Search Results (13)

This paper studies the boundedness and convergence properties of the sequences generated by strict and weak contractions in metric spaces, as well as their fixed points, in the event that finite jumps can take place from the left to the right limits of the successive values of the generated sequences. An application is devoted to the stabilization and the asymptotic stabilization of impulsive linear time-varying dynamic systems of the n-th order. The impulses are formalized based on the theory of Dirac distributions. Several results are stated and proved, namely, (a) for the case when the time derivative of the differential system is impulsive at isolated time instants; (b) for the case when the matrix function of dynamics is almost everywhere differentiable with impulsive effects at isolated time instants; and (c) for the case of combinations of the two above effects, which can either jointly take place at the same time instants or at distinct time instants. In the first case, finite discontinuities of the first order in the solution are generated; that is, equivalently, finite jumps take place between the corresponding left and right limits of the solution at the impulsive time instants. The second case generates, equivalently, finite jumps in the first derivative of the solution with respect to time from their left to their right limits at the corresponding impulsive time instants. Finally, the third case exhibits both of the above effects in a combined way. Full article

Species of the Rhodnius genus have a complex taxonomy because the events of phenotypic plasticity and cryptic speciation make it difficult to correctly classify these vectors. During the taxonomic history of the genus, five synonymization events occurred. Additionally, some authors suggest that R. milesi possibly represent only phenotypic polymorphisms of R. neglectus. Thus, we analyzed the specific status of R. milesi in relation to R. neglectus using phylogenetic studies with the mitochondrial gene cytochrome B and the study of reproductive barriers. The phylogenetic reconstruction grouped R. milesi together with R. neglectus from different localities, demonstrating that these taxa represent the same species based on the phylogenetic species concept. Experimental crosses demonstrate the absence of pre- and postzygotic barriers under laboratory conditions. Additionally, when the hatch rates of crosses are compared to intraspecific crosses, it can be noted that they are high and very similar. Finally, the mortality rate of the hybrids does not indicate hybrid inviability, the absence of chromosome pairing errors does not indicate hybrid sterility, and the proportion between male and female hybrids demonstrates that Haldane’s rule was not acting. Therefore, we perform the formal synonymization of R. milesi with R. neglectus. Full article

Background/Objectives: Burden Syndrome, also known as Caregiver Syndrome, particularly affects those who serve in the role of informal caregiver in the presence of family members with conditions. The ABCX dual model examines the impact on the caregiver of the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the family. This model considers the severity of the stressor (A), the additional demands of life stress (aA), the family’s internal resources (B), the family’s external resources (bB), the family’s assessment of the situation (C), coping strategies (cC), and outcome (X). The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationships between resilience, guilt, and burden of care in caregivers of children with ASD. Methods: Various assessment instruments were used, including the “Caregiver Burden Inventory” to measure burden, the “Brief Resilience Scale” to assess resilience, the “Guilt Sensitivity Questionnaire” to examine guilt sensitivity, and the “DA.L.I.A.” to collect information on parent and child characteristics. A total of 80 parents/caregivers participated in the research, including 53 women (Age M = 41.72; SD = 7.8) and 27 men (Age M = 43.35; SD = 6.29). Results: The findings indicate that individuals’ resilience to stressful events correlates negatively with burden, a developmental subtype. However, guilt seems not to play a significant role in the overall perception of burden. In contrast, it was found that the use of informal supports is associated with higher levels of guilt and emotional burden, whereas the use of formal supports is correlated with higher emotional burden, but not higher perceptions of guilt. Conclusions: This study provides important information about the support needed by caregivers and suggests how to address emotional burdens to prevent burnout and support families with children with ASD. Full article

