Objective: To describe a rare congenital deformity of the phalanges and the surgical details and outcome in a dog with ectrodactyly combined with polydactyly. Study design: Single case report. Animal: A 3.5-month-old male intact mixed breed dog with forelimb lameness and paw malformations. Methods: Surgery was performed on a dog with a congenital limb deformity consisting of resection of the extra bone and soft tissue structure to prevent further subluxation of the remaining metacarpals. Stabilisation consisted of a cortical screw in compression and a K wire across the proximal metacarpals. Results: Postoperative radiographs showed adequate implant positioning and good reduction of the proximal metacarpal row. At six weeks, the dog showed improvement in limb function and weight bearing. Major complications occurred at twelve weeks, and revision surgery with implant removal was required. At six months, the dog showed near normal range of motion and no lameness. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: The decision to perform surgery on a dog with limb deformity resulted in an almost physiological gait, and the dog showed no abnormalities in daily life. This report adds to the literature on congenital limb deformities by describing the combination of ectrodactyly and polydactylism in a canine species, including the surgical approach and outcome. However, the optimal management of this heterogeneous condition is currently unclear. Full article

The long-term impacts of climate change and human activities have resulted in the Yanhe watershed, a typical watershed in the Loess Plateau region, exhibiting a high degree of vulnerability and significant heterogeneity in ecological environmental quality. This has led to environmental degradation and complex socio-ecological challenges. Consequently, there is an urgent need to carry out research on the spatial and temporal differentiation patterns of ecological environment quality. By utilizing remote sensing data spanning 21 years, this study evaluated the evolutionary trends and consistency of ecological environment quality (EEQ) within the Yanhe watershed based on the remote-sensing-based ecological index (RSEI). Furthermore, it examined global and local spatial autocorrelation of the RSEI by constructing a hexagonal grid, thereby revealing the spatiotemporal characteristics of EEQ at different scales within the Yanhe watershed. The results were as follows: (1) The EEQ has exhibited an overall upward trend in the past two decades, while it has displayed significant fluctuations; (2) the Global Moran’s I values for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 0.18, 0.32, and 0.21, respectively, indicating a presence of spatial autocorrelation within the RSEI; (3) the overall EEQ of the Yanhe watershed will continue to improve, although the ecological quality in certain areas remains unstable due to local natural conditions and human activities. This research not only contributes to the technical framework for analyzing the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of EEQ but also provides actionable insights for ecosystem restoration and sustainability within the Loess Plateau watershed. Our work advances the understanding of ecological dynamics in semi-arid regions and offers a model for assessing ecological quality in similar environmental contexts. Full article

The current article delves into the concept of green knowledge management (GKM), aiming to elucidate the intricate web of intellectual connections within the literature already published on this subject. The significance and value of this pursuit lie in its endeavor to pinpoint the most pivotal works in the field and to elucidate the overarching research directions that have been pursued. Through this process, the ability to centralize and encapsulate the knowledge within the GKM domain is achieved. Employing bibliometric analysis tools, the apparently elusive or intangible body of the literature on GKM is given structure and form through the creation of bibliometric analysis maps, which are then scrutinized through the discerning eyes of the author. Consequently, this paper seamlessly integrates the benefits of systematic literature review methodologies with those of computer-aided software, thereby efficiently processing a substantial volume of data on GKM and transforming it into tangible representations of this specialized literary niche. Thus, this undertaking serves as an open invitation to the advancement of the GKM field, providing a solid foundational platform for further research endeavors. In essence, it serves as a stepping stone towards the development of a GKM encyclopedia, offering a comprehensive repository of knowledge and insights for scholars and practitioners alike. Full article

