National University

Task Group (TG) 314 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) was charged to develop guidance for recovering from fault states in radiation therapy, specifically regarding the delivery of photon or electron beams using a linear accelerator (linac) including ancillary systems. The fault conditions addressed may involve software, hardware, or a combination of causes. The report provides detailed recommendations for the proactive steps to be taken before a fault, the actions to be taken at the time of a fault, and the safety steps before returning a linac to clinical service, as well as the activities that device manufacturers and standard organizations can do to prevent and resolve the faults. A user‐maintained log of prior faults; establishment of remote access by the vendor; and user training in emergency gantry, couch, and door motions are all useful proactive steps. At the moment of downtime and after ensuring the safety of the patient, the report stresses the importance of capturing fault information, prompt contact with the service engineer after the initial assessment, and considerations for communicating the estimated duration before the linac is returned to service. The medical physicist has a critical responsibility to assess the impact of the fault on patient care. Before resuming clinical use, the medical physicist must both determine the level of testing required to ensure safe operation of the linac and ensure any partially or totally delivered treatments have been correctly saved for accurate completion of the treatment fraction. The report stresses the roles of the radiation therapist, medical physicist, and service engineer to efficiently and safely address linac downtime. The appendices contain a description of the efforts of several organizations regarding linac safety: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise—Radiation Oncology, International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission, Radiation Oncology Safety Stakeholder Initiative, and the AAPM Vendor Relations and Product Usability Subcommittee. Disclaimer: The recommendations of this TG should not be used to establish regulations. These recommendations are guidelines for Qualified Medical Physicists and others to use and appropriately interpret for their institution and clinical setting. Each institution may have site‐specific or state‐mandated needs and requirements which may modify their usage of these recommendations.

Introduction Aggression in sports is often perceived as a necessary trait for success, especially in martial arts. Aggression can be assessed both explicitly and implicitly, taking into account the dual processing model. The purpose of the research was to examine explicit and indirect, latency-based measure of aggression in competitive athletes practicing striking combat sports, according to gender and sports performance. At the same time, we verified whether aggression (implicit/unconscious and explicit) predicts sports performance in martial artists. Materials and methods A total of 85 athletes practicing striking combat sports took part in the research. For implicit, latency-based measure of aggression, an Implicit Associations Test (IAT) was used, while explicit aggression was assessed with the Romanian adaptation of the Makarowski’s Aggression Questionnaire for martial arts athletes. Results Data analysis revealed (using multivariate analysis of variance) that athletes from striking combat sports having international sports performances registered significantly higher D-scores (IAT, p = 0.014) and lower values for Go-ahead factor (p = 0.006), compared to athletes without outstanding results. Goodman and Kruskal tau association test was used to check the existing associations between athletes’ gender and martial arts athletes’ level of explicit and implicit aggression. In addition, binomial logistic regression procedures were performed, predicting martial artists’ likelihood to obtain higher sports results, based on explicit and indirect aggression. Conclusion A stronger association between Aggression and Others (at implicit/unconscious level) and a moderate level (generally) for Go-ahead factor of explicit aggression are associated with an increased likelihood of sports performances in athletes. In addition, male martial arts athletes are more persistent despite obstacles, remaining more on the offensive (no gender-related association were found in terms of indirect/unconscious aggression, and for Foul Play and Assertiveness factors of explicit aggression). The study underlines the importance of addressing athletes’ subconscious level to promote more constructive behaviors in competitions.

In Fiji, packaged foods are becoming increasingly available. However, it is unknown if nutrition composition of these foods has changed. This study aims to assess changes in energy, nutrient content and healthiness of packaged foods by comparing data from five major supermarkets in Fiji in 2018 and 2020. Foods were categorised into 14 groups; nutrient composition information was extracted and healthiness assessed using Health Star Rating (HSR). Descriptive statistics and a separate matched products analysis was conducted summarising differences in nutrient content and HSR. There was limited evidence of change in the nutrient content of included products however, there was a small reduction in mean saturated fat in the snack food category (-1.0 g/100 g, 95% CI -1.6 to -0.4 g/100 g). The proportion of products considered healthy based on HSR, increased in the convenience foods category (28.4%, 95% CI 8.3 to 48.5) and decreased in non-alcoholic beverages (-35.2%, 95% CI -43.6 to -26.9). The mean HSR score increased in the fruit and vegetables category (0.1 (95% CI 0.1, 0.2)) and decreased for non-alcoholic beverages (-1.1 (-1.3, -0.9)) and the sauces, dressings, spreads, and dips category (-0.3 (-0.3, -0.2)). Strengthened monitoring of the food supply is needed to improve the healthiness of foods available.

