Large Amount Research Articles

Toward high-quality pseudo masks from noisy or weak annotations for robust medical image segmentation

Deep learning networks excel in image segmentation with abundant accurately annotated training samples. However, in medical applications, acquiring large quantities of high-quality labeled images is prohibitively expensive. Thus, learning from imperfect annotations (e.g. noisy or weak annotations) has emerged as a prominent research area in medical image segmentation. This work aims to extract high-quality pseudo masks from imperfect annotations with the assistance of a small number of clean labels. Our core motivation is based on the understanding that different types of flawed imperfect annotations inherently exhibit unique noise patterns. Comparing clean annotations with corresponding imperfectly annotated labels can effectively identify potential noise patterns at minimal additional cost. To this end, we propose a two-phase framework including a noise identification network and a noise-robust segmentation network. The former network implicitly learns noise patterns and revises labels accordingly. It includes a three-branch network to identify different types of noises. The latter one further mitigates the negative influence of residual annotation noises based on parallel segmentation networks with different initializations and a label softening strategy. Extensive experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate that our method can effectively refine annotation flaws and achieve superior segmentation performance to the state-of-the-art methods.

Copper/iron bimetal phenolic networks boosted apoptosis/ferroptosis/cuproptosis combined tumor therapy through dual glutathione depletion

Cuproptosis, ferroptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-involved apoptosis are all bound by the overexpressed glutathione (GSH) in tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a dual GSH depletor is developed based on copper/iron bimetal gallic acid phenolic networks (CuFeGA MPNs) for combination tumor therapy by GSH depletion boosted apoptosis/ferroptosis/cuproptosis simultaneously. The CuFeGA MPNs are dissociated following exposure to the highly expressed GSH, causing the release of large quantities of GA, Fe2+, and Cu+. The released GA then further consumes the residual GSH. In conjunction with the GSH response-consumption behavior, the GSH depletion is achieved by those dual GSH consumption procedures. Subsequently, the expression of glutathione peroxides 4 (GPX4) is down-regulated by GSH depletion for further accumulation of lipid peroxides (LPO). Moreover, intracellular ROS levels are improved via Fenton reaction with released Cu+ and Fe2+, leading to buildup of LPO concurrently. Eventually, excess ROS can activate mitochondria-associated apoptosis, and the surge of LPO initiates ferroptosis without GSH homeostasis. Meanwhile, the oligomerization of lipoylated dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase (DLAT) and decline of iron-sulfur cluster protein are induced by excessive Cu+ in the absence of GSH chelation, activating cuproptosis. This work provides a feasible approach for the realization of multiple mechanisms combined tumor therapy.

Simulation model calibration with dynamic stratification and adaptive sampling

ABSTRACT Calibrating simulation models that take large quantities of multi-dimensional data as input is a hard simulation optimization problem. Existing adaptive sampling strategies offer a methodological solution. However, they may not sufficiently reduce the computational cost for estimation and solution algorithm’s progress within a limited budget due to extreme noise levels and heteroscedasticity of system responses. We propose integrating stratification with adaptive sampling for the purpose of efficiency in optimization. Stratification can exploit local dependence in the simulation inputs and outputs. Yet, the state-of-the-art does not provide a full capability to adaptively stratify the data as different solution alternatives are evaluated. We devise two procedures for data-driven calibration problems that involve a large dataset with multiple covariates to calibrate models within a fixed overall simulation budget. The first approach dynamically stratifies the input data using binary trees, while the second approach uses closed-form solutions based on linearity assumptions between the objective function and concomitant variables. We find that dynamical adjustment of stratification structure accelerates optimization and reduces run-to-run variability in generated solutions. Our case study for calibrating a wind power simulation model, widely used in the wind industry, using the proposed stratified adaptive sampling, shows better-calibrated parameters under a limited budget.