In recent years, paradigms like production quality or zero-defect manufacturing have emerged, highlighting the need to improve quality and reduce waste in manufacturing systems. Although quality can be analyzed from various points of view during different stages of a manufacturing system’s lifecycle, this research focuses on a multidomain simulation model definition oriented toward the analysis of productivity and geometric quality during early design stages. To avoid inconsistencies, the authors explored the definition of descriptive models using system modeling language (SysML) profiles that capture domain-specific semantics defining object constraint language (OCL) rules, facilitating the assurance of model completeness and consistency regarding this specific knowledge. This paper presents a SysML profile for the simulation of geometric deviation propagation in multistage manufacturing systems (SysML4GDPSim), containing the concepts for the analysis of two data flows: (a) coupled discrete behavior simulation characteristic of manufacturing systems defined using discrete events simulation (DEVS) formalism; and (b) geometric deviation propagation through the system based on the geometrical modeling of artifacts using concepts from the topologically and technologically related surfaces (TTRS) theory. Consistency checking for this type of multidomain simulation model and the adoption of TTRS for the mathematical analysis of geometric deviations are the main contributions of this work, oriented towards facilitating the collaboration between design and analysis experts in the manufacturing domain. Finally, a case study shows the application of the proposed profile for the simulation model of an assembling line, including the model’s transformation to Modelica and some experimental results of this type of analysis. Full article

Entropy is essential. Entropy is a measure of a system’s molecular disorder or unpredictability, since work is produced by organized molecular motion. Entropy theory offers a profound understanding of the direction of spontaneous change for many commonplace events. A formal definition of a random graph exists. It deals with relational data’s probabilistic and structural properties. The lower-order distribution of an ensemble of attributed graphs may be used to describe the ensemble by considering it to be the results of a random graph. Shannon’s entropy metric is applied to represent a random graph’s variability. A structural or physicochemical characteristic of a molecule or component of a molecule is known as a molecular descriptor. A mathematical correlation between a chemical’s quantitative molecular descriptors and its toxicological endpoint is known as a QSAR model for predictive toxicology. Numerous physicochemical, toxicological, and pharmacological characteristics of chemical substances help to foretell their type and mode of action. Topological indices were developed some 150 years ago as an alternative to the Herculean, and arduous testing is needed to examine these features. This article uses various computational and mathematical techniques to calculate atom–bond connectivity entropy, atom–bond sum connectivity entropy, the newly defined Albertson entropy using the Albertson index, and the IRM entropy using the IRM index. We use the subdivision and line graph of the $H_{3}B{O}_3$ layer structure, which contains one boron atom and three oxygen atoms to form the chemical boric acid. Full article

To explore the safety and feasibility of low fluence intense pulsed light (IPL) for treating pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe blepharitis and to analyze potential factors associated with the recovery of meibomian glands (MG) dropout, a retrospective, noncomparative study, including 17 blepharitis patients (33 eyes) aged between 5 and 16 years old was conducted. All of the participants were given 4 continuous sessions of low-fluence (9–12 J/cm²) IPL at 3–4 week intervals. Corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), tear breakup time (BUT), inferior tear meniscus height, Demodex presence, and MG morphology were examined before and after the treatment. Results indicated that CFS, BUT and MG morphology (central/total gland area ratio and gland signal index) had significantly improved (p < 0.05). Symptoms and signs such as severe corneal neovascularization, limbal pannus and conjunctival congestion also subsided. Among age, gender, presence of Demodex and interval before diagnosis, age initiating the formal treatment was confirmed as a negatively correlated factor of the recovery of MG dropout (p = 0.032, B = −1.755). No notable adverse events were reported. In conclusion, low fluence IPL seems to be a safe and effective alternative for moderate-to-severe pediatric blepharitis, and MG dropout is prone to recover in younger patients. Full article

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was declared as pandemic in early 2020. While several studies reported the short-term adverse events (AE) of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, medium-term AE have not been extensively evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the 6-month side effect profiles of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary hospital. Hospital workers who received two doses of the Cominarty (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine, six months post-vaccination, were invited to participate in this study. All participants completed a self-reported survey assessing AEs occurrence and severity, duration of onset and recovery and if they previously reported these AEs. Results: Of the 670 respondents who completed the survey, 229 (34.2%) experienced at least one AEs, with a total of 937 AEs reported during the 6-month period. After the first dose, the most common reported localized symptoms were pain (n = 106, 27.2%), swelling (n = 38, 9.8%) and erythematous (n = 12, 3.1%) at injection site. Systemic symptoms reported include fatigue (n = 72, 18.5%), fever (n = 55, 14.1%) and headache (n = 46, 11.8%). After the second dose, pain at site of injection (n = 112, 20.4%), swelling (n = 42, 7.7%) and erythematous (n = 14, 2.6%) were among the localized AE reported, while fever (n = 121, 22.1%), fatigue (n = 101, 18.4%) and headache (n = 61, 11.1%) were the most common systemic AE. The proportion of respondents who experienced moderate (first dose: 156 events; second dose: 272 events) and severe (1st dose: 21 events; 2nd dose: 30 events) AEs were higher after the second dose. Most AEs commonly resolved within 1–2 days, and none required hospitalization. No new onset of AE was observed 7 days post-vaccination. A total of 137 (59.8%) participants did not proceed to formal AE reporting. Conclusion: Most of the AEs reported were of mild to moderate intensity and short-term, consistent with those reported in previous studies. No medium-term finding was detected in the survey. AE reporting was not routinely performed, necessitating the attention of health authorities in order to enhance pharmacovigilance. Full article

