Enantioseparation of nineteen liquid crystalline racemic mixtures obtained based on (R,S)-2-octanol was studied in reversed-phase mode on an amylose tris(3-chloro-5-methylphenylcarbamate) (ReproSil Chiral-MIG) and a cellulose tris(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate) (ReproSil Chiral-MIC). These polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase (CSP) columns for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were highly effective in recognizing isomers of minor structural differences. The mobile phase (MP), which consists of acetonitrile (ACN)/water (H₂O) at different volume ratios, was used. The mobile phases were pumped at a flow rate of 0.3, 0.5, or 1 mL·min⁻¹ with a column temperature of 25 °C, using a UV detector at 254 nm. The order of the elution was also determined. The chromatographic parameters, such as resolution (R_s), selectivity (α), and the number of theoretical plates, i.e., column efficiency (N), were determined. The polysaccharide-based CSP columns have unique advantages in separation technology, and this study has shown the potential usefulness of the CSP columns in separating liquid crystalline racemic mixtures belonging to the same homologous series. Full article

Future thermoacoustic cryocoolers employing hydrogen as a working fluid can reduce reliance on helium and improve hydrogen liquefaction processes. Traditional thermoacoustic modeling methods often assume ideal-gas thermophysical properties and neglect finite-amplitude effects. However, these assumptions are no longer valid for hydrogen near saturated states. In this study, a comparison between the results of computational fluid dynamics simulations using actual hydrogen properties and a low-amplitude, ideal-gas thermoacoustic theory was carried out in a canonical plate-based stack configuration at a mean pressure of 5 bar. It was found that the simplified analytical theory significantly underpredicts the cooling power of hydrogen-filled thermoacoustic setups, especially at lower temperatures in high-amplitude, traveling-wave arrangements. In addition, a thermoacoustic prime mover was modeled at higher temperatures, demonstrating very close agreement with the ideal-gas-based theory. The CFD approach is recommended for the design of future hydrogen-based cryocoolers at temperatures below 80 K. Full article

Skeletal muscle (SKM), despite comprising ~40% of body mass, rarely manifests cancer. This review explores the mechanisms that help to explain this rarity, including unique SKM architecture and function, which prohibits the development of new cancer as well as negates potential metastasis to SKM. SKM also presents a unique immune environment that may magnify the anti-tumorigenic effect. Moreover, the SKM microenvironment manifests characteristics such as decreased extracellular matrix stiffness and altered lactic acid, pH, and oxygen levels that may interfere with tumor development. SKM also secretes anti-tumorigenic myokines and other molecules. Collectively, these mechanisms help account for the rarity of SKM cancer. Full article

The article deals with the way in which the “theological” as the question of the Biblical G-d’s involvement in the world, as in the Talmuds, and in light of Heidegger’s thought about forgetting and forgetfulness (Verborgenheit and Vergessenheit), becomes a political question about the attitude of the Jew and Israel toward the Heimat. In Heidegger, forgetting is about beings hiding from the view rather than about a psychological or “subjective” process to which forgetting has been reduced in modernity. The Heimat hides from the persons’ life, no matter how strongly the persons strive for their Heimat “subjectively” or politically, Heidegger argues. The essay further detects a residual modernity and subjectivism in Heidegger’s concession to forgetting as only a secondary operation, a loss, in comparison to the primary, “authentic” relationship to the Heimat, which, for him, one can and should hope for. That residual modern subjectivity in Heidegger enables and necessitates a comparison with the roles forgetting plays in relationships between G-d, Israel, and the Land in the two Talmuds as, similarly to Heidegger, dealing with and working against forgetting, if not Being, then the Law of the mutual obligations between G-d and Israel. The resulting analysis distills a conundrum in the Palestinian rabbis. Delivery on Israel’s obligations towards G-d conditions Israel’s arrival to the Land, that is to say Israel’s fully successful exodus from Egypt. Yet, any clear memory of, and delivery on, these obligations, i.e., any humanly delivered testament to the law of G-d, constitutes an acute danger of forgetting masked as a would-be-certitude in the “memory” of the would-be-original law. Regaining the status of a full-fledged, never-tamed primordial power in relationships between G-d and Israel, forgetting, in the Palestinian rabbinic thought, undermines the deployment of logos as a way to formulate the Law fully. Letting the G-d in the world, logos however proves prone to reducing G-d to (a) theos, thus drawing the G-d into disappearance and forgetting. Such a counter-current to the copulation of theos with logos, the primordial power of forgetting operates even before any memory captured in words and images becomes possible. Arriving from antiquity to modernity, this counter-current continues to operate despite the currently prevalent demotion of forgetting to a subjective political act of a person or nation. Full article

