Quantity Of Accumulation Research Articles

Uncommon threads: pneumopericardium complexity following liver catheter removal in pancreatic cancer

Pneumopericardium, the presence of air within the pericardial sac, is a rare but critical condition that can lead to severe complications such as tension pneumopericardium and cardiac tamponade, causing hemodynamic instability and necessitating immediate intervention. Various etiologies include congenital defects, post-surgical complications, infections, and trauma. Malignancies, such as advanced esophageal cancer or lung carcinoma, can also cause pneumopericardium via fistula formation. Multimodal imaging, including chest X-ray, echocardiography, and computed tomography (CT), is essential for diagnosis. This case report discusses a 65-year-old male with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma who developed pneumopericardium following the removal of a left lobe liver drainage catheter. Initial CT imaging revealed liver lesions suspicious for metastatic disease or abscess, leading to drainage procedures. Following the removal of the drainage tube, the patient experienced respiratory distress and hypotension, and computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) revealed pneumopericardium, likely due to a fistula formed between the abscess and pericardium. Despite no echocardiographic signs of tamponade, the patient’s persistent hypotension warranted CT-guided pericardiocentesis, resulting in gradual blood pressure improvement. This case highlights the intricate interplay between malignancy, infection, and procedural complications in developing pneumopericardium. It emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach and the importance of considering both the quantity and rate of air accumulation when assessing the risk of hemodynamic compromise. The patient’s hemodynamic instability and subsequent improvement following pericardiocentesis underscore the critical role of timely intervention in managing this condition.

The effect of key universities on the regional development: empirical evidence from two natural experiments in China

ABSTRACT Universities play a crucial role as anchor institutions in regional development. Using the data from the China City Statistical Yearbook from 1995 to 2011, the synthetic control method was employed to examine the impact of key universities on regional development. Results showed that the expansion of higher education significantly influenced the population density in Xuzhou, and per capita output of secondary industry in both Xuzhou and Dongying; yet it has minimal impact on the per capita GDP and average employee wages of the two cities. Thus, key universities may affect regional development by enhancing the quantity and quality of human capital accumulation rather than directly promoting economic growth.

Numerical Simulation and Parameter Optimization of a New Reed–Nylon Net Combined Sand Fence

This paper introduces a kind of double-row reed–nylon net combined sand barrier. Using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and the Euler–Euler double-fluid model, the new sand fences’ windproof effect and airflow features are simulated under different porosities and spacings, and the optimal configuration parameters are selected. The new sand fence has better windproof performance and practical significance than double-row reed and double-row nylon net fences. The new sand fences with a porosity of 0.3–0.4 and spacing of 28 H provide a longer protection range and a better wind protection effect. Considering the serious sand damage in China’s Taklamakan Desert, the new fences’ impact on sand buildup is examined. The combined sand fences have powerful sand blocking and accumulation effects, even though there is only a small quantity of sand accumulation on the leeward side of the second row. The sand particles primarily settle between sand fences in the center and rear areas. The combination of sand fences made of different materials combines the advantages of both, improves the construction efficiency and service life, and provides a more economical and efficient sand barrier arrangement for the arrangement of wind and sand-blocking facilities around railroads and highways in desert areas.

Si Supply Could Alter N Uptake and Assimilation of Saplings—A 15N Tracer Study of Four Subtropical Species

Si availability may be altered by bamboo expansion when other trees are replaced by bamboo due to the influence of plant communities on the quantity of phytoliths and Si accumulation. It has been shown that Si availability can modify nutrient-use efficiency (e.g., N and P) of some Si-accumulating plants. However, it is unclear how Si availability might alter N uptake and assimilation between Si-accumulating plants such as bamboo compared to other species, particularly for different chemical forms such as ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−). To explore the influences of Si availability on uptake and assimilation rates for different forms of inorganic N between bamboo and other trees, we selected one-year-old seedlings of bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) and three other native subtropical species, namely Phoebe bournei, Schima superba, and Cunninghamia lanceolata. We applied three levels of Si and 15N tracers in a pot experiment and then measured the concentrations of Si (total Si, soluble Si, and exchangeable Si), C, N (total N, NH4+-N, and NO3−-N), and N uptake and assimilation rates for both roots and leaves. We found that there were higher inorganic N root uptake and assimilation rates for bamboo compared to other species, likely due to higher biomass accumulation and quicker turnover of fine roots. Moreover, Si supply did not change the uptake preference for N forms or overall uptake and assimilation rates in most species; however, a high concentration of the Si supply slightly increased NO3−-N uptake and assimilation rates in fine roots and leaves of P. bournei, particularly immediately following the addition of Si. These results have implications for predicting the coexistence and competition between bamboo and other trees through the uptake and assimilation of different forms of inorganic N (i.e., high Si-accumulating plants compared to other plants), particularly when Si availability is altered in ecosystems.

