The present study probed the creation of heat energy and concentrating into Newtonian liquids across vertical 3D-heated plates. The role of the Soret and Dufour theories in concentrating and energy formulas is discussed. The role of hybrid nanoparticles is introduced to illustrate particle efficiency in terms of solute and thermal energy. It is removed a viscous dissipation process and a changing magnetic field. The proposed approach is motivated by the need to maximize solute and thermal energy uses in biological and industrial domains. The constructed system of  PDEs includes concentration, momentum, and thermal energy equations within various thermal characteristics. Transformations are used to formulate the system of  ODEs for solution. To assess various features vs various variables, a Galerkin finite element approach is used. Motion into nanoscale components is shown to be smaller than motion into hybrid nanoparticles. Furthermore, fluctuations in heat energy and solute particle counts are seen in relation to changes in Soret, Eckert, magnetic, and Dufour numbers. The basic finding is that the generation of thermal energy for hybridized nanomaterials is much higher. Heat switch is one of the maximum vital commercial approaches. Throughout the economic field, warmth ought to be added, subtracted, or eliminated from the distribution of one technique to another. In theory, the heat dissipated through a hot liquid is in no way precisely similar to the heat received through a cold liquid because of the lack of herbal warmth2. Application for heat transfer in commercial manufacturing 99% of manufacturing makes use of a particular technique to transfer heat. Drying approaches are all types of heat transfer. The commercial makes use of heat transfer fluids vary, from simple, dry layouts to superior sized structures that carry out many features withinside the manufacturing technique. As there are numerous versions withinside the layout and alertness of approaches withinside the use of heat transfer fluids, the quantity of industries that use this technique is likewise huge3. Miniaturization has a large effect on the generation of heat exchangers and turns heat exchangers into an extra compact and extra green. The performance of the heat exchanger has an extremely good effect on the general performance and fitness of the thermal power system. The micro-channel heat sink is a brand new device in warmth alternate generation. The benefits of a huge heat transfer area and the excessive cohesiveness of a small channel heat sink make it a green warmth exchanger for the usage of electronic cooling4.Heat transfer is a thermal engineering subject that entails the manufacture, use, conversion, and alternate of warmth power among transportable structures. Heat transfer is split into diverse approaches, which include thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation, and energy transfer through section changes. Engineers additionally don't forget to shift an extensive variety of chemical compounds (advection mass switch), both bloodless or hot, to attain a heat switch. Although those techniques have unique characteristics, they generally arise concurrently withinside the identical system. Heat alternate happens while the waft of a huge quantity of liquid (fuel line or liquid) contains its warmth in a liquid. All convective approaches additionally transmit partial warmth to the circulation, as well5 investigated the effects of thermal radiation heat transfer with a solar system subjected to flow with nanoparticles. Sheikholeslami and Ganji6 discussed heat transfer in ferrofluids with nanoparticles exposed to a magnetic field. Zeeshan and Bhargav7 investigated the influence of dispersion of and in fluid on heat transfer in the fluid using the molecular dynamics approach. Sajjad et al.8 analyzed the influence of the Darcy-Forchheimer porous medium and nanoparticles on heat transfer in fluid over a moving surface.Zahra et al.9 and hybrid substances which include carbon nanotubes (CNTs) had been utilized in electrochemical sensors, bio-sensors, nanocatalysts, etc.10 however the use of those hybrid nanomaterials in nanofluids has now no longer advanced as such. Work on hybrid nanofluids could be very restricted and a whole lot of experimental look continues to be being finished. According to Makishima11 while or greater substances are blended so that their aggregate has a specific chemical bond entitled “hybrid metals”. In fact, while or greater metals added the homogeneous segment with simultaneous blending named “hybrid nanofluid". This superior elegance of nanofluids confirmed promising enhancement in heat transfer traits and thermophysical and hydrodynamic homes as compared to unitary nanofluids. Hayat and Nadeem12 discovered that the hybrid nanofluid finished nicely with a better warmth switch charge as compared to unitary nanofluid even withinside the presence of heat generation, chemical reaction, and thermal radiation. They found this even as investigating the rotating three-d consistent waft of Ag–CuO/water hybrid nanofluid. Selimefendigil and Öztop13 compared the thermal overall performance of TiO2, Cu, and Al2O3 and located that Cu nanofluids furnished relatively higher results. Azmi et al.14 deliberated the hybrid nanofluids thermophysical homes, education methods, a current development, and execution outcomes on heat transfer, friction factor, and stress drop. Minea et al.15 mentioned the programs of hybrid nanofluids in solar power with the guidance of a few debates on thermophysical homes and mathematical modeling which include numerical details. Nazir et al.16 discussed the role of Williamson liquid in thermal energy and concentration involving hybrid nanoparticles toward melting surfaces via non-Fourier’s theory. Dogonchi et al.17 analyzed the role of hybrid nanoparticles on the thermal efficiency of fluid between two parallel plates subjected to thermal radiation. Chamkha et al.18 published on the simultaneous influence of hybrid nanoparticles, magnetic fields, and rotations of walls on the transfer of heat. Masayebidarched et al.19 performed theoretical analysis for the thermal enhancement in fluid with hybrid nanoparticles. Similar works published on the role of hybrid nanoparticles on thermal enhancement can be seen in references32.A hybrid material is a substance that mixes bodily and chemical properties of various substances concurrently and affords those homes in a homogeneous segment. Synthetic hybrid nanomaterials show off first-rate physicochemical homes that don't exist withinside the character components. An enormous quantity of studies has been finished concerning the homes of those composites33 studied the combined effects of temperature and concentration gradients on mixed convection heat and mass transport in partially ion, second grade fluid subjected to a magnetic field. Nawaz et al.34 studied the Soret and Dufour effects on heat and mass transfer in an axisymmetric flow between two moving surfaces. Subrat et al.35 examined the Soret and Dufour effects on the transport phenomenon in thermochemical flow. Iskandar et al.36 analyzed the combined effects of Soret and Dufour due to the suspension of nanosized particles on heat and mass transfer in flow over a moving thin needle. Ambreen et al.37 also examined the impact of temperature and concentration gradients.To conclude, the latest development on the simultaneous transfer of heat and mass has revealed that compositional gradients are a favorable factor for the transfer heat. Similarly, a temperature gradient is supported to enhance mass transfer in fluids. The transfer of heat due to compositional differences of solute is termed the Dufour effect, whereas the transfer of mass due to temperature gradient is called the Soret effect. These effects have been studied theoretically in recent years. For instance, Hayat and Nawaz38, Ganguly et al.39 studied the impact of a line dipole on warmth switch enhancement. They located that an enhancement withinside the general heat switch relies upon the internet magnetizing cutting-edge in addition to the relative placement of the dipoles. Parsa et al.40 investigated the magneto-hemodynamic laminar viscous glide of an accomplishing physiological fluid in a semi-porous channel beneath neath a transverse magnetic discipline. Sheikholeslami and Ellahi41 studied 3-dimensional mesoscopic simulation of magnetic discipline impact on herbal convection of nanofluid. They located that thermal boundary layer thickness growth with growth withinside the Lorentz force. The vortex dynamics in the back of diverse magnetic limitations and traits of warmth switches have been investigated by Zhang and Huang42. They located that the stress drop penalty isn't depending on the interplay parameter. Nanofluid glide and heat transfer traits among horizontal parallel plates in a rotating gadget have been investigated by Sheikholeslami et al.43. They located that the Nusselt range will increase with a growth in nanoparticle quantity fraction and the Reynolds range; however, it decreases with a growth withinside the Eckert range, the magnetic and the rotation parameters. Ghofrani et al.44 provided experimental research on pressured convection warmth switch of an aqueous ferrofluid glide passing thru a round copper tube withinside the presence of an alternating magnetic discipline. They located that the impact of the magnetic discipline in low Reynolds numbers is higher, and a most of 27.6% enhancement withinside the convection heat transfer is observed. Sheikholeslami et al.45 used lattice Boltzmann simulation (LBM) to simulate nanofluid glide and heat transfer outcomes in a horizontal cylindrical enclosure with an internal triangular cylinder. Rashidi et al.46 studied the results of magnetic interplay range, slip component, and relative temperature distinction on velocity and temperature profiles in addition to entropy technology in Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) glide of a fluid over a rotating disk with variable