(1) Introduction: In the last two decades, telemedicine has been increasingly applied to telemonitoring (TM) of patients with pacemakers; however, presently, its growth has significantly accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has pushed patients and healthcare workers alike to seek new ways to stay healthy with minimal physical contact. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to update the current knowledge on the differences in the medium-and long-term effectiveness of TM and conventional monitoring (CM) in relation to costs and health outcomes. (2) Methods: Three databases and one scientific registry were searched (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar), with no restrictions on language or year of publication. Studies published until July 2021 were included. The inclusion criteria were: (a) experimental or observational design, (b) complete economic evaluation, (c) patients with implanted pacemakers, and (d) comparison of TM with CM. Measurements of study characteristics (author, study duration, sample size, age, sex, major indication for implantation, and pacemaker used), analysis, significant results of the variables (analysis performed, primary endpoints, secondary endpoints, health outcomes, and cost outcomes), and further miscellaneous measurements (methodological quality, variables coded, instrument development, coder training, and intercoder reliability, etc.) were included. (3) Results: 11 studies met the inclusion criteria, consisting of 3372 enrolled patients; 1773 (52.58%) of them were part of randomized clinical trials. The mean age was 72 years, and the atrioventricular block was established as the main indication for device implantation. TM was significantly effective in detecting the presence or absence of pacemaker problems, leading to a reduction in the number of unscheduled hospital visits (8.34–55.55%). The cost of TM was up to 87% lower than that of CM. There were no significant differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the number of cardiovascular events. (4) Conclusions: Most of the studies included in this systematic review confirm that in the TM group of patients with pacemakers, cardiovascular events are detected and treated earlier, and the number of unscheduled visits to the hospital is significantly reduced, without affecting the HRQoL of patients. In addition, with TM modality, both formal and informal costs are significantly reduced in the medium and long term. Full article

FBX proteins are subunits of the SCF complex (Skp1–cullin–FBX) belonging to the E3 ligase family, which is involved in the ubiquitin–proteasome 26S (UPS) pathway responsible for the post-translational protein turnover. By targeting, in a selective manner, key regulatory proteins for ubiquitination and 26S proteasome degradation, FBX proteins play a major role in plant responses to diverse developmental and stress conditions. Although studies on the genomic organization of the FBX gene family in various species have been reported, knowledge related to bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is scarce and needs to be broadened. Using the latest assembly of the wheat genome, we identified 3670 TaFBX genes distributed non-homogeneously within the three subgenomes (A, B and D) and between the 21 chromosomes, establishing it as one of the richest gene families among plant species. Based on the presence of the five different chromosomal regions previously identified, the present study focused on the genomic distribution of the TaFBX family and the identification of differentially expressed genes during the embryogenesis stages and in response to heat and drought stress. Most of the time, when comparing the expected number of genes (taking into account the formal gene distribution on the entire wheat genome), the TaFBX family harbors a different pattern at the various stratum of observation (subgenome, chromosome, chromosomal regions). We report here that the local gene expansion of the TaFBX family must be the consequence of multiple and complex events, including tandem and small-scale duplications. Regarding the differentially expressed TaFBX genes, while the majority of the genes are localized in the distal chromosomal regions (R1 and R3), differentially expressed genes are more present in the interstitial regions (R2a and R2b) than expected, which could be an indication of the preservation of major genes in those specific chromosomal regions. Full article