Forest fires are sudden and difficult to extinguish, so early risk assessment is crucial. However, there are currently a lack of suitable knowledge-mining algorithms for forest fire risk assessment. This article proposes an improved continuous Apriori algorithm to mining forest fire rules by introducing prior knowledge to classify input data and enhance its ability to process continuous data. Meanwhile, it constructs an ontology to provide a standardized expression platform for forest fire risk assessment. The improved continuous Apriori algorithm cooperates with ontology and applies the mining rules to the forest fire risk assessment results. The proposed method is validated using the forest fire data from the Bejaia region in Algeria. The results show that the improved continuous Apriori algorithm is superior to the raw Apriori algorithm and can mine the rules ignored by the raw Apriori algorithm. Compared to the raw Apriori algorithm, the number of generated rules increased by 191.67%. The method presented here can be used to enhance forest fire risk assessments and contribute to the generation and sharing of forest-fire-related knowledge, thereby alleviating the problem of insufficient knowledge in forest fire risk assessment. Full article

The cell surface metalloprotease ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17) and its binding partners iRhom2 and iRhom1 (inactive Rhomboid-like proteins 1 and 2) modulate cell–cell interactions by mediating the release of membrane proteins such as TNFα (Tumor necrosis factor α) and EGFR (Epidermal growth factor receptor) ligands from the cell surface. Most cell types express both iRhoms, though myeloid cells exclusively express iRhom2, and iRhom1 is the main iRhom in the mouse brain. Here, we report that iRhom2 is uniquely expressed in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), highly specialized cells expressing one olfactory receptor (OR) from a repertoire of more than a thousand OR genes in mice. iRhom2-/- mice had no evident morphological defects in the olfactory epithelium (OE), yet RNAseq analysis revealed differential expression of a small subset of ORs. Notably, while the majority of ORs remain unaffected in iRhom2-/- OE, OSNs expressing ORs that are enriched in iRhom2-/- OE showed fewer gene expression changes upon odor environmental changes than the majority of OSNs. Moreover, we discovered an inverse correlation between the expression of iRhom2 compared to OSN activity genes and that odor exposure negatively regulates iRhom2 expression. Given that ORs are specialized G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and many GPCRs activate iRhom2/ADAM17, we investigated if ORs could activate iRhom2/ADAM17. Activation of an olfactory receptor that is ectopically expressed in keratinocytes (OR2AT4) by its agonist Sandalore leads to ERK1/2 phosphorylation, likely via an iRhom2/ADAM17-dependent pathway. Taken together, these findings point to a mechanism by which odor stimulation of OSNs activates iRhom2/ADAM17 catalytic activity, resulting in downstream transcriptional changes to the OR repertoire and activity genes, and driving a negative feedback loop to downregulate iRhom2 expression. Full article

Prediction tunnel settlement in shield tunnels during the operation period has gained increasing significance within the realm of maintenance strategy formulation. The sparse settlement data during this period present a formidable challenge for predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, as they may not handle non-stationary relationships effectively or have the risk of overfitting. In this study, we propose an improved machine learning (ML) model based on sparse settlement data. We enhance training data via time series clustering, use time decomposition to uncover latent features, and employ Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) v1.5.1 with Bayesian Optimization (BO) v1.2.0 for precise predictions. Comparative experiments conducted on different acquisition points substantiate our model’s efficacy, the in-training set yielding a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.649 mm, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.873 mm, Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 3.566, and Coefficient of Determination (R²) of 0.872, and the in-testing set yielding a MAE of 0.717 mm, RMSE of 1.048 mm, MAPE of 4.080, and R² of 0.846. The empirical results show the superiority of the proposed model compared to simple ML models and a complex neural network model, as it has a lower prediction error and higher accuracy across different sparse settlement datasets. Moreover, this paper underlines that accurate settlement predictions contribute to achieving some Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, preventive tunnel maintenance strategies based on predictive results can enhance tunnels’ long-term operational reliability, which is in accordance with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Full article

Given the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, understanding the foundations of intelligent behaviour is increasingly important. Active inference, regarded as a general theory of behaviour, offers a principled approach to probing the basis of sophistication in planning and decision-making. This paper examines two decision-making schemes in active inference based on “planning” and “learning from experience”. Furthermore, we also introduce a mixed model that navigates the data complexity trade-off between these strategies, leveraging the strengths of both to facilitate balanced decision-making. We evaluate our proposed model in a challenging grid-world scenario that requires adaptability from the agent. Additionally, our model provides the opportunity to analyse the evolution of various parameters, offering valuable insights and contributing to an explainable framework for intelligent decision-making. Full article

