This paper suggests a “neoclassical” reading of Ernan McMullin’s thought on science and theology. McMullin’s Augustinian convictions on God and the God–world relation coincide with those of some prominent scholars from two renowned schools of neo-scholastic philosophy of the twentieth century in Louvain and Milan. The school of Milan, thanks to the work of some disciples of its leading figure, Amato Masnovo, developed a neoclassical version of neo-scholasticism, articulating a fundamental theory of knowledge, as well as an essential, rigorous path to God. We recall the main tenets of a neoclassical path to God, and we interpret this path as a possible contribution to the science–theology dialogue, in line with McMullin’s Augustinism. A neoclassical approach to science and theology, with its rediscovery and reactualization of some ideas of classic philosophy in an interdisciplinary context, grounds the intelligibility of the universe and safeguards its mystery. Full article

The current study aims to identify candidate insertion/deletion (INDEL) markers associated with photoperiod sensitivity (PS) in rice landraces from the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The whole-genome sequencing of 20 accessions was conducted to analyze INDEL variations between two photoperiod-sensitivity groups. A total of 2240 INDELs were identified between the two photoperiod-sensitivity groups. The selection criteria included INDELs with insertions or deletions of at least 20 base pairs within the improved rice group. Six INDELs were discovered on chromosomes 01 (5 INDELs) and 6 (1 INDEL), and two genes were identified: LOC_Os01g23780 and LOC_Os01g36500. The gene LOC_Os01g23780, which may be involved in rice flowering, was identified in a 20 bp deletion on chromosome 01 from the improved rice accession group. A marker was devised for this gene, indicating a polymorphism rate of 20%. Remarkably, 20% of the materials comprised improved rice accessions. This INDEL marker could explain 100% of the observed distinctions. Further analysis of the mapping population demonstrated that an INDEL marker associated with the MADS-box gene on chromosome 01 was linked to photoperiod sensitivity. The F1 population displayed two bands across all hybrid individuals. The marker demonstrates efficacy in distinguishing improved rice accessions within the indica accessions. This study underscores the potential applicability of the INDEL marker in breeding strategies. Full article

Most past studies focused on the associations of prenatal risk factors with the risks of childhood overweight/obesity. Instead, more postnatal risk factors are modifiable, with less knowledge of their cumulative effects on childhood obesity. We analyzed data of 1869 children in an Australian birth cohort. Key postnatal risk factors included: maternal and paternal overweight/obesity during the child’s infancy, tobacco exposure, low family socioeconomic score, breastfeeding duration < 6 months, early introduction of solid foods, and rapid weight gain during infancy. The risk score was the sum of the number of risk factors. The primary outcome is overweight/obesity in late childhood (11–12 years); secondary outcomes are high-fat mass index (FMI), body fat percentage (BF%), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Poisson regression models were used in the analyses. Children with higher risk scores had higher risks of overweight/obesity (p-for-trends < 0.001). After adjusting covariates, compared with those with 0–1 risk factors, children with 4–6 risk factors had 4.30 (95% confidence interval: 2.98, 6.21) times higher risk of being overweight/obesity; the relative risks for high FMI, BF%, and WHtR were 7.31 (3.97, 13.45), 4.41 (3.00, 6.50), and 6.52 (3.33, 12.74), respectively. Our findings highlighted that multiple postnatal risk factors were associated with increased risks of being overweight/obesity in late childhood. Full article