Background Excess salt and sugar consumption contribute to diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. This study aimed to estimate salt and sugar intakes and main sources, in a population of adults in the Central Division of Fiji. Methods One adult per household was randomly selected to participate (n = 700). Sociodemographic characteristics; blood pressure, weight, and height; a 24-h diet recall; and spot-urine samples were collected, with 24-h urine samples from a sub-sample (n = 200). Sugar intake was estimated from the 24-h diet recalls and salt intake from the spot-urines. 24-hr diet recall was used to identify main sources of salt and sugar by food groups. Findings 534 adults (response rate 76%, 50% women, mean age 42 years) participated. Salt intake was 8.8 g/day (95% CI, 8.7–9.0), and free sugar intake was 74.1 g/day (67.5–80.7), 16.1% of total energy intake (15.0–17.1%). Main sources of salt were mixed cooked dishes (40.9% (38.2–43.5)), and bread and bakery products (28.7% (26.5–31.0)). Main sources of sugar were table sugars, honey, and related products (24.3% (21.7–26.8)), non-alcoholic beverages (21.4% (18.8–24.0)) and bread and bakery products (18.0% (16.2–19.9)). Interpretation Salt and sugar intakes exceeded World Health Organization recommendations in this sample of adults. Given dietary sources were foods high in salt and sugar, along with the addition to food or drinks, interventions focused on behavior along with environmental strategies to encourage healthier choices are needed. Funding 10.13039/501100000925NHMRC and GACD grant APP1169322.

The application of techniques is important for the massive and efficient propagation of orchids, without affecting the natural environment and its conservation.The objective was to evaluate the effects of six culture media: t1, Knudson; t2, MS 75% + NAA (1,0 mgL-1) + GA3 (3,0 mgL-1); t3, MS 75% + 100 mLL-1coconut water; t4, MS 100% + GA3 (3,0 mgL-1); t5, MS 100% + NAA (1,0 mgL-1) + GA3 (5,0 mgL-1); t6, MS 100% + 100 mLL-1coconut water on in vitro seed germination and protocorms formation of the orchid E. catillus. Seeds were obtained from a capsule in stage of physiological maturity from sector Grapanazú, Huancabamba, province of Oxapampa-Pasco, Peru. A randomized complete block design was used. It was found that, at 64 and 71 days, the treatments t1, t3, t4 and t6 had the same seed germination and development of in vitro protocorms, however, all of them were higher than t2 y t5. We concluded that Knudson media, MS 75% and 100% + 100 mLL-1coconut water and MS 100% + GA3 (3,0 mgL-1), enhanced seed germination.

Our main purpose of the article was to substantiate the methodical approach to assess the enterprise's financial security based on the use of a model set for determining its parameters depending on the characteristics of financing activities and the associated level of risk. The proposed approach created opportunities to determine the parameters of the enterprise's financial security on the scale "level – status – position – zone" in the process of current and strategic management of not only financial security, but also the success of the enterprise as a whole. Based on the financial statements of Ukrainian enterprises by type of economic activity, the key financial indicators calculated and the parameters of their financial security over the past 9 years were determined. The research confirmed the decisive impact on the enterprise's financial security, the features of financing their activities, and the associated risk level. The practical use of the proposed approach proved that it is a convenient, understandable and informative tool for determining the parameters of the enterprise's financial security by the major indicators: Financial stability, liquidity, profitability, and activity financing risk.

