Fractional modelling of COVID-19 transmission incorporating asymptomatic and super-spreader individuals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges worldwide, necessitating effective modelling approaches to understand and control its transmission dynamics. In this study, we propose a novel approach that integrates asymptomatic and super-spreader individuals in a single compartmental model. We highlight the advantages of utilizing incommensurate fractional order derivatives in ordinary differential equations, including increased flexibility in capturing disease dynamics and refined memory effects in the transmission process.

HLA-DQB1*05:03 is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 progression in the Bulgarian population.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak represents a global health problem. The different infection rates are heavily influenced by host genetic factors, such as variability in the HLA region. The aim of our study was to investigate whether certain HLA alleles in the Bulgarian population contribute to COVID-19 progression and their role in anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity.

Exploring SERPINA3 as a neuroinflammatory modulator in Alzheimer's disease with sex and regional brain variations.

SERPINA3, a serine protease inhibitor, is strongly associated with neuroinflammation, a typical condition of AD. Its expression is linked to microglial and astrocytic markers, suggesting it plays a significant role in modulating neuroinflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the SERPINA3 expression levels, along with CHI3L1, in various brain regions of AD patients and non-demented healthy controls (NDHC).

Validity and normative scores of finger flexor strength and endurance tests estimated from a large sample of female and male climbers.

Recent reviews have highlighted conflicting findings regarding the validity of finger flexor strength and endurance tests in sport climbers, often due to small sample sizes and low ecological validity of the tests used. To address these gaps, 185 male and 122 female climbers underwent maximal finger flexor strength, intermittent and continuous finger flexor endurance, and the finger hang tests in a sport-specific setting to determine the predictive and concurrent validity of these tests. The finger hang test showed the strongest relationship to climbing ability for both sexes ( ≈ 0.

Human Footprint and Forest Disturbance Reduce Space Use of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) Across Europe.

Three-quarters of the planet's land surface has been altered by humans, with consequences for animal ecology, movements and related ecosystem functioning. Species often occupy wide geographical ranges with contrasting human disturbance and environmental conditions, yet, limited data availability across species' ranges has constrained our understanding of how human pressure and resource availability jointly shape intraspecific variation of animal space use. Leveraging a unique dataset of 758 annual GPS movement trajectories from 375 brown bears (Ursus arctos) across the species' range in Europe, we investigated the effects of human pressure (i.

Targeting the Progression of Lupus-Like Disease in Humanized Mouse Model by Specific Dietary Components.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with a number of immunological aberrations in the mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune responses. Spontaneous and induced mouse models of the disease have contributed significantly to the advancement in lupus treatments. The involvement of humanized models, engrafted with lupus patients' immune cells, represented the possibility to study the development of SLE.

The influence of active metabolites from the decomposition of camelina and barley straw on the development of phytoplankton from eutrophic freshwater ecosystem.

As a result of human activities, surface waters worldwide are experiencing increasing levels of eutrophication, leading to more frequent occurrences of microalgae, including harmful algal blooms. We aimed to investigate the impact of decomposing camelina straw on mixed phytoplankton communities from eutrophic water bodies, comparing it to the effects of barley straw. The research was carried out in 15 aquaria (five of each type - containing no straw, camelina straw, and barley straw).

After abandonment.

When farmers leave their land, what version of nature takes over?

Preparation of novel lithiated high-entropy spinel-type oxyhalides and their electrochemical performance in Li-ion batteries.

Compositionally complex doping of spinel oxides toward high-entropy oxides is expected to enhance their electrochemical performance substantially. We successfully prepared high-entropy compounds, the oxide (ZnMgCoCu)FeO (HEOFe), lithiated oxyfluoride Li(ZnMgCoCu)FeOF (LiHEOFeF), and lithiated oxychloride Li(ZnMgCoCu)FeOCl (LiHEOFeCl) with a spinel-based cubic structure by ball milling and subsequent heat treatment. The products exhibit particles with sizes from 50 to 200 nm with a homogeneous atomic distribution.

Seasonality in mortality and its impact on life expectancy levels and trends across Europe.

Background: Seasonal fluctuations in mortality affect annual life expectancy at birth (e). Nevertheless, evidence on the impact of seasonal mortality on longevity is very limited and mainly restricted to assessing season-specific mortality levels due to shocks (e.g.

Hit Selection of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors Bearing Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine Scaffold.

The thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine fragment is in the structure of many drug-like candidate derivatives with a wide range of biological activities. However, very few dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors with this building block are currently known. Here, the selection of a novel DPP-4 inhibitor based on the thienopyrimidine scaffold is reported.

Generalizability, robustness, and correction bias of segmentations of thoracic organs at risk in CT images.

Objective: This study aims to assess and compare two state-of-the-art deep learning approaches for segmenting four thoracic organs at risk (OAR)-the esophagus, trachea, heart, and aorta-in CT images in the context of radiotherapy planning.

Materials And Methods: We compare a multi-organ segmentation approach and the fusion of multiple single-organ models, each dedicated to one OAR. All were trained using nnU-Net with the default parameters and the full-resolution configuration.

From Traditional to Cutting-Edge: Transforming Pulmonary Valve Assessment With Advanced Echocardiography Techniques.

The pulmonary valve (PV), although often less emphasized than other heart valves, is crucial for cardiac function and hemodynamics. Historically, the PV has been underrepresented in echocardiographic assessments due to its rare involvement in pathological conditions, particularly in adults. Additionally, the anatomical position of the PV makes it one of the most challenging valves to visualize using conventional echocardiography.