Membrane technology allows the separation of active compounds, providing an alternative to conventional methods such as column chromatography, liquid–liquid extraction, and solid–liquid extraction. The nanofiltration of a Muérdago (Tristerix tetrandus Mart.) fruit juice was realized to recover valuable metabolites using three different membranes (DL, NFW, and NDX (molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs): 150~300, 300~500, and 500~700 Da, respectively)). The metabolites were identified by ESI-MS/MS. The results showed that the target compounds were effectively fractionated according to their different molecular weights (MWs). The tested membranes showed retention percentages (RPs) of up to 100% for several phenolics. However, lower RPs appeared in the case of coumaric acid (84.51 ± 6.43% (DL), 2.64 ± 2.21% (NFW), 51.95 ± 1.23% (NDX)) and some other phenolics. The RPs observed for the phenolics cryptochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid were 99.74 ± 0.21 and 99.91 ± 0.01% (DL membrane), 96.85 ± 0.83 and 99.20 ± 0.05% (NFW membrane), and 92.98 ± 2.34 and 98.65 ± 0.00% (NDX membrane), respectively. The phenolic quantification was realized by UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The DL membrane allowed the permeation of amino acids with the MW range of about 300~100 Da (aspartic acid, proline, tryptophan). This membrane allowed the highest permeate flux (22.10–27.73 L/m²h), followed by the membranes NDX (16.44–20.82 L/m²h) and NFW (12.40–14.45 L/m²h). Moreover, the DL membrane allowed the highest recovery of total compounds in the permeate during the concentration process (19.33%), followed by the membranes NFW (16.28%) and NDX (14.02%). Permeate fractions containing phenolics and amino acids were identified in the membrane permeates DL (10 metabolites identified), NFW (13 metabolites identified), and NDX (10 metabolites identified). Particularly, tryptophan was identified only in the DL permeate fractions obtained. Leucine and isoleucine were identified only in the NFW permeate fractions, whereas methionine and arginine were identified only in the NDX ones. Liquid permeates of great interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries were obtained from plant resources and are suitable for future process optimization and scale-up. Full article

This research presents an innovative methodology aimed at monitoring jet trajectory during the jetting process using imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This approach seamlessly integrates UAV imagery with an offline learnable prompt vector module (OPVM) to enhance trajectory monitoring accuracy and stability. By leveraging a high-resolution camera mounted on a UAV, image enhancement is proposed to solve the problem of geometric and photometric distortion in jet trajectory images, and the Faster R-CNN network is deployed to detect objects within the images and precisely identify the jet trajectory within the video stream. Subsequently, the offline learnable prompt vector module is incorporated to further refine trajectory predictions, thereby improving monitoring accuracy and stability. In particular, the offline learnable prompt vector module not only learns the visual characteristics of jet trajectory but also incorporates their textual features, thus adopting a bimodal approach to trajectory analysis. Additionally, OPVM is trained offline, thereby minimizing additional memory and computational resource requirements. Experimental findings underscore the method’s remarkable precision of 95.4% and efficiency in monitoring jet trajectory, thereby laying a solid foundation for advancements in trajectory detection and tracking. This methodology holds significant potential for application in firefighting systems and industrial processes, offering a robust framework to address dynamic trajectory monitoring challenges and augment computer vision capabilities in practical scenarios. Full article