Family caregivers can be overwhelmed by the care they provide within the family without external support. The development of self-management skills and the associated ability to actively and responsibly manage one’s own health or illness situation therefore plays a vital role in the home care of people living with dementia. As part of an individualized intervention for family caregivers of people of Turkish origin with dementia, existing self-management skills were examined through qualitative interviews to gain insight into health literacy and empowerment in caregiving and in interviewees’ own practices to maintain their health. Ten caregivers of Turkish origin who were responsible for family members living with dementia were interviewed using problem-centered interviews. We found that the target group has very heterogeneous self-management competencies, which are based, on the one hand, on existing supportive resources and, on the other hand, on diverse care-specific, psychosocial and life-world challenges in intrafamily care that have not been overcome. Self-management skills in family caregivers are influenced by a complex interplay of both available resources that support these skills and challenging caregiving situations. This dynamic combination of resources and challenges results in varying levels of self-management ability among family caregivers. Strengthening resources can help caregivers to meet the challenges resulting from caregiving and to expand their self-management competencies. There is great need for action in promoting self-management skills among Turkish caregivers of people living with dementia in home care. Interventions to promote self-management skills must take into account the individual resources of those affected as well as their social and cultural diversity. Full article

The management of large medical files poses a critical challenge in the health sector, with conventional systems facing deficiencies in security, scalability, and efficiency. Blockchain ensures the immutability and traceability of medical records, while the cloud allows scalable and efficient storage. Together, they can transform the data management of electronic health record applications. The method used was the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology to choose and select the relevant studies that contribute to this research, with special emphasis set on maintaining the integrity and security of the blockchain while tackling the potential and efficiency of cloud infrastructures. The study’s focus is to provide a comprehensive and insightful examination of the modern landscape concerning the integration of blockchain and cloud advances, highlighting the current challenges and building a solid foundation for future development. Furthermore, it is very important to increase the integration of blockchain security with the dynamic potential of cloud computing while guaranteeing information integrity and security remain uncompromised. In conclusion, this paper serves as an important resource for analysts, specialists, and partners looking to delve into and develop the integration of blockchain and cloud innovations. Full article

Robust engineering of two-dimensional (2D) materials via covalent grafting of organic molecules has been a great strategy for permanently tuningtheir physicochemical behaviors toward electrochemical energy applications. Herein, we demonstrated that a covalent functionalization approach of graphitic surfaces including graphene by a graftable porphyrin (g-Por) derivative, abbreviated as g-Por/HOPG or g-Por/G, is realizable. The efficiency of this approach is determined at both the molecular and global scales by using a state-of-the-art toolbox including cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Consequently, g-Por molecules were proven to covalently graft on graphitic surfaces via C-C bonds, resulting in the formation of a robust novel hybrid 2D material visualized by AFM and STM imaging. Interestingly, the resulting robust molecular material was elucidated as a novel bifunctional catalyst for both the oxygen evolution (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) in acidic medium with highly catalytic stability and examined at the molecular level. These findings contribute to an in-depth understanding at the molecular level ofthe contribution of the synergetic effects of molecular structures toward the water-splitting process. Full article