Nicosulfuron on the Atrazine-degrading Arthrobacter sp. DNS10 by assays of intracellular accumulation of substrates, Zeta potential, EPS, and stress responses

Atrazine is often formulated with nicosulfuron as a commercial herbicide to enhance the weed control effect, however, the effect of nicosulfuron on the degradation of atrazine-degrading strain Arthrobacter sp. DNS10 was still unclear. In this study, the accumulation of atrazine in Arthrobacter sp. DNS10, as well as the cell surface characteristics (Zeta potential and extracellular polymers constitution) and antioxidant enzyme activity at different concentrations of nicosulfuron exposure for 48 h were measured. The results showed that the quantity of atrazine accumulation in strain DNS10 and the Zeta potential on strain cell surface were increased when nicosulfuron exposure level was increased. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum analysis found that nicosulfuron exposure could quench the peaks which represent the aromatic protein substances and soluble microbial metabolites in EPS of strain DNS10 In addition, the co-existed nicosulfuron could positively induce the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and malondialdehyde content, and also induce cell damage. This work proposes the mechanism by which nicosulfuron inhibits the biodegradation of atrazine, which is of great significance for improving the bioremediation of mixed herbicide contamination.

Study of Streptococcus mutans in Early Biofilms at the Surfaces of Various Dental Composite Resins.

Biofilm deposit on the composite restoration is a common phenomenon and bacterial growth follows the deposition. The study aims to evaluate Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) early biofilm formation on the surfaces of various dental composite resins by using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique. Thirty-two discs, where eight discs were in each group of Filtek Supreme Ultra (FSU; 3M, St. Paul, MN), Clearfil AP-X (APX; Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc., Tokyo, Japan), Beautifil II (BE2; Shofu, Inc., Kyoto, Japan), and Estelite Sigma Quick (ESQ; Tokuyama Dental, Tokyo, Japan), were fabricated and subjected to S. mutans biofilm formation in an oral biofilm reactor for 12 hours. Contact angles (CA) were measured on the freshly fabricated specimen. The attached biofilms underwent fluorescent microscopy (FM). S. mutans from biofilms were analyzed using a qPCR technique. Surface roughness (Sa) measurements were taken before and after biofilm formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) analysis, was also performed for detecting relative elements on biofilms. The study showed that FSUdemonstrated the lowest CA while APXpresented the highest values. FMrevealed that condensed biofilm clusters were most on FSU. The qPCR results indicated the highest S. mutans DNA copies in the biofilm were on FSU while BE2was the lowest (p < 0.05). Sa test signified that APX was significantly the lowest among all materials while FSU was the highest (p < 0.05). SEM displayed areas with apparently glucan-free S. mutans more on BE2 compared to APX and ESQ, while FSU had the least. Small white particles detected predominantly on the biofilms of BE2 appeared to be Si, Al, and F extruded from the resin. Differences in early biofilm formation onto various composite resins are dependent on the differences in materialcompositions and their surface properties. BE2 showed the lowest quantity of biofilm accumulation compared to other resin composites (APX, ESQ, and FSU). This could be attributed to BE2 proprieties as a giomer and fluoride content.