Developing valid and reliable measures of psychological responses to climate change is of high importance, as this facilitates our understanding of people’s psychological responses, including their pro-environmental behavior. Recently, the Climate Change Worry Scale (CCWS) was introduced. This study aimed to develop the first Polish version of the CCWS and explore its psychometric properties. Our sample comprised 420 Polish adults aged 18–70, with a mean age of 26.20 (standard deviation = 10.61) years. The CCWS’s factor structure was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. McDonald’s omega and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were computed to assess internal consistency reliability. Pearson correlations between climate change worry (CCW) and experience of climate change (i.e., an individual’s level of perception of being affected by climate change), pro-environmental behavior, ill-being (i.e., anxiety and depression symptoms), and well-being were calculated. Our results support the strong factorial validity of the CCWS, conforming to its intended one-factor solution, with excellent internal consistency reliability for the total scale score (i.e., McDonald’s omega and Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.93). We noted large positive correlations between CCW and experiences of climate change, as well as pro-environmental behavior, and medium positive correlations with psychopathology symptoms. CCW scores were not associated with well-being. As the CCWS represents a measure of a specific manifestation of worry, we also examined its discriminant validity against more general psychological distress markers, and it evidenced strong validity in this regard. Overall, the Polish version of the CCWS appears to have strong psychometric properties, and will therefore be a useful tool to use in research on psychological responses to climate change. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate alternative methods to control longhorn beetle (Oberea linearis) infestations in walnut orchards. Wild isolates of entomopathogenic fungi obtained from soil samples from Greece and Cyprus were tested for their efficacy against adults and larvae of O. linearis. Insect populations were acquired from a heavily infested walnut orchard and individuals were placed in Petri dishes provided with ground walnut wood for larvae and fresh leaves for adults. The tested insects were subjected to 16 different wild isolates from the genera Beauveria, Cordyceps, Metarhizium, and Purpureocillium, where 10⁸ conidia/mL were applied by spraying, and insects were monitored daily for 16 days. The results showed that all the tested fungi resulted in a mortality rate of 66–100%, with Cordyceps fumosorosea exhibiting the highest virulence, causing complete mortality to both larvae and adults. These findings suggest that the management of O. linearis, which has traditionally relied on chemical applications, could transition to an organic approach by utilizing entomopathogenic fungi. Full article

With the rapid development of society and the deteriorating natural environment, there has been an increase in public emergencies. This study aimed to explore how sadness and fear in the context of public emergencies influence moral judgments. This research first induced feelings of sadness and fear by using videos about public emergencies and music, and then used moral scenarios from the CNI model (C parameter: sensitivity to consequences; N parameter: sensitivity to norms; I parameter: general preference for inaction) to assess participants’ moral thinking. In Study 1, participants were divided into a sadness group and a neutral group, while in Study 2, participants were divided into a fear group and a neutral group. During the experiment, participants were exposed to different videos related to public emergencies to induce the corresponding emotions, and emotional music was continuously played throughout the entire experiment. Participants were then asked to answer questions requiring moral judgments. The results showed that based on the CNI model, sadness induced in the context of public emergencies significantly increased the C parameter, without affecting the N or I parameters. Fear increased the I parameter, without affecting the C or I parameters. That is, sadness and fear induced in the context of a public emergency can influence moral judgments. Specifically, sadness increases individuals’ sensitivity to consequences and fear increases the general preference for inaction in moral judgments. Full article

The impact of gut and oral microbiota on the clinical outcomes of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unknown. We compared the bacterial composition of dental plaque and feces between patients with OSCC and healthy controls (HCs). Fecal and dental plaque samples were collected from 7 HCs and 18 patients with OSCC before treatment initiation. Terminal restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis of 16S rRNA genes was performed. Differences in bacterial diversity between the HC and OSCC groups were examined. We compared the occupancy of each bacterial species in samples taken from patients with OSCC and HCs and analyzed the correlation between PD-L1 expression in the tumor specimens and the occupancy of each bacterial species. The gut and oral microbiota of patients with OSCC were more varied than those of HCs. Porphyromonas and Prevotella were significantly more abundant in patients with OSCC than in HCs. The abundance of Clostridium subcluster XIVa in the gut microbiota of the PD-L1-positive group was significantly greater than that in the PD-L1-negative group. The oral and gut microbiomes of patients with OSCC were in a state of dysbiosis. Our results suggest the possibility of new cancer therapies targeting these disease-specific microbiomes using probiotics and synbiotics. Full article