This review scrutinizes the intricate interplay between the microbiome and the human body, exploring its multifaceted dimensions and far-reaching implications. The human microbiome, comprising diverse microbial communities inhabiting various anatomical niches, is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of human health and disease. Through an extensive examination of current research, this review elucidates the dynamic interactions between the microbiome and host physiology across multiple organ systems. Key topics include the establishment and maintenance of microbiota diversity, the influence of host factors on microbial composition, and the bidirectional communication pathways between microbiota and host cells. Furthermore, we delve into the functional implications of microbiome dysbiosis in disease states, emphasizing its role in shaping immune responses, metabolic processes, and neurological functions. Additionally, this review discusses emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating the microbiome to restore host–microbe homeostasis and promote health. Microbiota fecal transplantation represents a groundbreaking therapeutic approach in the management of dysbiosis-related diseases, offering a promising avenue for restoring microbial balance within the gut ecosystem. This innovative therapy involves the transfer of fecal microbiota from a healthy donor to an individual suffering from dysbiosis, aiming to replenish beneficial microbial populations and mitigate pathological imbalances. By synthesizing findings from diverse fields, this review offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between the microbiome and the human body, highlighting avenues for future research and clinical interventions. Full article

More than 7000 rare diseases affect over 400 million people, posing significant challenges for medical research and healthcare. The integration of precision medicine with artificial intelligence offers promising solutions. This work introduces a classifier developed to discern whether research and news articles pertain to rare or non-rare diseases. Our methodology involves extracting 709 rare disease MeSH terms from Mondo and MeSH to improve rare disease categorization. We evaluate our classifier on abstracts from PubMed/MEDLINE and an expert-annotated news dataset, which includes news articles on four selected rare neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs)—considered the largest category of rare diseases—from a total of 16 analyzed. We achieved F1 scores of 85% for abstracts and 71% for news articles, demonstrating robustness across both datasets and highlighting the potential of integrating artificial intelligence and ontologies to improve disease classification. Although the results are promising, they also indicate the need for further refinement in managing data heterogeneity. Our classifier improves the identification and categorization of medical information, essential for advancing research, enhancing information access, influencing policy, and supporting personalized treatments. Future work will focus on expanding disease classification to distinguish between attributes such as infectious and hereditary diseases, addressing data heterogeneity, and incorporating multilingual capabilities. Full article

With the number of new satellites increasing dramatically, comprehensive space surveillance is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, high-resolution inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of satellites can provide an in-situ assessment of the satellites. This paper demonstrates that pseudo-noise signals can also be used for satellite imaging, in addition to classical linear frequency-modulated chirp signals. Pseudo-noise transmission signals offer the advantage of very low cross-correlation values. This, for instance, enables the possibility of a system with multiple channels transmitting instantaneously. Furthermore, it can significantly reduce signal interference with other systems operating in the same frequency spectrum, which is of particular interest for high-bandwidth, high-power systems such as satellite imaging radars. A new routine has been introduced to generate a wideband pseudo-noise signal with a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) similar to that of a chirp signal. This is essential for applications where the transmit signal power budget is sharply limited by the high-power amplifier. The paper presents both theoretical descriptions and analysis of the generated pseudo-noise signal as well as the results of an imaging measurement of a real space target using the introduced pseudo-noise signals. Full article

The transition from traditional to renewable energy sources is a critical issue in current energy-generation systems, which aims to address climate change and the increased demand for energy. This shift, however, imposes additional burdens on control systems to maintain power system stability and quality within predefined limits. Addressing these challenges, this paper proposes an innovative Modified Hybrid Fractional-Order (MHFO) automatic voltage regulator (AVR) equipped with a fractional-order tilt integral and proportional derivative with a filter plus a second-order derivative with a filter FOTI-PDND²N² controller. This advanced controller combines the benefits of a (FOTI) controller, known for enhancing dynamic performance and steady-state response, with a (PDND²N²) controller to improve system robustness and adaptability. The proposed MHFO controller stands out with its nine tunable parameters, providing more extensive control options than the conventional three-parameter PID controller and the five-parameter FOPID controller. Furthermore, a recent optimization approach using a growth optimizer (GO) has been formulated and applied to optimally adjust the MHFO controller’s parameters simultaneously. The performance of the proposed AVR based on the MHFO-GO controller is scrutinized by contrasting it with various established and developed optimization algorithms. The comparative study shows that the AVR based on the MHFO-GO controller surpasses other AVR controllers from the stability, robustness, and dynamic response speed points of view. Full article