Baroclinic Effects on Wave-Driven Flows in a Microtidal Bay

Abstract A wave–current coupled numerical model with 3D radiation stress formalism is used to study baroclinic effects, specifically stratification and baroclinic pressure gradient force (BcPGF), on wind-wave-driven flows, separated as vertically sheared flows and vertically homogeneous flows. Numerical experiments are conducted under ideal offshore winds of 8 m s−1. Results show that stratification enhances the two-layer structure of the wave-driven sheared flow, while BcPGF has minimal impact. Stratification and BcPGF have limited influence on the direction of the wave-driven depth-averaged circulation, but they can enhance the total circulation by promoting the upper one. In the upper layer where form drag dominates, the competition between the vertical form drag divergence (FDD) and turbulent stress divergence (TSD) plays a critical role in shaping the wave-driven flow. Stratification reduces vertical eddy viscosity Km, suppressing the growth of TSD associated with the vertical shear of velocity, which facilitates the FDD driving the upper outflow. Likewise, stratification can enhance the effect of FDD curl on the upper horizontal circulation by limiting the growth of TSD curl related to the vertical shear of vorticity. Additionally, low Km reinforces geostrophic effect and therefore enhances the lateral circulation. Baroclinic torque contributes to reducing the vertical variation of vorticity and the growth of TSD curl, indirectly improving the effectiveness of FDD curl in driving the upper circulation. Stratification undergoes fortnightly adjustments due to the spring–neap cycle, leading to the synchronized variation in the strength of wave-driven flow, particularly its vertically sheared component. During neap tides with weak tidal forcing and well-developed stratification, wave-driven sheared flow, horizontal circulation, and lateral circulation are stronger. Significance Statement The aim of this study is to enhance our comprehension of the impact of baroclinic processes on wind-wave-driven flows in wind-dominated regimes. During summer, wave-driven flows exhibit noticeable vertical shearing, which differ from those observed in winter. This is particularly important because during summer, river runoffs generate strong stratification and introduce large quantities of terrigenous materials into coastal oceans. Consequently, wave-driven flows may play a crucial role in bay-shelf exchange, which has been given in few studies. Our findings highlight the influence of baroclinic processes on turbulent stress divergence, which can enhance wave-driven flows, both the vertically sheared and the vertically homogeneous components, especially during neap tides.

Mass Spectrometry Probe Combined with Machine Learning to Capture the Relationship between Metabolites and Mitochondrial Complex Activity at the Whole-Cell Level.

Mitochondrial complex activity controls a multitude of physiological processes by regulating the cellular metabolism. Current methods for evaluating mitochondrial complex activity mainly focus on single metabolic reactions within mitochondria. These methods often require fresh samples in large quantities for mitochondria purification or intact mitochondrial membranes for real-time monitoring. Confronting these limitations, we shifted the analytical perspective toward interactive metabolic networks at the whole-cell level to reflect mitochondrial complex activity. To this end, we compiled a panel of mitochondrial respiratory chain-mapped metabolites (MRCMs), whose perturbations theoretically provide an overall reflection on mitochondrial complex activity. By introducing N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine and N-methyl-p-phenylenediamine as a pair of mass spectrometry probes, an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with high sensitivity (LLOQ as low as 0.2 fmol) was developed to obtain accurate quantitative data of MRCMs. Machine learning was then combined to capture the relationship between MRCMs and mitochondrial complex activity. Using Complex I as a proof-of-concept, we identified NADH, alanine, and phosphoenolpyruvate as metabolites associated with Complex I activity based on the whole-cell level. The effectiveness of using their concentrations to reflect Complex I activity was further validated in external data sets. Hence, by capturing the relationship between metabolites and mitochondrial complex activity at the whole-cell level, this study explores a novel analytical paradigm for the interrogation of mitochondrial complex activity, offering a favorable complement to existing methods particularly when sample quantities, type, and treatment timeliness pose challenges. More importantly, it shifts the focus from individual metabolic reactions within mitochondria to a more comprehensive view of an interactive metabolic network, which should serve as a promising direction for future research into the functional architecture between mitochondrial complexes and metabolites.

