayak Dr. Smitha , Pai P Dr. Yogesh
Published: January 2024

Background Managing emotions during hospital visits is important to enhance patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between patients’ happiness and satisfaction through patients’ mood and perceived service quality at a healthcare setup. Methods This study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital located in coastal Karnataka during the period from November to December 2021. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire from 227 respondents. “Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 27.0” and “SmartPLS 3.0” software was used for data analysis. Results Hypotheses proposed in this study were examined by comparing the direct effect of patients’ happiness level on perceived service quality and the indirect effect of the level of patients’ happiness on patient satisfaction. The influence of all the exogenous latent variables namely, happiness, mood, perceived service quality, on the endogenous latent variable of patient satisfaction is estimated to be moderate (R2=62.5%). Conclusion This study empowers hospital managers to recognize how patient satisfaction is dependent on patients’ happiness. In order to enhance patient satisfaction, the quality of care provided by health services, human resources, and infrastructure must be improved. As a result, the entire service encounter can be made enjoyable to the customers by reducing the distress caused by adverse services. Managers can utilize the outcomes of the study to develop marketing strategies to influence patients’ emotions in the healthcare setup by modifying the servicescape elements.
Case Report: Acquired hemophilia A following COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: Bouslama Emna , Ben Ismail Hajer , Zahra Kmira , Sassi Nadia , Dhaha Yossra , Bouatay Amina , Ben Boussef Yosra , Ben Sayed Nesrine , Regaieg Haifa , Khelif Abderrahim
Published: January 2024

Background: In December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified and has subsequently been responsible for immense morbidity and mortality. This resulted in the development of vaccines in record time, potentially posing safety issues. Several cases of acquired hemophilia A (AHA) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been described in the literature. AHA is a rare autoimmune disease due to the production of IgG autoantibodies to coagulation FVIII that burdens high morbidity and mortality. It is presumed mainly on identifying an increased activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), even without bleeding and is confirmed by determining a FVIII inhibitor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of AHA after inactivated virus COVID-19 treated with low dose rituximab (RTX). Lower RTX doses may lead to shorter infusion duration, lower risk of adverse events and lower costs. 

Case presentation: We report a case of AHA occurring in a 69-year-old man 60 days after an inactivated Sinovac-coronavac COVID-19 vaccine. Diagnosis of AHA was based on clinical presentation and confirmed with prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, Factor VIII deficiency and the presence of an FVIII inhibitor. Follow-up showed a significant clinical and biological improvement, aPTT was normalized as of 18 days of treatment with corticosteroids along with low dose rituximab.

Conclusions: In the literature, the reported cases of AHA following COVID-19 vaccination occurred after Adenoviral Vector DNA- and SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Here, AHA was presented following inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine. AHA treated with low dose rituximab can limit occurrence of side effects and the cost of treatment.
In silico identification of quorum sensing inhibitors against LasR protein in a clinical isolate of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa DMC-27b
Authors: Siam Md. Hasanul Banna , Sirajee Ahmad Salman , Limon Md. Belayet Hasan , Hossain M. Anwar , Sultana Munawar
Published: January 2024

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that uses quorum-sensing (QS) and biofilm formation to subvert antibiotic therapy. Antibiotic resistance has led to a demand for alternative methods of treatment, and destabilizing the LasR-OdDHL binding with inhibitors offers a potential solution.

Methods: This study aimed to construct a homology model of the LasR protein using the genetic sequence of the P. aeruginosa DMC-27b strain (GenBank: SMRY00000000.2). Molecular docking, molecular mechanics-based binding free energy calculation, and pharmacokinetic analysis were performed on 1900 3D structures collected from synthetic and natural compound databases to identify three potential lead molecules. These compounds were evaluated using ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) analysis, and molecular dynamics protocols were used to refine the results.

Results: The three lead compounds showed higher binding capability with the LasR receptor than the native ligand and passed the ADMET evaluation stage. In total, 44 properties remained within the range of 95% of known drugs, indicating their potential efficacy as drugs against P. aeruginosa and other bacteria that use a similar QS system.

Conclusions: This study provides insights into potential drug designing and development against clinical isolates of emerging P. aeruginosa strains and other bacteria that use a similar QS system.
A cross-sectional study of the psychosocial and occupational impact of COVID-19 among NHS staff: findings from a Northwest London cohort during the second wave
Authors: Powell Richard A , Burmester Victoria ML , Waddingham Ed , Jesuthasan Jehanita , Norton John , Jayacodi Sandra , Guan Steven , Nicholls Dasha
Published: January 2024

Background: Evidence of the deleterious mental health impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers shows the priority need to support their psychological wellbeing.  We assessed the nature, prevalence and factors associated with the psychosocial and occupational impact of COVID-19 among NHS staff during the pandemic.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was sent to all NHS provider organisations in Northwest London in January 2021.

