Pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) is an invasive and potentially fatal fungal infection, with Rhizopus microsporus (R. microsporus) being the most common pathogen. The routine therapy for this infection includes surgery and antifungal agents. However, the therapeutic effects of single agents are unsatisfactory due to the rapid progression of mucormycosis, while not all patients can tolerate surgery. Innovative treatment methods like combination therapy await validations of their clinical efficacy. We report a case of PM that was diagnosed via metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of black drainage fluid from the patient’s lung. The patient eventually recovered and was discharged after a combination therapy of oral isavuconazole, inhaled amphotericin B, and local perfusion of amphotericin B through bronchoscopy, which may be a promising strategy for the treatment of PM, especially for cases where surgery is not possible. A retrospective study of 297 cases in a literature review highlights the different treatment methods used in clinical practice. Full article

Vaccinia virus is the most successful vaccine in human history and functions as a protective vaccine against smallpox and monkeypox, highlighting the importance of ongoing research into vaccinia due to its genetic similarity to other emergent poxviruses. Moreover, vaccinia’s ability to accommodate large genetic insertions makes it promising for vaccine development and potential therapeutic applications, such as oncolytic agents. Thus, understanding how superior immunity is generated by vaccinia is crucial for designing other effective and safe vaccine strategies. During vaccinia inoculation by scarification, the skin serves as a primary site for the virus–host interaction, with various cell types playing distinct roles. During this process, hematopoietic cells undergo abortive infections, while non-hematopoietic cells support the full viral life cycle. This differential permissiveness to viral replication influences subsequent innate and adaptive immune responses. Dendritic cells (DCs), key immune sentinels in peripheral tissues such as skin, are pivotal in generating T cell memory during vaccinia immunization. DCs residing in the skin capture viral antigens and migrate to the draining lymph nodes (dLN), where they undergo maturation and present processed antigens to T cells. Notably, CD8+ T cells are particularly significant in viral clearance and the establishment of long-term protective immunity. Here, we will discuss vaccinia virus, its continued relevance to public health, and viral strategies permissive to immune escape. We will also discuss key events and populations leading to long-term protective immunity and remaining key gaps. Full article

Vitamin D is a crucial micronutrient, critical to human health, and influences many physiological processes. Oral and skin-derived vitamin D is hydroxylated to form calcifediol (25(OH)D) in the liver, then to 1,25(OH)₂D (calcitriol) in the kidney. Alongside the parathyroid hormone, calcitriol regulates neuro-musculoskeletal activities by tightly controlling blood-ionized calcium concentrations through intestinal calcium absorption, renal tubular reabsorption, and skeletal mineralization. Beyond its classical roles, evidence underscores the impact of vitamin D on the prevention and reduction of the severity of diverse conditions such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, autoimmune disorders, infection, and cancer. Peripheral target cells, like immune cells, obtain vitamin D and 25(OH)D through concentration-dependent diffusion from the circulation. Calcitriol is synthesized intracellularly in these cells from these precursors, which is crucial for their protective physiological actions. Its deficiency exacerbates inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased susceptibility to metabolic disorders and infections; deficiency also causes premature deaths. Thus, maintaining optimal serum levels above 40 ng/mL is vital for health and disease prevention. However, achieving it requires several times more than the government’s recommended vitamin D doses. Despite extensive published research, recommended daily intake and therapeutic serum 25(OH)D concentrations have lagged and are outdated, preventing people from benefiting. Evidence suggests that maintaining the 25(OH)D concentrations above 40 ng/mL with a range of 40–80 ng/mL in the population is optimal for disease prevention and reducing morbidities and mortality without adverse effects. The recommendation for individuals is to maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations above 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) for optimal clinical outcomes. Insights from metabolomics, transcriptomics, and epigenetics offer promise for better clinical outcomes from vitamin D sufficiency. Given its broader positive impact on human health with minimal cost and little adverse effects, proactively integrating vitamin D assessment and supplementation into clinical practice promises significant benefits, including reduced healthcare costs. This review synthesized recent novel findings related to the physiology of vitamin D that have significant implications for disease prevention. Full article

