The assessment of remediation on metal-polluted soils is usually focused on total and/or bioavailable metal content. However, these chemical variables do not provide direct information about reductions in heavy metals pressure on soil microorganisms. We propose the use of bacterial communities to evaluate the efficiency of three remediation techniques: crushed mussel shell (CMS) and pine bark (PB)

Appropriate evaluation and experimental design are fundamental for empirical sciences, particularly in data-driven fields. Due to the successes in computational modeling of languages, for instance, research outcomes are having an increasingly immediate impact on end users. As the gap in adoption by end users decreases, the need increases to ensure that tools and models developed by the research co

Importance: The nature of the genetic relationship between major depression and bipolar disorder remains unclear and might be clarified by considering disorders outside of the mood spectrum. Objective: To better understand the relationship between genetic liabilities for major depression (MD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Design, Setting, and Participants: A cohort study was conducted with data for i

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays have become the gold standard for diagnosing acute and chronic myocardial injury. The detection of troponin levels beyond the 99th percentile is included in the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction, specifically recommending the use of sex-specific thresholds. Measurable concentrations below the proposed diagnostic thresholds have been shown

INTRODUCTION: Remote consultations help reduce contact between people and prevent cross-contamination. Little is known about the changes in consultation in European rural primary care during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this mixed-methods cross-sectional study was to find out more about the effects of the pandemic on changes in patient consultations in European rural primary

Several machine learning models have been formulated for protein classification based on an important prerequisite for industrial usage, thermostability, and described herein a classification model for a specific enzyme; serine protease. For building the classifier, 283 thermophilic and 200 mesophilic bacterial genomes were mined for their respective serine protease sequences. Features were extrac

Background: Urosepsis is a life-threatening condition that needs to be addressed without delay. Two critical issues in its management are: (1) Appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy, considering the patients general condition, comorbidity, and the pathogen expected; and (2) Timing of imaging to identify obstruction requiring decompression. Objectives: To identify risk factors associated with 30-

Genetic variation has been widely covered in literature, however, not from the perspective of an individual in any species. Here, a synthesis of genetic concepts and variations relevant for individual genetic constitution is provided. All the different levels of genetic information and variation are covered, ranging from whether an organism is unmixed or hybrid, has variations in genome, chromosom

Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cause gastrointestinal infection and, in severe cases, hemolytic uremic syndrome which may lead to death. There is, to-date, no therapy for this infection. Stx induces ATP release from host cells and ATP signaling mediates its cytotoxic effects. Apyrase cleaves and neutralizes ATP and its effect on Stx and EHEC infection was the

Background: Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programme components on attaining risk factor targets post-myocardial infarction (MI) and their predictive strength relative to patient characteristics remain unclear. We aimed to identify organizational and patient-level predictors of risk factor target attainment at one-year post-MI. Methods: In this observational study data on CR organization

Background and aims: Previous studies reported divergent results on whether metabolically healthy obesity is associated with increased coronary artery calcium and carotid plaques. We investigated this in a cross-sectional fashion in a large, well-defined, middle-aged population using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and carotid ultrasound. Methods: In the SCAPIS study (50–65 years, 51% female), CCTA

Strong light-matter interaction leads to the formation of hybrid polariton states and alters the photophysical dynamics of organic materials and biological systems without modifying their chemical structure. Here, we experimentally investigated a well-known photosynthetic protein, light harvesting 2 complexes (LH2) from purple bacteria under strong coupling with the light mode of a Fabry-Perot opt

Freshwater mussels in the order Unionida are highly adapted to parasitize fish for the primary purpose of dispersal. The parasitic larval stage affixes itself to the gills or fins of the host where it becomes encysted in the tissue, eventually excysting to develop into a free-living adult. Research on the parasitic interactions between unionids and their host fishes has garnered attention recently

Previous work regarding the relationship between negative life events (NLEs) and survivors’ quality of life (QoL) post-disaster has commonly employed a variable-centered approach. Little is known about the roles of individual variance in time-varying changes of NLEs in future QoL. Moreover, whether sex modifies the impacts of NLEs trajectories on QoL is still understudied. We addressed these issue

Summation-By-Parts (SBP) methods provide a systematic way of constructing provably stable numerical schemes. However, many proofs of convergence and accuracy rely on the assumption that the SBP operator possesses a particular eigenvalue property. In this note, three results pertaining to this property are proven. Firstly, the eigenvalue property does not hold for all nullspace consistent SBP opera

Background: A high prevalence of skin sensitization and dermatitis has been reported among workers exposed to epoxy components. Objectives: To estimate the risk of skin sensitization and dermatitis among workers exposed to epoxy components during production of wind turbine blades while using comprehensive safety measures. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 180 highly epoxy-exposed production work

Introduction: The impact of open versus minimally invasive surgery on recurrence pattern in the management of localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains uncertain. We thus aimed to determine the impact of surgical approach on survival and recurrence pattern. Material and methods: This is a multi-institutional, matched cohort study on patients with pT1-3aN0M0 RCC from the RECUR database. After pr

For many species, the ability to rapidly adapt to changes in seasonality is essential for long-term survival. In the Arctic, seasonal moulting is a key life-history event that provides year-round camouflage and thermal protection. However, increased climatic variability of seasonal events can lead to phenological mismatch. In this study, we investigated whether winter-white (white morph) and winte

We consider a 2+1 dimensional wave equation appearing in the context of polarized waves for the nonlinear Maxwell equations. The equation is quasilinear in the time derivatives and involves two material functions V and Γ. We prove the existence of traveling waves which are periodic in the direction of propagation and localized in the direction orthogonal to the propagation direction. Depending on