Results: Of 1,065 participants completing the survey, 906 (85%) provided responses to the full survey.  Over half (54.1%; n=543) exceeded the cut-off score for probable mental disorders, 31.1% (n=222) for probable burnout, and similarly for PTSD (28.5%; n=210).  28.6% (n=214) had experienced suicidal thoughts. 58% (n=429) scored >5 out of 10 for emotional and physical exhaustion.  Over 30% (n=328) of respondents reported using some kind of staff support service.

Staff in pay bands 4-6 were more likely to have common mental disorders (CMD) (OR 2.42 [1.20,4.88]) and PTSD symptoms (OR 4.18 [1.44,12.14]) than lower banded staff.  Staff working in acute care settings were more likely to experience CMD (OR 1.50 [1.08,2.07]) and PTSD (OR 1.57 [1.03,2.41]) than in non-acute settings.  Low social connectedness and perceived delivery of poor-quality care were highly associated with risk of all mental health problems, apart from alcohol misuse (OR range 1.56-18.34).

Conclusions: Psychosocial morbidity and adverse occupational impacts on NHS staff in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic echoed that reported in the first wave.  Social connection and perception of delivering good care were important, potentially modifiable, mitigating factors.
Effect of extrusion cooking on the chemical and nutritional properties of instant flours: a review
Authors: Pismag Remigio Yamid , Polo María Paula , Hoyos José Luis , Bravo Jesús Eduardo , Roa Diego Fernando
Published: January 2024

Satisfying the nutritional requirements of consumers has made food industries focus on the development of safe, innocuous, easy-to-prepare products with high nutritional quality through efficient processing technologies. Extrusion cooking has emerged as a prominent technology associated with the nutritional and functional attributes of food products. This review aims to establish a theoretical framework concerning the influence of extrusion parameters on the functional and nutritional properties of precooked or instant flours, both as end-products and ingredients. It highlights the pivotal role of process parameters within the extruder, including temperature, screw speed, and raw materials moisture content, among others, and elucidates their correlation with the modifications observed in the structural composition of these materials. Such modifications subsequently induce notable changes in the ultimate characteristics of the food product. Detailed insights into these transformations are provided within the subsequent sections, emphasizing their associations with critical phenomena such as nutrient availability, starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, enhanced in vitro digestibility, reduction in the content of antinutritional factors (ANFs), and the occurrence of Maillard reactions during specific processing stages. Drawing upon insights from available literature, it is concluded that these effects represent key attributes intertwined with the nutritional properties of the end-product during the production of instant flours.
Mitochondrial and microbial diversity of the invasive mosquito vector species Culex tritaeniorhynchus across its extensive inter-continental geographic range
Authors: Jeffries Claire L. , Tantely Luciano M , Kadriaj Perparim , Blagrove Marcus S C , Lytra Ioanna , Orsborne James , Al-Amin Hasan Mohammad , Mohammed Abdul Rahim , Alam Mohammad Shafiul , Girod Romain , Afrane Yaw A , Bino Silvia , Robert Vincent , Boyer Sebastien , Baylis Matthew , Velo Enkelejda , Hughes Grant L , Walker Thomas
Published: January 2024

BackgroundCulex (Cx.) tritaeniorhynchusis an invasive mosquito species with an extensive and expanding inter-continental distribution, currently reported across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and now Australia. It is an important vector of medical and veterinary pathogens which cause significant morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations. Across regions endemic for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV),Cx. tritaeniorhynchusis considered the major vector and has also been shown to contribute to the transmission of several other zoonotic arboviruses including Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) and West Nile virus (WNV). Methods In this study, we used laboratory vector competence experiments to determine ifCx. tritaeniorhynchusfrom a Southern European population were competent JEV vectors. We also obtained samples from multiple geographically dispersedCx. tritaeniorhynchuspopulations from countries within Europe, Africa, Eurasia and Asia to perform phylogenetic analysis to measure the level of mitochondrial divergence using thecytochrome oxidase subunit 1(CO1) gene. We also undertook bacterial16S rRNAgene amplicon sequencing to determine microbial diversity and used multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to determine any evidence for the presence of strains of the naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacteriumWolbachia. ResultsCx. tritaeniorhynchusfrom a Greek population were shown be be competent vectors of JEV with high levels of virus present in saliva. We found a signficant level of mitochondrial genetic diversity using the mosquitoCO1gene between geographically dispersed populations. Furthermore, we report diverse microbiomes identified by16S rRNAgene amplicon sequencing within and between geographical populations. Evidence for the detection of the endosymbiotic bacteriaWolbachiawas confirmed usingWolbachia-specific PCR and MLST. Conclusions This study enhances our understanding of the diversity ofCx. tritaeniorhynchusand the associated microbiome across its inter-continental range and highlights the need for greater surveillance of this invasive vector species in Europe.
Formation of productivity of potato tubers depending on elements of cultivation technology
Authors: Minikaev Rogat , Shaykhutdinov Farit , Egorov Leonid , Sharapova Alsu
Published: January 2024