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the uncontrolled activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, NK cells, and macrophages, resulting in an overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. A primary and a secondary form are distinguished depending on whether or not it is associated with hematologic, infectious, or immune-mediated disease. Clinical manifestations include fever, splenomegaly, neurological changes, coagulopathy, hepatic dysfunction, cytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperferritinemia, and hemophagocytosis. In adults, therapy, although aggressive, is often unsuccessful. We report the case of a 41-year-old man with no apparent history of previous disease and an acute onset characterized by fever, fatigue, and weight loss. The man was from Burkina Faso and had made trips to his home country in the previous five months. On admission, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, increased creatinine and transaminases, LDH, and CRP with a normal ESR were found. The patient also presented with hypertriglyceridemia and hyperferritinemia. An infectious or autoimmune etiology was ruled out. A total body CT scan showed bilateral pleural effusion and hilar mesenterial, abdominal, and paratracheal lymphadenopathy. Lymphoproliferative disease with HLH complication was therefore suspected. High doses of glucocorticoids were then administered. A cytologic analysis of the pleural effusion showed anaplastic lymphoma cells and bone marrow aspirate showed hemophagocytosis. An Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) DNA load of more than 90000 copies/mL was found. Bone marrow biopsy showed a marrow localization of peripheral T lymphoma. The course was rapidly progressive until the patient died. HLH is a rare but usually fatal complication in adults of hematologic, autoimmune, and malignant diseases. Very early diagnosis and treatment are critical but not always sufficient to save patients. Full article

Existing vehicle-road models used for road tracking do not take into account the side slip angle, which leads to a reduction in road tracking accuracy in scenarios where the vehicle is at a large side slip angle, such as an emergency lane change. Consequently, this study presents a path-tracking control technique based on the T-S fuzzy model of heading angle vehicle autonomy. In this paper, based on the yaw angle-based vehicle tracking model, a heading angle-based tracking model considering the side slip angle is constructed. Second, since the vehicle speed varies with time, this paper selects the membership function of the vehicle speed to establish the T-S fuzzy model of autonomous vehicle based on the yaw angle and heading angle, respectively, and ensures the robustness and stability over the whole parameter space by the linear parameter variation robust $H_{\infty }$ controller. Then, cost functions based on the yaw angle and heading angle augmented error systems are created separately to optimize the system’s overall performance. Ultimately, simulation and experimentation confirm that the algorithm for control, which is based on the fuzzy model of the heading angle vehicle, has superior autonomous trajectory performance. Full article

As shown by sociological studies, the Catholic Church in Italy is very active in conducting advocacy and providing political representation to immigrants. It is also highly effective in carrying out services for immigrants, as well as fairly receptive to sharing places of worship with them. However, these sociological observations have been mainly conducted at the national level rather than by exploring the life of parishes through an empirical lens. This article aims, by applying the congregations study methodology, to fill this gap by detecting faith communities as the basic social units of religious life at the city/country level. In doing that, we discuss quantitative data collected in 377 Catholic parishes in the cities of Bologna, Milan, and Brescia. The findings suggest that Catholic parishes: (i) illustrate a low proportion of immigrants in their communities; (ii) show high activity in providing services for immigrants; (iii) are not politically engaged in advocacy for foreign persons at the local level; and (iv) similarly position themselves as politically conservative and liberal while expressing commitments to immigrants. This study confirms the sociological argument regarding the solidarity approach of the Catholic Church in Italy toward immigrants, while highlighting some ambivalent aspects related to cultural diversity and grass-roots political engagement within parishes’ life. Full article

Background: Premature birth remains a public health problem worldwide, involving a broader context and a multidisciplinary team aimed at combating this phenomenon as much as possible. The consumption of addictive substances by women who are pregnant can occur in different social contexts and at different stages of their lives, which modulate its extent. Obstetricians and anesthetists should consider the anesthetic maternal risks that may arise due to these addictive behaviors. The maternal anesthetic risk is higher in women who are pregnant with a medium-level of education, imbalanced nutrition, stress associated with physical or mental activity, affected sleep hygiene, and failed marriages. Objectives: The objectives of the study refer to analyzing the impact of exogenous factors and the anesthetic risk on premature birth for women who were pregnant during the pandemic period and in women who were pregnant without COVID-19 infection. The authors studied a significant sample of 3588 women who were pregnant without COVID-19 infection, among whom 3291 gave birth at term and 297 gave birth prematurely. Methods: The methods analyzed consist of studying the specialized literature regarding the impact of exogenous factors and parturient’s anesthetic risk on premature birth and identifying the regional risk profile of women who are pregnant in the southeast region of Romania compared to that identified in the specialized literature. In the analytical methods, we used a linear regression to study the incidence of exogenous risk factors on anesthetic risk in women who were pregnant with premature births compared to those with full-term births. Results: The results confirm the significant impact of exogenous factors on anesthetic risk and the significant impact of anesthetic risk on premature births. The novelty of the study lies in highlighting the modification of the regional exogenous risk profile during the pandemic period in southeast Romania due to unfavorable socio-economic causes and the translation of grade I and II prematurity events to higher frequencies with an increased level of maternal anesthetic risk. Conclusions: The study findings show that the anesthetic risk is maximized in parturients with a middle school education. Additionally, the anesthetic risk of patients who are pregnant increases with the intensification of smoking adherence and its maintenance throughout the pregnancy at the same intensity. Our study aims to provide a basis for the diversification and development of community intervention programs in the post-COVID-19 era, considering the reshaping of social models and the repositioning of social principles and values. Obstetricians and anesthetists must know and promote family values to harmonize the lives of family members and provide a better life for the mother and child. Full article