Back-analysis of a rainfall-induced landslide case history using deterministic and random limit equilibrium methods

Because recurrent rainfall-induced landslide episodes mimic prior failures, this study builds a back-analysis approach to identify those prior failure events and assess the prospective slope performance going forward. Engineers use the results of this approach to project the slope performance based on the quantity of rainfall accumulation during the anticipated rainfall event. A landslide case that occurred in 2004, as a result of a typhoon event, was selected for the back-analysis procedure. Four typhon events were chosen to simulate the pore water pressure conditions, which may have caused damage of varying severity (including landslide failure) to the slope. The numerical model was initially analyzed via the deterministic limit equilibrium slope stability approach to evaluate the most critical failure surface. By adopting the Monte Carlo simulation approach, the following step assessed the random limit equilibrium slope stability on the most critical failure surfaces. The probabilistic distributions of the safety factor were then generated for each typhoon event. Subsequently, the simulation outcomes provide safety indicator values incorporating the mean safety factor, failure probability, and reliability index. From the failure probability and reliability index, a zonation approach with various site-specific performance levels were established by using the corresponding accumulated rainfall to define the exceedance threshold values for each zone. In order to confirm the site-specific performance, we compared the normalized error values acquired from the analysis technique to those measured under two recent typhoon occurrences. An acceptable consistency was attained, validating the procedure's appropriateness for future rainfall events.

Light intensity-mediated auxin homeostasis in spikelets links carbohydrate metabolism enzymes with grain filling rate in rice.

Low light (LL) stress during the grain-filling stage acutely impairs the quality and quantity of starch accumulation in rice grains. Here, we observed that LL-induced poor starch biosynthesis is modulated by auxin homeostasis, which regulates the activities of major carbohydrate metabolism enzymes such as starch synthase (SS) and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) in rice. Further, during the grain-filling period under LL, the starch/sucrose ratio increased in leaves but significantly decreased in the developing spikelets. This suggests poor sucrose biosynthesis in leaves and starch in the grains of the rice under LL. A lower grain starch was found to be correlated with the depleted AGPase and SS activities in the developing rice grains under LL. Further, under LL, the endogenous auxin (IAA) level in the spikelets was found to be synchronized with the expression of a heteromeric G protein gene, RGB1. Interestingly, under LL, the expression of OsYUC11 was significantly downregulated, which subsequently resulted in reduced IAA in the developing rice spikelets, followed by poor activation of grain-filling enzymes. This resulted in lowered grain starch accumulation, grain weight, panicle number, spikelet fertility, and eventually grain yield, which was notably higher in the LL-susceptible (GR4, IR8) than in the LL-tolerant (Purnendu, Swarnaprabha) rice genotypes. Therefore, we hypothesize that depletion in auxin biosynthesis under LL stress is associated with the downregulation of RBG1, which discourages the expression and activities of grain-filling enzymes, resulting in lower starch production, panicle formation, and grain yield in rice.

Green synthesized silver nanoparticles using carrot extract exhibited strong antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant bacteria

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem. Pathogenic microorganisms develop antibiotic resistance as a result of exposure to inappropriate quantity of antibiotics and accumulation of mutations. Bio-friendly nanomaterial scan be developed as antimicrobial agents. Present study aimed to investigate the activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) obtained from carrot extract of three different regions namely Gilgit, Haripur and Sheikhupura from Pakistan, having significant difference in climate and altitude. UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were carried out for the morphological characterization of synthesized nanoparticles. Analysis of XRD revealed crystalline nature of AgNPs and average size calculated was about 22, 17 and 10 nm from Gilgit, Haripur and Sheikhupura samples respectively. The antibacterial efficacy of AgNPs was carried out against 7 American type culture collection strains of pathogenic bacteria and three macrolide resistant clinical isolates with promising results. Moreover, antioxidant activity indicated maximum DPPH radical scavenging effects as 47 % using a concentration of 250 μg/mL. Hemolysis assays indicated biocompatibility of AgNPs at lower concentration like 7 μg/mL and 15 μg/mL. Comparative analysis of bioactivity from different sites of sampling had indicated minute differences which may be due to the change in altitude, soil texture and other local environmental changes.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein accumulation correlate to seizure recurrence in focal cortical dysplasia patients.

Epileptic seizures occur due to an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurosignals. The excitotoxic insults promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), unfolded proteins (UFP) aggregation, and sometimes even cell death. The epileptic brain samples in our study showed significant changes in the quantity of UFP accumulation. This part explored the efficiency of ER stress and autophagy responses at neutralizing the UFP using resected epileptic brain tissue samples. Meanwhile, we regularly observed these patients' post-surgical clinical data to find the recurrence of seizures. According to International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) suggestions, we classified the patients (n = 26) as class 1 (completely seizure-free), class 2 (less frequent seizures or auras), and class 3 (auras with < 3 seizures per year). The classification helped us understand the reason for variations in the UFP accumulation in patient samples. We have observed the protein levels of ER chaperone, glucose-regulated protein 78kDa (GRP78/BiP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), X box-binding protein 1s (XBP1s), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (peIF2α), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), NADPH oxidase (NOX2), and autophagy proteins like BECLIN1, ATG 7, 12, 5, 16, p62, and LC3. Our results suggested that ER stress response limitation may contribute to seizure recurrence in epilepsy patients, particularly in classes 2 and 3. In addition, we have observed significant upregulation of ER stress-dependent apoptosis initiation factor CHOP in these patients. These results indicate that understanding the ER stress response pattern infers the possibility of post-surgical outcomes in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) patients.