Realization of the potential potato yield (35-40 t/ha) in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region is possible only with the introduction of adapted highly productive varieties and the use of varietal agricultural technology. The article presents the results of a study of the influence of area and nutrition on the productivity of the new early ripening potato variety Arosa. It was established that in the flowering phase there was an intensive growth, and the mass of the tubers was quite high and, depending on the planting density, it ranged from 121 to 148 g/bush. The pattern of decreasing tuber weight per course as planting density increased continued until harvesting. Before harvesting, it was 38,1 thousand - 845 g at planting density; 44,4 thousand - 778 g; 53,3 thousand - 675 g; 88,9 thousand tubers/ha - 444 g/bush or 401 g lower compared to the planting density of 38,1 thousand tubers/ha. It was revealed that on gray forest soils, as the number of planted tubers increased from 38,1 to 88,9 thousand pieces/ha, the yield of potato tubers of the Arosa variety increased from 30,45 to 36,65 t/ha, and the collection of starch from 4,46 to 5,53 t/ha. However, the maximum yield excluding seeds of 32,60 t/ha had a clearly defined maximum at a certain optimal planting rate – 53,3 thousand tubers/ha.
Nutritional interventions in the management of endometriosis – review of the literature
Authors: Kotowska Maja , Różańska-Smuszkiewicz Gabriela , Smuszkiewicz-Różański Paweł , Zamirska Wiktoria , Zygmunt Anna , Zięba Katarzyna , Koszyczarek Karolina , Ziemiański Albin
Published: January 2024

Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition, affects approximately 10% of women in their reproductive years, impacting around 176 million individuals globally. Characterized by endometrium-like tissue outside the uterine cavity, it leads to symptoms like chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility, severely impairing quality of life. This study aims to investigate the role of nutritional interventions in managing endometriosis, highlighting their potential impact and clinical implications.
Autoimmune pancreatitis - role of intestinal microbiota in pathogenesis. Review of the literature
Authors: Wiejak Katarzyna , Schok Katarzyna , Jasek Jakub
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Autoimmune pancreatitis is a type of chronic autoimmune inflammation that can be divided into two types. Type 1 is a clinical manifestation of IgG4-mediated disease, while type 2 may coexist with inflammatory bowel diseases.
Objective: The aim of the study is to review the literature on the role of the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of autoimmune pancreatitis.
Methods: A literature review was conducted on databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar using the terms: ”autoimmune pancreatits”, “intestinal dysbiosis”, “intestinal microbiome”, and “pathogenesis”.
Conclusions: The intestinal microbiota has an impact on the development of autoimmune pancreatitis, but it is not the main pathogenic factor, but rather a risk factor.
Barry Coward, Peter Gaunt, Stuartowie. Anglia 1603-1714, przeł. Magdalena Loska
Authors: Hajduś Agnieszka
Published: January 2024

Brak abstraktu dla tego artykułu.
Henryk Litwin, Chwała Północy. Rzeczpospolita w polityce Stolicy Apostolskiej (1598-1648)
Authors: Bartoszewski Maciej
Published: January 2024

Brak abstraktu dla tego artykułu.
Iterative Rule Extension for Logic Analysis of Data: An MILP-Based Heuristic to Derive Interpretable Binary Classifiers from Large Data Sets
Authors: Balvert Marleen
Published: January 2024