Background: Advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be treated with novel targeted therapies that are tailored to the genetic characteristics of malignancy. While tissue-based genomic testing is considered the gold standard for the detection of oncogenic driver mutations, several challenges like inadequate tissue availability, the invasiveness of procuring tumors, and prolonged turnaround time of analysis are encountered. Considering these limitations, guidelines have recognized liquid biopsies using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a useful tool to complement conventional tissue testing. Even though cfDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) can have high sensitivity and specificity, optimal patient benefit requires the interpretation of the molecular profiling results in the context of clinical and diagnostic features to achieve the best outcomes. Case Descriptions: In this case series, we present six patients with advanced NSCLC whose plasma or tissue biopsy samples were analyzed with commercially available comprehensive NGS assays that elucidate the role of testing at various time points in the treatment journey. In all six cases, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) provided clinically useful information to guide treatment decisions. Conclusion: Adding to the existing real-world evidence, this case series reinforces that CGP-driven treatment strategies in advanced NSCLC, coupled with other available clinical information, can optimize treatment decisions. Full article

Good manufacturing practices play an important role in obtaining safe food and preventing foodborne diseases. To achieve this goal, food handlers must receive appropriate training to be aware of their responsibilities. In this work, compliance with specific personal hygiene requirements by food handlers was assessed in a cross-sectional study of traditional small retail establishments, namely butcher (n = 56) and fishmonger (n = 17) shops in Almada, Portugal. Food handlers (n = 140, of which 113 worked in butcher shops, and 27 worked in fishmonger shops) were interviewed for data collection, and retail establishments were audited considering specific hygiene requisites. In fishmonger shops, most food handlers are women (89%), aged 18 to 45 years (70%), with a high school degree, having worked for less than 5 years in this activity, while in butcher shops most food handlers are men (90%) over 45 years old (58%), with a basic education level, and more than 26 years of experience. Most food handlers (>95%) attended recent food safety and hygiene training courses and were able to recognize that hand sanitizers cannot replace a proper hand wash, and to identify Staphylococcus aureus transmission routes to food. However, approximately 23% of retail establishments failed to provide hot water in the handwashing basin and exhibited improper placement of handwashing instructions. Furthermore, these establishments did not implement corrective actions following non-conforming microbiological results of hand hygiene monitoring. These findings reinforce the need for consistent management commitment, and for providing food handlers with regular training, which is crucial for maintaining a strong food safety and hygiene culture in these traditional small retail establishments. Full article

Policosanol is a mixture of long-chain aliphatic alcohols (LCAAs) derived from various plant and insect origins that are marketed by various companies with distinct formulations and brand names. Policosanols offer several beneficial effects to treat dyslipidemia and hypertension; however, a comprehensive functionality comparison of various policosanol brands has yet to be thoroughly explored. In the present study five distinct policosanol brands from different origins and countries, Raydel-policosanol, Australia (PCO1), Solgar-policosanol, USA (PCO2), NutrioneLife-monacosanol, South Korea (PCO3), Mothernest-policosanol, Australia (PCO4), and Peter & John-policosanol, New Zealand (PCO5) were compared via dietary supplementation (1% in diet, final wt/wt) to zebrafish for six weeks to investigate their impact on survivability, blood lipid profile, and functionality of vital organs under the influence of a high-cholesterol diet (HCD, final 4%, wt/wt). The results revealed that policosanol brands (PCO1–PCO5) had a substantial preventive effect against HCD-induced zebrafish body weight elevation and hyperlipidemia by alleviating total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in blood. Other than PCO3, all the brands significantly reduced the HCD’s elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). On the contrary, only PCO1 displayed a significant elevation in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level against the consumption of HCD. The divergent effect of PCO1–PCO5 against HCD-induced hepatic damage biomarkers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), was observed. PCO1, PCO2, and PCO4 efficiently curtailed the AST and ALT levels; however, PCO3 and PCO5 potentially aggravated the HCD’s elevated plasma AST and ALT levels. Consistently, the hepatic histology outcome revealed the least effectiveness of PCO3 and PCO5 against HCD-induced liver damage. On the contrary, PCO1 exhibited a substantial hepatoprotective role by curtailing HCD-induced fatty liver changes, cellular senescent, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production. Likewise, the histological outcome from the kidney, testis, and ovary revealed the significant curative effect of PCO1 against the HCD-induced adverse effects. PCO2–PCO5 showed diverse and unequal results, with the least effective being PCO3, followed by PCO5 towards HCD-induced kidney, testis, and ovary damage. The multivariate interpretation based on principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) validated the superiority of PCO1 over other policosanol brands against the clinical manifestation associated with HCD. Conclusively, different brands displayed distinct impacts against HCD-induced adverse effects, signifying the importance of policosanol formulation and the presence of aliphatic alcohols on the functionality of policosanol products. Full article