Water resources are scarce and difficult to manage in Kazakhstan, Central Asia (CA). Anthropic activities largely eliminated the Aral Sea. Afghanistan’s large-scale canal construction may eliminate life in the main stream of the Amu Darya River, CA. Kazakhstan’s HYRASIA ONE project, with a EUR 50 billion investment to produce green hydrogen, is targeted to withdraw water from the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan, CA, requires sustainable programs that integrate both decision-makers’ and people’s behavior. For this paper, the authors investigated groundwater resources for sustainable use, including for consumption, and the potential for natural “white” hydrogen production from underground geological “factories”. Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources, such as iron-rich rocks, minerals, and uranium, which are necessary for serpentinization reactions and radiolysis decay in natural hydrogen production from underground water. Investigations of underground geological “factories” require substantial efforts in field data collection. A chemical analysis of 40 groundwater samples from the 97 wells surveyed and investigated in the T. Ryskulov, Zhambyl, Baizak and Zhualy districts of the Zhambyl region in South Kazakhstan in 2021–2022 was carried out. These samples were compared with previously collected water samples from the years 2020–2021. The compositions of groundwater samples were analyzed, revealing various concentrations of different minerals, natural geological rocks, and anthropogenic materials. South Kazakhstan is rich in natural mineral resources. As a result, mining companies extract resources in the Taraz–Zhanatas–Karatau and the Shu–Novotroitsk industrial areas. The most significant levels of minerals found in water samples were found in the territory of the Talas–Assinsky interfluve, where the main industrial mining enterprises are concentrated and the largest groundwater deposits have been explored. Groundwater compositions have direct connections to geological rocks. The geological rocks are confined to sandstones, siltstones, porphyrites, conglomerates, limestones, and metamorphic rocks. In observation wells, a number of components can be found in high concentrations (mg/L): sulfates—602.0 (MPC 500 mg/L); sodium—436.5 (MPC 200 mg/L); chlorine—465.4 (MPC 350 mg/L); lithium—0.18 (MPC 0.03 mg/L); boron—0.74 (MPC 0.5 mg/L); cadmium—0.002 (MPC 0.001 mg/L); strontium—15, 0 (MPC 7.0 mg/L); and TDS—1970 (MPC 1000). The high mineral contents in the water are natural and comprise minerals from geological sources, including iron-rich rocks, to uranium. Proper groundwater classifications for research investigations are required to separate potable groundwater resources, wells, and areas where underground geological “factories” producing natural “white” hydrogen could potentially be located. Our preliminary investigation results are presented with the aim of creating a large-scale targeted program to improve water sustainability in Kazakhstan, CA. Full article

This paper presents an experimental comparison of two types of Li-ion battery stacks for low-voltage energy storage in small urban Electric or Hybrid Electric Vehicles (EVs/HEVs). These systems are a combination of lithium battery cells, a battery management system (BMS), and a central control circuit—a lithium energy storage and management system (LESMS). Li-Ion cells are assembled with two different active cathode materials, nickel–cobalt–aluminum (NCA) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP), both with an integrated decentralized BMS. Based on experiments conducted on the two assembled LESMSs, this paper suggests that although LFP batteries have inferior characteristics in terms of energy and power density, they have great capacity for improvement. Full article