Data-driven decision making is rapidly gaining popularity, fueled by the ever-increasing amounts of available data and encouraged by the development of models that can identify nonlinear input–output relationships. Simultaneously, the need for interpretable prediction and classification methods is increasing as this improves both our trust in these models and the amount of information we can abstract from data. An important aspect of this interpretability is to obtain insight in the sensitivity–specificity trade-off constituted by multiple plausible input–output relationships. These are often shown in a receiver operating characteristic curve. These developments combined lead to the need for a method that can identify complex yet interpretable input–output relationships from large data, that is, data containing large numbers of samples and features. Boolean phrases in disjunctive normal form (DNF) are highly suitable for explaining nonlinear input–output relationships in a comprehensible way. Mixed integer linear programming can be used to obtain these Boolean phrases from binary data though its computational complexity prohibits the analysis of large data sets. This work presents IRELAND, an algorithm that allows for abstracting Boolean phrases in DNF from data with up to 10,000 samples and features. The results show that, for large data sets, IRELAND outperforms the current state of the art in terms of prediction accuracy. Additionally, by construction, IRELAND allows for an efficient computation of the sensitivity–specificity trade-off curve, allowing for further understanding of the underlying input–output relationship.

History: Accepted by Andrea Lodi, Area Editor for Design & Analysis of Algorithms–Discrete.

Funding: This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) [Grant VI.VENI.192.043].

Supplemental Material: The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2021.0284 .
Impact of Gamma Irradiation on Biochemical and Physiological Characteristics of Black Rice
Authors: Dash Samapika , Kujur Monty
Published: January 2024

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a fruit caryopsis, well known for its high calorific value and presence of high antioxidant phytochemicals such as flavonoids and anthocyanins. Further exposure of crops to different doses of physical mutagens is useful to give insight into development of quality traits for plant breeding. So, the objective of the present study was to analyse the effects of gamma irradiation on black rice seeds that were exposed to different radiation doses and to evaluate the irradiation effect on physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants. Variations were observed among different doses from non-enzymatic antioxidant activities that showed the increasing flavonoids, phenolics and carotenoids accumulation from low to high doses. A high dose irradiation releases, high amount of H2O2 as compare to O2- indicating the involvement of enzymatic antioxidants as a defence mechanism. An inverse relation was shown between peroxidase and catalase enzyme and concentration of Superoxide dismutase also increased with increasing doses. To know the level of stress on cellular metabolism, total proline and malon dialdehyde accumulation was estimated and both showed positive results for increasing doses. In case of measurement of photosynthetic parameters, chlorophyll concentration increased from 50 Gy to 100 Gy and decreased from 150 Gy to 200 Gy due to peroxidation of membrane. Significant effect was not observed in the concentration of soluble sugar among various doses. Thus, the present study, was useful to isolating effective dose (50Gy, 100 Gy) that may contribute towards advancement of qualitative traits for future breeding purposes.
Potato Leaf Disease Detection Using Machine Learning
Authors: Pasalkar Jayashree , Gorde Ganesh , More Chaitanya , Memane Sanket , Gaikwad Vaishnavi
Published: January 2024

Potato is one of the most important crops worldwide, and its productivity can be affected by various diseases, including leaf diseases. Early detection and accurate diagnosis of leaf diseases can help prevent their spread and minimize crop losses. In recent years, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have shown great potential in image classification tasks, including disease detection in plants. In this study, we propose a CNN-based approach for the prediction of potato leaf diseases. The proposed method uses a pre-trained CNN model, which is fine-tuned on a dataset of potato leaf images. The dataset includes images of healthy leaves and leaves infected with different diseases such as early blight and late blight. The trained model is then used to classify new images of potato leaves into healthy or diseased categories. The proposed approach achieves 97.4% accuracy in the classification of potato leaf diseases such as early blight potato leaf disease and late blight potato leaf disease, and can be used as an effective tool for early detection and management of these diseases in potato crops.
Assessment of Physical and Biochemical Qualities of Solanum tuberosum L. Under Roadside Traffic Polluted Area
Authors: Singh Deepak , Sharma Manoj Kumar , Sharma Manoj Kumar , Singh Mahender
Published: January 2024

Solanum tuberosum L. is an important crop that yields high-quality of vegetables. anthropogenic activities are increasing traffic and road air pollution day by day. The impact of traffic road air pollution on agricultural vegetation was examined in this study work because traffic air pollution has become a life-threatening problem. We selected sites with and without traffic roads (control) in order to compare crop samples. The values of the photosynthetic pigments decreased (chlorophyll 'a', 5.43 ˃ 4.00; chlorophyll 'b', 8.91 ˃ 8.26; and carotenoid, 5.62 ˃ 4.26), and growth also decreased (thickness: 8.4 ˃ 5.6; length: 23.4 ˃ 13.1; and weight: 7.16 ˃ 5.19) that we observed in our record are also statistically significant. Air quality was determined to be low, photosynthetic pigment quality was lowered, and crop vegetation growing near busy roads had stunted development. These were the outcomes of excessive quantities of dangerous gaseous components found at a traffic road site. Physical and biochemical quality results also showed variation in traffic road and control sites grown crop vegetation.
Analysis of Incomplete Data Under Different Missingness Mechanism using Imputation Methods for Wheat Genotypes
Authors: Sanju Sanju , Kumar Vinay
Published: January 2024