Graph network heterogeneity predicts interplant wake losses

Wind plants generate large-scale wakes, which can affect the performance of neighboring installations. Such wakes are challenging to estimate due to the inherent complexity in modeling wake interactions between large quantities of turbines at various distances. Weighted directed graph networks can inform complex models by linking turbine pairs into chains of upstream and downstream neighbors for a given wind direction. A novel interpretation of the graph network adjacency matrix is proposed where each element of the matrix represents the cumulative impact of upstream turbines on an individual. In this study, wake losses were estimated with an engineering wake model across a range of inflow conditions for nine parametric variations of a system containing two neighboring wind plants. The parametric nature of the study isolates turbine spacing within the plant, separation distance between plants, and wind direction as the main drivers of wake losses. Spatial heterogeneity is computed from the weighted average adjacency matrix of each plant arrangement. The proposed method is orders of magnitude faster than wake modeling and does not require detailed turbine information or atmospheric conditions. The weighted average adjacency matrix provides insight on the spatial organization of wake losses at various scales. Plant heterogeneity is correlated with wake losses within and among plants. Framing wind plant wake interaction in terms of graph network spatial heterogeneity provides an efficient approach for predicting wake losses within and among neighboring wind plants with applications to other complex systems where wake interactions are key factor.

Effect of ionic soil stabilizer on the properties of lime and fly ash stabilized iron tailings as pavement base

The large use of iron tailings is in urgent need given its huge emissions and pollution to environment. This paper sought to utilize a large quantity of iron tailings with fly ash and lime to prepare road base materials, and use ionic soil stabilizer (ISS) to improve its pavement performance. Different dosage ISS content of was added to the lime-fly ash stabilized iron tailing materials to improve the mechanical strength, frost resistance properties and decrease the dry shrinkage. The results show that the UCS of the specimen with 0.67 % ISS represents enhancement of 195.5 % compared to the control sample at 7 d. After undergoing 15 freeze-thaw cycles, the residual UCS ratio remains at 76.6 %, whereas the control sample exhibits signs of failure. Additionally, the dry shrinkage strain at 30 d was 66.3 % lower than that of the control sample without ISS. The mechanisms underlie that the adsorbed ISS onto iron tailings can reduce the repulsion between total fine particles by lowering the general zeta potential, thus decreasing the porosity of the road base materials. Besides, the ISS can hinder the phase transformation from ettringite (AFt) to monosulfoaluminate (AFm) and its hydrophobic groups can prevent the infiltration and migration of water. The findings reveal that ISS significantly enhances the pavement performance of the stabilized iron tailings, thereby presenting a novel approach for the incorporation of iron tailings in road construction endeavors.

Synthesis of Novel Graphene Oxide-chitosan-silicon Dioxide Nanocomposite Embedded in Polysulfone Membrane for Oily Water Treatment

Oil and gas exploration activities result in generation of large quantities of produced water. Globally, for each barrel of oil, three barrels of produced water is generated. The oil content in produced water can vary between 3 and 20% depending on the location and age of the hydrocarbon well. Due to their hydrophobic nature, conventional hydrophobic polymeric membranes struggle to effectively separate oil from produced water. In this work, an innovative strategy is suggested by employing a hydrophilic/super-oleophobic nanocomposite to develop novel polymeric membranes able to effectively separate oil content from produced water without negatively affecting the other membrane properties such as the total flux and fouling. Graphene oxide-chitosan-silicone oxide (GO-CH-SiO2) nanocomposite was synthesized by functionalizing graphene oxide (GO) with chitosan (CH) and silicon dioxide (SiO2). To improve the membrane flux, anti-fouling propensity, and oil rejection, the synthesized nanocomposites were doped in the polysulfone membranes matrix. The effect of GO-CH-SiO2 concentration, GO:CH ratio, and GO-CH:SiO2 ratio on the performances of developed membranes was experimentally assessed, and morphology of the synthesized membrane was investigated using appropriate characterization techniques. The experimental results showed that the membrane with GO:CH of 1:2 and GO-CH: SiO2 ratio of 1:6.5 showed the highest pure water permeation flux of 28.35 LMH/bar with a comparable flux recovery rate of 76% and oil rejection efficiency of 98.5%. The study’s findings underscore the potential of GO-CH-SiO2 nanocomposite membranes for oil–water separation research, presenting a promising solution for treating produced water in the oil and gas industry. Further research is needed to scale up this technology and improve membrane performance by optimizing the nanocomposite composition and conducting long-term performance tests.