Smallanthus sonchifolius, popularly known as yacon, is a member of the Asteraceae family. Due to its medicinal and edible value, yacon is consumed by different populations. Yacon is unique due to its high fructo-oligosaccharide and inulin content, as well as flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, and phenolic acids. Roots can be used to produce flour, which is less perishable and can be applied in various industrial products. This systematic review focuses on the effects of yacon flour on metabolic parameters. PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were consulted, and PRISMA guidelines were followed in the selection of the studies. In total, 526 articles were found in the databases, and of these, only 28 full texts were eligible for inclusion. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven studies were finally included. The results showed that the use of yacon flour can reduce glycemia, HbA1c, advanced glycation ends, plasma lipids, body fat mass, body weight, and waist circumference and improve intestinal microbiota and the antioxidant status. Further exploration of the effects of yacon flour is warranted, and additional clinical trials are necessary to determine the optimal daily consumption levels required to assist in improving metabolic parameters. Full article

A numerical method is used to solve the thermal analysis of natural convection in enclosures. This paper proposes the use of an implicit artificial-compressibility model in conjunction with the Radial Point Interpolation Meshless (RPIM) method to mimic laminar natural convective heat transport. The technique couples the pressure with the velocity components using an artificial compressibility model. The RPIM is used to discretize the spatial terms of the governing equation. We solve the semi-algebraic system implicitly in backward Euler pseudo-time. The proposed method solves two test problems—natural convection in the annulus of concentric circular cylinders and trapezoidal cavity. Additionally, the results are validated using experimental and numerical data available in the literature. Excellent agreement was seen between the numerical results acquired with the suggested method and those obtained through the standard techniques found in the literature. Full article

Vector quantization (VQ) is a block coding method that is famous for its high compression ratio and simple encoder and decoder implementation. Linde–Buzo–Gray (LBG) is a renowned technique for VQ that uses a clustering-based approach for finding the optimum codebook. Numerous algorithms, such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), the Cuckoo search algorithm (CS), bat algorithm, and firefly algorithm (FA), are used for codebook design. These algorithms are primarily focused on improving the image quality in terms of the PSNR and SSIM but use exhaustive searching to find the optimum codebook, which causes the computational time to be very high. In our study, our algorithm enhances LBG by minimizing the computational complexity by reducing the total number of comparisons among the codebook and training vectors using a match function. The input image is taken as a training vector at the encoder side, which is initialized with the random selection of the vectors from the input image. Rescaling using bilinear interpolation through the nearest neighborhood method is performed to reduce the comparison of the codebook with the training vector. The compressed image is first downsized by the encoder, which is then upscaled at the decoder side during decompression. Based on the results, it is demonstrated that the proposed method reduces the computational complexity by 50.2% compared to LBG and above 97% compared to the other LBG-based algorithms. Moreover, a 20% reduction in the memory size is also obtained, with no significant loss in the image quality compared to the LBG algorithm. Full article

This study was conducted to evaluate the 5S rDNA site number, position, and origin of signal pattern diversity in 42 plant species using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The species were selected based on the discovery of karyotype rearrangement, or because 5S rDNA had not yet been explored the species. The chromosome number varied from 14 to 160, and the chromosome length ranged from 0.63 to 6.88 μm, with 21 species having small chromosomes (<3 μm). The chromosome numbers of three species and the 5S rDNA loci of nineteen species are reported for the first time. Six 5S rDNA signal pattern types were identified. The 5S rDNA varied and was abundant in signal site numbers (2–18), positions (distal, proximal, outside of chromosome arms), and even in signal intensity. Variation in the numbers and locations of 5S rDNA was observed in 20 species, whereas an extensive stable number and location of 5S rDNA was found in 22 species. The potential origin of the signal pattern diversity was proposed and discussed. These data characterized the variability of 5S rDNA within the karyotypes of the 42 species that exhibited chromosomal rearrangements and provided anchor points for genetic physical maps. Full article