The rapid and accurate extraction of water information from satellite imagery has been a crucial topic in remote sensing applications and has important value in water resources management, water environment monitoring, and disaster emergency management. Although the OLI-2 sensor onboard Landsat-9 is similar to the well-known OLI onboard Landsat-8, there were significant differences in the average absolute percentage change in the bands for water detection. Additionally, the performance of Landsat-9 in water body extraction is yet to be fully understood. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct comparative studies to evaluate the water extraction performance of Landsat-9 with Landsat-8. In this study, we analyze the performance of simultaneous Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 data for water body extraction based on eight common water indices (Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), Augmented Normalized Difference Water Index (ANDWI), Water Index 2015 (WI₂₀₁₅), tasseled cap wetness index (TCW), Automated Water Extraction Index for scenes with shadows (AWEI_sh) and without shadows (AWEI_nsh) and Multi-Band Water Index (MBWI)) to extract water bodies in seven study sites worldwide. The Otsu algorithm is utilized to automatically determine the optimal segmentation threshold for water body extraction. The results showed that (1) Landsat-9 satellite data can be used for water body extraction effectively, with results consistent with those from Landsat-8. The eight selected water indices in this study are applicable to both Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 satellites. (2) The NDWI index shows a larger variability in accuracy compared to other indices when used on Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 imagery. Therefore, additional caution should be exercised when using the NDWI for water body analysis with both Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 satellites simultaneously. (3) For Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 imagery, ratio-based water indices tend to have more omission errors, while difference-based indices are more prone to commission errors. Overall, ratio-based indices exhibit greater variability in overall accuracy, whereas difference-based indices demonstrate lower sensitivity to variations in the study area, showing smaller overall accuracy fluctuations and higher robustness. This study can provide necessary references for the selection of water indices based on the newest Landsat-9 data. The results are crucial for guiding the combined use of Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 for global surface water mapping and understanding its long-term changes. Full article

Commercial environments and food acquisition methods significantly shape dietary practices and impact health. This study assesses dietary choices among Portuguese university students regarding vending machines, canteens, and lunches from home. It also evaluates their use of the university canteen and their tendency to bring lunch from home. This pilot cross-sectional study used a self-administered electronic questionnaire, made available in early 2023. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. The study included 137 students from Portuguese higher education institutions, mainly women (74.5%), pursuing degrees or integrated Master’s degrees (83.2%), primarily in health-related fields (55.5%). The median age was 21 years (20 to 23.5 years). About 70.0% regularly consumed food from vending machines, while approximately 60.0% brought lunch from home, avoiding the canteen. Factors such as convenience (48.5%), price (47.5%), product availability (40.6%), and taste (39.6%) mainly influenced vending machine choices. Monthly, chocolates, water, coffee, cookies, treats, and soft drinks were the most commonly acquired items, with coffee being the most frequent daily purchase. These findings provide insights for creating policies and initiatives to promote healthier and more accessible food options for students and strategies to encourage positive eating behaviors. Full article

A timelike ($\mathcal{TL}$) constant axis ruled surface in ${\mathcal{E}}_1^3$ (Minkowski 3-space), as determined by its ruling, forms a constant dual angle with its Disteli-axis (striction axis or curvature axis). In this article, we employ the symmetry through point geometry of Lorentzian dual curves and the line geometry of $\mathcal{TL}$ ruled surfaces. This produces the capability to expound a set of curvature functions that specify the local configurations of $\mathcal{TL}$ ruled surfaces. Then, we gain some new constant axis ruled surfaces in Lorentzian line space and their geometrical illustrations. Further, we also earn several organizations among a $\mathcal{TL}$ constant axis ruled surface and its striction curve. Full article