First-episode mild depression in young adults is a pre-proatherogenic condition even in the absence of subclinical metabolic syndrome: lowered lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase as a key factor.

Background: Major depression is classified into distinct subtypes: simple (SDMD) and major dysmood disorder (MDMD). MDMD patients exhibit elevated atherogenicity and decreased reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). However, comprehensive data regarding lipid metabolism is absent in first episode (FE)-SDMD.

Occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates in farrow-to-finish pig farms in Bulgaria.

Salmonella spp. is an important zoonotic and foodborne pathogen. It is spread worldwide and represents a public health risk.

Bouncing bubbles do not show water slip on smooth hydrophobic surfaces.

Hypothesis: The presence of hydrodynamic slip of water on smooth hydrophobic surfaces has been debated intensely over the last decades. In recent experiments, the stronger bounce of free-rising bubbles from smooth hydrophobic surfaces compared to smooth hydrophilic surfaces was interpreted as evidence for a significant water slip on smooth hydrophobic surfaces.

Experiments: To examine the possible water-slip effect, we conduct well-controlled experiments comparing the bouncing dynamics of millimeter-sized free-rising bubbles from smooth hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces.

Effectiveness of a social cognition remediation intervention for patients with schizophrenia: a randomized-controlled study.

This randomized-controlled study evaluates the effectiveness of a newly developed social cognition rehabilitation intervention, the modified Social Cognition Individualized Activity Lab (mSoCIAL), in improving social cognition and clinical and functional outcomes of persons with schizophrenia recruited in two Italian sites: University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" in Naples and ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco in Milan. mSoCIAL consists of a social cognitive training module focusing on different domains of social cognition and of a narrative enhancement module. We assessed changes in social cognition, clinical characteristics and functional variables in patients with schizophrenia who participated in 10 weekly sessions of mSoCIAL or received treatment as usual (TAU).

Are abnormalities in lipid metabolism, together with adverse childhood experiences, the silent causes of immune-linked neurotoxicity in major depression?

Background: Severe or recurring major depression is associated with increased adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), heightened atherogenicity, and immune-linked neurotoxicity (INT). Nevertheless, the interconnections among these variables in outpatient major depression (OMDD) have yet to be determined. We aim to determine the correlations among INT, atherogenicity, and ACEs in OMDD patients compared to normal controls.

The MINDSPACE Expanded Framework (MINDSPACE X): Behavioral insights to improve adherence to psychiatric medications.

The MINDSPACE framework has made it easier to incorporate insights from behavioral science into policy, including health policy, but lacks granularity. Difficult policy problems such as adherence to psychiatric medication can benefit from judicious selection of nudges. We present a MINDSPACE Expanded Framework including 34 insights from behavioral science in the 9 MINDSPACE principles to support a more detailed integration of behavioral science into policy.

Aglianico grape pomace as a source of antioxidant and anti-proliferative biomolecules: Eco-friendly extraction and HRMS/MS-based molecular networking.

Grape pomace (GP), a by-product of the wine supply chain process, contains bioactive molecules with known healthy properties. This study examines the impact of different extraction techniques on three GPs of Aglianico cultivar [Cantine del Notaio, Barile, and Torrecuso]. Five eco-friendly extractive techniques [maceration (MAC), digestion (DIG), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), microwaves (MW), and ultrasound (US)] were used with 50 % ethanol/water as solvent.

The Langmuir Monolayer as a Model Membrane System for Studying the Interactions of Poly(Butyl Cyanoacrylate) Nanoparticles with Phospholipids at the Air/Water Interface.

Poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) (PBCA) nanoparticles have numerous applications, including drug and gene delivery, molecular imaging, and cancer therapy. To uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying their interactions with cell membranes, we utilized a Langmuir monolayer as a model membrane system. This approach enabled us to investigate the processes of penetration and reorganization of PBCA nanoparticles when deposited in a phospholipid monolayer subphase.

Gingival Margin Damage During Supragingival Dental Polishing by Inexperienced Operator-Pilot Study.

Background: Supragingival polishing is a crucial part of nonsurgical periodontal therapy. In recent years, air polishing has been used for this purpose, introducing different polishing powders. The purpose of the following study was to investigate the damage to the gingival margin during air polishing by an inexperienced operator.

Impact of Ultrasound- and Microwave-Assisted Extraction on Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of and .

This study represents the first investigation into the ultrasonic and microwave extraction of bioactive metabolites from (red seaweed) and () (brown seaweed), with a focus on their biological activities. The research compares ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) utilizing a hydromethanolic solvent to evaluate their effects on these seaweeds' bioactive compounds and biological activities. The assessment included a series of antioxidant essays: DPPH, ABTS, phenanthroline, and total antioxidant capacity, followed by enzyme inhibition activities: alpha-amylase and urease.

BDNF/Cyclin D1 Signaling System and Cognitive Performance After Perampanel and Lacosamide Treatment Singly or in Combination in an Experimental Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common brain function disorder. The present study aims to evaluate the long-term effect of perampanel (PRM) and lacosamide (LCM), administered singly in a high-dose or in a low-dose combination of both, on comorbid anxiety, cognitive impairment, BDNF, and Cyclin D1 hippocampal expression in an experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy with lithium-pilocarpine. PRM (3 mg/kg, p.