A phylogeny of Cyrtophyllitinae Zeuner, 1935 sensu Gorochov, Jarzembowski & Coram, 2006, based on wing morphology, is presented including all genera. Cyrtophillitinae is found to be paraphyletic. Except for Cyrtophyllites rogeri Oppenheim, 1888, all other species were moved from the subfamily Cyrtophyllitinae (Hagloidea, Haglidae). Consequently, a new subfamily Archaboilinae subfam. nov. was erected and accommodates most of the previous cyrtophillitine taxa, except Cyrtophyllites rogeri. The type genus Archaboilus Martynov, 1937 of the new subfamily was designated; a new genus, Pararchaboilus gen. nov., was erected with the designation of type species Pararchaboilus cretaceus comb. nov. From the Middle Jurassic deposits of China, two new species, Archaboilus ornatus sp. nov. and Vitimoilus gigantus sp. nov., are described. Full article

The density of the ocean is unevenly distributed along the depth direction, showing a stratified structure. When there is an external disturbance, large-scale internal solitary waves are easily generated. The internal solitary waves are bounded by the intermediate pycnocline, and the currents in the upper and lower layers will flow in opposite directions. This generates strong shear forces that threaten the safety of marine structures. In this paper, the flow field distribution characteristics of a cylinder under the action of internal solitary waves at different scales are analyzed as a research object. The whole cylinder is discretized into 40 regions, and the horizontal force applied to each section of the cylinder is extracted. The force characteristics of the cylinder are analyzed. It is concluded that the pressure is the main factor determining the magnitude of the total combined force. In addition, the paper extracts the main flow structures from the modal decomposition point of view and explains the reasons affecting the force behavior of the cylinder. Full article

Warming in southern California during the 21st century is unprecedented in the instrumental record. To place this warming in a multi-century historical context, we analyzed tree ring data sampled from Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) and sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) collected from minimally disturbed, old-growth high-elevation forests within Mt. San Jacinto State Park California, USA. Based on a calibration/verification period of 1960–2020 between earlywood radial growth and California Climate Division 6 climate data, we reconstructed annual (November–October) minimum temperature (Tmin) from 1658 to 2020. During the 61-year calibration/verification period, instrumental Tmin increased (r = 0.69, p < 0.01) and was positively associated with annual radial growth (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). Using regime shift analysis, we found that the 363-year reconstruction revealed Tmin stability until 1958 and then decreased until 1980, followed by the two warmest regimes (1981–2007, 2008–2020) on record. The last 13-year period was 0.77 °C warmer than the multi-century average with nine of the ten warmest years in the reconstruction recorded. These results suggest that 21st century warming in southern California is unique in the context of the past four centuries, indicating the rarity of exceptional warmth captured in the tree ring record. Full article

A common result of infection is an abnormal immune response, which may be detrimental to the host. To control the infection, the immune system might undergo regulation, therefore producing an excess of either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory pathways that can lead to widespread inflammation, tissue damage, and organ failure. A dysregulated immune response can manifest as changes in differentiated immune cell populations and concentrations of circulating biomarkers. To propose an early diagnostic system that enables differentiation and identifies the severity of immune-dysregulated syndromes, we built an artificial intelligence tool that uses input data from single-cell RNA sequencing. In our results, single-cell transcriptomics successfully distinguished between mild and severe sepsis and COVID-19 infections. Moreover, by interpreting the decision patterns of our classification system, we identified that different immune cells upregulating or downregulating the expression of the genes CD3, CD14, CD16, FOSB, S100A12, and TCRɣδ can accurately differentiate between different degrees of infection. Our research has identified genes of significance that effectively distinguish between infections, offering promising prospects as diagnostic markers and providing potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Full article

Restrictive dieters are those who expect to achieve body shape and weight control through dieting. However, they often have difficulty suppressing the desire to consume food when confronted with it. It has been shown that when high- and low-calorie foods are presented together, the attention of restrictive eaters is preferentially directed to high-calorie foods. However, whether attentional bias occurs when low-calorie foods are present alone and whether the allocation of attentional resources is consistent with that for high-calorie foods has yet to be explored. The present study focused on the effects of high-/low-calorie foods on attentional bias in restrictive dieters. Seventy-eight participants were recruited to participate in the experiment via the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) scale, which is administered in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task. The results revealed that failed restrictive dieters had the lowest percentage of correct answers at the lag2 level, indicating attentional bias. Failed restrictive dieters allocated more attentional resources to high-calorie foods than to low-calorie foods. Restrictive dieters showed no attentional bias when low-calorie foods were presented alone. The results suggest that low-calorie foods do not elicit an attentional bias in restrictive dieters and that the allocation of attentional resources is not consistent when compared to that for high-calorie foods. Full article

