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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.

This cross-sectional observational study evaluated the availability and switching patterns of branded generics of Vildagliptin, an antidiabetic medication, in a real-world setting. Data from 967 prescriptions obtained from various pharmacies over a 3-month period post-patent expiration were analyzed. The study revealed a diverse range of branded generics, highlighting challenges in consistent availability. Switching patterns were observed, with a significant proportion of patients deviating from the initially prescribed branded generic. These findings emphasize the need for strategies to improve availability and promote appropriate use of branded generics, enhancing cost-effective diabetes management and patient care. Further research is warranted to investigate factors influencing brand switching behaviors and their impact on patient outcomes. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing the prescribing and availability of branded generics, ultimately enhancing the quality of care for patients requiring Vildagliptin treatment.

Rationale: Schisandra chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine in China. Based on the ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) technique, we rapidly identified the components of Northern Schisandra chinensis(SS), Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus processed with vinegar(CS), Wine-processed Schisandra chinensis(JS), and distinguished the differences of the chemical composition of the three Schisandra chinensis before and after processing, to provide a reference for rational clinical use. Methods: In this study, used the UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS and data post-processing techniques. Based on the literature summarizing the fragmentation information of possible characteristic fragments(CFs) and related neutral losses (NLs)of lignans, organic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids and other components of Schisandra chinensis, then by comparing with the mass spectrum data obtained from the detection, to achieve rapid classification and identification of SS, CS and JS. Results: In this study, 51, 41 and 42 compounds were successfully identified from SS, CS and JS, respectively. The composition of Schisandra chinensis differs before and after processing, the realization of the distinction between the three traditional Chinese medicines. Conclusions: In this study, to distinguish SS, CS and JS in terms of chemical composition differences. It can achieve the rapid classification and identification of different processing technology of Schisandra chinensis and provide a reference for safer and rational clinical application.

Objective: This study aimed to examine incidence for umbilical cord prolapse, and to explore risk factors in labours where amniotomy is used. Design: Retrospective nationwide register study. Setting: Delivery wards in Sweden included in the Swedish Pregnancy Register. Participants: All births from January 2014 to June 2020, eligible participants n = 607 123. Methods: The main outcome, umbilical cord prolapse, was identified in the data by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), diagnosis code O69.0. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors. Results: Amniotomy was performed in 230 699 (38.0%) of the births, in which umbilical cord prolapses occurred in 293 cases (0.13%). Spontaneous rupture of the membranes occurred in 376 424 (62.0%), in which there were 458 cases (0.12%) of umbilical cord prolapse. Risk factors associated with umbilical cord prolapse in labors where amniotomy was used were higher parity, previous cesarean section, presence of polyhydramnios, induction of labour and non-cephalic presentation, that all increased the odds for umbilical cord prolapse. Conclusions: The severe complication of umbilical cord prolapse is rare in Sweden. Identified risk factors in labours where amniotomy is used were higher parity, previous cesarean section, polyhydramnios, induced labour and a baby in a non-cephalic presentation. Funding: Linnaeus University and LÖF; the Swedish patient insurance. The funders had no role in study design, analysis and interpretation of the data, or writing the article.

Determining absolute electron impact ionization cross-sections for atoms and molecules, whether through experimental or theoretical means, poses a formidable challenge and is typically limited to a narrow selection of species. In this paper, by using measured cross-sections and polarizability data, it was obtained empirical scaling laws for dissociative and non-dissociative single ionization cross-section maximum of neutral molecules by collisions with electrons. It is found that the dissociative cross sections scale linearly with the target electric static polarizability, while the non-dissociate cross sections exhibit a saturation effect for large target polarizabilities. This saturation effect is interpreted as the increasing role of fragmentation with polarizability.

Rationale: Pesticides are poisonous substances or mixtures of dangerous chemicals used to prevent, dissuade, control, or eradicate insects, weeds, rodents, fungi, or other potentially dangerous organisms. Pesticides must be separated from complex matrices before analysis by performing the proper extraction, cleaning, and/or preconcentration processes. The QuEChERS method served as a matrix clean-up tool and the DLLME method preconcentrated the analytes for their determination at trace levels. To increase the detection efficiency, a simple and efficient pretreatment process is required. Method: In this study, QuEChERS extraction was combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) to extract pesticides from tropical fruits for determination by a highly accurate and sensitive liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS) system. All the variable parameters of the DLLME method were optimized to improve the extraction output for all analytes and the limits of detection and quantitation (LOD and LOQ) values, which are quite satisfactory, were calculated under the optimum conditions. Results: The LOD and LOQ values were found in the range of 0.004 – 0.013 and 0.27 – 0.61 µg/L, respectively. The detection limits achieved by direct LC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis were increased by about 10 – 260 fold using the optimized DLLME method. To assess the accuracy and applicability of the developed method, recovery experiments on tropical fruits were carried out. The matrix-matched calibration method was used to enhance the quantification accuracy of the analytes in kiwi, pineapple, and mango matrices, with percent recoveries ranging between 89 and 117%. Conclusion: The results show that the proposed method is feasible for the determination of pesticides with high accuracy and precision. The above approach acts as a reference method for monitoring tropical fruits while proposing prospective solutions for pesticides assessment in more complex matrices.