The Yangtze River economic belt is the main force leading the high-quality development of China’s economy, but its current internal economic differentiation issues require further study. In this study, to understand the development laws, change characteristics, evolutionary pattern, and main influencing factors on economic differences and economic network structure in the Yangtze River economic belt, 20 years of data from 1999 to 2018 at the general scale, three major regions, province, and city scales were analyzed. The results indicated that from 1999 to 2018, the total GDP of the Yangtze River economic belt steadily increased year by year, and the absolute difference in regional economy showed an expanding trend, while the relative difference was relatively stable. The total economic output and proportion of the three major regions all showed a trend of eastern region > central region > western region, but the growth rate and proportion trends were exactly the opposite. The GDP of 11 provinces and 110 cities showed positive global autocorrelation and obvious local spatial autocorrelation, but their radiative driving effect on surrounding areas was not strong, and the spatial agglomeration effect at the provincial level was better than that at the prefecture level or city level. The economic network structure was characterized by a single center structure dominated by the Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, gradually strengthening from west to east, and the gravity value growth rate in the western region was significantly higher than in the central and eastern regions. The city cluster in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Chengdu–Chongqing served as the main bridges and links, playing a crucial role in the cascade radiation process of economic connections. The research results have strategic significance for coordinating the region development of the Yangtze River economic belt and promoting the rise of central China. Full article

During routine dissections of cadavers as part of the medical curriculum, we identified a rare unilateral variation in the brachial plexus on the right side of a female body donor. This variation consisted of four unusual changes to the regular pattering of nerve bundles and the dorsal scapular artery permeating the complex neural network. The variation included contributions of root C4 to the plexus by a root C4/C5 anastomosis, a rare fusion of the superior and middle trunks to a ‘superomiddle’ trunk, a preliminary, proximal branching of the suprascapular nerve off the C5 root. We further observed an accessory ‘medial anterior division’ branching off the fused upper and middle trunks merging with the anterior division of the inferior trunk forming the medial cord. The latter event potentially introduced nerve fibers from C5 to C7, which are absent in common patterns. We aim to relate these observations to previous categorizations and quantifications of brachial plexus patterns. We believe that the combination of different variations in this case resulted in a unique pattern. Since this observation was made in the dissection class, we further aim to raise awareness among medical students and anatomical instructors for the likelihood of variations to textbook patterns. This will hopefully foster an appreciation of uniqueness and individuality in the interaction with future patients demonstrating that proper preparation prior to surgical interventions is always a necessary prerequisite. Full article

Hawaii is known for its diverse micro-climates, making the evaluation of varieties at different locations an important strategy to determine the best varieties for each climate zone. Demand for dry beans in Hawaii has been rising due to the increase in production of value-added goods made from legumes. Initial field trials in 2017 were conducted to determine the best sowing date for dry beans in Hawaii since there were no previous such determinations. Field trials were conducted between 2018 and 2021 to evaluate 24 varieties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), 21 varieties of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and 10 varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) for their suitability and yield variability under Hawaii’s micro-climates. Preliminary sowing date trials were conducted in 2017, and a variety of trials were conducted between 2018 and 2021; seven field trials were conducted, including two in each of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii County, and one in Kauai County. The trials were conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. For all the study sites, 20-20-20 NPK fertilizer was applied at 30, 13, and 25 kg/ha N-P-K, respectively. A drip irrigation system was used in all locations as supplemental irrigation. Irrigation was used when needed and turned off 2weeks prior to harvest. The results showed highly significant (p < 0.01) differences in yield between the varieties of each legume crop. Highly significant (p < 0.01) differences in yield were also found between the study locations. There was a significant (p < 0.05) decline in yield by 28% and 45% in chickpea and by 32% and 43% in common bean when planted 1 and 2 months, respectively, after the optimal mid-February planting on Oahu and Maui County. A decline of 21% and 50% in chickpea and 30 and 48% in common bean was recorded when planted 1 and 2 months, respectively, after the optimal mid-March planting in Hawaii County. The study results lead to developing site-specific recommendations for varieties and planting dates from each of the legume crops for each county. However, more studies are needed to develop site-specific recommendations for the micro-climates within each county. Full article