Drivers of Dust-Enhanced Snowpack Melt-Out and Streamflow Timing

The presence of dust on the snowpack accelerates snowmelt. This has been observed through snowpack and hydrometeorological measurements at a small study watershed in southwestern Colorado. For a 13-year period, we quantified the annual dust-enhanced energy absorption (DEAE) and used this information to model the snowpack melt-out under observed (with dust present) and clean conditions (no dust). We determine the difference in snow cover duration between actual (dust present) and simulated ideal (clean) snowpack (ΔSAG) to characterize the shifts in melt timing for each year. We compute the center of mass of runoff (tQ50) as a characteristic of snowmelt. DEAE, ΔSAG and tQ50 vary from year to year, and are dictated by the quantity of snow accumulation, and to a lesser extent the number of dust events, the annual dust loading, and springtime snowfall.

Atrial Lesions in a Pedigree With PRKAG2 Cardiomyopathy: Involvement of Disrupted AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling.

PRKAG2 cardiomyopathy is a rare progressive disease characterized by increased ventricular wall thickness and preexcitation. Dysfunction of the protein 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a decisive role in the progression of ventricular lesions. Although patients with the PRKAG2-R302Q mutation have a high incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), the molecular mechanism contributing to the disease remains unclear. We carried out whole-genome sequencing with linkage analysis in three affected members of a family. Atrial samples were obtained from the proband via surgical intervention. Control atrium biopsies were obtained from patients with persistent AF. Pathological changes were analyzed using the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson, and periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining. The AMPK signaling pathway was investigated by western blot. A murine atrial cardiomyocyte cell line (HL-1) and human induced pluripotent stem derived atrial cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-ACMs) were transfected with an adenovirus carrying the same mutation. We used enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the AMPK activity in HL-1 cells and hiPSC-ACMs overexpressing PRKAG2-R302Q. Pathological results showed a large quantity of glycogen accumulation and vacuolization in cardiomyocytes from the proband atrial tissue. Western blot analysis revealed that the AMPK activity was significantly downregulated compared with that of the controls. Furthermore, remarkable glycogen deposition and impairment of AMPK activity were reproduced in HL-1 cells overexpressing PRKAG2-R302Q. Taken together, PRKAG2-R302Q mutation directly impair atrial cardiomyocytes. PRKAG2-R302Q mutation lead to glycogen deposition and promote the growth of atrial lesions by disrupting the AMPK pathway.

Plant litter influences the temporal stability of plant community biomass in an alpine meadow by altering the stability and asynchrony of plant functional groups

Abstract The stability of a plant community is defined as its ability to resist and be resilient to changes. Plant community stability can be driven by a range of external perturbations as well as by plant community traits. Plant litter traits (species or mass) are widely recognized drivers for plant community composition and diversity changes in grasslands. Yet, the effects of litter traits on the temporal stability of plant communities in natural grasslands are largely unknown. In this study, a field experiment was conducted at an alpine meadow on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau to quantify the effects of litter from Elymus nutans, Kobresia setchwanensis and Ligularia virgaurea on the temporal stability of plant community biomass at five different mass levels (0, 100, 200, 400 and 600 g/m2). The experiment was conducted over the period from the pre‐growth to peak‐growth stage between 2017 and 2019, during which temporal stability of plant community biomass was assessed in relation to plant community characteristics. The effects of litter on temporal stability of plant community biomass were mainly driven by the litter mass rather than the litter species. A hump‐shaped relationship between litter mass and temporal stability of plant community biomass was found, with the highest stability under intermediate litter mass treatment (200 g/m2). A structural equation model identified that this response was driven by the indirect effects of litter mass on the temporal stability of the biomass of the dominant (forbs) and subdominant (grasses) functional groups in the community and the asynchrony of plant functional groups. The results of this study demonstrate that plant litter traits are important drivers for maintaining plant community stability in natural grasslands, highlighting the importance of grassland management decisions (e.g. grazing intensity) relating to the quantity and quality of litter accumulation. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Influence of Forest Stand Structure and Competing Understory Vegetation on Ash Regeneration—Potential Effects of Ash Dieback