The current society is in an era of vigorous innovation and development in digital media and artificial intelligence. We often see the sharing of our media, and this makes the external biometric information be at a high risk of exposure. However, once the biometrics are leaked, it is difficult to update and modify them. Therefore, a biological feature that is difficult to be exposed is necessary in the future. The vein in the human body has this feature, which makes it advantageous for live imaging. With the steady development of deep learning (DL) technology, an identification model can easily have an extremely high accuracy rate, but there are also disadvantages like a high parameter volume, calculation volume, and storage volume. These disadvantages cause the model to be unable to be effectively implemented in the real world. To solve the problems, this paper proposes a model training strategy combined with automatic augmentation, to achieve the advantages of reducing the amount of model parameter and improving the accuracy of the model. As results, the method of this paper can improve the accuracy of the model by 16.9% without changing the parameter quantity.

Introduction Trait anxiety (A-trait) can be seen as a multiplicative function of the person–situation interaction. Considering risk-taking behavior (R-TB), literature highlights instrumental and stimulating risk. The aim of the research is to investigate the level of A-trait (in physically dangerous conditions and in new, unusual situations) and the level of R-TB (instrumental and stimulating risk) in athletes, and to verify to what extent A-trait and risk-taking behavior predict injury severity. Materials and methods One hundred and fifty-four senior martial arts athletes from grappling combat sports, striking combat sports and mixed martial artists (MMA) participated in the study. For assessing trait anxiety and risk-taking behavior, the Romanian adaptation of the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS), respectively the Romanian adaptation of the Makarowski’s Stimulating and Instrumental Risk Questionnaire were used. Results Using multivariate analysis of variance, significant differences between athletes (according to the sports disciplines practiced), in terms of A-trait and R-TB, were examined. Next, we checked the existing correlations between injury severity, A-trait and R-TB scores in athletes practicing striking combat sports, grappling combat sports and MMA. To verify whether there are significant differences in terms of trait anxiety, stimulating and instrumental risk between athletes who have suffered mild, moderate and/or severe injuries and athletes who have suffered only minor/mild injuries, t-Test for Independent Samples was used. Binomial logistic regression procedures were, also, performed, predicting athletes’ likelihood of injury, based on R-TB and A-trait. Conclusion A moderate or slightly below average level of anxiety in new, unusual situations and a higher level of instrumental risk are linked with a decreased likelihood of severe injuries in athletes. Martial arts athletes (in entire sample) who have suffered more severe injuries are more adrenaline-seeking in competition and use less rational thinking, taking more pleasure in just performing technical executions, regardless of the outcome.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations include a strong emphasis on ending hunger worldwide. According to the 2019 Global Food Security Index, while 88% of countries claim there is sufficient food supply in their country, the sad reality is that 1 in 3 countries is facing insufficient availability of food supply, which means that in those countries, more than 10% of the population is malnourished. Since nutrition is crucial to leading a healthy life and satisfying food security needs, several governments have turned to national nutrition surveys to gauge the extent of malnutrition in their populations. Plants are able to grow, develop, and store nutrients by photosynthesis, which convert light into chemical energy through cell redox regulatory networks. A photosynthesis system's electron flow may be adjusted to accommodate varying light and environmental circumstances. Many techniques exist for controlling the flow of electrons emitted during light processes in order to save or waste energy. The two protein molecules TROL and flavoenzyme ferredoxin (oxidoreductase+NADP) (FNR) interact dynamically to form an excellent molecular switch capable of splitting electrons from the photosystem. The TROL-FNR bifurcation may be limited by either generating NADPH or preventing reactive oxygen species from propagating. TROL-based genome editing is an experimental method for enhancing plant stress and defensive responses, efficiency, and ultimately agricultural production.

Citation: Best, I.; Portugal, A.; Casimiro-Gonzales, S.; Aguilar, L.; Ramos-Escudero, F.; Honorio, Z.; Rojas-Villa, N.; Benavente, C.; Muñoz, A.M. Physicochemical and Rheological Characteristics of Commercial and Monovarietal Wheat Flours from Peru. Foods 2023, 12, 1789. https://doi.org/10.3390/ foods12091789 Academic Editors: Abstract: In Peru, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the main resources in the food industry; however, due to its low harvested area, it is the second most imported cereal. The quality of wheat flour was studied to verify that it has desirable characteristics for the preparation of bakery products. The quality of commercial and monovarietal wheat flours was assessed by measuring their physicochemical and rheological parameters, as well as the gluten content and wheat protein fractions. Eight commercial wheat flours and four monovarietal wheat flours (Barba negra, Candeal, Espelta, and Duro) from Peru were evaluated. Commercial wheat flours presented significantly higher levels of protein and gluten index compared to monovarietal wheat flours (p < 0.05). Between both groups, no significant differences were observed in the content of wet and dry gluten. Interestingly, monovarietal wheat flours presented a higher percentage of gliadins and albumins/globulins, as well as lower levels of glutenin, compared to commercial wheat flours (p < 0.05). According to the logistic regression models, the baking strength (W) was the most important parameter to evaluate the quality of commercial and monovarietal wheat flours. Our results show that monovarietal wheat flours show a lower quality compared to commercial wheat flours.