Two cobalt(II) complexes [CoL₁](OTf)₂ (1, L₁ = 6,6′′-di(anilino)-4′-phenyl-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine) and [CoL₂](OTf)₂·MeOH (2, L₂ = 6,6′′-di(N,N-dimethylamino)-4′-phenyl-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine) were synthesized and characterized. Crystal structure analyses showed that the spin carries were coordinated by five N atoms from the neutral pentaaza ligands, forming distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination environments. Ab initio calculations revealed large easy-axial anisotropy in complexes 1 and 2. Magnetic measurements suggest that complexes 1 and 2 are field-induced single-molecule magnets, whose relaxations are mainly predominated by Raman and direct processes. Full article

Phlomoides rotata is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that grows in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau region at a 3100–5000 m altitude. Iridoid compounds are the main active compounds of the P. rotata used as medical ingredients and display anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hepatoprotective properties. To better understand the biological mechanisms of iridoid compounds in this species, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome of P. rotata leaves from four different regions (3540–4270 m). Global metabolome profiling detected 575 metabolites, and 455 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected in P. rotata leaves from the four regions. Eight major DAMs related to iridoid metabolism in P. rotata leaves were investigated: shanzhiside methyl ester, 8-epideoxyloganic acid, barlerin, shanzhiside, geniposide, agnuside, feretoside, and catalpin. In addition, five soil physical and chemical indicators in P. rotata rhizosphere soils were analyzed. Four significant positive correlations were observed between alkaline nitrogen and geniposide, exchangeable calcium and geniposide, available potassium and shanzhiside, and available phosphorus and shanzhiside methyl ester. The transcriptome data showed 12 P. rotata cDNA libraries with 74.46 Gb of clean data, which formed 29,833 unigenes. Moreover, 78.91% of the unigenes were annotated using the eight public databases. Forty-one candidate genes representing 23 enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of iridoid compounds were identified in P. rotata leaves. Moreover, the DXS1, IDI1, 8-HGO1, and G10H2 genes associated with iridoid biosynthesis were specifically expressed in P. rotata. The integration of transcriptome and metabolome analyses highlights the crucial role of soil physical and chemical indicators and major gene expression related to iridoid metabolism pathways in P. rotata from different areas. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying iridoid compound accumulation in P. rotata. Full article

The global challenge faced due to the impact of the construction industry on climate change, along with the issues surrounding sustainable waste disposal, has necessitated various research on using waste products as eco-friendly alternatives in construction. In this study, the avoidance of waste disposal through landfills in Australia was encouraged by incorporating lime kiln dust (LKD) and tire rubber waste (TRW) into masonry mixes to manufacture green bricks. Furthermore, the investigations in this article highlight the use of mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) to determine the durability of the LKD-TRW bricks when exposed to freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles by examining the pore size distribution within the bricks. The LKD waste was blended with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) at a 70:30 blending ratio and combined with the TRW in stepped increments of 5% from 0 to 20% to produce these eco-friendly bricks. The compressive strength (CS), flexural strength (FS), frost resistance (FR), pore size distribution according to mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and the water absorption (WA) properties of the bricks were assessed. The CS and FS values at 28 days of curing were recorded as 6.17, 5.25, and 3.09 MPa and 2.52, 2, and 1.55 MPa for 0, 5, and 10% TRW contents, respectively. Durability assessments using the F-T test showed that the bricks produced with 0% TRW passed as frost-resistant bricks. Furthermore, the results from the MIP test showed a total pore volume of 0.033 mL/g at 3 µm pore size for the 0% TRW content, further confirming its durability. Hence, the 0% LKD-TRW bricks can be utilized in cold regions where temperatures can be as low as −43 °C without deteriorating. Lastly, WA values of 7.25, 11.76, and 14.96% were recorded for the bricks with 0, 5, and 10% TRW, respectively, after the 28-day curing period. From all of the results obtained from the laboratory investigations, the LKD-TRW bricks produced with up to 10% TRW were within the satisfactory engineering requirements for masonry units. Full article