Background and Objectives: The existence of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in Europe is severely endangered by ash dieback. To support its future sustainability, it is essential to improve the natural ash regeneration. The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of light conditions, conceivably influenced by stand structure/ash dieback, on ash regeneration and the competition between ash seedlings and species growing in the understory. Materials and Methods: We selected 40 plots in a riparian forest located in Bavaria, Germany. Light-related variables (Leaf Area Index, gap fraction) were gathered with fish-eye photography, whereas other environmental factors were derived from vegetation surveys (Ellenberg indicator values). We assessed vegetation parameters such as species’ richness and coverage of the herb layer to account for competition with ash seedlings. Results: Our results indicate that ash regeneration is favoured under shady conditions. The majority of other abiotic factors were not statistically associated with the analysed ash metrics. In contrast, the coverage of grass was negatively related to LAI and positively to gap fraction. Higher herb and grass coverages were linked to a suppression of ash regeneration. A higher litter coverage was associated with a higher frequency of ash seedlings. Nonparametric partial correlation analyses demonstrated the influence of light and stressed that litter coverage is of particular importance. Conclusions: We conclude that gaps, inter alia induced by ash dieback, favour grass invasion. In turn, this invasion might suppress regeneration of ash. In this regard, rapid silvicultural management such as reforestation of gaps after dieback of mature trees is recommended. The influence of litter on interspecific competition during growth should be also considered. The pace of dieback might additionally influence the timing and quantity of litter accumulation; thus, further research should also focus on these interrelations.

Coupled stratigraphic and petroleum system modeling: Examples from the Ordos Basin, China

With the emergence of the “continuous petroleum accumulations” concept and unconventional petroleum exploration, the traditional source-to-trap petroleum system model becomes vague spatially because the source, reservoir, and seal may intermingle within the same stratigraphic unit. In such a system, the spatial distribution of key petroleum system elements therefore depends on sedimentary facies heterogeneities. Available basin modeling programs lack built-in sedimentary infill modeling capabilities to populate heterogeneities within the traditional “layer-cake” modeling framework where source, reservoir, and seal units are commonly represented as discrete and homogeneous layers. To address such a challenge, and to model both conventional and unconventional petroleum systems holistically in a single simulation, we coupled stratigraphic forward modeling with basin modeling, where the former provides a detailed three-dimensional sedimentary facies volume with finer-scale heterogeneities effectively captured as input for the latter. The forward stratigraphic model we used in our study is a hydrodynamics-based program, which is able to model clastic, carbonate, and organic deposition with spatial resolutions from centimeters to meters vertically and hundreds of meters to tens of kilometers horizontally. The Triassic tight (sandstone) oil plays and the upper Paleozoic tight (sandstone) gas plays from the Ordos Basin, central China, were modeled using the integrated approach. Compared to the conventional layer-cake models, the coupled stratigraphic forward modeling and basin modeling produced much more realistic results in terms of the quantity of petroleum accumulation and their spatial distributions.

A Systematic Review of Iranian Research in the Field of Geotourism Studies

Over the past 14 years, considerable scientific articles on geotourism have been published in Iran. In this regard, the aim of this study is to analyze the level of development of geotourism studies in Iran. The central question of the present study is “how is the quantity and quality of accumulation and production of science in the field of geotourism in the context of Iran?” To this aim, the systematic review method and the paradigm funnel technique are employed. In this regard, a total number of 129 articles published in Iranian journals from 2006 to 2018 were enumerated. The results indicated that from 2010 to 2016, a considerable growth in the number of published articles on geotourism was witnessed. However, in the following years, probably due to the theoretical saturation obtained from the findings of empirical studies, a decrease in the number of accepted and published articles in technical journals was observed. In other words, due to lack of creativity and innovation in such articles, journals are not interested in publishing articles with similar topics and contents. Finally, through finding the gaps in the related literature, based on the paradigm funnel technique, new research ideas and pathways for future studies are provided.