Missing values is a persistent problem in analysis of agriculture data. To improve the quality of the data in the agriculture study, imputation has drawn a lot of research interest. Non-missing data was removed with varying frequency from the genotypic data of the wheat crop by different missingness mechanism. Imputation methods namely last observation carried forward, mean, regression and KNN are applied to these data sets and compared their parameter with the parameter of original data. The performances of imputation methods are also evaluated by root mean square error for solving missing values at different missingness mechanism.
Horticulture in Kashmir Valley: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Sharma Meetu , Singh Inder Jeet , Gupta Shruti
Published: January 2024

Horticulture industry benefits the economic well-being of the people involved and the economy of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It increases the GDP of the state by approximately 9 percent (Directorate of Horticulture J&K Govt.). Horticulture crop production has increased since the inception of the state. In this study, the area under the horticulture crops is decreasing. Some of the horticultural crops in the valley are experiencing a rapid decrease. The aim of this study is to find the trend and variability of horticulture crops in the state of Kashmir. In this paper, we attempt to analyze the overall trends of the overall area, production and yield of the fresh & dry fruit crops in the Kashmir valley covering ten districts over a period of 50 years. Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was used to calculate the growth and volatility of the area under the crop. The area under the crop showed a negative CAGR over the last 10 years while production and yield showed moderate volatility.
Effects of Dietary Star Apple (Chrysophyllum cainito L.) Peel Extract on Growth Performance, Intestinal Histology, Hematology, and Non-Specific Immune Parameters in Common Lowland Frog (Rana rugulosa Wiegmann)
Authors:   Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani 34000, Thailand, Jankham Aroon , Promprom Wilawan ,   Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand,   Plant and Innovation Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand, Chatan Wannachai ,   Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand,   Plant and Innovation Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand, Somnate Kajita ,   Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani 34000, Thailand, Khambaione Somsak ,   Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand,   Pakse Teachers Training College, Km 3, 13 South Road, Pakse 031212262, Laos, Munglue Phukphon ,   Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani 34000, Thailand,   Plant and Innovation Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand
Published: January 2024

Star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito L.) has been used to treat several diseases. However, using this plant as a feed additive in aquaculture production is rare. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the effects of dietary star apple peel extract (SAPE) on growth performance, intestinal histology, hematology, and non-specific immune parameters in common lowland frog (Rana rugulosa Wiegmann). Peel samples from star apple fruits were collected, dried, and extracted with methanol. Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, and steroids were detected in SAPE at varied concentrations. Frogs of average weight 8.50 ± 0.10 g were fed diets incorporating 0, 10, 15, and 20 g SAPE/kg diet. After six weeks of feeding, the frogs' growth and physiological parameters were evaluated. The results revealed that the growth and intestinal histology features of frogs fed SAPE diets were significantly increased compared with the control (P <0.05). No significant differences among the treatments were observed in the survival rate, red blood cells, hematocrit, and hemoglobin (P >0.05). Serum albumin was significantly enhanced in frogs fed a 10 g SAPE/kg diet (P <0.05). Dietary SAPE significantly decreased serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride, and cholesterol compared with the control (P <0.05). Furthermore, frogs fed SAPE diets had significantly elevated lysozyme activity, leukocyte respiratory burst activity, complement activity, and immunoglobulin M compared with the control (P <0.05). In conclusion, these results showed the beneficial effects of SAPE on the growth and health status of frogs with the appropriate level of 17.75 to 20.00 g/kg diet. Keywords: Medicinal plants, Common lowland frog, Growth performance, Immunity, Hematology
Development of Food-Luring Baited Traps for Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Monitoring in the Field in Southern China
Authors: Zhu Wenchao , Hussain Mubasher , Sun Ziqiang , Mao Runqian , Ye Yixin , Xiu Baolin , Huang Chengzhi , An Xincheng
Published: January 2024

Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a red imported fire ant that originated from South America, is a worldwide invasive pest. This study investigated the efficacy of the newly designed baited trap to detect red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, under field conditions in China. Among the five food lures tested for red imported fire ants, the ants preferred ham sausage and fish powder, followed by mixed powder (50% fish powder + 50% black soldier fly powder) and black soldier fly powder. These lures were compared to sugar water (control) to determine their efficacy in trapping red imported fire ants. Field data revealed that the ham sausage powder trap was more efficient than the fish powder trap based on its ability to trap more red imported fire ants under field conditions and ease of use. Thus, it was concluded that the baited traps are efficient for longterm red imported fire ants monitoring.
The Relationship Between Personality Factors, Vocational Identity and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy
Authors: Turda Sebastian
Published: January 2024

Context: Adolescence is the training ground for adult life. In a relatively short period, the adolescent will undergo a metamorphosis. During the high school years, the majority of adolescents move from persistent dependence to true independence, from logical thinking to abstract, complex and hypothetical thinking, from impulsivity to consideration and from a diffuse feeling about one's own person to a reasonably defined self-identity. Adolescent's vocational identity formation during high school is an extremely important process in vocational and career counseling, because it helps them to make rational choices regarding the choice of a career gaining an increased level of career maturity. 
Methods: The present study had as participants 300 Romanian teenagers which belong to the following paths of studies/profiles: formal sciences (specializations: Mathematics-informatics and Natural Sciences), services (specializations: Economics, trade, tourism and food) and humanities (specialization: Philology). The tools used in the adolescent evaluation process were Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy-Short Form Scale (CDMSE-SF), the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-3). 
Results: After the interpretation of the obtained results, the following aspects were demonstrated: The identity status career commitment correlates with the personality traits - neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness, and regarding the career decision-making self-efficacy it correlates with the self-evaluation process, obtaining information about self and professions, setting goals, career planning and the problem-solving process. Identity status identification with career commitment correlates with personality traits - extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness, and from the perspective of the career decision-making self-efficacy, it correlates with the process of self-evaluation, obtaining information about self and professions, setting goals, solving problems and career planning. The identity status career commitment flexibility correlates with the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness, and from the perspective of the career decision-making self-efficacy it correlates with the problem-solving process. Identity status career self-doubt correlates positively with the personality trait neuroticism and negatively with conscientiousness, the process of self-evaluation, obtaining information about self and professions, setting goals, career planning and problem solving. 
Conclusion: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between vocational identity, personality factors and career decision-making self-efficacy. The results demonstrated that certain personality traits, respectively certain components of career decision-making self-efficacy are predictors for the adolescent's vocational identity formation.
The hidden, human costs of the UK’s failing ‘market’ for home care
Authors: Scourfield Peter
Published: January 2024

Prompted by the news of yet another private home care provider going out of business and handing back their care contracts to the local council, this piece discusses key reasons why the quasi-market in adult social care in the UK continues to fail. The commentary highlights the negative impact of such market failures for service users, their families and care staff, and suggests the steps that need to be taken to improve the situation.
Taking Pragmatism Seriously Enough: Toward a Deeper Understanding of the British Debate over Pragmatism, ca. 1900–1910
Authors: Braaksma Ymko
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Classical pragmatism has often been branded as being primarily a new theory of truth. Using F.C.S. Schiller's response to an article written by F.H. Bradley, I show that, in fact, a certain theory of thought is the essential point of pragmatism according to Schiller as well as John Dewey and William James. I go on to argue that without taking this theory of thought into account we cannot properly understand the British reception of classical pragmatism in the early 1900s. I illustrate the significance of this contention by criticizing the responses to pragmatism given by Bertrand Russell and G.E. Moore.
Channeling Erasmus in Communist Poland: Leszek Kołakowski, Vatican II, and the Reinvention of "Counter-Reformation"
Authors: Kosicki Piotr H.
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Polish intellectual historian Leszek Kołakowski proposed in the 1960s an innovative, now virtually forgotten, reimagining of a crucial concept in the history of Roman Catholicism: the idea of "Counter-Reformation." Kołakowski's lifelong affinity for early modern Europe's Catholic dissidents led him into dialogue in the era of Vatican II with Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the leader of a movement of young Polish reformers who styled themselves "Catholic socialists." Seeing them as the bedrock of a new Catholic Counter-Reformation, Kołakowski sketched the role he hoped Poland might play in reinventing not only Catholicism, but religious life in the modern world.
Control of the spider-like interference structure in photoelectron momentum distributions of a helium atom in a few-cycle nonlinear chirped laser pulse
Authors: Cheng Cong-Cong , Sun Yue , Li Zi-An , Liu Si-Tong , Liu Xue-Shen
Published: January 2024

