In March 2020, the world went into lockdown in response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, outcomes have included quarantines and restrictions, which decimated the global economy; the exposure of frightening inequities; the deaths of over 4 million people, as of mid-July 2021; and the fragmentation of families and communities – all of which has forced us to rethink the structure of fundamental

High-tech gear an increasing threat to fish Ken Ferguson Recent advancements in sport-fishing technology might entice anglers to open their wallets, but widespread adoption of high-tech gear could pose serious threats to populations of commonly targeted marine and freshwater fish, warn the authors of a new synthesis (Rev Fish Biol Fisher 2021; doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09643-1). Drones, futuristic

Humans regularly exert a powerful influence on the survival and persistence of species, yet social-science information is used only sporadically in conservation decisions. Using data obtained from a survey of 46,894 US residents, we developed and applied a spatially explicit “sociocultural index” to inform decision making through an understanding of public values toward wildlife. The classification

“He [the honey badger] has besides, as well as the [local peoples], the sagacity to follow a small bird, which flies on by degrees with the alluring note of ‘cherr, cherr, cherr’, and guides its followers to the bees’ nest” – from Andrew [Anders] Sparrman’s A Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, Towards the Antarctic Polar Circle, and Round the World, 1772–1776, Volume II (1785; Perth, Scotland: R Morison

This study reports an alternative method for black liquor treatment with potential for energy and process savings in the paper and pulp industry. Gasification of black liquor was carried out under sub- and supercritical conditions, varying the black liquor feed composition (0.10, 2.55 and 5.00 wb%) and temperature (350, 425 and 500 °C). Liquid products were identified by high resolution mass spectrometry

The current method of agriculture entails the usage of excessive amounts of pesticides and fertilizers. The blatant use of conventional pesticides and fertilizers over several decades has led to their bioaccumulation with adverse effects on soil biodiversity and the development of resistance by pests. With the decline in clinically useful antibiotics and increase in multi drug resistant microbes, it

Humic substances (HS) possess redox active groups covering a wide range of potentials and are used by facultative anaerobic microorganisms as electron acceptors. To serve as suitable electron shuttles for anaerobic respiration, HS should be able to re-oxidize relatively quickly to prevent polarization of the surrounding medium. Mediated electrochemical oxidation and decolorization assays, based on

Background Spontaneous abortion (SAB) brings serious physical and psychological sequelae to women and their families. Though a growing body of individual studies have suggested the possible linkage between chronic particulate matter (PM) exposure and risks of SAB, the provided results were rather contradictory. We therefore performed an evidence-based meta-analysis. Methods We systematically searched

Inhalation exposure to polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate (PHMG-P), one of the primary biocides used in humidifier disinfectants, caused a fatal pulmonary disease in Korea. Pregnant women were also exposed to PHMG-P, and subsequent studies showed that PHMG-P inhalation during pregnancy adversely affects their health and embryo-fetal development. However, the postnatal developmental effects after

The ultraviolet (UV)-based advanced oxidation process (AOP) is a powerful technology for removing pathogenic microorganisms and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) from water. AOP in potable water reuse has been predominantly based on traditional low-pressure mercury (LP-Hg) lamps at 254 nm wavelength, supplemented by hydrogen peroxide addition. In this review, we assessed the potential of unconventional

Sonochemical oxidation activity may be significantly enhanced by optimizing the geometric factors of a sonoreactor and implementing additional physical actions, such as mechanical mixing and gas sparging. This study investigates the effects of liquid recirculation flow on sonochemical oxidation reactions. This was carried out through experimental testing with a 28 kHz bath-type sonoreactor under various

Background Dual specificity protein phosphatase (DUSP)12 is an atypical member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family, which are overexpressed in multiple types of malignant tumors. This protein family protect cells from apoptosis and promotes the proliferation and motility of cells. However, the pathological role of DUSP12 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is incompletely understood. Methods We

The onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020 led to a dramatic rise in unemployment and fears about food-security throughout the Caribbean region. Subsistence fisheries were one of the few activities permitted during emergency lockdown in The Bahamas, leading many to turn to the sea for food. Detailed monitoring of a small-scale subsistence fishery for queen conch was undertaken during

An emerging type of therapeutic agent, anticancer peptides (ACPs), has attracted attention because of its lower risk of toxic side effects. However process of identifying ACPs using experimental methods is both time-consuming and laborious. In this study, we developed a new and efficient algorithm that predicts ACPs by fusing multi-view features based on dual-channel deep neural network ensemble model

Background DOG1 (ANO1; TMEM16A) is a voltage-gated calcium-activated chloride and bicarbonate channel. DOG1 is physiologically expressed in Cajal cells, where it plays an important role in regulating intestinal motility and its expression is a diagnostic hallmark of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Data on a possible role of DOG1 in pancreatic cancer are rare and controversial. The aim of our

Objective To investigate the replication of influenza A virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells and its effect on endothelial barrier function. Methods Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were infected with influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) virus. Plaque reduction assay, real-time quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and western blot were

In order to develop the strategy more suitable campus-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention programs for undergraduate students, it is critical to identify discrepancies in knowledge of COVID-19 prevention among students from different campuses in China. The present study examined the difference in preventive knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic in undergraduate students from two cities

Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer (TC). Considering the important association between cellular immunity and PTC progression, it is worth exploring the biological significance of immune-related signaling in PTC. Methods Several bioinformatics tools, such as R software, WEB-based Gene SeT AnaLysis Toolkit (WebGestalt), Database for Annotation, Visualization

Background With every oil tanker comes the risk of an accident and oil spill. Sorbents are the most suitable means to remove oil spills. Aerogels as sorbents have high porosity and can be made from cellulose from paper waste. The literature does not distinguish between paper and cardboard as sources of cellulose aerogels and little is known about composites of cellulose aerogels consisting of cellulose

Background Accurate diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) remains difficult, and one of the key challenges in diagnosing MDD is the lack of reliable diagnostic biomarkers. The objective of this study was to explore gene networks and identify potential biomarkers for MDD. Methods In the present study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the mRNA expression profiles using blood samples of

Global health care contributes approximately 5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalents) to the atmosphere. For large health care systems in high income countries, direct emissions of inhaled anesthetics account for approximately 3% of their climate footprint and can make up more than half of carbon emissions from medical perioperative services.(1) In particular, sevoflurane ((CF3)2CHOCH2F)