The problems of administrations based simply on administrative units that do not consider the operational purposes of the system have been consistently discussed. For example, in the Republic of Korea, sex offenders’ information is distributed via physical mail only in a few regions, a practice that is too rigidly based on the boundaries of the administrative ‘Dong’ of the offender’s residence. This implies that citizens in an adjacent building will not be notified if their Dong is different. Therefore, this study analyzed the problems of an administrative system that does not consider its realistic scope by using the case study of sex offender notifications. By expanding the distance from children and youth grids, we ascertained the extent of the problems with sex offender notifications. Additionally, to determine whether these problems have occurred by chance at a specific point in time or if there has been a fundamental limitation in the system, the Monte Carlo simulation was applied to compare the actual and random data of residences. Full article

Almond hulls (AH) are frequently used in dairy ruminant feeding, but information on variability of their nutritive value and their potential effects on CH₄ production is still scarce. The influence of almond variety (Guara vs. Soleta) on chemical composition and energy value of AH was investigated using 10 samples per variety collected in 2 consecutive years. Guara-AH had greater (p ≤ 0.015) ash, protein, and fat content, but lower (p ≤ 0.001) fiber than Soleta-AH. The metabolizable energy content estimated from chemical composition and in vitro gas production was 8.5% greater for Guara than for Soleta samples. Harvesting year significantly affected most of the chemical fractions. The in vitro ruminal fermentation of diets for dairy ruminants including increasing amounts of dried AH (8, 16 and 24% of the total diet; fresh matter basis) indicated that AH can be included up to 16% of the diet, partially substituting corn, wheat bran and sugar beet pulp without detrimental effects on in vitro volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. In contrast, when AH replaced alfalfa hay and corn, VFA production was reduced at all levels of AH inclusion. No antimethanogenic effects of AH were detected in the in vitro incubations. Full article

Introduction: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCC) still has a high mortality rate despite improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. The role of the human microbiome in CCC is poorly understood, and a recent metagenomic analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between microbiome-associated carcinogenesis and CCC. This study aimed to investigate changes in microbiome composition associated with CCC and its metabolic signature by integrating taxonomic and functional information with metabolomics data and in vitro experimental results. Methods: From February 2019 to January 2021, this study included patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), both with and without a diagnosis of CCC. Bile samples were collected via endoscopic nasobiliary drainages (ENBD) and subjected to DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 region, and data analysis using QIIME2. In vitro Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) proliferation and Annexin V/PI apoptosis assays were performed to investigate the effects of metabolites on CCC cells. Results: A total of 24 patients were included in the study. Bile fluid analysis revealed a significantly higher abundance of Escherichia coli in the CCC group. Alpha diversity analyses exhibited significant differences between the CCC and non-CCC groups, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy metabolic profiling identified 15 metabolites with significant concentration differences; isoleucine showed the most notable difference. In vitro experiments demonstrated that isoleucine suppressed CCC cell proliferation but did not induce apoptosis. Conclusions: This research underlines the significance of biliary dysbiosis and specific bile metabolites, such as isoleucine, in influencing the development and progression of CCC. Full article

Most of the plants belonging to the family of Brassicaceae are non-hosts for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These plants are known to produce glucosinolates (GSL), a group of allelopathic compounds, with a role in plant defense. The overexpression of the Thkel1 from Trichoderma harzianum in rapeseed (BnKel) plants, this gene encoding a protein that shares similarities with Brassicaceae plant’s nitrile-specifier and epithiospecifier proteins, modified GSL metabolism, reducing the accumulation of toxic isothiocyanates due to hydrolysis of these secondary metabolites. Here, we have analyzed the effect of AMF application on the GSL profiles and the development and yield of BnKel plants. Our results showed that the reduction of GSL compounds on transgenic plants was not enough to allow the formation of arbuscules and vesicles characteristics of an AMF mycorrhizal association. However, the inoculation of transgenic rapeseed plants expressing Thkel1 with AMF improved seed yield and fatty acid composition of the oilseed, showing a beneficial effect of AMF in these plants. The achievement of this effective beneficial association among mycorrhizas and rapeseed plants opens new opportunities in agribiotechnology for the use of AMF as biofertilizers in Brassicaceae crops with potential application in medical, animal and industrial biotechnology. Full article