properties57. include new additions that consider conventional and hybrid nanofluids with heat and mass transmission in a variety of physical circumstances.Recently extensive studies paintings have been completed on the fluid’s dynamics withinside the presence of a magnetic field. The effects of the magnetic discipline on fluids are well worth investigating because of its several packages in a huge variety of fields. The examination of the interplay of the magnetic discipline or the electromagnetic discipline on fluids has been documented, e.g., in nuclear fusion, chemical engineering, medication, and transformer cooling. A magnetic nanofluid (ferrofluid) is a magnetic colloidal suspension along with a base liquid and magnetic nanoparticles with a length variety of 5–15 nm in diameter coated with a surfactant layer Sheikholeslami and Rashidi2O). Following the similarity approach, numerical solutions are obtained using the robust Galerkin finite element technique for the controlling PDEs system. Hybrid nanofluid passes through vertical heated plates and offers a wide range of industrial applications, including coating and suspensions, cooling of metallic plates, heat exchanger technology, and materials processing. Manufacturing of aerodynamically extruded plastic sheets, the production of paper, heat-treated materials were going between feed and winding-up rolls, and the cooling of an endless metallic plate in a cooling bath.The unique connections among thermophysical parameters, no previous study on thermal enhancement and mass transposition in three-dimensional Newtonian liquids flowing across vertical heated plates have been investigated. It is found that the basis liquids of the hybrid nanofluids tested include copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and water  and silver (Ag) nanoparticles2O)as base fluidWater For system Eqs. –5) the  the 5) tIn the above equations, the velocity is Table In Table Next, the similarity transformation isConsequently, using similarity transformation in Eqs. The practical proposed model parameters used in this study are summarized in Table The surface forces are captured asNusselt number is64 is used via COMSOL Multiphysics calculation software to obtain the solution of the presented problem. The working rules of G-FEM are given below:The residual equations are constructed.The residual is integrated over the typical element of the discretized domain.The weighted residual integrals are approximated using the Galerkin approach, and stiffness matrices are derived.The rules of assembly of elements are followed, and a nonlinear system of equations is linearized. The linearized system is solved under computational tolerances The convergence is checked, and grid-independent results are obtained. The criterion of error analysis is used.Table Convergence analysis is confirmed via 300 elements.The G-FEM In examples, a parametric study is elaborated to study heat energy and mass transfer in 3D flow of Newtonian fluid, showing the influences of heat generation, porous medium, viscous dissipation, temperature gradient, rate of mass diffusion and Joule heating.It is remarked that the current study's findings are approximated using G-FEM. Table The Prandtl number decreases with the nano and hybrid particle volume fraction, whereas the Brownian motion parameter and the thermophoresis parameter increase with the nanoparticle volume fraction in Integral treatment for forced convection heat and mass transfer of nanofluids 300. It's interesting to note that the variation of the Lewis number has a varied pattern for different nanoparticles. In the case of Ag and Cu nano and hybrid nanoparticles, the Lewis number decreases as the nanoparticle volume percentage increases. As a result, for a fixed reference temperature (T) and a specified size of nano and hybrid particles. Furthermore, the density of the nanoparticles is usually substantially higher than that of the basic fluid. As a result, adding heavy nanoparticles will increase the density of the resulting hybrid nanofluid, and increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles will simultaneously increase the dynamic viscosity and density.The aspect of heat energy and mass diffusion in Newtonian fluid flow over a surface with temperature (variable) and wall concentration (variable) is modeled, and a coupled mathematical model is solved numerically using the G-FEM. The parameter entclass1pt{minimaVarious numerical experiments are performed with different samples of parametric values. Some crucial observations are obtained from the numerical experiments. It is important to note that dashed curves are associated with flow, heat transfer and mass diffusion in nanofluids (Cu-nanofluids), whereas solid curves are associated with flow, heat transfer and mass transport in hybrid nanofluids (Cu- Ag- nanofluids). The increase in the magnitude of the resistive force is captured first. Obviously, the flow in both the The direct relation is addressed to the magnetic field and Lorentz force. The influence of the Lorentz force on flow can be determined by the variation in The effects of Numerical data related to wall shear stresses in the The convergence of the proposed problem is confirmed for finite element mesh density equal to 300.The magnetic field reduces the motion of both nanoparticles and hybrid nanostructures, where the effect on hybrid nanofluid is more significant than on nanofluid.The Dufour number amplified the temperature of both hybrid nanofluid and nanofluid while the temperature for hybrid nanofluid is higher than nanofluid.The temperature for both fluids diminish as the buoyancy force acts onto the system.The joule heating parameter intensified the temperature for both fluids, and hybrid nanofluid is stronger than nanofluid.The Prandtl number decreases the temperature profile for both fluids, but the temperature for hybrid nanofluid is slightly higher than nanofluid.The temperature profile for both fluids increases when the heat generation and viscous dissipation act onto the system.The temperature gradient increased the concentration for both fluids, while the diffusion parameter decreased the concentration for both fluids.Wall shear stress amplified with the porous medium parameter, Dufour number and diffusion parameter but the wall shear stress decrease for the temperature gradient parameter. The mass wall flux rises with the Dufour number and decreases the wall shear stress, while heat transfer rate and mass flux decrease as the porous medium parameter increases.The features of heat energy and mass diffusion, which play essential roles in the behaviour of nanoparticles and hybrid nanostructures, are addressed over the vertical 3D melting surface. Newtonian fluid is considered under simultaneous influences of heat generation, porous medium, viscous dissipation, temperature gradient, rate of mass diffusion, and Joule heating. The mathematical modelling is solved using the famous FEM. The prime findings are listed below:77.The Galerkin finite element method could be applied to a variety of physical and technical challenges in the futureSupplementary Information.


The petal is an excellent model system for studying plant organogenesis because it is simple in structure and dispensable for plant viability Irish, . The petArabidopsis thaliana , petal primordia arise in the second whorl of the four concentric floral whorls. Specification of petal identity depends on the combinatorial regulation of MADS box transcription factors encoded by the APETALA1 (AP1), APETALA3 (AP3), PISTILLATA (PI), and SEPALLATA (SEP) genes . They analyze the putative target genes of NdAP3-3 and compare them with those of the AP3 homologs in Arabidopsis and Aquilegia coerulea (Ranunculaceae). They identify a number of common genes in each comparison, which shows the functional conservation of AP3 genes during plant evolution.In the model plant Galipot et al. investigate the growth of nectariferous petals in N. damascena and identify the allometric nature of petal shape and size dynamics. They also find that the patterning of petal shape is primarily determined by the activities of cell proliferation, while the change of petal size is mainly driven by the dynamics of cell expansion. These data uncover an important cellular mechanism that sculpts the elaborate N. damascena petal. Furthermore, in a study of another ornamental species, Gerbera hybrida (Asteraceae), Lin et al. characterize two 14-3-3 protein-coding genes that mediate brassinosteroid-induced ray petal elongation. They find that these two 14-3-3 genes play a key role in controling petal growth by promoting petal cell elongation.The growth of petal primordia in the second whorl occurs through two waves:early stage cell division and late stage post-mitotic expansion  and TCP5, play vital roles in the regulation of cell proliferation-to-expansion transition in the Arabidopsis petal  species is negatively correlated with labellum epidermal cell size, and positively correlated with the size of leaf epidermal cells, which suggests that genome size may be a strong predictor of cell size. Moreover, Cavallini-Speisser et al. write a review to summarize the major cell types in the petal and their functions. They also conclude the actions of the key regulators of petal development in the specification of different cell types in the petal. This collection of information provides us with a good resource for further studying the genetic control of petal organogenesis at the cellular level.Following the transition from cell division to expansion, another critical factor that controls petal growth is the degree of expansion and final cell shape. Hsu and Kuo, who analyze the nectar guide patterns in Ligeriinae (Gesneriaceae) by examining the petal contours and vasculatures. They identify four modes of nectar guide patterns and show that two of the four modes, distal and proximal, have the strongest associations with pollination types. These results are helpful for further understanding the diversity of