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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: [email protected] 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: [email protected]

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:    [email protected],  [email protected]

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.

The relationships among developmental stability, canalization and phenotypic plasticity are not straightforward, but may be better understood in the context of temporally heterogeneous environments. Our objective was to investigate the effects of early experience with temporally heterogeneous water availability on the associations between developmental stability, canalization and phenotypic plasticity. We subjected eight plant species to a first round of alternating inundation and drought vs. constantly moderate water treatments and a second round of water conditions. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), intra- and inter-individual variation (CVintra and CVinter), and plasticity in traits were measured and correlations between variables were calculated for each species. Early temporally heterogeneous experience decreased the leaf size of half of the species, but had complex effects on leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and inter-individual variation (CVinter) in traits immediately or in late conditions, with little effects on intra-individual variation (CVintra). There were several positive correlations between FA and CVinter, positive correlations between CVinter and plasticity in early treatments, but negative correlations in late treatments. Our results suggested complexity and variability in the relationships between different mechanisms. Decreased canalization may promote plastic responses in traits before or during the induction of plasticity, whereas canalization may reflect phenotypic convergence after plastic responses. Temporally heterogeneous experiences may facilitate positive correlations or attenuate negative correlations between decreased canalization and plasticity. We provide direct evidence for relationships between developmental stability, canalization and plasticity as well as the role of temporally heterogeneous environments in modifying these processes. The integrative way that plants deal with environmental variation demonstrates their ability to evolve in multiple directions via many flexible adjustments in response to varying environmental signals over a plant’s lifetime.

Abstract Objectives: Worldwide, the neonatal age group bears high mortality risk that is attributed to diverse causes. In Palestine, there is a scarcity of studies investigating the determinants of neonatal deaths. Through this research, we investigated the level of mothers’ knowledge and awareness in recognizing neonatal danger signs (NDS) and associated factors. Hypothesis: There is no difference in mothers’ knowledge regarding NDS with regard to diverse socio-demographic characteristics and reproductive factors including antenatal and postnatal care. Methodology: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 377 mothers who gave birth in the last year and attended primary care centers for child vaccination in Ramallah and Jerusalem Governance from December 2023 to January 2024. This was done using structured questionnaires completed through face-to-face interviews covering socio-demographic variables, mothers’ reproductive history, and NDS knowledge assessment. Results: Among the 377 mothers, only 51% had good knowledge, reporting at least three danger signs. The most frequently mentioned were difficulty breathing (73.21) and fever (64.72%), while hypothermia (2.65%) and convulsions (11.67%) were the least mentioned. Statistical analysis indicated that having a national health insurance card ( p=0.002) and an educated husband ( p=0.020) are significantly associated with mothers’ knowledge of NDS. These factors could potentially be important to consider in intervention and educational programs aimed at improving mothers’ knowledge. Conclusion: This study showed that mothers’ knowledge of NDS is relatively low, impacting public health in Palestine as in other developing countries. Therefore, collective efforts are needed to educate mothers on the importance of early NDS identification.

The DprA protein has been implicated in the protection of incoming DNA. However, the presence of dprA gene family members, also known as smf, across diverse bacterial species suggests a broader functionality for their gene products. We examined the role of the Escherichia coli DprA/Smf homologue in conjugation. Remarkably, Bacillus subtilis dprA/smf can complement an E. coli dprA mutant, indicating interchangeability of dprA/smf genes between competent and non-competent species in conjugational processes. The DprA protein forms a complex with DNA, facilitating the nucleation of RecA protein filaments onto circular single-stranded DNA coated with SSB protein. To focus on RecA nucleation, we employed short DNA oligonucleotides that restrict RecA-DNA binding but allow for DprA-RecA-DNA binding. Analysis of dATPase activity revealed that RecA-DNA complexes were readily formed only with olig50, while DprA-RecA-DNA complexes were also feasible with olig21. Combining experimental data with a full-atomic model of the RecA-DprA-ssDNA complex’s spatial structure, we proposed a molecular mechanism for DprA-mediated loading of RecA proteins onto ssDNA. Our findings suggest that only one DprA-ssDNA interaction can occur sterically, occupying one strand of ssDNA in the complex.

Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal infection with considerably high mortality rates in immunocompromised individuals. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the disease has resurfaced recently and lack of appropriate antifungals resulted in a poor outcome in patients. The iron uptake mechanism in Rhizopus delemar, the predominant causal agent is crucial for its survival and pathogenesis in human host. The current study focuses on the structural dynamics of high affinity iron permease (Ftr1) which act as a virulence factor in this fatal fungal disease. Ftr1 is a transmembrane protein which is responsible for the transport of Fe 3+ ion from the extracellular milieu to the cytoplasm under iron-starving conditions in Rhizopus. In this work, the three-dimensional modelling of Ftr1 was carried out and it was found to possess seven transmembrane helices with N-terminal lying in the extracellular region and C-terminal in the intracellular region. Moreover, the present study delineates the interaction of glutamic acid residues, found in the REGLE motif of the fourth transmembrane helix with Fe 3+. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study revealed that the glycine present in the motif destabilizes the helix thereby bringing E157 closer to the positively charged ion. Understanding the interaction between Fe 3+ ion and Ftr1 would be helpful in designing effective small molecule drugs against this novel therapeutic target for treating mucormycosis.

Hofmeister effect is a famous physical chemistry phenomenon that was reported a hundred years ago, which firstly refers to the action of certain salts to decrease the solubility of proteins while others increase. The Hofmeister effect on the luminescent properties of cationic organic fluorophore is still obscure, especially for their room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). Herein, hydrophilic groups (quaternization pyridine) were introduced into carbazole molecules to obtain a series of carbazole derivatives (named CZ-Py +) with different counter anions in the Hofmeister series. These carbazole derivatives displayed tunable fluorescent color from cyan to yellow in the solid state following the Hofmeister sequence and anti-Hofmeister behavior in aqueous solution. Moreover, RTP material with tunable emission color and lifetime was achieved by doping CZ-Py + with Hofmeister series anion in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which displayed good performance in time getting information encryption and anti-counterfeiting.

In this paper we consider the following Klein-Gordon equation coupled with Born-Infeld theory { − ∆ u +( λA ( x )+ 1 ) u − ( 2 ω + ϕ ) ϕu = f ( x , u ) in R 3 , ∆ ϕ + β ∆ 4 ϕ = 4 π ( ω + ϕ ) u 2 in R 3 , where f may be a superlinear term, or it may be an asymptotically linear term. When f satisfies the superlinear conditions, we can obtain the existence of a ground state solution. When f satisfies the asymptotic conditions, we prove the existence of positive solutions based on variational methods and some analytical techniques. In addition, we will study the properties of decay estimates and asymptotic behavior for the positive solution.

The West Morava (WM) River, situated in Serbia’s Central region, boasts the largest reservoir of freshwater resources within the country. The primary objective of this study was to investigate alterations in the flow (Q) of the WM River (length of 308 km) at the Jasika hydrological station (near the confluence) spanning from 1948 to 2023. Trend analyses and standardized deviation method across monthly, seasonal, and annual timeframes indicates an overall shift towards “drier” conditions along the river’s trajectory. When examining the analysis at a daily level, utilizing the percentile method revealed a diminishing trend in the annual count of days small waters (Qd<9th), very small waters (Qd<25th), large waters (Qd>75th), and very large waters (Qd>91st). However, in the current segment of the 21st century (2001–2023), there has been a notable rise in the risk of floods, evidenced by a significant increase in the annual count of days with Qd>91st. It’s worth noting that river flow is chiefly influenced by precipitation (P) and air temperature (T), which in turn impacts evaporation rates. The findings from the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis indicate that several atmospheric oscillations, including NAO, NAO-500, NCP, AO, MO1, MO2, WeMO, and EAWR, exert a significant influence on the local hydroclimate conditions, particularly during colder months. Additionally, SNAO and AMO exhibit substantial impact during the summer period. Notably, the influence of EA is pronounced on T during February, April, and August, with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.61–0.71. Conversely, the connections with ENSO, SOI, SCAND, and POLEUR appear to be comparatively weaker overall. Given the crucial importance of the WM River for Serbia, it is necessary to define as soon as possible certain plans related to flow equalization and sustainable management of water resources, but also mitigation and adaptation to current and specially projected future climate changes.