This research assesses the environmental uses of Haleakalā Crater, and adjoining east Maui areas, by native Hawaiians during recent centuries, and evaluates the modern utilization of this volcanic depression. The study methods examine, and focus on, numerous historical and modern accounts and reports. Three historical periods were identified as follows: (1). A phase, from the ~1400s until contact with foreigners in 1778, characterized by the development of settlements, population expansion, the intensification of traditional agriculture, and the political consolidation of Maui. The construction of the Kiha-a-Pi‘i-lani trail across the crater enhanced travel between distant island areas. (2). Following the collapse of Maui’s human populations during the late 1700s, and until the 20th century, came a period distinguished by scientific exploration of the crater, and intentional or accidental introductions of animals, including goats, horses, cattle, and wild dogs. (3). After Haleakalā became a National Park in 1916, efforts to eradicate introduced animals and to encourage the reproduction of silverswords and other plants were initiated. Unfortunately, in retrospect, construction of a modern paved road, improvement of hiking trails, and building of facilities allowed swift access to the Park and substantially increased tourist numbers, up to ~2 million yearly visitors. Faced with such crowds, the long-term planning of Park resources appears to be a formidable task. Full article

Disparities in stroke may be due to socioeconomics, demographics, risk factors (RF) and ethnicity. Asian data are scant. This retrospective hospital-based study aimed to explore demographics, RF, stroke subtypes and mechanisms among the Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore. Stroke was subtyped into haemorrhagic stroke (HS) and ischaemic stroke (IS). For IS, the clinical syndrome was classified using the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP) classification while the stroke mechanism was categorised using the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. During the study period 1 June 2015 to 31 December 2023, data were collected on 1165 patients, with a mean age of 65.6 ± 12.9 yr; 47.4% were female, 83% were Chinese and hypertension (63.5%) and hyperlipidaemia (60.3%) were the most common RF. HS comprised 23.5% (95%CI 21.1–26.1%) (intracerebral 21.7%, subarachnoid 1.3%) of the patients, while IS comprised 76.5% (95%CI 73.9–78.9%) (small artery occlusion 29.0%, cardioembolism 13.3%, large artery atherosclerosis 9.4%, stroke of other determined aetiology 6.2%, stroke of undetermined aetiology 18.6%); 55% of patients had lacunar syndrome. A multivariable analysis showed that HS was associated with ethnicity (p = 0.044), diabetes mellitus (OR 0.27, 95%CI 0.18–0.41, p < 0.001) and smoking (OR 0.47, 95%CI 0.34–0.64, p < 0.001). There were no significant inter-ethnic differences by the OCSP (p = 0.31) or TOAST (p = 0.103) classification. While differences in stroke subtype in Asia may be due to RF, ethnicity has a role. More studies are needed to further explore this. Full article

Binary transition metal selenides (BTMSs) are more promising than single transition metal selenides (TMS) as anode materials of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, it is still very challenging to prepare high-performance BTMSs in the pure phase, instead of a mixture of two TMSs. In this study, a binary metal center-based MOF derived selenization strategy was developed to prepare iron–cobalt selenide (Fe₂CoSe₄@NC) and iron–nickel selenide (Fe₂NiSe₄@NC) nanocomposites in the single phase and when wrapped with carbon layers. As the anode material of SIBs, Fe₂CoSe₄@NC exhibits higher long-term cycling performance than Fe₂NiSe₄@NC, maintaining a capacity of 352 mAh g⁻¹ after 2100 cycles at 1.0 A g⁻¹, which is ascribed to the higher percentage of the nanopores, larger lattice spacing, and faster Na+ diffusion rate in the electrode materials of the former rather than the latter. Full article