nectar guide patterns and its relationship with plant-pollinator interaction in Ligeriinae.Variation in petal development that results in the diversity of petal morphologies has important implications in attracting specific pollinators for different plant species ; while the other assesses the miRNA profiles in Mepiquat chloride-mediated inhibition of internode elongation in cotton . The strategies and results of these two studies, such as the tissue-specific approaches and the roles of the epigenetic regulator miRNAs, may shed light on the above questions. By addressing these critical questions, we hope to have a more in-depth dissection of the complex network that controls petal growth, which may serve as the basis for a better understanding of plant organ development in the future.The diverse and interconnected subjects presented in this Research Topic provide comprehensive information about ongoing studies of petal development and functions. These studies also raise some interesting questions worthy of future investigation. For example, what role do epigenetic mechanisms play in the transcriptional regulation of petal growth? How is variation in growth patterns during petal development, which has been shown in this topic to be critical for determining petal morphology, regulated by temporal- and spatial-specific factors? It is worth noting that we include two articles that are not directly related with petal development in this topic: one uses tissue-specific analyses to investigate the interaction between tomato and a parasitic plant TH, EK, and DL were contributed to the writing of this editorial. All authors approved it for publication.Our work on petal organogenesis has been supported by grants from the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2021A1515011035) and Guangdong Special Support Program for Young Talents in Innovation Research of Science and Technology (2019TQ05N940) to TH, and NSF IOS- 1456217 to EK.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


Both aerial and underground plant organs and tissues are colonized by a composite microbiota that continuously interacts with the host and the surrounding environment. Phytopathogens, beneficial, symbionts, and commensal microbes and viruses are all members of a network that communicate either with the plant or between different microbial taxa through refined molecular mechanisms  new insights on plant-microbes/virus molecular interaction; (b) plant colonization; (c) detection; (d) sustainable control.This Research Topic contains 12 research papers that cover different aspects of viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens in relation to plant-microbe molecular interaction, plant colonization, detection, or disease control. In addition, it contains a meta-analysis review that concerns the microbe-mediated thermotolerance in plants.Zhang et al. analyzed the function of nuclear export signals (NESs) and nuclear localization signals (NLSs) of the NIb protein of turnip mosaic virus. NES and NLS are key signatures of proteins for controlling nuclear import and export. Two functional NESs and one functional NLS were identified in the NIb protein. Mutation of the identified functional NESs or NLS inhibited viral RNA accumulation and systemic infection. Exportin 1 (XPO1), a nuclear export receptor that binds directly to cargo proteins harboring a leucine-rich NES and translocates them to the cytoplasm, was found to contain two NIb-binding domains, which recognize the NLS and NES of NIb, respectively, to mediate the nucleocytoplasmic transport of NIb and promote viral infection.The study by Nicotiana benthamiana in response to the infection of tobacco curly shoot virus (TbCSV) via small RNAs sequencing was studied by Wu et al. The results showed that 15 up-regulated miRNAs and 12 down-regulated miRNAs were differentially expressed, and nbe-miR167b-3p was down-regulated. The overexpression of nbe-miR167b-3p attenuated leaf curling symptoms of TbCSV and decreased viral DNA accumulation. However, suppression of nbe-miR167b-3p expression enhanced the symptoms and accumulation of the virus. The silencing of PRCP, the target gene of nbe-miR167b-3p caused weakened viral symptoms and DNA accumulation of TbCSV in the plants. Overall, this study clarified the effect of nbe-miR167b-3p on plant defense during TbCSV infection.The expression of miRNAs in in vivo detection of the early events in the interaction between compatible and incompatible bacterial pathogens and host plants was provided by Agati et al. It is based on the elaboration of the fluorescence excitation spectra recorded at different times during the elicitation process. The phytoalexin scopoletin F 385−460 fluorescence has been proven as a marker for plant-bacteria interaction. The outcome of the present study can be exploited to define a screening technique for the early diagnosis of plant diseases, even in the field by using suitable portable fluorescence sensors.A new spectroscopic fluorescence non-destructive method for the Phytopthora infestans and potato was studied by Zhu et al. through a metabolomic approach and a resistant and a susceptible cultivar. A total of 819 metabolites were identified and quantified. Resistant and sensitive potato cultivars had different metabolomic responses toward P. infestans, and the metabolic differences were mainly observed after 48 hpi. The resistant potato cultivar had higher levels of salicylic acid and several upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis metabolites, triterpenoids, and hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives, such as sakuranetin, ferulic acid, ganoderic acid Mi, lucidenic acid D2, and caffeoylmalic acid.The compatible and incompatible interaction between Bipolaris maydis that causes “maize leaf blight” . The majority of highly differentially expressed genes were associated with mitochondria, cell wall and chitin synthesis, sugar metabolism, peroxidase activity, mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, and shikimate dehydrogenase. The biosynthetic pathways for secondary metabolism, antibiotics, and carbon metabolism of fungus were highly enriched in the susceptible cultivar during infection. Cell wall synthesis genes related to the synthesis of polyketides, toxins, and putative candidate effector genes were found to be the key compounds underlying the pathogenesis of the B. maydis race “O” pathogen.Transcriptomic analyses and resistance and susceptible non-maize cultivars were utilized to assess the pathogenicity behavior of Heterobasidium species complex, and the associated wood, have been analyzed through the functional annotation of the 16S sequence data . The study showed that bacteria communities in both substrates experienced a process of a new community reconstruction through the various decay stages. Sphingomonas spp. was significantly higher in the fruiting body, and phylum Firmicutes was more dominant in wood tissue. The bacteria community was highly dynamic, and the microbiota activeness, community stability, and functions changed with the decay process. Bacteria appear to spread from the wood tissue of the standing living tree to the fruiting body, but after the tree is killed, bacteria moved from the fruiting body to the wood.The bacterial community inhabiting the fruiting body of the saprotrophic and necrotrophic Basidiomycetes Della Rocca et al. have studied, by means of transmission electron microscope, light and fluorescence microscope combined with histochemical analyses staining, in a time-course approach the induction and the ultrastructure of terpenes and polyphenol synthesis in Cupressus sempervirens twigs upon Seiridium cardinale infection. The study highlighted the involvement of plastids and endoplasmic reticulum in the production of terpenoids and the consequent secretion of terpenoids directly through the plasma membrane, without exhibiting vesicle formation. Plastids are also involved in the polyphenol production that accumulates in the vacuole.Pecman et al.). Method comparisons were performed on five selected samples, containing two viroids, which were sequenced using nanopore technology for the first time, and 11 plant viruses with different genome organizations. The results obtained in this work showed that when an appropriate sample and library preparation are selected, nanopore MinION sequencing could be used for the detection of plant viruses and viroids with similar performance as Illumina sequencing.A comparison of the most established high-throughput sequencing (HTS) platform (MiSeq benchtop sequencer-Illumina) with the MinION sequencer (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) for the detection of plant viruses and viroids was carried out . Treatments were applied either concurrently or after virus inoculation to ascertain an inhibition or curative activity, respectively. Treatments were effective against ToLCNDV whether applied simultaneously with the inoculation or after and the major inhibition was observed with O. vulgare essential oil and hydrosol. The curative activity gave maximum results with all three essential oils and T. vulgaris and R. officinalis hydrosols.The work carried out by Bacillus spp. and Trichoderma spp. . Biochar seems to promote the development of tomato seedlings without showing any antimicrobial effects on the beneficial soil bacteria at the tomato rhizosphere level and even improving their growth. Biochar at 10–15% and when added with Trichoderma spp. caused a reduction of the replication and symptoms of potato spindle tuber viroid. Also, results obtained showed that biochar could contribute to reducing both infection rate and virus replication of tomato spotted wilt virus.The effects of biochar (a rich carbon product obtained by pyrolysis of biomass under a limited supply of oxygen) obtained from olive pruning, have been evaluated on tomato seedling growth and response to systemic agents' infection alone or added with the beneficial microorganisms Acidovorax citrulli, and the further genomic