We investigate theoretically the photoelectron momentum distributions (PMDs) of the helium atom in the few-cycle nonlinear chirped laser pulse. The numerical results show that the direction of the spider-like interference structure in PMDs exhibits periodic variations with the increase of the chirp parameter. It is illustrated that the direction of the spider-like interference structure is related to the direction of the electron motion by tracking the trajectories of the electrons. We also demonstrate that the carrier-envelope phase can precisely control the opening of the ionization channel. In addition, we investigate the PMDs when a chirp-free second harmonic (SH) laser pulse is added to the chirped laser field, the numerical results show that the interference patterns can change from only spider-like interference structure to both spider-like and ring-like interference structures.
Impact of higher-order dispersion on frequency-modulated combs
Authors: Opačak Nikola , Schneider Barbara , Faist Jérôme , Schwarz Benedikt
Published: January 2024

Frequency-modulated (FM) combs form spontaneously in free-running semiconductor lasers and possess a vast potential for spectroscopic applications. Despite recent progress in obtaining a conclusive theoretical description, experimental FM combs often exhibit non-ideal traits, which prevents their widespread use. Here we explain this by providing a clear theoretical and experimental study of the impact of the higher-order dispersion on FM combs. We reveal that spectrally dependent dispersion is detrimental for comb performance and leads to a decreased comb bandwidth and the appearance of spectral holes. These undesirable traits can be mended by applying a radio frequency modulation of the laser bias. We show that electrical injection-locking of the laser leads to a significant increase of the comb bandwidth, a uniform-like spectral amplitudes, and the rectification of the instantaneous frequency to recover a nearly linear frequency chirp of FM combs.
Stretch tuning of dispersion in optical microfibers
Authors: Liu Keying , Li Yuhang , Gao Mingjin , Zhang Jianbin , Xu Peizhen , Guo Xin , Liu Qiang , Tong Limin
Published: January 2024

Dispersion management is vital for nonlinear optics and ultrafast lasers. We demonstrate that group velocity dispersion (GVD, or second-order dispersion, i.e., β2) and group delay dispersion (GDD) in optical microfibers can be tuned simply by stretch due to their remarkable features of small diameter and diameter-dependent dispersion. We experimentally demonstrate that a pulling force of just a few mN would elongate the optical microfibers by up to 5%, bringing a significant change in the β2 and GDD. This change can be increment or decrement, lying on the diameter of optical microfibers. Therefore, 10-cm-long optical microfibers would provide a GDD change of 104 fs2 when elongated by 5%, well in the elastic limit. Remarkably, this change is equivalent to the GDD (not GDD change) provided by a 0.5-m-long single-mode fiber. Experimental results and simulations show that the GDD change is due to the interplay between elongation, diameter shrink, and refractive index decrease. Benefited from the easy manipulation, tiny pulling force required, and full integration with conventional optical fibers, stretch tuning of dispersion in optical microfibers would find applications in dispersion management for ultrafast lasers and nonlinear optics.
Compact lithium niobate plasmonic modulator
Authors: Kim Myunghwan , Kang Eun Kyu , Jung Soo-Yong , Kwon Won-Bae , Kwon Sangjin , Lee Jongjin
Published: January 2024

Lithium niobate (LN)-based modulators offer superior modulation performances, including high-speed modulation, linearity, and temperature stability. However, these devices exhibit larger sizes due to the low light–matter interaction despite a significant electro-optic coefficient. In this work, we present a compact LN-based modulator using a plasmonic mode that confines the optical mode in a very narrow gap. By filling the gap with LN, the confinement factor in the LN is significantly enhanced. The proposed modulator provides an extremely small half-wave voltage–length product, VπL of 0.02 V/cm at an optical communication wavelength (λ = 1.55 µm). The proposed modulator scheme can be utilized in a wide range of optical communication devices that demand small footprints and a high-speed operation.
Stabilizing Fabry–Perot optical frequency comb with differential phase detection and bias compensation
Authors: Weng Xiyi , Wei Wei , Xie Weilin , Dong Yi
Published: January 2024

We present a stable optical frequency comb (OFC) that utilizes a Fabry–Perot phase modulator. The environmental-induced state variation of the OFC is accurately detected by measuring the relative phase changes of beat signals from its upper and lower sidebands. We then compensate for this variation by controlling OFC bias voltage through a homodyne phase-locked loop. The differential phase detection eliminates the common-mode detection noise, enabling long-term stability of the OFC without requiring any additional reference signal. The relative phase change is only 0.056° over 3800 s. Even under a drastic temperature change, the OFC remains stable, validating the effectiveness of the proposed stabilization method.
Near-infrared hyperspectral circular polarization imaging and object classification with machine learning
Authors: Suzuki Masato , Doi Kimitaka , Sakamoto Moritsugu , Noda Kohei , Sasaki Tomoyuki , Kawatsuki Nobuhiro , Ono Hiroshi
Published: January 2024