In the present analysis, an effort has been made to highlight the behavior of thermophoresis and Brownian motion parameters on the movement of micropolar nanofluid between two plates separated by common height across the entire length. Different temperature and concentration values are used at the boundaries and are fixed by a specific value. It is to be noted that the fluids are periodically withdrawn and injected from the upper and lower plates. The partial differential equations underwent a transformation into a system of ordinary differential equations by implementing similarity transformations. To obtain the solution to the problem, a fourth-order Runge-Kutta system was employed. A graphical analysis of the non-dimensionless velocity, mass and heat profiles is conducted to investigate the influence of different fluid and geometrical parameters.

This research engages a non-similarity analysis to investigate the effects of ternary hybrid-nanoparticles in magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Darcy-Forchheimer fluid stream stimulated by a porous stretching sheet. The ternary nanoparticles under study are copper, titanium and carbon nanotubes, whereas water is taken as a base fluid. In addition, the heat equation is modelled with the various pertinent factors such as thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, non-uniform, heat flux, and Joule heating. Following the mathematical formulations, the differential equations are non-dimensionless through a non-similarity conversion. Additionally, the local non-similarity approach is utilized to transform non-similar partial differential equations (PDEs) into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The resulting set of reduced ordinary differential equations are solved numerically using the bvp4c MATLAB tool. To enhance the understanding of emerging physical model, key factors are comprehensively illustrated graphically and in tabular form. Moreover, the pertinent engineering parameters, namely skin friction and Nusselt number, are systematically portrayed in tabular form concerning the significant factors.

Hybrid nanofluids are recognized as advanced nanofluids due to their superior thermal properties and the potential advantages they offer in boosting heat transfer rates. Keeping the potential properties of hybrid nanofluid, this study aims to discuss the numerical solution for the the micro-rotating tangent hybrid nanofluid induced porous stretchable surface. Additionally, the consequences of suction/injection phenomena is also incorporated at the stretching plate in the presence of inclined MHD. In order to compute the micro-rotation effects of the tangent hyperbolic fluid the nonlinear micro-polar differential equation is introduced in the governed model. Moreover, the heat transfer equation is equipped with the several body forces like; Joule heating, heat source/sink and thermal slip factor. The above model is mathematically formulated. The mathematical formulation yields a set of interconnected non-linear partial differential equations. To derive a similarity solution, we introduce similarity variables. The numerical solution to the system of differential equation is achieved by engaging the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg 45 (RKF-45) method, in conjunction with the shooting method. Graphical representations are employed to demonstrate the physical significance of relevant parameters. The investigation presents and discusses the impact of various parameters on linear velocity, angular velocity and temperature profiles. It is anticipated that a rise in both permeability and the magnetic parameter will lead to a significant decrease in the skin friction coefficient. Furthermore, as the Eckert number and heat source parameter reach substantial values, an increase in the heat transfer rate is foreseen.

Background: Cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) is an increasing disease in Neonates and related with allergic diseases in childhood. Emerging evidence has highlighted the involvement of gut microbes and its downstream metabolic pathways in CMPA, but it remains unknown in neonates. Methods: Thirty-one neonates with CMPA were selected as the CMPA group, and 31 neonates matched for demographic and clinical characteristics comprised the control group in a 1:1 ratio. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to detect the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome, meanwhile liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) non-targeted metabolomics was used to detect its metabolites. Results: There were significant differences in the beta diversity of the gut microbiome at the class and family levels between groups ( p=0.018, 0.03). Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Klebsiella, Cutibacterium, Phascolarctobacterium and Bacillus were found with significant disparity between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed the AUC of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 was 0.69, which was the highest. Nontargeted metabolomics revealed 214 different metabolites between groups, the enriched pathways mainly included protein digestion and absorption; mineral absorption; tryptophan and galactose metabolism. The ROC analysis indicated that the AUC were both 0.85 for genipic acid and tryptophan. Conclusion: The microbiome Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and metabolites genipic acid and tryptophan are related to neonatal CMPA, and combined detection can be used as an early diagnostic marker.

In developing nations such as Pakistan, mental health disorders are common. The high incidence might be attributed, in part, to the inadequate understanding of mental health concerns and the low literacy rate. That might be the cause of Pakistan's extremely low number of psychiatrists. Pakistan has one of the lowest rates of psychiatrists in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and the entire globe, with only 0.19 per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization's statistics