characterization and evaluation of the systemic persistence and translocation of a phage from the roots to the upper parts of watermelon plants . The persistence of the phages in the plant environment upon their release is one of the critical points for their successful utilization in plant disease control, being that UV light is one of the most adverse factors. The study ascertained a persistence and survival of 10 days within the plant post distribution of the phage in the soil, allowing a relevant decrease in the severity of the disease and the survival of the plants. These findings corroborate previous studies on the possibility to control endophytic bacterial pathogens through phages distributed to the root system.A study regarded the isolation and characterization of bacteriophages obtained from melon and watermelon infected by the destructive bacterium Fusarium oxysporum is one of the most dangerous soilborne fungal pathogens, capable of infecting many crops worldwide. Iida et al. assessed the biocontrol activity of non-pathogenic mutants of F. oxysporum ff. spp. melonis and lycopersici, which infect melon and tomato, respectively. The mutants were obtained by disruption of the FOW2 gene. The pre-inoculation of melon and tomato roots with the mutants allowed to reduce the disease incidence. The study indicated that the ability to reduce the pathogen activity was due to the relevant capability showed by the non-pathogenic mutants to colonize the root system and compete for nutrients with the pathogens.Dastogeer et al. investigated the interaction of microbial symbionts and plants within a climate change scenario. One of their main conclusions is the lack of experiments that demonstrate how microbes influence plant responses to high temperature stress in the natural environment. Moreover, the Authors indicated that microbial colonization influenced plant growth and physiology, but their effects were more noticeable when the host plants were exposed to high-temperature stress than when they grew under ambient temperature conditions. Another relevant conclusion of the meta-analysis is that, in addition to microbe-plant interaction, microbe-microbe and microbe-environment interaction should be taken into account to understand the stable functions of a particular microbe in its potential application in agricultural settings.A meta-analysis review performed by All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


In vivo investigations performed on animal models of ND provide information about brain activity in pathological and physiological conditions. New technologies recently developed represent a crucial and irreplaceable step in the research on ND. For instance, optogenetics  that may be investigated by Electroencephalography (EEG) monitors electrical brain activity in sleepy or awake animals. Analysis of the waveforms can increase knowledge about brain functionality, providing suitable electrical biomarkers to detect a disorder or to follow its progression , which are inert for endogenous ligands but specifically activated by “designer drugs.” These expressed receptors are termed DREADDs (Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs)  is a non-invasive multiplanar imaging (image generation) technique, helpful in investigating biological functions with both functional and structural images showing both activity and anatomy . In particular, they employed different volumes and viral particle numbers to examine the selective expression, and toxicity levels of a DREADD expressed by CAV2 called hM3Dq, with potential application for chemogenetic modulation of loculs coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NA) neurons in rats. The authors identified the optimal conditions  for the safe and specific transduction of LC neurons with DREADDs technology to study the role of the LC-NA system in health conditions and during specific ND.Taraschenko et al. found that three different monoclonal antibodies derived from a single encephalitis patient with seizures did not affect motor or anxiety behaviors in mice. Antibody administration and seizures did not alter the expression of astrocytic and microglial markers of inflammation in the hippocampus. However, mice treated with antibodies demonstrated an increased mRNA expression of hippocampal CCL2, a pro-inflammatory chemokine relevant for the persistence of seizures in other seizure models. In particular, higher CCL2 expression correlated with higher seizure burden. The paper by Taraschenko et al. suggests that the development of monoclonal antibodies obviates the need to rely on cerebrospinal fluid supply from affected patients and provides a powerful tool to study the biological effects of antibodies in encephalitis models.Narcisse et al. contributed to the retinal neurodegeneration study by monitoring the progressive retinal degeneration in the visual cortex in mice with traditional methods to characterize the process and compare it with the Ca2+ bioluminescence caption as an index of neuronal activity. The authors used the number of active neurons in the visual cortex and neural activation to measure the progressive deterioration during aging and compared it with the intensity of Ca2+-bioluminescence response to visual stimulus. These data are strengthening with the evidence of the correlation between the eyes' electroretinography signal and the retina's thinning  as the index of retinal degeneration progresses. Together this evidence sustains that Ca2+ bioluminescence caption imaging constitutes a non-invasive strategy to characterize activities of the visual cortex of retinal degenerative process and constitutes a tool for longitudinal monitoring studies. Also, the authors show the value of bioluminescence over autofluorescence, phototoxicity, and lower resolution electrical methods currently available.Nakagawa-Tamagawa et al. found that a gain-of-function mutation, I1166T, in Cav1.2 affects neuronal migration and axonal projection during cerebrocortical development. Furthermore, their findings suggested that the Cav1.2 I1166T mutation affects cortical development and callosal projection formation through the Ca2+-dependent pathway and β subunit-interaction. These results suggest that Timothy syndrome-like disorder in patients with the Cav1.2 I1166T mutation is associated with abnormal neuronal migration and/or callosal projections.Bando et al. summarized the roles of ion channels and transporters in the regulation of electrical properties and Ca2+ signaling during neocortical development. They discussed links between abnormal electrical signaling caused by dysfunction of ion channels or transporters and ND. They also discussed the application of optical techniques to address the physiological mechanisms of neocortical development and the pathophysiology of channelopathies.In their mini-review, Chen et al. evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of this exciting forefront technique. In particular, they applied intermittent inhalation of gas plasma (APP jet) in a rat ischemic stroke model. These authors found that post-stroke treatment with this APP jet intervention could reduce the ischemic lesion progression and decrease cerebral infarction volume, which might provide a new promising technology for ischemic stroke treatment  is plasma that can be maintained in the surrounding atmosphere without the necessity to apply additional pressure to contain it. Although APP devices were first used for sterilization of contaminated matter (Laroussi, Rao et al. found that dendritic patterning and synapse formation are impaired in RasGAP-suppressed neurons in the cerebral cortex. The findings provided insights into the pathophysiology of brain disease due to dysfunction of RasGAPs, such as the causative gene of neurofibromatosis type I. The results suggested that dendritic and synaptic development changes could be associated with the cognitive disabilities seen in patients with neurofibromatosis type I.In this Research Topic, we describe the peculiar features of several traditional and forefront technologies and present some of their applications, demonstrating the importance of preclinical research in neuroscience and showing that the replacement of laboratory animals is not always possible.GC, EE-C, EM, and HM contributed to the article and approved the final version for publication.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. 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Direct care workers (DCWs), including nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal care assistants, play an essential role in the health and well-being of over 20 million Americans who receive long-term services and supports (LTSS) at home, in nursing facilities, and other settings. In 2020, nearly 4 million DCWs supported older adults and people with disabilities in completing self-care and other daily tasks. Their efforts require considerable technical and interpersonal skills, but these essential workers receive low pay and rarely receive benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the attention paid to DCWs in the media and among policymakers. This symposium presents the results of three studies conducted by RTI International and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) focused on DCWs. First, we present the results of a study examining how the wages of DCWs compare to the wages of other entry-level workers across all 50 states and report the effect of state policies aimed at improving DCW wages. Second, we report findings from a study exploring the experiences of home care aides during the pandemic as well as the federal and state policies implemented to assist these DCWs during the pandemic. Finally, we present the results of a study that assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on DCW staffing in nursing facilities. Together these studies suggest that more policy attention is needed to improve direct care work and attract the millions of additional DCWs that are expected to be needed in coming years.