Motion events are almost absent in the course syllabus of L2 German as a formally addressed structure in the classroom. Learners have merely receptive contact with this type of structure in reading texts or in aural activities. The occurrence of motion events with the so-called “double particles” is even less frequent. These are composed of the deictic morphemes hin- and her- denoting the speaker’s perspective and Path morphemes (-ein-, -aus-, -auf-, etc.). The main goal of the present study is to test a group of Portuguese L3 learners of German regarding their knowledge of double particles, and to apply VanPatten’s Processing Instruction (PI) model (VanPatten 2004; VanPatten and Williams 2015), which rests on an input-based focus-on-form approach for teaching grammar. The theoretical framework is based on Talmy’s typology of motion events (Talmy 2000a, 2000b). The empirical component of this study was divided into three parts: first, I tested the participants by means of a pretest; then, I conducted a pedagogical intervention based on the PI model; finally, a posttest determined the successful effects of PI in the participants’ knowledge of the target forms, both in interpretative and productive contexts. Full article

A series of new ferrocene- and ruthenocene-containing iridium(III) heteroleptic complexes of the type [(ppy)₂Ir(RCOCHCOR′)], with ppy = 2-pyridylphenyl, R = Fc = Fe^II(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η⁵-C₅H₅) and R′ = CH₃ (1) or Fc (2), as well as R = Rc = Ru^II(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η⁵-C₅H₅) and R′ = CH₃ (3), Rc (4) or Fc (5) was synthesized via the reaction of appropriate metallocene-containing β-diketonato ligands with [(ppy)₂(μ-Cl)Ir]₂. The single crystal structure of 3 (monoclinic, P2₁/n, Z = 4) is described. Complexes 1–5 absorb light strongly in the region 280−480 nm the metallocenyl β-diketonato substituents quench phosphorescence in 1–5. Cyclic and square wave voltammetric studies in CH₂Cl₂/[N(ⁿBu)₄][B(C₆F₅)₄] allowed observation of a reversible Ir^III/IV redox couple as well as well-resolved ferrocenyl (Fc) and ruthenocenyl (Rc) one-electron transfer steps in 1−5. The sequence of redox events is in the order Fc oxidation, then Ir^III oxidation and finally ruthenocene oxidation, all in one-electron transfer steps. Generation of Ir^IV quenched phosphorescence in 6, [(ppy)₂Ir(H₃CCOCHCOCH₃)]. This study made it possible to predict the Ir^III/IV formal reduction potential from Gordy scale group electronegativities, χ_R and/or Σχ_R′ of β-diketonato pendent side groups as well as from DFT-calculated energies of the highest occupied molecular orbital of the species involved in the Ir^III/IV oxidation at a 98% accuracy level. Full article

Approaches for the design of fault tolerant Network-on-Chip (NoC) for use in System-on-Chip (SoC) reconfigurable technology using Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology are challenging, especially in Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) design. To achieve this, the use of rigorous formal approaches, based on incremental design and proof theory, has become an essential step in the validation process. The Event-B method is a promising formal approach that can be used to develop, model and prove accurately SoC and MPSoC architectures. This paper proposes a formal verification approach for NoC architecture including the dependability constraints relating to the choice of the path routing of data packets and the strategy imposed for diversion when faulty routers are detected. The formalization process is incremental and validated by correct-by-construction development of the NoC architecture. Using the concepts of graph colouring and B-event formalism, the results obtained have demonstrated its efficiency for determining the bugs, and a solution to ensure a fast and reliable operation of the network when compared to existing similar methods. Full article

Multiple sclerosis is a potentially debilitating disease of the central nervous system. A concerted program of research by many centers around the world has consistently demonstrated the importance of the immune system in its pathogenesis. This knowledge has led to the formal testing of a number of therapeutic agents in both animal models and humans. These clinical trials have shed yet further light on the pathogenesis of MS through their sometimes unexpected effects and by their differential effects in terms of impact on relapses, progression of the disease, paraclinical parameters (MRI) and the adverse events that are experienced. Here we review the currently approved medications for the commonest form of multiple sclerosis (relapsing-remitting) and the emerging therapies for which preliminary results from phase II/III clinical trials are available. A detailed analysis of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of these medications in multiple sclerosis indicates that blockade or modulation of both T- and B-cell activation and migration pathways in the periphery or CNS can lead to amelioration of the disease. It is hoped that further therapeutic trials will better delineate the pathogenesis of MS, ultimately leading to even better treatments with fewer adverse effects. Full article