Analytical solutions for turbulent and laminar water flow conditions are developed considering the drainage process of a simple tank reservoir, using the Darcy–Weisbach and the Poiseuille laws, respectively. Near the critical value of the Reynolds number, the Darcy–Weisbach and the Poiseuille laws do not match, and there is a gap regarding the possibility of describing the drainage analytically. This gap corresponds to the critical zone of the Moody diagram, where theoretically a constant discharge occurs under a decreasing hydraulic gradient. In the critical zone, this hydraulic behavior of the flow reflects the different energy losses occurring during the drainage, as the laminar flow is a more efficient flow condition than the turbulent one. In natural systems (e.g., springs and karst aquifers), a smooth transition from the turbulent to the laminar water flow occurs due to the heterogeneity in the medium. Full article

The discovery of well-preserved fossil Vitis L. seeds from the Gelasian stage in Italy has provided a unique opportunity to investigate the systematics of fossilized Vitis species. Through seed image analyses and elliptical Fourier transforms of fossil Vitis seeds from the sites Buronzo−Gifflenga and Castelletto Cervo II, we pointed out a strong relationship to the group of extant Eurasian Vitis species. However, classification analyses highlighted challenges in accurately assigning the fossil grape seeds to specific modern species. Morphological comparisons with modern Vitis species revealed striking similarities between the fossil seeds and V. vinifera subsp. sylvestris, as well as several other wild species from Asia. This close morphological resemblance suggests the existence of a population of V. vinifera sensu lato in Northen Italy during the Gelasian. These findings contributed to our understanding of the evolution and the complex interplay between ancient and modern Vitis species. Full article

Background: Although osteoarthritis (OA) development is epidemiologically multifactorial, a primary underlying mechanism is still under debate. Understanding the pathophysiology of OA remains challenging. Recently, experts have focused on autophagy as a contributor to OA development. Method: To better understand the pathogenesis of OA, we survey the literature on the role of autophagy and the molecular mechanisms of OA development. To identify relevant studies, we used controlled vocabulary and free text keywords to search the MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and SCOPUS database. Thirty-one studies were included for data extraction and systematic review. Among these studies, twenty-five studies investigated the effects of autophagy in aging and OA chondrocytes, six studies examined the effects of autophagy in normal human chondrocytes, and only one study investigated the effects of mechanical stress-induced autophagy on the development of OA in normal chondrocytes. Results: The studies suggest that autophagy activation prevents OA by exerting cell-protective effects in normal human chondrocytes. However, in aging and osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes, the role of autophagy is intricate, as certain studies indicate that stimulating autophagy in these cells can have a cytotoxic effect, while others propose that it may have a protective (cytoprotective) effect against damage or degeneration. Conclusions: Mechanical stress-induced autophagy is also thought to be involved in the development of OA, but further research is required to identify the precise mechanism. Thus, autophagy contributions should be interpreted with caution in aging and the types of OA cartilage. Full article

