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Nick K. Jones1,2*, Lucy Rivett1,2*, Chris Workman3, Mark Ferris3, Ashley Shaw1, Cambridge COVID-19 Collaboration1,4, Paul J. Lehner1,4, Rob Howes5, Giles Wright3, Nicholas J. Matheson1,4,6¶, Michael P. Weekes1,7¶1 Cambridge University NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK2 Clinical Microbiology & Public Health Laboratory, Public Health England, Cambridge, UK3 Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK4 Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK5 Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre and AstraZeneca, Anne Mclaren Building, Cambridge, UK6 NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, UK7 Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK*Joint first authorship¶Joint last authorshipCorrespondence: mpw1001@cam.ac.ukThe UK has initiated mass COVID-19 immunisation, with healthcare workers (HCWs) given early priority because of the potential for workplace exposure and risk of onward transmission to patients. The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended maximising the number of people vaccinated with first doses at the expense of early booster vaccinations, based on single dose efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease.1-3At the time of writing, three COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorisation in the UK, including the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech). A vital outstanding question is whether this vaccine prevents or promotes asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, rather than symptomatic COVID-19 disease, because sub-clinical infection following vaccination could continue to drive transmission. This is especially important because many UK HCWs have received this vaccine, and nosocomial COVID-19 infection has been a persistent problem.Through the implementation of a 24 h-turnaround PCR-based comprehensive HCW screening programme at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHNFT), we previously demonstrated the frequent presence of pauci- and asymptomatic infection amongst HCWs during the UK’s first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.4 Here, we evaluate the effect of first-dose BNT162b2 vaccination on test positivity rates and cycle threshold (Ct) values in the asymptomatic arm of our programme, which now offers weekly screening to all staff.Vaccination of HCWs at CUHNFT began on 8th December 2020, with mass vaccination from 8th January 2021. Here, we analyse data from the two weeks spanning 18thto 31st January 2021, during which: (a) the prevalence of COVID-19 amongst HCWs remained approximately constant; and (b) we screened comparable numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs. Over this period, 4,408 (week 1) and 4,411 (week 2) PCR tests were performed from individuals reporting well to work. We stratified HCWs <12 days or > 12 days post-vaccination because this was the point at which protection against symptomatic infection began to appear in phase III clinical trial.226/3,252 (0·80%) tests from unvaccinated HCWs were positive (Ct<36), compared to 13/3,535 (0·37%) from HCWs <12 days post-vaccination and 4/1,989 (0·20%) tests from HCWs ≥12 days post-vaccination (p=0·023 and p=0·004, respectively; Fisher’s exact test, Figure). This suggests a four-fold decrease in the risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst HCWs ≥12 days post-vaccination, compared to unvaccinated HCWs, with an intermediate effect amongst HCWs <12 days post-vaccination.A marked reduction in infections was also seen when analyses were repeated with: (a) inclusion of HCWs testing positive through both the symptomatic and asymptomatic arms of the programme (56/3,282 (1·71%) unvaccinated vs 8/1,997 (0·40%) ≥12 days post-vaccination, 4·3-fold reduction, p=0·00001); (b) inclusion of PCR tests which were positive at the limit of detection (Ct>36, 42/3,268 (1·29%) vs 15/2,000 (0·75%), 1·7-fold reduction, p=0·075); and (c) extension of the period of analysis to include six weeks from December 28th to February 7th 2021 (113/14,083 (0·80%) vs 5/4,872 (0·10%), 7·8-fold reduction, p=1x10-9). In addition, the median Ct value of positive tests showed a non-significant trend towards increase between unvaccinated HCWs and HCWs > 12 days post-vaccination (23·3 to 30·3, Figure), suggesting that samples from vaccinated individuals had lower viral loads.We therefore provide real-world evidence for a high level of protection against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection after a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine, at a time of predominant transmission of the UK COVID-19 variant of concern 202012/01 (lineage B.1.1.7), and amongst a population with a relatively low frequency of prior infection (7.2% antibody positive).5This work was funded by a Wellcome Senior Clinical Research Fellowship to MPW (108070/Z/15/Z), a Wellcome Principal Research Fellowship to PJL (210688/Z/18/Z), and an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (MR/P008801/1) and NHSBT workpackage (WPA15-02) to NJM. Funding was also received from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. We also acknowledge contributions from all staff at CUHNFT Occupational Health and Wellbeing and the Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre.