Short-term mechanical properties and microstructure of coastal cement soil modified by sugarcane bagasse ash

Sugarcane bagasse ash is a kind of agricultural waste with a large quantity and good volcanic ash reactivity, it is necessary to find a way to reasonably utilize it to prevent environmental pollution caused by long-term accumulation. In this paper, the effect of sugarcane bagasse ash on the short-term mechanical properties of coastal cement soil were studied, and unconfined compressive tests and triaxial shear tests were carried out. The sugarcane bagasse ash content was set to 0 %, 1 %, 2 %, 3 %, 4 % and 5 %, respectively, the cement content was set to 5 %, and the curing age was set at 7d. The test results show that sugarcane bagasse ash can effectively improve the unconfined compressive strength and triaxial shear strength of cement soil, exhibiting a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with the increase of its content. When the sugarcane bagasse ash content is 1 %, the unconfined compressive strength reaches the maximum value of 2040 kPa, which is 56 % and 8 % higher than that of cement soil with 5 % and 7 % cement content, respectively. Compared with cement soil with 5 % cement content, the triaxial shear strength increases by 12 %∼17 %, the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c increases by 3 %∼8 % and 2 %∼11 %, respectively. The SEM test results show that the addition of bagasse ash can promote the hydration of cement to produce hydrated calcium silicate and other hydration products, fill the internal pores of the sample, and make the microstructure of the modified cement soil tend to be dense. The research results provide a reference for the application of sugarcane bagasse ash modified cement soil in practical engineering.

Penerapan Metode Just In Time dalam Upaya Meningkatkan Efisiensi Biaya Produksi Optimal pada UD. Rambak Dudung di Desa Ambal Ambil

A trading business is a business that is engaged in buying and selling products. Trading businesses can engage in various types of products that are sold for consumer, business, or government purposes. One of them is UD. Rambak Dudung is trying to buy raw materials in large quantities to keep in store if the supply runs out and demand in the market increases. With the excess of raw materials, it can cause storage costs, which can reduce UD's profits. aforementioned. So this shows that the supply of raw materials is a fairly big problem. This study aims to determine the application of the Just in time method to UD. Rambak Dudung and knew the role of the Just in time method in improving production cost efficiency in UD. Rambak Dudung. The type of research used is a descriptive method with a quantitative approach. Data collection was carried out by interviews, internet searches and library studies. The data processed is the purchase and use of raw materials. The calculation technique used is to calculate the total production cost based on company policies, the EOQ method, and the JIT/EOQ method. Based on the results of the calculation, it was concluded that the inventory policy carried out by the company has not been maximally seen from the total production costs incurred of Rp.5,853,500,- compared to the JIT/EOQ method of Rp.2,588,436,- so that the total cost saved is Rp.3,265,064.

Phytochemical characterization and valorization of Quercus ilex (west of Algeria)

<p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;"><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;" lang="EN-US">This project is part of the promotion of natural resources such as Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP). In order to assess the economic value of NTFP, this research focuses on the phytochemical analysis of holm oak (</span><em><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;" lang="EN-US">Quercus ilex </span></em><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;" lang="EN-US">L.) from the Terni region (Western Algeria). It focused on bioactive substances, particularly polyphenols. The method used consists of extracting the phenolic compounds by two methods which are maceration and ultrasound from the leaves and bark of this species. The quantity of these compounds is assessed spectrometrically and the antioxidant activity of the extracts in vitro using free radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity assays. The results obtained indicate that maceration offers the best yield for extracting phenolic compounds from the leaves, with a yield of 10.74%. These results also showed that the extracts of holm oak leaves and bark are rich in phenolic compounds and have a content of total phenols (103,014±1,393 and 813.462±1.675 mg EAG/g DM), flavonoids (87.078±6.220 and 949.936±36.394 mg EC/g DM) and condensed tannins (57.194±12.447 and 940.195±20.417 mg EC/g DM). Regarding the antioxidant power, it is evident that all extracts have significant antioxidant capacity, and all have high free radical scavenging activity. The highest inhibition percents are 84.98±7.45% for the leaf extract and 83.15±9.27% for the bark extract. According to these results, holm oak contains a large quantity of polyphenols and antioxidant molecules. This information represents a natural source of antioxidants which remains to be exploited for future use in the agri-food and health sectors, within the broader framework of promoting the biodiversity of Algerian plants (NTFP).</span></p>