Background: Although malnutrition is frequently observed in patients with heart failure (HF), this diagnosis should be performed carefully since HF itself is associated with increased inflammatory activity, which affects body weight, functionality, and some nutritional parameters; thus, its isolated interpretation can erroneously identify surrogate markers of severity as markers of malnutrition. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition using different classification systems and perform a comprehensive nutritional evaluation to determine the reliability of different diagnostic techniques. Patients and methods: Eighty-three patients with a recent hospital admission due to HF were evaluated. GLIM diagnosis criteria and subjective global assessment (SGA) were performed; a comprehensive anthropometric, functional, and biochemical nutritional evaluation was performed, in which bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), nutritional ultrasound, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were performed. Additionally, mortality and additional admissions due to HF were determined after a mean follow up of 18 months. Results: Malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria (54%) accurately distinguished patients with impaired functionality, lower lean mass, skeletal mass index, and appendicular muscle mass (BIA), as well as lower trunk fat mass, trunk lean mass, fat-free mass (DXA), and decreased albumin and increased C-reactive protein serum levels. According to SGA, there were significant changes in body composition parameters determined by BIA, muscle ultrasound, and functional tests between well-nourished patients and patients with risk of malnutrition (53.7%) or who had malnutrition (7.1%), but not when the last two groups were compared. BIA and DXA showed strong correlations when evaluating muscle and fat mass in HF patients, but correlations with nutritional ultrasound were limited, as well as functional tests. A multivariate analysis showed that no significant association was observed between body composition and mortality, but preperitoneal fat was associated with an increased risk of new hospital admissions (OR: 0.73). Conclusions: GLIM criteria identified a lower percentage of patients with HF and malnutrition compared with SGA; thus, SGA could have a role in preventing malnutrition in HF patients. Nutritional evaluation with BIA and DXA in patients with HF showed reliable results of body composition parameters in HF, and both help with the diagnosis of malnutrition according to the GLIM or SGA criteria and could provide complementary information in some specific cases. Full article

The use of composites in the aerospace industry has been increasing exponentially. However, conventional epoxy resins, derived from petroleum sources, are not sustainable, making them non-degradable and environmentally harmful. In order to foster a sustainable environment, replacing conventional thermoset epoxies with bio-sourced carbon epoxies is imperative. With the enhancement in technology, it is possible to combine vegetable oils or bio-based copolymers with resins to make it recyclable in nature. Hence, it is necessary to study bio-based epoxies and carry out material characterization and see how they behave differently from conventional epoxies. This study examines the mechanical properties of different types of epoxy resins, which includes conventional, recyclable, and non-recyclable bio-epoxies. Tensile, bending, fracture toughness, and compression tests are performed in accordance with ASTM and ISO standards. The results show that the recyclable bio-epoxy exhibits comparable or superior properties when compared with conventional and non-recyclable bio-epoxies, particularly in terms of impact resistance. Recyclable epoxy, examined in the current study, shows a 73% higher strain energy release rate as compared to conventional epoxy. These results suggest that bio-epoxies could serve as a viable alternative to conventional epoxy. Full article

Fresh-cut apple preservation is a critical concern in the food industry due to the rapid deterioration of texture, color, and flavor. While our previous study introduced apple essence microencapsulation (AEM) to enhance flavor during storage, its impact on overall storage quality was minimal. Thus, this study explores the application of two preservation techniques, namely, slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and chitosan–apple essence microencapsulation (CH–AEM) coating, to enhance the quality of fresh-cut apples. Our findings reveal that SAEW treatment significantly reduces the browning index (from 65.38 to 57.36) and respiratory rate (from 5.10% to 4.30% of CO₂), and maintains a desirable aroma profile compared to uncoated treatment during 10 days of storage. Additionally, the CH–AEM coating acts as a protective barrier, further preserving the sensory characteristics of fresh-cut apples. Notably, the SAEW–CH–AEM group exhibits superior performance in firmness (8.14 N), respiratory rate (3.37% of CO₂), ion leakage (34.86%), and juice yield (47.52%) after 10 days. Our research highlights the synergistic effect of combining these preservation strategies, providing a promising approach for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut apples while maintaining their visual appeal and aromatic quality. These results offer valuable insights for the fresh-cut produce industry, contributing to improved apple product preservation and consumer satisfaction. Full article