We constructed a hyperspectral circular polarization (S3) imaging system in the near-infrared (NIR) region comprising a circularly polarized broadband light source, a polarization grating, and a commercial hyperspectral camera. With this system, we captured hyperspectral S3 images of plastic samples. We then demonstrated the classification with machine learning and found that the hyperspectral S3 images showed higher classification precision than the conventional NIR hyperspectral images. This result indicates that the hyperspectral S3 imaging has potential for object classification even for samples with similar absorption spectra. This hyperspectral S3 imaging system can be applied in garbage classification in recycling plants.
Two risk factors for hypozincemia in diabetic β-thalassemia patients: Hepatitis C and deferasirox
Authors: Darvishi-Khezri Hadi , Karami Hossein , Naderisorki Mohammad , Ghazaiean Mobin , Kosaryan Mehrnoush , Mosanejad-Galchali Amir , Aliasgharian Aily , Karami Hasan
Published: January 2024

Background and aim

Hypozincemia is a prevalent adverse consequence in diabetes mellitus (DM) and β-Thalassemia patients. We aimed to evaluate the level of serum zinc in β-thalassemia patients with DM and a risk assessment for hypozincemia.

Methods

The study population included transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) with overt DM (fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥126 mg/dL, and/or 2-h plasma glucose≥200 mg/dL). Serum zinc concentration was measured by the colorimetric method, and the values below 70 μg/dL were defined as hypozincemia. Myocardial and liver T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI T2*, millisecond [ms]) were valued by a free contrast MRI. The demographic, clinical, paraclinical, and laboratory data were also recorded. The data belonged to the period from December 2018 until December 2020.

Results

Of 64 diabetic β-thalassemia patients, 41 cases had zinc data in their medical files (aged 38 ± 9 years, 48.8% female). 78.05% of patients (n = 32) were TDT, and 21.95% were NTDT (n = 9). The mean ± standard deviation of zinc level was 110.2 ± 127.6 μg/dL. The prevalence of hypozincemia was 9.76%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27 to 19.24 (four cases). After controlling age, the odds of hypozincemia for using deferasirox (DFX) was 8.77, 95% CI 0.60 to 127.1. In β-thalassemia patients, the age-adjusted risk of hypozincemia was calculated at 15.85, 95% CI 0.47 to 529.3 for hepatitis C. The adjusted risk of hypozincemia based on age for antacid use was 6.34, 95% CI 0.39 to 102.7.

Conclusion

In light of this study, as well as hepatitis C, using DFX and antacids is associated with a high risk of hypozincemia amid diabetic β-thalassemia cases. However, upward bias should be taken into consideration.
Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 genetic variability: A post-market surveillance workflow for combined bioinformatic and laboratory evaluation of commercial RT-PCR assay performance
Authors: Kosińska-Selbi Barbara , Kowalczyk Justyna , Pierscińska Jagoda , Wełeszczuk Jarosław , Peñarrubia Luis , Turner Benjamin , Pareja Josep , Porco Roberto , Diaz-Hernandez Rubi , Juanola-Falgarona Martí , Rey Melisa , Manissero Davide , Blacha Anna
Published: January 2024

Objective

The speed at which Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is mutating has made it necessary to frequently assess how these genomic changes impact the performance of diagnostic real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Herein, we describe a generic three-step workflow to assess the effect of genomic mutations on inclusivity and sensitivity of RT-PCR assays.

Methods

Sequences collected from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) were mapped to a SARS-CoV-2 reference genome to evaluate the position and prevalence of mismatches in the oligonucleotide-binding sites of the QIAstat-Dx, an RT-PCR panel designed to detect SARS-CoV-2. The frequency of mutations and their impact on melting temperature were assessed, and sequences flagged by risk-based criteria were examined in vitro.

Results

Out of 8,900,393 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences analyzed, only 173 (0.0019%) genomes contained potentially critical mutations for the QIAstat-Dx; follow-up in-vitro testing confirmed no impact on the assays’ performance.

Conclusions

The current study demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants do not affect the performance of the QIAstat-Dx device. It is recommended that manufacturers incorporate this workflow into obligatory post-marketing surveillance activities, as this approach could potentially enhance genetic monitoring of their product.