Illuminating Substrate Preferences of Promiscuous F420H2-Dependent Dehydroamino Acid Reductases with 4-Track mRNA Display.

Stereoselective reduction of dehydroamino acids is a common biosynthetic strategy to introduce d-amino acids into peptidic natural products. The reduction, often observed during the biosynthesis of lanthipeptides, is performed by dedicated dehydroamino acid reductases (dhAARs). Enzymes from the three known dhAAR families utilize nicotinamide, flavin, or F420H2 coenzymes as hydride donors, and little is known about the catalysis performed by the latter family proteins. Here, we perform a bioinformatics-guided identification and large-scale in vitro characterization of five F420H2-dependent dhAARs. We construct an mRNA display-based pipeline for ultrahigh throughput substrate specificity profiling of the enzymes. The pipeline relies on a 4-track selection strategy to deliver large quantities of clean data, which were leveraged to build accurate substrate fitness models. Our results identify a remarkably promiscuous enzyme, referred to as MaeJC, that is capable of installing d-Ala residues into arbitrary substrates with minimal recognition requirements. We integrate MaeJC into a thiopeptide biosynthetic pathway to produce d-amino acids-containing thiopeptides, demonstrating the utility of MaeJC for the programmable installation of d-amino acids in ribosomal peptides.

Suspension Bead Loading (SBL): An Economical Protein Delivery Platform to Study URM1’s Behavior in Live Cells

AbstractUniquely modified synthetic proteins are difficult to produce in large quantities, which could limit their use in various in vitro settings and in cellular studies. In this study, we developed a method named “suspension bead loading” (SBL), to deliver protein molecules into suspended living cells using glass beads, which significantly reduces the amount of protein required for effective delivery. We investigated the delivery efficiency of functionally different proteins and evaluated the cytotoxic effect of our method and the chemical and functional integrity of the delivered protein. We utilized SBL to address questions related to ubiquitin‐related modifier 1 (URM1). Employing minimal protein quantities, SBL has enabled us to study its behavior within live cells under different redox conditions, including subcellular localization and conjugation patterns. We demonstrate that oxidative stress alters both the localization and conjugation pattern of URM1 in cells, highlighting its possible role in cellular response to such extreme conditions.

Cost of Productions and Partial Budget Analysis of Coffee (<i>Coffea arabica</i> L.) Seedling Across Various Pot Sizes and Biochar-Based Media Preparations

Coffee cultivation mainly lies in the production of coffee seedlings with desirable characteristics under the recommended nursery management operations. Any improper handling made at early stage would remain to cause poor field performances. Biochar is considered as a soil conditioner and a carrier for plant nutrients, which improve the different soil functions, as an amendment to improve soil fertility, soil pH, available phosphorus, organic carbon, and water retention. The experiment was conducted to provide detail information on production costs and gross net profits of reduced sizes poly bag and biochar application used for coffee seedling production under small scale farmers. Biochar to topsoil blended at 1:3 ratio was found to increase (SVI) over the local and standard practice by 66.50% and 7.50%, respectively. Hence, combined effects of reduced pot size (13x19cm) with biochar mixed topsoil 1:3 noticed to significantly improve soil chemical conditions and growth response of coffee seedlings under nursery conditions at the study area. Besides, the result of simple partial budget analysis indicated the cost effectiveness with reduced polybag sizes as compared to the conventional pot sizes, especially for production, transportation and early stage field transplanting of quality coffee seedlings in large quantities. However, it is imperative to assess the effects of the present promising pot size and pot media treatments under field performance by considering growth, yield, and quality performances and profitability to smallholder coffee farmers over locations and year in the study area and other similar agro ecological zones in the country.