Cottonseed is rich in oil and protein. However, its antinutritional factor content, of phytic acid (PA), has limited its utilization. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, combined with chemometrics, is an efficient and eco-friendly analytical technique for crop quality analysis. Despite its potential, there are currently no established NIR models for measuring the PA content in fuzzy cottonseeds. In this research, a total of 456 samples of fuzzy cottonseed were used as the experimental materials. Spectral pre-treatments, including first derivative (1D) and standard normal variable transformation (SNV), were applied, and the linear partial least squares (PLS), nonlinear support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) methods were utilized to develop accurate calibration models for predicting the content of PA in fuzzy cottonseed. The results showed that the spectral pre-treatment significantly improved the prediction performance of the models, with the RF model exhibiting the best prediction performance. The RF model had a coefficient of determination in prediction (R²_p) of 0.9114, and its residual predictive deviation (RPD) was 3.9828, which indicates its high accuracy in measuring the PA content in fuzzy cottonseed. Additionally, this method avoids the costly and time-consuming delinting and crushing of cottonseeds, making it an economical and environmentally friendly alternative. Full article

This study explores the potential probiotic properties of yeasts isolated from various Chilean honeys, focusing on Ulmo, Quillay, and Mountain honeys. Six yeast strains were identified, including Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Candida sp., Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Rhodosporidiobolus ruineniae, Clavispora lusitaniae, and Metschnikowia chrysoperlae. Phenotypic characterization involved assessing their fermentative performance, ethanol and hops resistance, and cross-resistance. Ethanol concentration emerged as a limiting factor in their fermentative performance. The probiotic potential of these yeasts was evaluated based on resistance to high temperatures, low pH, auto-aggregation capacity, survival in simulated in vitro digestion (INFOGEST method), and antimicrobial activity against pathogens like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis. Three yeasts, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Metschnikowia chrysoperlae, exhibited potential probiotic characteristics by maintaining cell concentrations exceeding 10⁶ CFU/mL after in vitro digestion. They demonstrated fermentative abilities and resistance to ethanol and hops, suggesting their potential as starter cultures in beer production. Despite revealing promising probiotic and technological aspects, further research is necessary to ascertain their viability in producing fermented foods. This study underscores the innovative potential of honey as a source for new probiotic microorganisms and highlights the need for comprehensive investigations into their practical applications in the food industry. Full article

Red ginseng extract is one of the most widely used herbal medicines to prevent and cure various diseases. Among the processed products derived from red ginseng, the water-insoluble part as red ginseng residual (RGR) becomes waste, even though it contains important ingredients. TEMPO-oxidation (TO) can be used as a pre-treatment with different degrees of oxidation (DO) (0 to 0.4) in red ginseng residual (RGR-TO) by introducing chemical oxidation and high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) as a nanofibrillation process. ¹H NMR was used to determine the carbohydrate composition and calculate DO, size was examined using a nanoparticle analyzer, and the zeta potential was used to determine surface charge density. RGR-TO with different concentrations had different compositions; glucose and uronic acid were the main ingredients. All treated RGR-TO showed higher oxidant levels than the untreated counterpart (RGR-TO 0). As the oxidant levels increased, the zeta potential and uronic acid increased, but the size of the nanofibril from RGR-TO decreased. The results of this study showed that TEMPO-oxidation pretreatment was effective in producing RGR cellulose nanofibril (CNF) with a variety of properties by adjusting the level of oxidation pretreatment and the number of HPH passes. Full article

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a single transmembrane protein on the cell surface. Given its strong expression on epithelial cells and epithelial cell-derived tumors, EpCAM has been identified as a biomarker for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and exosomes and a target for cancer therapy. As a cell adhesion molecule, EpCAM has a crystal structure that indicates that it forms a cis-dimer first and then probably a trans-tetramer to mediate intercellular adhesion. Through regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), EpCAM and its proteolytic fragments are also able to regulate multiple signaling pathways, Wnt signaling in particular. Although great progress has been made, increasingly more findings have revealed the context-specific expression and function patterns of EpCAM and their regulation processes, which necessitates further studies to determine the structure, function, and expression of EpCAM under both physiological and pathological conditions, broadening its application in basic and translational cancer research. Full article