With the rapid development of gene therapy technology in recent years, its abuse as a method of sports doping in athletics has become a concern. However, there is still room for improvement in gene-doping testing methods, and a robust animal model needs to be developed. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to establish a model of gene doping using recombinant adeno-associated virus vector-9, including the human erythropoietin gene (rAAV9-hEPO), and to establish a relevant testing method. First, it was attempted to establish the model using rAAV9-hEPO on mice. The results showed a significant increase in erythrocyte volume accompanied by an increase in spleen weight, confirming the validity of the model. Next, we attempted to detect proof of gene doping by targeting DNA and RNA. Direct proof of gene doping was detected using a TaqMan-qPCR assay with certain primers/probes. In addition, some indirect proof was identified in RNAs through the combination of a TB Green qPCR assay with RNA sequencing. Taken together, these results could provide the foundation for an effective test for gene doping in human athletes in the future. Full article

Universities started to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve the quality of higher education services. However, the rapid adoption of AI tools in higher education (HE) may lead to sustainability issues. On the one hand, there are prerequisites for using AI tools to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). On the other hand, as consumers of educational services (stakeholders), students have their own opinions about using AI in the educational process. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ opinions on the use of artificial intelligence tools in higher education. The authors analyzed student responses to the question: “Do you think AI threatens higher education in the next five years?” The authors formulated this question based on the definition of “a safe learning environment”, which is associated with a “safe” learning environment (SDG 4.3). The authors made use of a literature review, a bibliometric analysis of 5000 sources, a survey of 1104 students from eight universities in Eastern Europe through cloud technologies to host a special electronic questionnaire, statistical processing of questionnaires, and testing of statistical hypotheses. The authors formulated and tested two pairs of competing statistical hypotheses. Finally, the authors obtained three new scientific facts based on the respondents’ answers. New scientific facts were obtained using a standard level of statistical hypothesis testing (α = 0.05). The main scientific fact is that 10.17% to 35.42% of students think that Artificial Intelligence threatens higher education. According to student opinions, AI may hurt the sustainability of higher education (SDG 4.3). The authors are confident that new scientific facts help conceptualize and promote didactic theory and practice. The study results are needed to predict, plan, and implement organizational, pedagogical, and methodological measures aimed at SDG 4.3 through a “safe” learning environment while further expanding the use of AI in higher education. Full article

Upper-limb paralysis requires extensive rehabilitation to recover functionality for everyday living, and such assistance can be supported with robot technology. Against such a background, we have proposed an electromyography (EMG)-driven hybrid rehabilitation system based on motion estimation using a probabilistic neural network. The system controls a robot and functional electrical stimulation (FES) from movement estimation using EMG signals based on the user’s intention, enabling intuitive learning of joint motion and muscle contraction capacity even for multiple motions. In this study, hybrid and visual-feedback training were conducted with pointing movements involving the non-dominant wrist, and the motor learning effect was examined via quantitative evaluation of accuracy, stability, and smoothness. The results show that hybrid instruction was as effective as visual feedback training in all aspects. Accordingly, passive hybrid instruction using the proposed system can be considered effective in promoting motor learning and rehabilitation for paralysis with inability to perform voluntary movements. Full article

The removal of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from seawater before the reverse osmosis (RO) processes is crucial for alleviating organic fouling of RO membranes. However, research is still insufficiently developed in the comparison of the effectiveness of integrating coagulation with ultrafiltration (UF) or sand filtration (SF) in the pretreatment stage of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) for the removal of DOM. In this study, we investigated the effect of pretreatment technologies on RO fouling caused by DOM in seawater, including the integration of coagulation and sand filtration (C-S pretreatment) and the integration of coagulation and ultrafiltration (C-U pretreatment). Both integrated pretreatments achieved comparable DOM removal rates (70.2% for C-U and 69.6% for C-S), and C-S exhibited enhanced removal of UV-absorbing compounds. Although C-U was more proficient in reducing the silt density index (below 2) compared to C-S (above 3) and improved the elimination of humic acid-like organics, it left a higher proportion of tyrosine-protein-like organics, soluble microbial by-product-like organics, and finer organics in the effluent, leading to the formation of a dense cake layer on RO membrane and a higher flux decline. Therefore, suitable technologies should be selected according to specific water conditions to efficiently mitigate RO membrane fouling. Full article