Scene flow tracks the three-dimensional (3D) motion of each point in adjacent point clouds. It provides fundamental 3D motion perception for autonomous driving and server robot. Although the Red Green Blue Depth (RGBD) camera or Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) capture discrete 3D points in space, the objects and motions usually are continuous in the macro world. That is, the objects keep themselves consistent as they flow from the current frame to the next frame. Based on this insight, the Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) is utilized to self-learn 3D scene flow with no need for ground truth. The fake point cloud of the second frame is synthesized from the predicted scene flow and the point cloud of the first frame. The adversarial training of the generator and discriminator is realized through synthesizing indistinguishable fake point cloud and discriminating the real point cloud and the synthesized fake point cloud. The experiments on Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Toyota Technological Institute (KITTI) scene flow dataset show that our method realizes promising results without ground truth. Just as human, the proposed method can identify the similar local structures of two adjacent frames even without knowing the ground truth scene flow. Then, the local correspondence can be correctly estimated, and further the scene flow is correctly estimated.   Corresponding author(s) Email: wanghesheng@sjtu.edu.cn

Leukocyte differential test is a widely performed clinical procedure for screening infectious diseases. Existing hematology analyzers require labor-intensive work and a panel of expensive reagents. Here we report an artificial-intelligence enabled reagent-free imaging hematology analyzer (AIRFIHA) modality that can accurately classify subpopulations of leukocytes with minimal sample preparation. AIRFIHA is realized through training a two-step residual neural network using label-free images of isolated leukocytes acquired from a custom-built quantitative phase microscope. By leveraging the rich information contained in quantitative phase images, we not only achieved high accuracy in differentiating B and T lymphocytes, but also classified CD4 and CD8 cells, therefore outperforming the classification accuracy of most current hematology analyzers. We validated the performance of AIRFIHA in a randomly selected test set and cross-validated it across all blood donors. Owing to its easy operation, low cost, and accurate discerning capability of complex leukocyte subpopulations, we envision AIRFIHA is clinically translatable and can also be deployed in resource-limited settings, e.g., during pandemic situations for the rapid screening of infectious diseases.  Corresponding author(s) Email:    rjzhou@cuhk.edu.hk,  rishikesh.pandey@uconn.edu