Removal of contaminants in paper dyeing wastewater by Fenton and photo-Fenton processes with biological treatment

Due to the production of huge quantity of potentially toxic and recalcitrant pollutants, which cannot be completely decomposed with conventional biological wastewater treatment processes, in the paper industry, reliable treatment processes are highly required. This study conducted effective experiments of different series of processes to decompose persistent contaminants in the paper wastewater under controlled conditions of the used processes to meet the effluent quality standards of Korea Ministry of Environment in terms of CODMn (< 130 mg/L). For Biological treatment, Fenton, and photo-Fenton processes, various operational parameters were adjusted to determine the optimal conditions for CODMn value. Due to large quantity of refractory contaminants in the wastewater, single treatment process was not enough to meet the requirement of CODMn. Herein, we achieved the goal with two approaches: (1) secondary Fenton oxidation after biological and primary Fenton treatments, and (2) photo-Fenton treatment after biological treatment alone. The secondary Fenton oxidation process is an additional process operated under the same condition of the primary Fenton treatment to treat the effluent from the primary Fenton treatment. Ultimately, the residual CODMn concentrations of the secondary Fenton and single photo-Fenton treatment were 62.7 and 85.3 mg/L, respectively. However, the secondary Fenton required larger amounts of reagents and produced significant amounts of sludge, which require post-treatment, compared to single photo-Fenton treatment. Therefore, it suggests that the application of photo-Fenton was more efficient than the secondary Fenton in terms of economic feasibility and post-treatment requirement.

JK-1, a useful erythroleukemic cell line model to study a controlled erythroid differentiation from progenitors to terminal erythropoiesis

New hematopoietic cell models have recently emerged through immortalization of CD34 cells to study and understand various molecular mechanisms of erythropoiesis. Here, we characterize the JK-1 CML-derived cell line, previously shown to spontaneously differentiate without cytokines. Using an epigenetic differentiation inhibitor that keeps JK-1 in an early differentiation phase, we characterized 2 progenitor stages: BFU-E JK-1 and CFU-E JK-1 with CD34+/CD36− and CD34−/CD36 + phenotypes respectively. Then, using the PFI-1 inducer known to synchronously control the terminal differentiation of JK-1 cells, 5 precursor stages were obtained (ProE, Baso1-2, PolyC, OrthoC) and characterized via cell morphology, CD49a and Band3 markers. Enlarged phenotyping was carried out for the earlier phase, and expression kinetics of membrane proteins such as RhAG, RhD/CE, CD47, DARC and CD44 were performed on each stage of the terminal phase. Furthermore, since JK-1 offers the unique property of covering a broad spectrum of differentiation stages, we explored deeper the GATA2/GATA1 and the non-erythroid/erythroid spectrin ‘switching’. The possibility of obtaining large quantities of JK-1 cells at each stage of differentiation, as shown in this study, as well as the potential to genetically modify these cells, via CrisprCas9, makes their use of considerable interest for studying pathologies occurring during erythropoiesis.

Structures of Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus virions reveal species-specific tegument and envelope features.

Discovered in 1964, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the first identified human oncogenic virus and the founding member of the gammaherpesvirus subfamily. In 1994, another cancer-causing virus was discovered in lesions of AIDS patients and later named Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the second human gammaherpesvirus. Despite the historical importance of EBV and KSHV, technical difficulties with isolating large quantities of these viruses and the pleiomorphic nature of their envelope and tegument layers have limited structural characterization of their virions. In this study, we employed the latest technologies in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) and tomography (cryoET) supplemented with an artificial intelligence-powered data processing software package to reconstruct 3D structures of the EBV and KSHV virions. We uncovered unique properties of the envelope glycoproteins and tegument layers of both EBV and KSHV. Comparison of these features with their non-tumorigenic counterparts provides insights into their relevance during infection.