Background and Purpose: In urological surgery, accurate localization of the ureteral orifice is crucial for procedures such as ureteral stent insertion, assessment of ureteral orifice lesions, and prostate tumor resection. Consequently, we have developed and validated a computer-assisted ureteral orifice detection system that combines the YOLO deep convolutional neural network and the attention mechanism. Data: The cases were partitioned into a training set and a validation set at a 4:1 ratio, with 84 cases comprising 820 images in the training set and 20 cases containing 223 images in the validation set. Method: We improved the YOLO network structure to accomplish the detection task. Based on the one-stage strategy, we replaced the backbone of YOLOv5 with a structure composed of ConvNeXt blocks. Additionally, we introduced GRN (Global Response Normalization) modules and SE blocks into the blocks to enhance deep feature diversity. In the feature enhancement section, we incorporated the BiFormer attention structure, which provides long-distance context dependencies without adding excessive computational costs. Finally, we improved the prediction box loss function to WIoU (Wise-IoU), enhancing the accuracy of the prediction boxes. Results: Testing on 223 cystoscopy images demonstrated a precision of 0.928 and recall of 0.756 for our proposed ureteral orifice detection network. With an overlap threshold of 0.5, the mAP of our proposed image detection system reached 0.896. The entire model achieved a single-frame detection speed of 5.7 ms on the platform, with a frame rate of 175FPS. Conclusion: We have enhanced a deep learning framework based on the one-stage YOLO strategy, suitable for real-time detection of the ureteral orifice in endoscopic scenarios. The system simultaneously maintains high accuracy and good real-time performance. This method holds substantial potential as an excellent learning and feedback system for trainees and new urologists in clinical settings. Full article

Organic residues, as a nutrient source suitable of producing solutions for hydroponic crop production, have the potential to reduce the dependence on mineral fertilizers. Especially in remote and resource-constrained regions, organic residues might be the only option to produce hydroponic nutrient solutions. However, nutrient solutions made from organic residues, called bioponic solutions, are usually unbalanced in their nutrient composition, which leads to deficiencies and poor plant growth. This study aimed to experimentally develop a low-tech approach to produce bioponic stock solutions rich in NO₃⁻, P, and K, to create a balanced bioponic solution. The mixed bioponic solution contained 58 mg L⁻¹ NH₄⁺-N, 43 mg L⁻¹ NO₃⁻-N, 50 mg L⁻¹ PO₄³⁻-P, and 246 mg L⁻¹ K⁺. This approach resulted in satisfactory levels of P, K and micronutrients. The solution was tested pure and spiked with Ca(NO₃)₂ on lettuce in comparison with a mineral Hoagland nutrient solution. Neither the bioponic nor the spiked bioponic solution achieved comparable lettuce yields to the Hoagland solution. The poor growth of the plants in the bioponic solution was attributed to an unfavorable NH₄⁺:NO₃⁻ ratio, high microorganism load, and elevated pH levels. However, the approach of preparing bioponic stock solutions could be promising for future research into the production of balanced bioponic nutrient solutions from organic residues. Full article

Abstract: There is a “popular” belief that a fat-free diet is beneficial, supported by the scientific dogma indicating that high levels of fatty acids promote many pathological metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative conditions. This dogma pressured scientists not to recognize the essential role of fatty acids in cellular metabolism and focus on the detrimental effects of fatty acids. In this work, we critically review several decades of studies and recent publications supporting the critical role of mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism in cellular homeostasis and many pathological conditions. Fatty acids are the primary fuel source and essential cell membrane building blocks from the origin of life. The essential cell membranes phospholipids were evolutionarily preserved from the earlier bacteria in human subjects. In the past century, the discovery of fatty acid metabolism was superseded by the epidemic growth of metabolic conditions and cardiovascular diseases. The association of fatty acids and pathological conditions is not due to their “harmful” effects but rather the result of impaired fatty acid metabolism and abnormal lifestyle. Mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to impaired metabolism and drives multiple pathological conditions. Despite metabolic flexibility, the loss of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation cannot be fully compensated for by other sources of mitochondrial substrates, such as carbohydrates and amino acids, resulting in a pathogenic accumulation of long-chain fatty acids and a deficiency of medium-chain fatty acids. Despite popular belief, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation is essential not only for energy-demanding organs such as the heart, skeletal muscle, and kidneys but also for metabolically “inactive” organs such as endothelial and epithelial cells. Recent studies indicate that the accumulation of long-chain fatty acids in specific organs and tissues support the impaired fatty acid oxidation in cell- and tissue-specific fashion. This work, therefore, provides a basis to challenge these established dogmas and articulate the need for a paradigm shift from the “pathogenic” role of fatty acids to the critical role of fatty acid oxidation. This is important to define the causative role of impaired mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in specific pathological conditions and develop novel therapeutic approaches targeting mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism. Full article