Tam Hunt [1], Jonathan SchoolerUniversity of California Santa Barbara Synchronization, harmonization, vibrations, or simply resonance in its most general sense seems to have an integral relationship with consciousness itself. One of the possible “neural correlates of consciousness” in mammalian brains is a combination of gamma, beta and theta synchrony. More broadly, we see similar kinds of resonance patterns in living and non-living structures of many types. What clues can resonance provide about the nature of consciousness more generally? This paper provides an overview of resonating structures in the fields of neuroscience, biology and physics and attempts to coalesce these data into a solution to what we see as the “easy part” of the Hard Problem, which is generally known as the “combination problem” or the “binding problem.” The combination problem asks: how do micro-conscious entities combine into a higher-level macro-consciousness? The proposed solution in the context of mammalian consciousness suggests that a shared resonance is what allows different parts of the brain to achieve a phase transition in the speed and bandwidth of information flows between the constituent parts. This phase transition allows for richer varieties of consciousness to arise, with the character and content of that consciousness in each moment determined by the particular set of constituent neurons. We also offer more general insights into the ontology of consciousness and suggest that consciousness manifests as a relatively smooth continuum of increasing richness in all physical processes, distinguishing our view from emergentist materialism. We refer to this approach as a (general) resonance theory of consciousness and offer some responses to Chalmers’ questions about the different kinds of “combination problem.”  At the heart of the universe is a steady, insistent beat: the sound of cycles in sync…. [T]hese feats of synchrony occur spontaneously, almost as if nature has an eerie yearning for order. Steven Strogatz, Sync: How Order Emerges From Chaos in the Universe, Nature and Daily Life (2003) If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.Nikola Tesla (1942) I.               Introduction Is there an “easy part” and a “hard part” to the Hard Problem of consciousness? In this paper, we suggest that there is. The harder part is arriving at a philosophical position with respect to the relationship of matter and mind. This paper is about the “easy part” of the Hard Problem but we address the “hard part” briefly in this introduction.  We have both arrived, after much deliberation, at the position of panpsychism or panexperientialism (all matter has at least some associated mind/experience and vice versa). This is the view that all things and processes have both mental and physical aspects. Matter and mind are two sides of the same coin.  Panpsychism is one of many possible approaches that addresses the “hard part” of the Hard Problem. We adopt this position for all the reasons various authors have listed (Chalmers 1996, Griffin 1997, Hunt 2011, Goff 2017). This first step is particularly powerful if we adopt the Whiteheadian version of panpsychism (Whitehead 1929).  Reaching a position on this fundamental question of how mind relates to matter must be based on a “weight of plausibility” approach, rather than on definitive evidence, because establishing definitive evidence with respect to the presence of mind/experience is difficult. We must generally rely on examining various “behavioral correlates of consciousness” in judging whether entities other than ourselves are conscious – even with respect to other humans—since the only consciousness we can know with certainty is our own. Positing that matter and mind are two sides of the same coin explains the problem of consciousness insofar as it avoids the problems of emergence because under this approach consciousness doesn’t emerge. Consciousness is, rather, always present, at some level, even in the simplest of processes, but it “complexifies” as matter complexifies, and vice versa. Consciousness starts very simple and becomes more complex and rich under the right conditions, which in our proposed framework rely on resonance mechanisms. Matter and mind are two sides of the coin. Neither is primary; they are coequal.  We acknowledge the challenges of adopting this perspective, but encourage readers to consider the many compelling reasons to consider it that are reviewed elsewhere (Chalmers 1996, Griffin 1998, Hunt 2011, Goff 2017, Schooler, Schooler, & Hunt, 2011; Schooler, 2015).  Taking a position on the overarching ontology is the first step in addressing the Hard Problem. But this leads to the related questions: at what level of organization does consciousness reside in any particular process? Is a rock conscious? A chair? An ant? A bacterium? Or are only the smaller constituents, such as atoms or molecules, of these entities conscious? And if there is some degree of consciousness even in atoms and molecules, as panpsychism suggests (albeit of a very rudimentary nature, an important point to remember), how do these micro-conscious entities combine into the higher-level and obvious consciousness we witness in entities like humans and other mammals?  This set of questions is known as the “combination problem,” another now-classic problem in the philosophy of mind, and is what we describe here as the “easy part” of the Hard Problem. Our characterization of this part of the problem as “easy”[2] is, of course, more than a little tongue in cheek. The authors have discussed frequently with each other what part of the Hard Problem should be labeled the easier part and which the harder part. Regardless of the labels we choose, however, this paper focuses on our suggested solution to the combination problem.  Various solutions to the combination problem have been proposed but none have gained widespread acceptance. This paper further elaborates a proposed solution to the combination problem that we first described in Hunt 2011 and Schooler, Hunt, and Schooler 2011. The proposed solution rests on the idea of resonance, a shared vibratory frequency, which can also be called synchrony or field coherence. We will generally use resonance and “sync,” short for synchrony, interchangeably in this paper. We describe the approach as a general resonance theory of consciousness or just “general resonance theory” (GRT). GRT is a field theory of consciousness wherein the various specific fields associated with matter and energy are the seat of conscious awareness.  A summary of our approach appears in Appendix 1.  All things in our universe are constantly in motion, in process. Even objects that appear to be stationary are in fact vibrating, oscillating, resonating, at specific frequencies. So all things are actually processes. Resonance is a specific type of motion, characterized by synchronized oscillation between two states.  An interesting phenomenon occurs when different vibrating processes come into proximity: they will often start vibrating together at the same frequency. They “sync up,” sometimes in ways that can seem mysterious, and allow for richer and faster information and energy flows (Figure 1 offers a schematic). Examining this phenomenon leads to potentially deep insights about the nature of consciousness in both the human/mammalian context but also at a deeper ontological level.