Kinetic control aspects and mechanisms in oriented membrane processes for extraction and recovery of ascorbic acid compound.

Ascorbic acid comprises four enantiomers, with only one of them, L-ascorbic acid, recognized as vitamin C. The modern industries place significant importance on obtaining this compound in its purest form. The challenge is to recover L-ascorbic acid, which requires specific processes within these industries. To satisfy this condition, purification is needed, a process that requires large quantities of solvents and high energy consumption. To overcome these limitations, we conducted a study on the facilitated extraction of L-ascorbic acid using three affinity polymer membranes, including supported liquid membrane (SLM), polymer inclusion membrane (PIM), and grafted polymer membranes (GPM) with cholic acid as the extractive agent. Following the characterization of the membranes using IR spectroscopy and SEM techniques, we investigated various parameters associated with substrate diffusion through the organic membrane phase. Regarding the biologically active L-ascorbic acid, our research findings indicated that kinetic factors drove the mechanisms of the studied processes.

Analysis of the Principle of Gravitational Wave Detection and State- of-art Results

Over one hundred years after Einstein’s first theoretical prediction of gravitational waves, the recent observations of gravitational waves by interferometric detectors have risen excitement in the science community with the light from a new era of directly observing perturbations in spacetime itself. With the large quantity of new research in the gravitational wave detection area, this study provides a brief summary of the current achievements of the field. This paper first gives a short introduction of the field, then offers a summarize of the theories and principles of gravitational wave detection. Afterwards, it demonstrates modern detectors using the advanced LIGO detectors as an example, and presents its groundbreaking results, signal GW150914 and GW151226. Finally, the limitations and prospects of current observations are proposed. By summarizing fundamental concepts and major achievements in the field of gravitational wave detection, it is hoped to provide future students and researchers with a basic idea of the field and thus promote new ideas and advancements in the rising era of gravitational astronomy.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle’s behaviours of school-aged children in Portugal

Abstract Background COVID-19 pandemic impacted children’s daily routines. Based on this, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition and Childhood Obesity in collaboration with WHO Regional Office for Europe coordinated the study about the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle’s behaviours of school-age children in Europe, where 17 Member States participated, including Portugal. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted within the sixth round of COSI Portugal, following a WHO common methodological protocol, during 2021-2022 school year. A national representative sample of families with children 6-8 years old were included and asked to report on variables comparing two periods: pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results 5139 families participated. 11.4% reported a worsening of their perceived wealth and the percentage of fathers and mothers working full- or part-time decreased (74.6% to 68.7% and 70.6% to 59.6%, respectively) during pandemic. Children’s consumption of sweets (19.4%), savoury snacks (13.8%), fruit (11.9%) and vegetables (7.1%) increased, and sugary soft drinks (13.8%) decreased during pandemic. Family behaviours with the highest increases during pandemic were “eating together as a family” (35.4%), “cooking meals together with your child” (33.6%), “buying food in large quantities” (33.6%) and “eating home-cooked meals” (29.1%). Approximately, one in four parents reported children’s physical activity decreased and almost one in two reported an increase in recreational screen time. Parents who perceived their child as overweight during pandemic doubled (f7.9% to 14.6%). Children’s well-being behaviours that worsened more during pandemic were “having fun with friends” (44.3%), “got on well at school” (27.9%), “feel full of energy” (23.8%) and “feel fit and well” (22.2%). Conclusions These observations underscore the need to “build back better” post-pandemic with a focus on preventing and controlling childhood obesity and its determinants. Key messages • Portuguese children experienced negative impacts of the pandemic in their lifestyle behaviours, particularly on their physical health and well-being, with a report of a poorer socioeconomic situation. • This study and its findings give us a first-of-its-kind view into the physical and mental outcomes of the pandemic on school-aged children with a focus on the long-term, high-risk disease of obesity