The COVID-19 pandemic has attracted numerous research studies because of its impact on society and the economy. The pandemic has led to progress in the development of diagnostic methods, utilizing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the gold standard for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 detection. Numerous tests can be used at home within 15 min or so but of with lower accuracy than PCR. There is still a need for point-of-care tests available for mass daily screening of large crowds in airports, schools, and stadiums. The same problem exists with fast and continuous monitoring of patients during their medical treatment. The rapid methods can use exhaled breath analysis which is non-invasive and delivers the result quite fast. Electronic nose can detect a cocktail of volatile organic com-pounds (VOCs) induced by virus infection and disturbed metabolism in the human body. In our exploratory studies, we present the results of COVID-19 detection in a local hospital by applying the developed electronic setup utilising commercial VOC gas sensors. We consider the technical problems noticed during the reported studies and affecting the detection results. We believe that our studies help to advance the proposed technique to limit the spread of COVID-19 and similar viral infections. The PCR test needs a qualified staff to collect the viral material by nasopharyngeal swabs. This process can be easily carried out incorrectly, limiting the number of viral particles necessary for their proper detection.The COVID-19 pandemic created huge demand for proposals for reliable point-of-care testing to reduce its detrimental impact on healthcare systems, and society and business in general. The required features for mass and rapid testing are short time of detection, convenience of sample material collection, and low-cost of use. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is the gold standard for COVID-19 detection but requires specialist facilities and cannot meet the needs of mass testing in fast pandemic development as required by its omicron version4. There is still an urgent need to develop low-cost devices for rapid mass testing. Exhaled breath analysis devices are good candidates because of their non-invasive and less socially inconvenient method, delivering results within a very short time and enabling repeated use7. There are research studies confirming identification of scents from COVID-19 patients by dogs8 and by precise chemical methods .The proposed rapid at home COVID-19 tests meet these demands to some extent onlyBreath samples can be analysed by detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus or by its indirect indicators as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), exhaled by the infected human body due to metabolic reactions modified by the infection or alteration of the microbial flora of the lungs. The gas cocktail of exhaled VOCs can be detected by an electronic nose device that is less bulky and costly than other breath analysers. Moreover, this method can detect COVID-19 infection during a different development phase than other proposed tests. For example, PCR tests can detect early infection at its early stage, between 3 and 4 days after exposure to the virus.13. The research applied nanoparticle gas sensors15, functionalized graphene, or carbon nanotube sensors16, and popular metal oxide gas sensors17 sensitive to selected VOCs. Some companies have proposed electronic noses that are under clinical studies19. Moreover, there is experimental evidence of exhaled breath analysis in other viral infections  confirming the production of metabolites leading to exhaled VOCs and their detection by an electronic nose. Recent studies compared specific VOCs present in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 and with non-COVID-19 patients having respiratory acute syndromes22. The results distinguished both groups with high accuracy. It is worth mentioning that other human samples  can be considered for COVID-19 detection, but none of the enumerated samples is as easy to deliver quickly to the analysing device to run the detection test.Successful results of COVID-19 detection by an electronic nose were presented elsewhere by a few independent groups23. The setup can be replicated by others to popularise the proposed method and to introduce necessary modifications to enhance the detection results and hasten possible mass application.There are numerous questions about the mass use of an electronic nose in COVID-19 screening because of the limited repeatability of infection detection and accessible arrays of prototype gas sensors for repeated experiments and practical applications in diverse environmental conditions of breath sample collection. Another issue is unavoidable variations in groups of tested humans. In our exploratory study, we applied a developed electronic nose device utilising commercial gas sensors for VOCs detection and requiring low-energy consumption to operate at elevated temperatures. A detailed description of the electronic nose setup is available elsewhere25.The clinical studies were run within a group of patients in the north part of Poland. The breath samples were collected and analysed in the University Center of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland by the developed electronic nose in the Gdańsk University of Technology. The research teams gained experience in the electronic nose technique by participating in the EU project TROPSENSE a few years agoOur experimental studies were run in a hospital ward dedicated to the treatment of COVID-19 infected patients during the third wave of the pandemic in Poland, in the period between March and July 2021. The SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants dominated within this period in Poland. The breath samples were collected in the clinic rooms within a group of the hospitalised patients and a control group. We investigated 56 breath samples . A detailed description of the investigated group is presented in Table TM breath sampler (about 130 mL), made of Teflon, and comprised of a protective one-way flow valve, see Figure TM breath sampler was cleansed after each use by dismantling and inserting into a solution of 20 mL of disinfectant  dissolved in 1 L of distilled water. The breath sampler was left to dry naturally after 15 min of staying in the disinfectant solution. The collected breath sample was introduced into the gas chamber of the electronic nose ; F2 = ΔRS2/R0 ; F3 = ΔRS3/R0 ; F4 = ΔRS4/R0 . These parameters depend on the difference in the recorded DC resistances and reduce an impact of unavoidable drift in time of the applied resistive gas sensors on detection results. The proposed parameters can be automatically evaluated from the recorded time series of the sensors’ DC resistances. Moreover, the proposed parametrisation reduced the number of the analysed data points by giving the averaged parameters, which is more robust against the noise and interferences that are naturally present in the recorded time series.We applied a set of four parameters, representing relative changes of the sensor DC resistance 28. This disturbing effect was considered in numerous studies and is one of the most significant and reducing possibilities for measuring low concentrations of VOCs and any medical applications of high efficiency in practice29. We underline that in a case of COVID-19 patients there are experimental studies confirming that the environmental pollutants, present in the ambient air  have a harmful impact on the effectiveness of medical treatment and therefore can also provide useful information31.The electronic nose device was tested in a laboratory to determine the repeatability of the recorded time series by analysing consecutively collected exhaled breath samples from the same volunteer. We observed a change of up to 15% in the time series of the recorded DC resistances at the same points in the measurement procedure  during collection of the breath samples to check their repeatability during the studies. The recorded time series for exemplary COVID-19 and healthy patients are presented in supplementary information, in Figs. The same gas sensors were applied in electronic noses designed by other research groups and aimed at similar medical or environments applications34. Further improvement can be reached by applying nanoparticle technology of enhanced sensitivity or two-dimensional materials, which exhibit a high ratio of the active area to its volume and reaching the detection level of a single molecule35. A great improvement in the gas selectivity of resistance gas sensors was reported for organically functionalised golden nanoparticle prototype structures that are not available commercially37.The electronic nose recorded voltages across the gas sensors operating in serial connection with resistors as independent voltage dividers, supplied by precise voltage references of 2.5 V . Voltages were sampled by 16-bit low-power analogue-to-digital converters . The developed electronic nose comprised of more gas sensors than the applied for COVID-19 detection algorithm. We limited the built-in gas sensors to the sensors securing a stable response within the assumed time of the analysing phase. We underline that some commercial gas sensors can be potentially used for COVID-19 but require preconcentrated breath samples to accelerate their response time or their composition should be modified TM sample secures rerun process of breath sample transmission. We can also introduce the breath sample without using the BioVOCTM but utilising a pump electronically controlled to identify the tidal-wave breath final phase that is introduced into the gas chamber. Further improvement can be reached by applying preconcentration of the analysed VOCs, as presented elsewhere, but requiring a bulkier and more energy-consuming setup38. Some of these underlined detrimental effects can be corrected with simple changes, for more accurate control of the flow of the breath sample.The applied setup secured stable conditions for measuring the gas sensors’ response in the analysing phase Figure . The proThe collected time series were automatically parameterised Fig.  to reduc42. We applied the algorithms available in the Orange software43. This is a hierarchically-organised piece of software that implement data-mining algorithms by front-end visual programming. Data processing was run by implementing a graph structure, determining all steps of the data processing 44, (ii) random forest45, (iii) k-nearest neighbours algorithm (kNN)46, and (iv) support vector machine (SVM) algorithm47 which implements the LIBSVM library to execute the SVM algorithm48.We applied four algorithms to perform the detection task: (i) a multi-layer perceptron algorithm . Random forest algorithm is a prediction learning method that is also used for classification. It builds a set of decision trees by considering the analysed data. The class selected by most of the trees is the decision result. The algorithm requires a selection of the applied number of trees (the default number of 10 trees was applied). The kNN algorithm predicts the detection results by considering the nearest training instances  to reduce the amount of the considered data. We applied the default number of 5 nearest neighbours. The SVM algorithm classifies the data by applying non-linear functions to determine a hyperplane of the maximised margin between the classified groups . We applied radial basis function (RBF) and default parameters to determine the time of the necessary computations. The briefly mentioned and applied algorithms are commonly used for detection goals in electronic nose data analysis, including medical applications50. We applied the Test and Score widget in the Orange software and split the data into five folds to run the method that randomly splits the data into 5 equal-sized sets for testing the model (one subsample) and training data (four subsamples) in a way that the proportions between decision classes  were preserved in all sets. All algorithms were tested and the results present receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves .The results of the selected detection algorithms were tested to evaluate their classification accuracy by stratified cross-validation techniqueAll subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study. The study protocol and all experimental procedures were approved by the Independent Bioethical Commission for Science Research at the Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland . All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.2, NH3), TGS8100 and an environmental humidity sensor. The response of the gas sensors to the exhaled breath between the COVID-19-infected and healthy groups depended firmly on the sensor and considered parameter.The collected data were pre-analysed by scrutinising the evaluated parameters of the gas sensors Figure . We excl2) sensor to the three groups of the investigated cohort was compared statistically  to evaluate the detection results and the impact of environmental conditions and age. The ROC curves were determined for the cohort of 50  and healthy volunteers (45 years) separately. The evaluated ROC curves for the subset of older , several possible confounding effects  require further in-depth studies before an application for mass COVID-19 pre-screening testing. Outdoor use of exhaled breath testing is a challenge that will certainly limit detection results. A few companies have proposed similar electronic nose units recently19. Unfortunately, no statistics present their detection results in practice for the time being. We underline that our results exposed a much better detection rate for the elderly group. Moreover, we noticed that there was a difference in the humidity of the analysed breath samples. COVID-19-infected patients displayed higher humidity than healthy volunteers on average. In our exploratory studies, we focussed on possible amendments that could improve testing accuracy and resistance to fluctuating environmental factors. We identified the most reliable parameters of gas sensors that can be applied during a test with a substantially shortened time. Further enhancement requires sensors of better selectivity and sensitivity, as underlined elsewhere10. The concentrations of separate VOCs markers of COVID-19 infection are in the tens of ppb level, as reported elsewhere22. Still, the cocktail of numerous VOCs in exhaled breath has sufficient impact on the applied commercial gas sensors to detect COVID-19 infected patients.The detection results suggest the significant potential of the proposed method by using commercial gas sensors. Similar results were reported by other groups and resistive sensors elsewhereThere are still a few open questions before any application in COVID-19 testing. We do not know how the unavoidable time drift of resistive gas sensors affects the detection rate by the electronic nose and the need for its repeated calibration during intensive operation. A more efficient and fast procedure for gas sensor cleaning should be introduced . The next problem is detection efficiency in open air conditions and in the presence of other pulmonary diseases . An open question is the application of pre-concentrator techniques to increase the VOC concentrations and reduce the demands placed on the gas sensors. This technique will increase costs and make the electronic nose more bulky. We believe that the proposed methodology is a step forward to introduce mass COVID-19 screening and monitoring its medical treatment efficiency. This method should be faster and low-cost, but will definitely not be as accurate as the gold standard PCR test.Supplementary Information.


Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are a class of emerging smart materials in which their mechanical and rheological properties can be immediately and reversibly altered upon the application of a magnetic field. The change in the MRE properties under the magnetic field is widely known as the magnetorheological (MR) effect. Despite their inherent viscoelastic property-change characteristics, there are disadvantages incorporated with MREs, such as slow response time and the suspension of the magnetic particles in the elastomer matrix, which depress their MR effect. This study investigates the feasibility of a hybrid magnetorheological elastomer-fluid (MRE-F) for longitudinal vibration isolation. The hybrid MRE-F is fabricated by encapsulating MR fluid inside the elastomer matrix. The inclusion of the MR fluid can enhance the MR effect of the elastomer by providing a better response to the magnetic field and, hence, can improve the vibration isolation capabilities. For this purpose, an MRE-based coupling is developed, and isolation performance is investigated in terms of the linear transmissibility factor. The performance of the hybrid MRE-F was compared against two different MRE samples. The results show that further enhancement of MR-effect in MREs is possible by including MR fluid inside the elastomer. The hybrid MRE-F exhibited better stiffness change with the current increase and recorded the highest value of  The desire for a better and enhanced performance of engineering devices has led to a growing demand for advanced materials. Smart materials are among those that have received the utmost attention from many researchers. Smart or advanced materials can be controlled by external stimuli such as heat and electrical or magnetic fields .Magnetorheological (MR) materials are smart composites with wide capabilities in various industrial applications. The rheological and mechanical properties of MR materials can be alerted under the influence of an external magnetic field. Stiffness, damping, yield and shear stress, and dynamic moduli are among the properties that can be tuned or controlled when an external magnetic field is applied to MR materials . MR mateMREs have gained considerable attention because of their distinct advantages over MRFs. MREs are essentially used in vibration control technologies owing to their inherent field dependence and controllable mechanical properties such as stiffness and damping. Thereby, MRE-based dynamic vibration absorbers and vibration isolators have been developed to attenuate the detrimental vibration levels that can cause damage and deterioration of the machine components ,12. The As for the fabrication of MREs, various techniques have been extensively adopted and reported in the literature. Conventionally, MREs are fabricated by mixing micron-sized magnetic particles into a typical silicone elastomer polymeric matrix and curing in a casting mold. The magnetic particles are randomly distributed or aligned to a specific direction in the polymeric matrix, and they are categorized as isotropic and anisotropic MREs, respectively ,19. DuriIn this study, an investigation is conducted on the performance of hybrid magnetorheological elastomer-fluid (MRE-F) in longitudinal vibration isolation. The investigation is intended to examine the stiffness and damping characteristics of the hybrid MRE-F material and evaluate its performance against other MRE materials. MRE-F is fabricated by encapsulating a mix of silicone oil and magnetic particles directly within the MRE structure. The second material used for comparison included silicone oil solely encapsulated (MRE-S), while the third material represented is a conventional MRE. The hybrid materials were fabricated using a customized casting mold fabricated using 3D printing, which allows fluid encapsulation within the structure of the fabricated MRE. Hybrid MRE-based coupling is developed to investigate the performance of the three models in attenuating longitudinal vibrations. The vibration level is quantified by measuring the transmissibility of the system. The shift in the system’s natural frequency and changes in damping are measured and reported.The paper is organized as follows. MRE-based coupling consists of upper and lower coupling hubs, coils, and an MRE layer, as shown in Output acceleration is measured using an accelerometer attached to the upper coupling hub. The MRE layer is composed of the elastomer and encapsulated fluid. The system shown in s-domain to the frequency domain  from the Taking the magnitude of Equation (3) results in transfer function (The assumption of linear modeling has some limitations manifested in the narrow frequency band and lower robustness than nonlinear systems . NonlineThe MRE samples were fabricated and cured using a customized casting mold. The mold was manufactured by 3D printing using polylactic acid (PLA) 3D-printing filament. MRE samples with internal cavities were cast using the mold shown in The middle plate defines the overall length of the casted samples. The mold was designed with a degree of flexibility in design modifications. A longer MRE sample can be easily fabricated by only changing the height of the middle plate. The fabrication process of the hybrid MRE samples is analogous to the conventional fabrication process. The fabricated MRE consists of two main components: silicone elastomer and carbonyl iron particles (CIPs). The silicone used in the fabrication process is Elite Double 32 Fast from Zhermack, which has high elastic recovery and resistance to stretching and tearing. This type of silicone does not require mixing in a vacuum because of its high fluidity. It consists of a silicone base and catalyst mixed at a 1:1 ratio and its curing time is entation . The stiarticles ,30.The fabrication process of the MRE samples includes three steps: Mixing, curing, and the addition of the fluids. The MRE fabrication process is clearly presented in Additionally, the MRE formed at the risers is used as plugs to close the grooves created by the extrusions that hold the Styrofoam. After the sample is cured, chloroform was used to flush the MRE sample inside to dissolve the Styrofoam. MR fluid was injected into the cavity created by the Styrofoam for the first MRE sample. This fluid was created by mixing CIPs with 30% volume fraction silicone oil. The second sample contained pure silicone oil in the internal cavity, while the third was hollow. Hybrid MRE-based coupling consists of four main components: upper and lower coupling hubs, coils, and the hybrid MRE layer, as shown in ® is used as the exciter. The shaker is equipped with an integrated power amplifier and controlled by data acquisition. The impedance sensor was attached at the shaker’s excitation port to measure the input force and acceleration. MRE-based coupling was installed on top of the impedance sensor, while an accelerometer was mounted on top of the coupling. Dewesoft Sirius data acquisition system (DAQ) w used to perform a sine sweep test for a frequency range from ζ can be expressed as described by the The performance of the hybrid MRE-based coupling is investigated by measuring the transmissibility of three MRE samples. An experimental setup was created to perform the longitudinal vibration test. The setup is shown in  follows .(7)ζ=12The A static compression test was performed to determine the behavior of the hybrid MRE samples under compressive loads. The test was conducted using INSTRON 5585H universal testing machine (UTM). A schematic diagram of the UTM shown in The magnetic field intensity produced inside the electromagnetic coils was measured at different current levels using the Tesla meter. The opposite magnetic polarity between the upper and lower electromagnets ensured that the magnetic field is focused on the MRE layer. The maximum magnetic flux is accumulated around the surface of the tongue-groove connection between the MRE layer and the coupling hubs. While sufficient magnetic strength is measured along the length of the MRE layer. The maximum magnetic filed generated around the MRE is recorded and plotted in The loads against the displacement curves recorded by UTM are plotted and shown in It was observed that the stiffness of the MRE samples increased when a higher current is supplied to the electromagnetic coils. Increasing the current supply resulted in an increase in the magnetic field applied to the MRE samples by the electromagnetic coils. As a result, the inter-particle connections between the magnetic particles suspended within the elastomer is enhanced, which increased the stiffness of the MRE layer.In the presence of the magnetic field, the compression of MRE could cause magnetic particles to move from a minimal energy state, which requires additional work. This work increases with the applied magnetic field, resulting in field-dependent stiffness or modulus .The silicone oil mixed with CIPs in the case of MRE-F starts behaving similarly to a semi-solid as a function of field intensity in the presence of magnetic field. For this reason, the stiffness of MRE-F is higher under the influence of magnetic field because of the additional chains formed by the magnetic particles suspended within the fluid.When the magnetic field is removed, the mixed silicone oil behaves like a normal carrier fluid again. This indicates the reversible rheological behavior of the fluid suspended inside MRE-F.The MRE-F has shown a better stiffness change in response to the magnetic current, which indicates an enhanced MR-effect. Analyzing the results obtained from the static compression testing, the following conclusions can be made:The MR-effect is a crucial parameter for evaluating the performance of hybrid MRE samples. The relative MR-effect is measured from the