Cannabis sativa is an extraordinarily versatile species. Hemp and its cousin marijuana, both C. sativa, have been used for millennia as a source of fibre, oil and for medicinal, spiritual and recreational purposes. Because the consumption of Cannabis can have psychoactive effects, the plant has been widely banned throughout the last century. In the past decade, evidence of its medicinal properties did lead to the relaxation of legislation in many countries around the world. Consequently, the genetics and development of Cannabis as well as Cannabis-derived products are the subject of renewed attention.Here, we review the biology of C. sativa, including recent insights from taxonomy, morphology and genomics, with an emphasis on the genetics of cannabinoid synthesis. Because the female Cannabis flower is of special interest as the site of cannabinoid synthesis, we explore flower development, flowering time well as the species’ unique sex determination system in detail. Furthermore, we outline the tremendous medicinal, engineering, and environmental opportunities that Cannabis bears. Together, the picture emerges that our understanding of Cannabis biology currently progresses at an unusual speed. A future challenge will be to preserve the multi-purpose nature of Cannabis, and to harness its medicinal properties and sustainability advantages simultaneously.

Quantum chemistry must evolve if it wants to fully leverage the benefits of the internet age, where the world wide web offers a vast tapestry of tools that enable users to communicate and interact with complex data at the speed and convenience of a button press. The Open Chemistry project has developed an open source framework that offers an end-to-end solution for producing, sharing, and visualizing quantum chemical data interactively on the web using an array of modern tools and approaches. These tools build on some of the best open source community projects such as Jupyter for interactive online notebooks, coupled with 3D accelerated visualization, state-of-the-art computational chemistry codes including NWChem and Psi4 and emerging machine learning and data mining tools such as ChemML and ANI. They offer flexible formats to import and export data, along with approaches to compare computational and experimental data.

This paper responds to one by Graham Martin and colleagues, who offered a critique of my previous publications on masks for the lay public in the Covid-19 pandemic. I address their charges that my co-authors and I had misapplied the precautionary principle; drawn conclusions that were not supported by empirical research; and failed to take account of potential harms. But before that, I remind Martin et al that the evidence on mask wearing goes beyond the contested trials and observational studies they place centre stage. I set out some key findings from basic science, epidemiology, mathematical modelling, case studies and natural experiments, and use this rich and diverse body of evidence as the backdrop for my rebuttal of their narrowly-framed objections. I challenge my critics’ apparent assumption that a particular kind of systematic review should be valorised over narrative and real-world evidence, since stories are crucial to both our scientific understanding and our moral imagination. I conclude by thanking my academic adversaries for the intellectual sparring match, but exhort them to remember our professional accountability to a society in crisis. It is time to lay straw men to rest and engage, scientifically and morally, with the dreadful tragedy that is unfolding across the world.

This Supporting information includes interactive plots, videos, and data captured while performing evaluation and validation experiments for our paper. 