Chrono-nutrition (meal timing) aligns food consumption with one’s circadian rhythm. The first meal (e.g., breakfast) likely promotes synchronization of peripheral circadian clocks, thereby supporting metabolic health. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has been shown to reduce body weight (BW) and/or improve cardiovascular biomarkers. In this explorative literature assessment, 13 TRF randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected from PubMed and Scopus to evaluate the effects of early (eTRF: first meal before 10:30 a.m.) and late TRF (lTRF: first meal after 11:30 a.m.) on parameters of metabolic health. Although distinct variations in study design were evident between reports, TRF consistently decreased energy intake (EI) and BW, and improved insulin resistance as well as systolic blood pressure. eTRF seemed to have a greater beneficial effect than lTRF on insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Importantly, most studies did not appear to consider chronotype in their evaluation, which may have underestimated TRF effects. TRF intervention may be a promising approach for risk reduction of human metabolic diseases. To conclusively determine benefits of TRF and identify clear differences between eTRF and lTRF, future studies should be longer-term (≥8 weeks) with well-defined (differences in) feeding windows, include participants chronotypically matching the intervention, and compare outcomes to those of control groups without any dietary limitations. Full article

The Brazilian Cerrado biome is known for its high biodiversity, and the role of groundwater recharge and climate regulation. Anthropogenic influence has harmed the biome, emphasizing the need for science to understand its response to climate and reconcile economic exploration with preservation. Our work aimed to evaluate the seasonal and interannual variability of the surface energy balance in a woodland savanna (Cerrado) ecosystem in southeastern Brazil over a period of 19 years, from 2001 to 2019. Using field micrometeorological measurements, we examined the variation in soil moisture and studied its impact on the temporal pattern of energy fluxes to distinguish the effects during rainy years compared to a severe drought spell. The soil moisture measures used two independent instruments, cosmic ray neutron sensor CRNS, and FDR at different depths. The measures were taken at the Pé de Gigante (PEG) site, in a region of well-defined seasonality with the dry season in winter and a hot/humid season in summer. We gap-filled the energy flux measurements with a calibrated biophysical model (SiB2). The long-term averages for air temperature and precipitation were 22.5 °C and 1309 mm/year, respectively. The net radiation (Rn) was 142 W/m², the evapotranspiration (ET) and sensible heat flux (H) were 3.4 mm/d and 52 W/m², respectively. Soil moisture was marked by a pronounced negative anomaly in the 2014 year, which caused an increase in the Bowen ratio and a decrease in Evaporative fraction, that lasted until the following year 2015 during the dry season, despite the severe meteorological drought of 2013/2014 already ending, which was corroborated by the two independent measurements. The results showed the remarkable influence of precipitation and soil moisture on the interannual variability of the energy balance in this Cerrado ecosystem, aiding in understanding how it responds to strong climate disturbances. Full article

Flatworms are known for their remarkable regenerative ability, one which depends on totipotent cells known as germinative cells in cestodes. Depletion of germinative cells with hydroxyurea (HU) affects the regeneration of the parasite. Here, we studied the reduction and recovery of germinative cells in T. crassiceps cysticerci after HU treatment (25 mM and 40 mM of HU for 6 days) through in vitro assays. Viability and morphological changes were evaluated. The recovery of cysticerci’s mobility and morphology was evaluated at 3 and 6 days, after 6 days of treatment. The number of proliferative cells was evaluated using EdU. Our results show morphological changes in the size, shape, and number of evaginated cysticerci at the 40 mM dose. The mobility of cysticerci was lower after 6 days of HU treatment at both concentrations. On days 3 and 6 of recovery after 25 mM of HU treatment, a partial recovery of the proliferative cells was observed. Proteomic and Gene Ontology analyses identified modifications in protein groups related to DNA binding, DNA damage, glycolytic enzymes, cytoskeleton, skeletal muscle, and RNA binding. Full article