In immunocompetent patients with liver inflammation, the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies against the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is important for the diagnosis. Recently, fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAs, LIAISON® Murex anti-HEV IgG/anti-HEV IgM test, DiaSorin) have become available for this purpose. The diagnostic suitability of these CLIAs was determined by comparison with a combination of plate-based enzyme immunoassays ( recomWell HEV IgG/IgM ELISA, Mikrogen) and immunoblots ( recomLine HEV IgG/IgM, Mikrogen), which served as a reference for the characterization of sera. Samples with a deviating result were retested with an alternative test (WANTAI HEV IgG/IgM ELISAs). The anti-HEV IgG CLIA had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% (100/100; 49/49) each when the recomWell HEV IgG ELISA served as a reference. The anti-HEV IgM CLIA had a sensitivity of 67.9% (36/53) and a specificity of 100% (49/49). When IgM immunoblot results were considered, sensitivity and specificity were 88.9% (24/27) and 53.8% (14/26), respectively. The WANTAI test confirmed 52.9% (9/17) of negative CLIA IgMs that differed from the recomWell HEV IgM result. The CLIA revealed an isolated and thus probably non-specific HEV IgM in one of 17 patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection. The automated CLIAs are well suited for HEV diagnostics.

Multi-sensor fusion-based localization technology has achieved high accuracy in autonomous systems. How to improve the robustness is the main challenge at present. The most commonly used LiDAR and camera are weather-sensitive, while the FMCW Radar has strong adaptability but suffers from noise and ghost effects. In this paper, we propose a heterogeneous localization method called Radar on LiDAR Map (RoLM), which aims to enhance localization accuracy without relying on loop closures by mitigating the accumulated error in Radar odometry in real time. Our approach involves embedding the data from both Radar and LiDAR sensors into a density map. We calculate the spatial vector similarity with an offset to determine the corresponding place index within the candidate map and estimate the rotation and translation. To refine the alignment, we utilize the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm to achieve optimal matching on the LiDAR submap. We conducted extensive experiments on the Mulran Radar Dataset, Oxford Radar RobotCar Dataset, and our dataset to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our proposed approach.

Introduction The evaluation for an inherited bleeding disorder can be challenging. Our hematology clinic receives hundreds of referrals annually for bleeding disorder evaluation due to bleeding symptoms and secondary to preoperative laboratory testing. Aim To characterize hematology referrals for bleeding disorder evaluation at our institution. To describe the diagnostic outcomes, estimate the proportion diagnosed, and identify referral factors that are associated with being diagnosed with a bleeding disorder. Methods This is a single center, retrospective chart review. Patients referred and or seen for a bleeding disorder evaluation from 07/1/2018 until 06/30/19 were included. AIC was applied to logistic regression to identify factors associated with diagnosis of bleeding disorder. Results Of the 373 subjects included, mean (SD) age was 8.3 (5.4) years, 210 (56.3%) female, 256 (69%) white and 69 (18%) black; 40 (11%) were diagnosed with a bleeding disorder and 255 ruled out. Of our referred sample, 6% (21/373) were diagnosed with von Willebrand disease, 4% (14/373) with a platelet function disorder, and 1% (4/373) with a coagulation factor deficiency. Forty percent of referrals were for preoperative clearance, 36% for family history, and 57% for symptoms. The odds of a bleeding disorder diagnosis decreased by 8% for every year increase in age and were 3 times higher among patients having abnormal coagulation labs at the time of referral as compared to their counterparts. Conclusion This study highlights predictive variables for the presence of an inherited bleeding disorder. These results may contribute to future large-scale studies.