Vegetation is a natural link between the atmosphere, soil, and water, and it significantly influences hydrological processes in the context of climate change. Under global warming, vegetation greening significantly aggravates the water conflicts between vegetation water use and water resources in water bodies in arid and semiarid regions. This study established an improved eco-hydrological coupled model with related accurately remotely sensed hydrological data (precipitation and soil moisture levels taken every 3 hours with multiply verification) on a large spatio-temporal scale to determine the optimal vegetation coverage (M*), which explored the trade-off relationship between the water supply, based on hydrological balance processes, and the water demand, based on vegetation transpiration under the impact of climate change, in a semiarid basin. Results showed that the average annual actual vegetation coverage (M) in the Hailar River Basin from 1982 to 2012 was 0.62, and that the average optimal vegetation coverage (M*) was 0.56. In 67.23% of the region, M* was lower than M, which aggravated the water stress problem in the Hailar River Basin. By identifying the sensitivity of M* to vegetation characteristics and meteorological parameters, relevant suggestions for vegetation-type planting were proposed. Additionally, we also analyzed the dynamic threshold of vegetation under different climatic conditions, and we found that M was lower than M* under only four of the twenty-eight climatic conditions considered (rainfall increase by 10%, 20%, and 30% with no change in temperature, and rainfall increase by 20% with a temperature increase of 1 °C), thereby meeting the system equilibrium state under the condition of sustainable development. This study revealed the dynamic relationship between vegetation and hydrological processes under the effects of climate change and provided reliable recommendations to support vegetation management and ecological restoration in river basins. The remote sensing data help us to extend the model in a semiarid basin due to its accuracy. Full article

The design of automotive human–machine interfaces (HMIs) for global consumers’ needs to cater to a broad spectrum of drivers. This paper comprises benchmark studies and explores how users from international markets—Germany, China, and the United States—engage with the same automotive HMI. In real driving scenarios, N = 301 participants (premium vehicle owners) completed several tasks using different interaction modalities. The multi-method approach included both self-report measures to assess preference and satisfaction through well-established questionnaires and observational measures, namely experimenter ratings, to capture interaction performance. We observed a trend towards lower preference ratings in the Chinese sample. Further, interaction performance differed across the user groups, with self-reported preference not consistently aligning with observed performance. This dissociation accentuates the importance of integrating both measures in user studies. By employing benchmark data, we provide insights into varied market-based perspectives on automotive HMIs. The findings highlight the necessity for a nuanced approach to HMI design that considers diverse user preferences and interaction patterns. Full article

Recently, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines based on the prefusion F (pre-F) antigen were approved in the United States. We aimed to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based protocol for the practical and large-scale evaluation of RSV vaccines. Two modified pre-F proteins (DS-Cav1 and SC-TM) were produced by genetic recombination and replication using an adenoviral vector. The protocol was established by optimizing the concentrations of the coating antigen (pre-F proteins), secondary antibodies, and blocking buffer. To validate the protocol, we examined its accuracy, precision, and specificity using serum samples from 150 participants across various age groups and the standard serum provided by the National Institute of Health. In the linear correlation analysis, coating concentrations of 5 and 2.5 μg/mL of DS-Cav1 and SC-TM showed high coefficients of determination (r > 0.90), respectively. Concentrations of secondary antibodies (alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-human immunoglobulin G, diluted 1:2000) and blocking reagents (5% skim milk/PBS-T) were optimized to minimize non-specific reactions. High accuracy was observed for DS-Cav1 (r = 0.90) and SC-TM (r = 0.86). Further, both antigens showed high precision (coefficient of variation < 15%). Inhibition ELISA revealed cross-reactivity of antibodies against DS-Cav1 and SC-TM, but not with the attachment (G) protein. Full article