The construct of wellbeing has been criticised as a neoliberal construction of western individualism that ignores wider systemic issues including increasing burden of chronic disease, widening inequality, concerns over environmental degradation and anthropogenic climate change. While these criticisms overlook recent developments, there remains a need for biopsychosocial models that extend theoretical grounding beyond individual wellbeing, incorporating overlapping contextual issues relating to community and environment. Our first GENIAL model \cite{Kemp_2017} provided a more expansive view of pathways to longevity in the context of individual health and wellbeing, emphasising bidirectional links to positive social ties and the impact of sociocultural factors. In this paper, we build on these ideas and propose GENIAL 2.0, focusing on intersecting individual-community-environmental contributions to health and wellbeing, and laying an evidence-based, theoretical framework on which future research and innovative therapeutic innovations could be based. We suggest that our transdisciplinary model of wellbeing - focusing on individual, community and environmental contributions to personal wellbeing - will help to move the research field forward. In reconceptualising wellbeing, GENIAL 2.0 bridges the gap between psychological science and population health health systems, and presents opportunities for enhancing the health and wellbeing of people living with chronic conditions. Implications for future generations including the very survival of our species are discussed.  

Floral plantings are promoted to foster ecological intensification of agriculture through provisioning of ecosystem services. However, a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of different floral plantings, their characteristics and consequences for crop yield across global regions is lacking. Here we quantified the impacts of flower strips and hedgerows on pest control and pollination services in adjacent crops using a global dataset of 529 sites. Flower strips, but not hedgerows, enhanced pest control services in adjacent fields by 16% on average. However, effects on crop pollination and yield were more variable. Our synthesis identifies several important drivers of variability in effectiveness of plantings: pollination services declined exponentially with distance from plantings, and perennial and older flower strips with higher flowering plant diversity enhanced pollination more effectively. These findings provide promising pathways to optimize floral plantings to more effectively contribute to ecosystem service delivery and ecological intensification of agriculture in the future.

Researchers' ability to accurately screen fossil and subfossil specimens for preservation of DNA and protein sequences remains limited. Thermal exposure and geologic age are usable proxies for sequence preservation on a broad scale but are of nominal use for specimens of similar depositional environments. Cell and tissue biomolecular histology is thus proposed as a novel proxy for determining sequence preservation potential of ancient specimens with improved accuracy. Biomolecular histology as a proxy is hypothesized to elucidate why fossils/subfossils of some depositional environments preserve sequences while others do not and to facilitate selection of ancient specimens for use in molecular studies.

IntroductionConsistent with World Health Organization (WHO) advice [1], UK Infection Protection Control guidance recommends that healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) should use fluid resistant surgical masks type IIR (FRSMs) as respiratory protective equipment (RPE), unless aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are being undertaken or are likely, when a filtering face piece 3 (FFP3) respirator should be used [2]. In a recent update, an FFP3 respirator is recommended if “an unacceptable risk of transmission remains following rigorous application of the hierarchy of control” [3]. Conversely, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that HCWs caring for patients with COVID-19 should use an N95 or higher level respirator [4]. WHO guidance suggests that a respirator, such as FFP3, may be used for HCWs in the absence of AGPs if availability or cost is not an issue [1].A recent systematic review undertaken for PHE concluded that: “patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who are breathing, talking or coughing generate both respiratory droplets and aerosols, but FRSM (and where required, eye protection) are considered to provide adequate staff protection” [5]. Nevertheless, FFP3 respirators are more effective in preventing aerosol transmission than FRSMs, and observational data suggests that they may improve protection for HCWs [6]. It has therefore been suggested that respirators should be considered as a means of affording the best available protection [7], and some organisations have decided to provide FFP3 (or equivalent) respirators to HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients, despite a lack of mandate from local or national guidelines [8].Data from the HCW testing programme at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHNFT) during the first wave of the UK severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic indicated a higher incidence of infection amongst HCWs caring for patients with COVID-19, compared with those who did not [9]. Subsequent studies have confirmed this observation [10, 11]. This disparity persisted at CUHNFT in December 2020, despite control measures consistent with PHE guidance and audits indicating good compliance. The CUHNFT infection control committee therefore implemented a change of RPE for staff on “red” (COVID-19) wards from FRSMs to FFP3 respirators. In this study, we analyse the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs before and after this transition.