La industrialización de la papa en el Perú constituye una oportunidad de negocio para incrementar la oferta de papa procesada, y generar valor agregado para los pequeños productores. Por esa razón es importante contar con variedades aptas para fritura y abastecer a la cadena de valor de la papa para la industria de pollerías (bastones) y snacks (hojuelas). En la investigación se describe el origen y genealogía del clon UH-24 (“Bicentenaria”), sus características agronómicas mediante el análisis de identificación, la forma como se desarrolló y multiplicó en invernadero y campo, así como el proceso de evaluación a través del análisis de adaptación y eficiencia en cuatro ambientes de la región Lima. La variedad de papa Bicentenaria presenta buena capacidad de producción y adaptación en la costa central del Perú, con un rendimiento de tubérculos promedio de 43,2 t ha-1, en comparación con las variedades comerciales Canchán y Diacol Capiro con 37,22 y 32,5 respectivamente, y mayor al clon avanzado UH-18 con 31,6 t ha-1. Se concluye que “Bicentenaria” es un cultivar de altos rendimientos, buena estabilidad fenotípica y atributos como sólidos solubles y tipo de tubérculo adecuados para su procesamiento como fritura en bastones y hojuelas.

Microbes influence plant growth and fitness. However, the structure and function of microbiomes associated with rare and endemic plants remain underexplored. To investigate the bacterial community structure of Ulleung-sanmaneul (U-SMN), an endemic plant in Korea, samples were collected from natural and cultivated habitats, and their 16S rDNA was sequenced. The root bacterial community structure differed from those of bulk soil and rhizosphere in both habitats. Endogenous bacteria in cultivated plants were less diverse than wild plants, but Luteibacter rhizovicinus, Pseudomonas fulva, and Sphingomonas pruni were shared. Co-inoculation of Pseudoxanthomonas sp. JBCE485 and Variovorax paradoxus JBCE486 promoted growth and induced salt stress resistance in Arabidopsis and chive. Changes in growth promotion and phenotypes of plants by co-inoculation were mediated by increased auxin production. Each strain colonized the roots without niche competition. The results indicated that host selectivity was influential than environmental factors in formulating endophytic bacterial composition, and domestication simplified the bacterial community diversity. Our results will contribute to the growth and maintenance of endemic U-SMN plants.

Introduction The ascent of a route can be defined as being climbed on-sight or red-point. Climbing performance is measured by the grade of the personal best route that the athlete has ever climbed. Methodology The study examined 17 youth climbers (10 male and 7 female). The inclusion criteria were age (less than 20 years), a minimum of three sessions per week, a minimum 7a climbing grade and participation in national or international competitions. We used the Cognitrom battery and applied tests measuring spatial orientation and reactivity. Results Climbing experience explained 42.7% of the variance of on-sight performance, and 49.5% of the variance of red-point performance. Image generation has a negative on both on-sight and red-point performance, lowering the prediction with 0.5% for on-sight climbing and with 1.5% for red-point climbing. Discussion Experience can predict climbing performance with a better prediction for red-point performance than on-sight with almost 7%. A high level of image generation ability can lead to viewing more approaches for passing the crux, but in a moment of physical and mental breakdown, can lead to failure. Red-pointing is less demanding than on-sight from physiological and psychologycal points of view. On-sight climbing requires greater levels of cognitive skills, such as route intepretation strategies, spatial orientation, motric memory, problem-solving skills, but also greater levels of psychological skills such as stress management, risk management, coping anxiety.