ratio of the magneto-induced modulus and the initial modulus and can be evaluated by the following equation:material . In thismaterial . This inIt was observed that the MR-effect increased with the applied magnetic field, due to the slight increase in magneto-induced modulus. The enhancement of the MR-effect with the magnetic field has been reported in several studies ,37,38. TA higher MR-effect is observed in the case of MRE-F. This is because of the fast response of the magnetic particles dispersed in the silicone oil. These magnetic particles can freely move within the carrier fluid and form chain-like structures parallel to the magnetic field lines in addition to those formed by particles suspended within the elastomer.It is observed that the MR-effect in MRE-H is very close to that of MRE-S, with the former having a higher MR-effect at certain magnetic field levels. This is because of having a lower zero-field modulus compared to MRE-S. Therefore, a higher MR effect can be depicted in MRE, which has softer structure.The following conclusions can be made based on the relative MR-effect results:terature . The resterature . At highThe maximum possible reduction percentage for three MRE samples is compared in MRE-F recorded the highest percentage increase in the damping with a value of This work presents the design, fabrication, and working principle of a hybrid MRE-based coupling for longitudinal vibration isolation. Three MRE samples were fabricated, differing in the type of fluid encapsulated within the cavity of the MRE. MRE-based coupling was experimentally investigated for the potential development of semi-active longitudinal vibration isolation. Vibration and compression tests were performed on coupling to investigate the stiffness and damping characteristics of each of the three samples. The results revealed that increasing the magnetic field intensity across the MRE samples can increase their stiffness. It was found that the MRE-F sample has the highest MR effect as it contributed to the greatest change in stiffness. The vibration test results showed that the natural frequency could be shifted to higher values by increasing the electrical current supplied to electromagnetic coils. MRE-F contributed to the highest frequency shift with a


Left bundle branch (LBB) pacing (LBBP) has recently emerged as a physiological pacing mode. Current of injury (COI) can be used as the basis for electrode fixation position and detection of perforation. However, because the intermittent pacing method cannot monitor the changes in COI in real time, it cannot obtain information about the entire COI change process during implantation.Left bundle branch pacing was achieved for treatment of atrioventricular block in a 76-year-old female. Uninterrupted electrocardiogram and electrogram were recorded on an electrophysiology system. In contrast to the interrupted pacing method, this continuous pacing and recording technique enables real-time monitoring of the change in ventricular COI and the paced QRS complex as the lead advances into the interventricular septum. During the entire screw-in process, the COI amplitude increased and then decreased gradually after reaching the peak, followed by a small but significant, rather than dramatic, decrease.This case report aims to demonstrate the clinical significance of changes in COI and QRS morphology for LBBP using real-time electrocardiographic monitoring and filtered and unfiltered electrograms when the lead is deployed using a continuous pacing technique. The technique could be used to confirm LBB capture and avoid perforation. Left bundle branch (LBB) pacing (LBBP) provides stable pacing parameters by directly capturing the conduction system in the left ventricular sub-endocardium . The pacA 76-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation and third-degree atrioventricular block underwent LBBP. Echocardiography examination revealed left ventricular end-diastolic diameter of 44 mm and left ventricular ejection fraction of 75%. Uninterrupted ECG and EGM were recorded on an electrophysiology system using John Jiang’s connecting cable  . During Current of injury is a marker of active fixation electrode stability and the adequate capture threshold –12. COI,Here we found a gradual increase in COI, followed by a gradual decrease, as the lead was gradually screwed into the septum. The possibility of microperforation should be considered after a small but significant, rather than dramatic, decrease in COI amplitude and the existence of impedance decrease with myocardial capture loss on unfiltered unipolar EGM  and there is evidence of LBB capture, the rotation should be stopped. Third, when a small but significant decrease in COI amplitude occurs with a decrease in impedance and loss of capture, the implantation should be stopped and the screw-in site be repositioned. This technique could be used to confirm LBB capture and avoid perforation.The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Ethics Committee Review. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study and for the publication of this case report. Written informed consent was obtained from the individual(s) for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article.All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.


The Nigerian tertiary education system admits mostly teenagers and young adults from different ethno-religious and family backgrounds, some of whom may have inherent risks and predisposition to mental illness. They then undergo stressful conditions related to the university life such as long durations of lectures, over-crowding, and lack of social amenities, haphazard lecture schedules as well as incessant industrial strike actions of academic and non- academic staff. In spite of these, there appears to be few studies on the burden of emotional and mental disorders among Nigerian University students, and none was cited suggesting interventions that may be appropriate.The objectives of the study is to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and its associated factors among undergraduate students of Univesity of IlorinThis is a cross-sectional study using multi staged systematic randomization. A self-administered socidemographic questionnaire and the 12 item general health questionnaire (GHQ -12) was administered on 3,300 students.Psychiatric morbidity was found to be 23.6% of the 3179 analyzable returned questionnaires. Factors found to be significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity included female gender, relationship with parents, parental employment status and family structure. Students on scholarship were more likely to have mental illness. Other associated factors include whether course of study was the preferred one and relationships with peers and lecturers on campus. About 46.6% of the students were willing to have internet based mental health intervention programmes.The data obtained from this study is relevant for the formation of mental health promotion and prevention programs on our campus.this study is part of the first phase of a three phase study. it aims to explore the factors associated with psychiatric morbidity among University student as a precursor for determining appropriate mental health interventions. it was partly funded by the


Recurrent cholesteatoma is relatively uncommon. Residual middle ear cholesteatomas account for most of the cases of recurrent disease. The limited role of microscopy in the visualization of tridimensional anatomic alterations of the temporal bone led to the use of endoscopic examination as an additional tool in the realm of ear surgery. Endoscopy has significantly aided in the management of chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media and in the prevention of recurrent disease.To review the literature and assess the relevance of endoscopy in the surgical treatment of cholesteatomas and in the prevention of relapsing lesions.Searches on databases MedLine and LILACS were carried out between March and June of 2011 to select studies in which endoscopy was used in the management of cholesteatomas.Three studies comparing surgery aided by endoscopy and surgery performed with the aid of a microscope met the inclusion criteria.Endoscopy has positively impacted the management of cholesteatomas and should be used in cholesteatoma surgery. SchuknechtIn 1874, Jean Petit described the first successful surgical intervention on the mastoid. Since then, the management of chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media (CCOM) has been imminently surgicalSurgery is required to tackle the continuous growth of cholesteatomas, associated bone resorption, involvement of sensory organs, and potentially fatal intra and extracranial complications.