Differential perception and subsequent differential use of habitats can generate local adaptation, especially when natural selection cannot. However, this local adaptation is not maintained into future generations unless mating happens within the chosen habitats. We currently have no experimental data on whether differential perception of environments results in sexual isolation. We induced differential perception of environments by stimulating different olfactory neurons via light pulses (optogenetics) in two groups of fruit flies. These flies were released in a cage of which only one section received light pulses. One group of flies perceives this optogenetic stimulation as the smell of a harmful concentration of CO2 and was found to avoid the illuminated section. The other group perceives it as the smell of food-related compounds and was found to be attracted to the illuminated section. Due to this self-imposed spatial segregation, we subsequently observed a considerable degree of sexual isolation between the two groups of flies. In contrast, in two control treatments preventing differential perception of the environment, sexual isolation was virtually absent. Our results show that differential perception of the environment can easily and rapidly generate spatial segregation and sexual isolation among individuals that are ecologically different. This can maintain local adaptation, especially under conditions when natural selection cannot, which are increasingly common due to human-induced rapid environmental change.

Plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere shape carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil organic matter (SOM). However, there is conflicting evidence on whether these interactions lead to a net loss or increase of stable SOM. In part, this conflict is driven by uncertainty in how litter forms new stable SOM with living roots in the field. To address these uncertainties, we traced the fate of isotopically labeled litter into SOM using root and fungal ingrowth cores incubated in a Miscanthus x giganteus field . Roots selectively mobilized nitrogen from litter without additional carbon release, and transferred litter carbon into more stable, aggregate-associated SOM. Litter rapidly formed minerally-protected SOM, but native minerally-protected SOM was also rapidly lost. Overall, our fundings suggest that roots stimulate litter decomposition to selectively release nitrogen. We also highlight there may be a rapidly cycling component of minerally-protected SOM that is accessible to roots and microbes.

Local homogeneity is a common assumption in ecology, which can lead to the aggregation of populations without regard for their unique needs and characteristics. Here we discuss whether this assumption is justified, and we hypothesize an approach to formulate an informed decision, by discerning the source of variation between plasticity and adaptation. We test this approach on plants, performing a common garden experiment to guide our choice discerning between the two at a local scale (~60 Km). Using functional trait measurements for three species, Quercus ilex, Pistacia lentiscus and Cistus salviifolius, hailing from three sites chosen along a local aridity gradient, we were able to reject the local homogeneity assumption for Q. ilex and C. salviifolius at this scale due to the adaptive divergence observed among neighbouring populations. We conclude that gathering empirical evidence can provide with solid bases to decide whether to adopt the local homogeneity assumption.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a global threat due to either improper diagnosis or overuse of antibiotics. Head and neck infections (HNI) are serious diseases that involve several species of microorganisms. Common complications of HNI developing through bacterial colonization that leads to airway obstruction, pus collection, and sepsis. During this study, we collected 264 clinical samples (2020–2022) from Odisha, a state of eastern India to investigate bacterial communities associated with HNI followed by their antibiotic susceptibility characteristics, and the evaluation of their diversity by comparing with global isolates. We found 218 positive bacterial isolates and 25 multidrug-resistant bacteria, and accomplished their molecular characterization along with phylogenetic analysis utilizing the 16S rRNA gene. Population genetic parameters revealed the haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π) ranged from0.558-0.828 and 0.03236-0.28428 respectively. This study helps to disseminate the prevalence of these neglected pathogens within this rarely focused geographical area and its transboundary potential to navigate better therapeutic approaches.