This is the first study to empirically evaluate the mortality of Amblyomma mixtum larvae caused by native entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) from cattle farm soils and the impact of the physicochemical conditions of those soils on the ability of EPF to kill ticks. The efficacy of 25 EPF strains isolated from cattle farms soils in Veracruz, Mexico, against A. mixtum ticks was evaluated using a larval immersion test. Physicochemical analyses of the soils where the EPF were isolated were carried out, and the results were correlated with the obtained mortality. The MaV25 strain showed a mortality of 36.55% (P < 0.05), followed by MaV57 with 27.30%, MaV08 with 26.21%, and MaV31 with 24.32% (P < 0.05). Nitrogen and potassium are nutritional components of soils that seem to be associated with mortality caused by the evaluated fungal strains. This is the first study in Mexico where the effect of EPF against A. mixtum is evaluated and also is the first study in the world that uses native strains from livestock soils against larvae of this tick. It is necessary to determine the virulence characteristics of EPF on A. mixtum to improve knowledge of fungus-tick interactions (Metarhizium anisopliae-A. mixtum).

Background and aims: Local ablative treatment is another option for improving outcomes and has been evaluated for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. We previously suggested endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided interstitial laser ablation using a cylindrical laser diffuser (CILA) might be a feasible therapeutic option based on experiments performed on pancreatic cancer cell lines and porcine model with a short follow-up (3 days). The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of EUS-CILA performed using optimal settings in porcine pancreas with a long-term follow-up (2 weeks). Methods: EUS-CILA (laser energy of 450 J; 5 W for 90 s) was applied to normal pancreatic tissue in porcine (n = 5) under EUS guidance. Animals were observed clinically for 2 weeks after EUS-CILA to evaluate complications. Computed tomography and laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate safety. Two weeks after EUS-CILA, all pigs were sacrificed, and histopathological safety and efficacy evaluations were conducted. Results: EUS-CILA was technically successful in all five cases. No major complications occurred during the follow-up period. Body weight of porcine did not change during the study period without any significant change in feed intake. Animals remained in excellent condition throughout the experimental period, and laboratory tests and computed tomography (CT) scans provided no evidence of a major complication. Histopathological evaluation showed complete ablation in the ablated area with clear delineation of surrounding normal pancreatic tissue. Mean ablated volume was 55.5 mm2 × 29.0 mm and mean ablated areas in the pancreatic sections of the five pigs were not significantly different (p = 0.368). Conclusions: In conclusion, our experimental study suggests that EUS-CILA is safe and has the potential to be an effective local treatment modality. No major morbidity or mortality occurred during the study period. Further evaluations are warranted before clinical application.

Biological control based on entomopathogenic fungi is a promising option for controlling ticks on livestock. The objective of this study was to evaluate acaricidal effect of M. anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Ma14 strain) against R. microplus (Canestrini, 1887) on cattle. Thirty heifers naturally infested with R. microplus were divided into three groups of 10 each. One group was sprayed with Ma14 strain at a concentration of 108 conidia/ml and 0.1% Tween 80, the second was sprayed with M. anisopliae Ma34 strain at the same concentration and considered a positive check. The third group remained a nontreated check. Efficacy of Ma14 was 38.3 to 51.3% from the fourth application to the end of the experiment. The Ma14 strain had considerable efficacy against naturally infesting ticks, which makes it a candidate for use in integrated tick management.

Regarding the popularity of TED Talks which are freely accessible online, we were encouraged to examine the impacts of this online resource on Indonesian EFL learners’ listening skills. The Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was used to recruit 70 Indonesian intermediate respondents for the research. They were then split into two groups: one experimental group (EG) and one control group (CG). After that, a listening test was administered to both groups. After that, the EG participants watched TED Talks via mobile devices, and the CG participants practiced listening skills via DVDs and CDs of the course textbook for 13 sessions. When the treatment ended, a posttest of listening skills was administered to the participants of both groups, and the collected data were analyzed via running paired samples and independent samples t -tests. The results indicated that both groups had better listening performances in their listening posttests, but the EG outperformed the CG after the treatment. Overall, the results showed that using TED Talks was more advantageous for listening development than using DVDs and CDs of the course textbook. The implications of this study can encourage EFL teachers to integrate TED Talks into their English classes.