•Eradicate disease;•Preserve or restore auditory mechanics;•Maintain, whenever possible, the anatomy of the temporal bone.In the early 1950s, WüllsteinVarious approaches based on these concepts were developed, such as tympanoplasty with canal wall up mastoidectomy and variants of canal wall down mastoidectomyThe approaches to cholesteatomatous middle ear include basically tympanoplasty, canal wall up (CWU) and canal wall down (CWD) mastoidectomyThe choice of surgery to treat CCOM is based on complex criteria and a number of factors such as patient age, extent of involvement, middle ear mucosa status, anatomic peculiarities, auditory acuity, and social factors affecting patient follow-upThe most significant concern in the postoperative follow-up of patients submitted to any of the procedures mentioned above is recurrence of cholesteatoma and onset of potential associated complications.Relapse may occur in cases of residual cholesteatoma or recurrent cholesteatoma.Residual cholesteatoma has been defined as relapsing disease originated from remnants of cholesteatoma left on the site of surgeryAccording to Sheehy et al.The limited role of microscopy in the visualization of tridimensional anatomic alterations of the temporal bone led to the use of endoscopic examination as an additional tool in the realm of ear surgery. Endoscopy has significantly aided in the management of chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media and in the prevention of recurrent disease.This study aimed to assess, through a systematic review, the importance of endoscopic examination of the ear in the prevention of recurring disease and in the treatment of chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media.Literature searches were carried out between March and June of 2011 on databases MedLine  and LILACS . Priority was given to studies on the application and impact of ear endoscopy as an ancillary method in the management of CCOM. The Cochrane Reviews HandbookThis study included original papers from studies done on adult (age > 19 years) or pediatric populations, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, comparative or experimental cohort studies published between January of 1985 and June of 2011  on the aspects related to the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of residual cholesteatoma associated with endoscopic examination of the ear. Case reports, letters to the editor, papers published in meeting proceedings, and papers in which the analyzed sample was not statistically significant were excluded. The selected original papers were analyzed for compliance with the criteria described above. The references of the selected papers were used to locate papers not found in the initial search.Data on authors, clinical diagnosis, participants , participant age range, pattern of CCOM, details pertaining to the chosen surgical approach, statistical analysis used to assess impact, outcomes reported during surgery, and pattern of recurrence of the studied disease were summarized for the selected papers.The initial database search listed 140 references, 106 of which resulting from the combination of keywords “cholesteatoma” and “endoscopy”; 25 papers were listed from the combination of terms “residual cholesteatoma” and “endoscopy”. Twenty-three papers appeared twice in the cross-referencing of all searches; 108 papers were left after the duplicates were removed. Thirty-seven of these papers were pre-selected based on the contents of their titles and the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. The abstracts of these papers were read and 27 were found to be case reports, non-comparative series reports, papers that could not be located, or papers written in languages other than English, Portuguese or French.Seven of the remaining papers selected based on the inclusion criteria and method were excluded for describing case reports . Three p•Group I (n = 44), submitted to microscope-aided CWD or CWU mastoidectomy;•Group II (n = 36), submitted to similar procedures as described above with the aid of endoscopic examination of the ear to detect residual cholesteatoma on the site of surgery.Thomassin et al.In order to verify cases of relapsing disease, the subjects in both groups underwent endoscopic minimally invasive procedures between 13 and 19 months after the original procedure. Significant differences were seen between groups. Forty-seven percent of the individuals in group I had recurrent cholesteatomas, against six percent of the subjects in group II. The comparison also revealed that subjects in group II had minor residual cholesteatomas - small or pearl-shaped cholesteatomas - whereas 10% of the individuals in group I required additional surgery due to the size of their relapsing lesions.•Group I (n = 23) subjects were submitted to traditional CWD mastoidectomy without verification of residual disease during surgery;•Group II (n = 21) subjects underwent CWD mastoidectomy with endoscopic intraoperative verification and removal, if needed, of residual disease;•Group III (n = 21) individuals were offered traditional CWU mastoidectomy;•Group IV (n = 21) individuals were submitted to CWD mastoidectomy with the aid of endoscopic examination.El Meselaty et al.The analysis of recurrence rates was based on the data gathered during a mean follow-up of 19.20 (± 8.7) months. The author included in his study only the patients who had been followed up for at least a year. Subjects in group I has recurrence rates of five percent, against 26% of individuals in group III; no recurrence was observed in the patients operated with the aid of an endoscope.Ayache et al.In the opinion of the authors of this study, the distinction between recurrent and residual cholesteatoma is of fundamental importance to understand the mechanism by which relapsing disease is formed and controlled.The site of recurrence may offer insights into the contributing factors for cholesteatoma formation.The literatureRecurrent cholesteatomas pose threats only when tympanoplasty is performed to manage initial disease. Many authors have reported incidence rates under five percent when the following measures were considered: prevent the formation of adhesions between the medial surface of the graft and the bare bone surface of the epitympanum, mesotympanum, and facial recess; repair continuity defects of the bone portion of the ear canal and ensure good aeration of the middle ear, particularly in cases of eustachian tube disorderSheehy et al.Despite its relatively low incidence rate and the declining rates of recurrent cholesteatoma, residual cholesteatomas of the middle ear are strongly correlated with recurrent disease. In reoperated patients, Shelton and SheehySheehy et al.SmythWhy are the incidence rates of postoperative residual cholesteatoma so high, and why are they found more commonly in the crevices of the middle ear and the epitympanic recess?Initially, the lack of consensus on the choice between CWU or CWD mastoidectomy lied in the center of discussions on the management of cholesteatomasComplete cholesteatoma removal is one of the main goals in the management of chronic middle ear processes. Ear microsurgery has developed significantly since the introduction of surgical microscopes. Two of the main features of surgical microscopes are parallel optical route and linear optical axis. However, the middle ear and the mastoid are embedded in the temporal bone and form a complex tridimensional structure, with a number of barely accessible anatomic landmarks. The poor lighting and limited viewing of the site of surgery provided by surgical microscopes prevent lesions located in deep lateral recesses of the middle ear from being easily removed, possibly leading to increased rates of residual cholesteatomaResidual disease tends to develop in sites where access to cholesteatoma is impeded in primary surgeryDonaldson et al.The regions difficult to access in CWU mastoidectomy, particularly when the transmeatal approach is chosen, are the preferred sites for residual cholesteatoma.The endoscopic transtympanic approach to the middle ear was originally described by NomuraEndoscopic visualization usually covers the entire tympanic ring and the ear canal in the same field of vision. Although microscopes offer tridimensional visualization, their field of vision is limited by the narrower portion of the ear canal. This hampers visualization and leads to constant manipulation of the microscope or the patient's head during surgeryEndoscopy is an excellent addition to the toolset used to assess the middle ear, particularly when areas difficult to view using a microscope such as the tympanic sinus, facial recess, hypotympanum, epitympanum, and supratubal recess are consideredThe steps described for endoscope-assisted surgery are very similar among most authors. After the completion of traditional microscope-aided procedures, inspection with an endoscope is made in anatomic sites of difficult access. Using a 3-mm, 16-cm, 45° endoscope and the transcanal approach, MarchioniHowever, some shortcomings of the endoscopic technique may limit its use in ear surgery. The lack of tridimensional visualization requires surgeons to be particularly careful when handling surgical equipment. Additionally, the surgeon has only one free hand and bleeding may render the procedure unviableThe use of ear endoscopy as an ancillary method during surgery improved the assessment of the cavity after the complete removal of the cholesteatoma with the aid of a microscope. Ayache et al.The contributions of intraoperative ear endoscopy in cholesteatoma surgery are evident. However, in practical terms, has endoscopy actually reduced the incidence of recurrent disease even in more conservative approaches?Many authors have observed significant reductions on both incidence rates and extent of lesion when endoscopes were used. YungThomassin et al.Ayache et al.The significant variability in the incidence of residual cholesteatoma may be explained by factors connected to surgeon experience and skill level, the time until revision surgery for residual cholesteatoma, or even the specific indication criteria each author used to choose CWU instead of CWD mastoidectomy. Another interesting aspect is that late revision surgery possibly yields higher and certainly more realistic recurrence incidence rates.None of the papers considered in this study were randomized trials. Nonetheless, they described several advantages of using ear endoscopy in the management of cholesteatomatous chronic otitis media. Even when recurrence rates were not decreased, authors reported that recurrent cholesteatomas were more easily located and surgically managed in endoscope-aided procedures. Therefore, it appears that endoscopy should be incorporated in the daily practice of otology.