Abstract Plants utilize only up to 25% of the applied phosphatic fertilizers and 75% of the applied phosphatic fertilizers become unavailable due to two major reactions, the adsorption on mineral surface and the precipitation reactions. More and more fertilizers have to be applied exogenously. More energy is required for fertilizer production and transportation by the factories which influence our environment badly.The fixed fertilizers prevails in the environment, causing ecosystem imbalances. More over, phosphatic fertilizers are expensive than nitrogenous and potassic fertilizers, hence need to be managed. There are different techniques to improve fertilizer utilization by plants, however value addition of fertilizers such as surface modifications of fertilizers proved to be more fruitful because these manipulate the supply of nutrients with crop demand. These may slow down, control or stabilize the release of nutrients from the fertilizers by reducing the direct contact of the soil with fertilizer particles. It may become a tool for sustainable production, minimizing the remaining of synthetic chemicals in the environment, by more plants utilization. This paper is an effort to highlight the production processes, different coating materials used, how these value added fertilizers release nutrients in distilled water and in soil and their impact on crop. In the later part of this article, challenges for their adoptions will be discussed . Keywords: Coated fertilizers; Fertilizer use efficiency; Slow release fertilizers; Value addition. Alternate Keywords: Phosphorus utilization enhancement; Phosphorus availability approaches; Uptake techniques; Nutrient use efficiency

BACKGROUND: Otomycosis is complicated for patients and otologists since it always needs long-term care and follow-up, but the recurrence rate remains high. Management is targeted toward intensive aural toileting with the administration of topical antifungals. Classical antifungal agents, including azoles and polyenes, have shown increased resistance. This has contributed to studies into medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for fungal infections. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to examine the potential vestibulotoxic effects of the henna leaf (Lawsomnia inermis), an ancient folk medicine, on the inner ear of a rat animal model. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy, adult male Wistar Kyoto rats were categorized into three groups (A, B, C) with eight rats each. Baseline vestibular parameters were tested before endoscopic-guided transtympanic instillation of aqueous and ethanol henna extract into the right middle ear of rats in Group A and B, respectively. At the same time, normal saline was instilled in the right middle ear of rats in Group C. Vestibular parameter testing was conducted on rats post-instillation of transtympanic Henna at intervals of 4 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, one week, two weeks and three weeks. RESULTS: All vestibular parameters documented were not affected after the instillation of henna extract into the middle ear. CONCLUSION: Henna extract is a safe and potential alternative in treating otomycosis even with tympanic membrane perforation, as it has no vestibulotoxic adverse effects.

Horror movies have been produced, filmed and broadcasted for decades. It has been thought that people watching such movies, tend to get influenced by harsh scenes, leading to psychological distress. This review highlights the impact of horror movies in developing post-exposure reactions, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and anxiety and discusses the different risk factors and mechanisms behind such manifestations.

Objective: A qualitative study sought to understand the transition experiences of United States (U.S.) military Service members found “unfit for duty” following medical and physical evaluation boards (MEBs and PEBs). Methods: Confidential telephone interviews were conducted with 25 current and prior Service members. Participants were asked to share their experiences before, during, and after the MEB and PEB processes. To that end, interview questions were designed to gather the following types of transition experiences: (1) health conditions experienced during the medical disability evaluation process; (2) reactions to being recommended for separation, (3) transition-related stress and challenges, and (4) coping strategies. Salient themes were identified across chronological narratives. Results: Conditions that participants’ experienced included debilitating physical (e.g., injury) and/or mental health (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder) conditions. In response to the “unfit for duty” notice, some participants reported emotional distress (e.g., anxiety, sadness, anger) connected to a sense of uncertainty about the future. Other participants reported relief connected to a sense of progression toward their medical disability claim status. Transition stress included the length of the MEB/PEB process, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the process, experiences of financial stress, impact on family life, and the compounded effect of these stressors on emotional distress, including depression and suicidal thoughts. Participants reported using adaptive (e.g., psychotherapy) and maladaptive (e.g., excessive drinking) strategies to cope with stress. Conclusions: The notable emotional distress and transition stress experienced by Service members found “unfit for duty” highlight the need for increased support and interventions to facilitate adaptive coping strategies during this vulnerable period.