Quantification of diversity, biomass and carbon storage of climber and liana community in a foothill forest of Indian eastern Himalayas

Climbers and lianas occupy an important niche in the forest ecosystem. However, as compared to trees, studies on diversity and ecology of this life form of forest remains neglected. Thus a study was carried out at sub-humid tropical foothill forest of West Bengal, India to document the status of climber and liana diversity, biomass and carbon accumulation. Qualitative and quantitative characters were analysed with the help of random quadrate sampling method. Species richness of the climbers and liana in the forest was 42. The diversity index, concentration of dominance, Shannon and Wiener index and evenness index was estimated at 0.92, 0.038, 1.26 and 1.55, respectively. Density ranged from 15.47 to 722.81 individuals ha−1. IVI values ranged from 0.19 to 4.44. This indicates the climber and liana communities in the forest are diverse but dominance distributed. Biomass and carbon storage was highest with LSDS1.50 and 0.68 Mg ha−1, respectively and lowest with TGDS. Climber and liana ccommunities were recorded with good growth inside the forest which was reflected in their good quantity of biomass accumulation and thus have a great potential to store good quantity of biomass carbon and support the ecosystem. Understanding the forest plant life forms other than trees will be helpful to understand their ecological significance while managing the forests sustainably. The information though in the present study is only baseline and preliminary but can be helpful to plan future research to understand the contribution of these plant life forms in a forest ecosystem holistically.

Disfunctions in the anthocyanin accumulation of Vitis vinifera L. varieties studied by a targeted resequencing approach

BACKGROUND: The pathway of anthocyanin biosynthesis, and its alterations leading to berry colour modification, are well known in grape skin. This variability could affect both quantity and quality of pigment accumulation. OBJECTIVE: The present work is focused on 15 grapevine cultivars selected to represent a high variability in the phenotypical colour traits in order to highlight new polymorphisms related to the flavonoid pathway. METHODS: Twenty-one genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of anthocyanins were studied via targeted resequencing and were correlated with phenotypic data (anthocyanin profiles and spectroscopy indices). RESULTS: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and InDel (insertion/deletion) polymorphisms were detected. Out of 1751 polymorphic loci, 68% were SNPs and 32% were InDels (568). Cluster analysis and SPLS-DA were used to investigate the genetic relationships among the cultivars, confirming the large range of phenotypical variability. Statistically significant correlations were detected between accumulation of cyanidin-based anthocyanins and genetic polymorphisms in two structural genes and one transcription factor putatively involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The understanding of the polymorphisms related to the anthocyanin accumulation could support future selection of new pink table grape varieties with increased appeal on the consumers.

Optimization of inbound vehicle routes in the collection of bio-medical wastes

In Multi-specialty hospitals, the quantity of accumulation of Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) is enormous when compared to clinics. The safe and timely disposal of BMW is very essential to avoid harmful effects to humans and environment. In this article, the inbound logistics involved in the collection of Bio-Medical Waste at a Private Multi-Specialty Hospital located in Coimbatore which contains 59 wards has been improved to avoid time delay. An optimized vehicle routing model has been framed for a set of 6 dedicated vehicles with the objective to minimize the time taken during the collection of BMW. For this purpose a mathematical model is generated and solved using Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (PSO). The results infer that, by following the optimized vehicle routes, the time delay is totally eliminated and in addition the time taken for collecting the BMW is reduced by 42%, i.e. from 6 h to 3 h 46 min.

How does the social environment during life course embody in and influence the development of cancer?

This review assessed the complex longitudinal processes involved in cancer etiology during life course to understand how the social inequality may be embodied in and influence cancer risk. A narrative literature review was performed with a keyword search conducted using PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online and Google. Three aspects of literatures were mainly included: social environmental mechanisms of cancer, life course of cancer development and social inequality of cancer risk. This review was complemented with manual searches of relevant journals and reference lists of primary articles. Social inequality is mostly embodied in genetic susceptibility and early childhood development, the duration and intensity of exposures and the access to medical resources, which influence the timing and accumulation of cancer risk during life course. The individuals with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have higher cancer risk because of more frequency of timing and quantity of accumulation of adverse exposures and greater impact on epigenetic mechanisms. Primary prevention is the best prevention strategy to reduce cancer risk.