Objective The use of apixaban in the pediatric cardiac population is expanding. We describe our apixaban dosing and monitoring strategy in children and young adults awaiting heart transplantation, along with outcomes related to bleeding and thrombosis during wait-list and early post-transplant periods. Methods This study is a retrospective, single center analysis of all patients receiving apixaban while awaiting cardiac transplantation. Weight-based dosing was monitored with peak drug-specific anti-Xa chromogenic analysis. Significant post-operative bleeding defined by chest tube output or need for surgical intervention. Results From September 2020 through December 2022, 19 patients, median age 13.5 years (6.1, 15.8 years), weighing 48.9 kg (15.4, 67.6) received apixaban while awaiting transplant. Indication for apixaban was prophylaxis (n=18, 3 with ventricular assist devices) and treatment of thrombus (n=1). There were no clinically relevant non-major or major bleeding, nor thrombotic events while awaiting transplant. The median time from last apixaban dose to arrival in the operating room was 23.2 hours (15.6-33.8), with median random apixaban level of 37 ng/ml (28.3, 59), 6.3 hours (4.8, 8.4) prior to arrival in the operating room. 32% of patients had significant post-operative bleeding based on chest tube output post-transplant or need for intervention. No patients meeting criteria for significant postoperative bleeding were thought to be attributable to apixaban. Conclusion Careful use of apixaban can be safe and effective while awaiting heart transplant. There was no appreciable increase in perioperative bleeding. The use of apixaban is promising in providing safe, predictable and efficacious anticoagulation while avoiding additional patient stressors.

Increased surface-water temperatures are predicted to drive dramatic changes to planktonic communities, with consequences for freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. A large number of short-term mesocosm studies reported temperature-driven changes in plankton, but comparatively few studies captured long-term changes. We used water eDNA metabarcoding to examine communities of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and planktonic protists and fungi in 10 natural lakes in central Poland, five of which have received hot-water discharge from power stations for the past 60 years. eDNA samples were collected in the winter, spring, summer, and autumn of 2020. Heated lakes were 2˚C warmer (annual mean) and had higher concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). Based on relative abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), green algae (Chlorophyta) abundance was up to 15% higher in heated lakes, while that of golden algae (Chrysophyceae) was up to 7% higher in control lakes. ASV richness varied seasonally but was on average two-fold greater in heated lakes, and was consistently higher for phytoplankton, protists, and fungi. Considering the total community, heated and control lakes had distinct plankton assemblages, and there was less temporal variation in heated lakes. Warming was positively related to plankton relative abundance and richness. Our results suggest that increased temperature in heated lakes caused considerable shifts in plankton composition, where groups with preference for cooler temperatures were replaced by those with a preference for warmer conditions.

Pollination was a process of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma for plant reproduction and was an important mechanism in the life cycle of plants. This experiment involved a life cycle of Brassica rapa which was a member of the mustard or cabbage family. Brassica rapa was exceptional in its rapid development from seed to seed within four weeks. Morphological aspects and characterization of pollination was an important topic for developing fruit and seed production in the life cycle of the plant. The objective of this experiment was to assess the effects of cross-pollination on fruit and seed production of Brassica rapa. The major methods for this experiment required to use two Styrofoam quads as a control and a cross-pollinated watered the two seeds in each cell for three days of experiment and used honey bee for cross-pollination. The rate of developed fruit and the mean number of seeds were higher on cross-pollination than on self-pollination. Conversely, the average of undeveloped fruit in cross-pollination was 9.677 and the average of undeveloped fruit in self-pollination was 13.937. This result indicates that the rate of undeveloped fruit was higher on self-pollination than on cross-pollination. This study concluded that regulated hydration of pollen for pollination and balanced hydration and dehydration cycle to pollen grains are the key result of this experiment.

In this paper, we study a nonlinear model that describes the longitudinal deformation of an elastic rod with a power-law nonlinearity in the presence of non-stationary extreme external action that is very strong at the initial time. For this model, all invariant submodels given by invariant solutions of the equation of this model are obtained. These submodels have not been previously noted in the literature. Invariant solutions of equation which describes this model are found either in explicit form, or their search is reduced to solving systems of differential equations of the first order. For the submodels given by the explicitly found solutions, we found out whether or not the destruction of the rod over time will occur within this submodel. For specific parameter values included in these solutions the distribution longitudinal displacement in the rod are shown in the graphs. In some cases, it was possible to find the place and time of the destruction of the rod. For other submodels, we study physically meaningful boundary value problems that describe non-linear longitudinal deformations of an elastic rod, for which at the initial moment of time at a fixed point either a longitudinal displacement and its gradient, or a longitudinal displacement and a rate of its change are given. The existence and uniqueness of solutions to these boundary value problems are established. under some additional conditions. This allows us to solve these problems numerically correctly.Boundary value problems for some specific values of the parameters included in them are solved numerically. The results of solving these boundary value problems are shown in the graphs.