Manufacturing sectors are shifting their interest toward additive manufacturing technologies, where components are fabricated directly from CAD models layer by layer. Laser engineered net shaping most known to produce a near net shape of functionally graded materials. In this paper, process parameters that affect mechanical properties, surface topology and physical properties are reviewed. Powder feed rate, hatch distance and layer thickness more related to porosity of the parts that being produced. Mechanical properties get affected by laser power scan speed. Density and hardness sensitive to focal distance of the optimal convergence of the maximal laser intensity and the localized spatial concentration of the powder beam. To get homogeneous microstructure shorter focal distance is preferable. However, working distance has no such impact on density.

A Case Report: The First Show Phenomenon In The Treatment Of Spinal Cord Injury With Regentime Procedure Using Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Stem CellsRita T. Boulos a†, Lea I. Nemerb†, Vanessa J. Mansour c†, Cynthia F. Najjoumd††,Elsa A. Asmar e†† and Nassim H. Abi Chahinef*† Authors’ equal contribution†† Authors’ equal contributionStem Cell Transplantation/Neurology, ACE Cells Lab Limited, Beirut, LBStem Cell Transplantation/Molecular Biology, ACE Cells Lab Limited, Beirut, LBStem Cell Transplantation/Infectious Diseases/Immunology, ACE Cells Lab Limited, Beirut, LBStem Cell Transplantation/Infectious Diseases/Immunology, ACE Cells Lab Limited, Beirut, LBStem Cell Transplantation/Functional Genomics/Proteomics, ACE Cells Lab Limited, Beirut, LBStem Cell Transplantation/Neurological Surgery, ACE Cells Lab Limited, Beirut, LB* Correspondence to:Dr. Nassim H. Abi ChahineTel: +9613082498E-mail: info@regentime.com

This case report describes a novel mutation of the SPTB gene as a potential pathogenic cause of spherocytosis. A three-week-old male presented with clinical and laboratory signs consistent with hemolytic spherocytosis (HS), including jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, anemia, reticulocytosis, negative Coombs test, no ABO or Rh incompatibility, and a peripheral blood smear notable for numerous spherocytes. His lab work demonstrated persistent anemia despite daily folate prompting next-generation sequencing (NGS) which revealed a novel mutation in the SPTB gene resulting in a non-functioning protein product. Correlation of the genetic finding with clinical presentation may help guide management for this and future patients.

Stroke in Sickle Cell Revascularization Surgery Retrospective Study (SiSCRS) in this issue reports retrospective data from 15 medical centers to examine the benefit of cerebral revascularization surgery (CRS) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) who also have Moyamoya Syndrome (SCD-MMS). The American Society of Hematology guidelines “suggests evaluation for revascularization surgery in addition to regular blood transfusion” for treating SCD-MMS combined with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack but categorizes this as a “conditional recommendation based on very low certainty in the evidence about effects”. The research presented in this article is aimed at reducing the uncertainty surrounding revascularization surgery as a treatment using retrospective data from 15 medical centers with expertise in CRS for SCD-MMS. Even with the 78 children with CRS (Surgery group) and 63 children in the non-surgery (Conservative group), the differences between the two groups had mixed statistical significance in multivariate analyses. SiSCRS is an important retrospective analysis but must be interpreted with caution. The benefit of CRS attains statistical significance only in some of the comparisons. The rate of stroke in pediatric SCD decreases with age, creating a bias in favor of the older group (i.e., the Surgery Group) to have fewer CVEs, The additional role of aspirin and the bias of patient selection for surgery also weaken the ability to make definitive statements. The SiSCRS results suggest a likely retrospective benefit of CRS, but the benefit must be demonstrated with more rigorous studies in the future.