Search

Recommender systems (RSs) have become fundamental computational tools deployed across diverse domains, including e-commerce, tourism, and streaming platforms to facilitate personalized content delivery through the analysis of user preferences, behavioral patterns, and interaction data. With the use of Machine Learning (ML) techniques, these RSs can be implemented either through established frameworks such as NReco and Apache Mahout, or through custom development. Despite the availability of multiple implementation approaches, RS development remains computationally complex, necessitating substantial expertise in both software engineering principles and artificial intelligence methodologies. To address these technical challenges, this paper presents a Domain-Specific Language (DSL) framework that streamlines and accelerates RS development for smart tourism applications through a Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) methodology. The proposed framework minimizes the requirement for extensive programming or ML expertise and enables developers to efficiently generate customized RS implementations while maintaining system quality. The DSL framework automates the generation of code that leverages the services provided by the Apache Mahout framework for implementing recommendation algorithms, abstracting the underlying complexity and enabling developers to focus on high-level system design rather than the technical details of algorithm implementation. In addition, the framework integrates a code generator and a modeling tool, allowing developers to design and implement recommendation systems with reduced complexity and enhanced productivity. Unlike generic or low-code platforms, this approach combines domain-specific abstractions with automation tools to address the unique challenges of the smart tourism sector, ensuring adaptability, efficiency, and high-quality results.

Cities are facing many challenges related to urban growth. This phenomenon has prompted decision-makers to adopt innovative approaches for planning based on accurate forecasting of urban growth. Among the most widely used forecasting methods, there are Cellular Automata (CA) based methods and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) based methods. The accuracy of these forecasting models is strongly related to data quality, data availability, Model calibration and Model validation. In this paper, a comparative analysis between three forecasting methods is presented based on a temporal sequence of Sentinel 2A images. The main goal of this study is to assess the performance of these models which are of CA-Markov Chain, MLP-Markov and ConvLSTM in terms of accuracy, complexity, and feasibility. The case study is carried out on the city of Casablanca in Morocco. After implementing these three forecasting methods, the obtained results show that the Kappa coefficient of MLP-Markov, CA-Markov and ConvLSTM is, respectively, 89,40%; 97,20%; and 94,50%. In terms of complexity, the ConvLSTM method is more complex due to the number of elementary operations. In terms of feasibility, the ConvLSTM method is more demanding in terms of data volume since it is a Deep Learning model. Accordingly, CA-Markov based methods, in particular MLP-Markov, show a great potential for forecasting urban growth, especially for short term forecasting when there are not enough satellite images available to adopt a Deep Learning approach such as ConvLSTM.

A simple approach was developed to efficiently graft diethylene triamine onto polystyrene waste using succinic anhydride as a tracer to remove nitrate anions from aqueous solutions. Infrared spectroscopic data showed characteristic signs at 3395 cm−1 and 1695 cm−1 corresponding to N-H and C=O (ester and amide), confirming the grafting of DETA onto PS. The zeta potential study showed that the PS-Succ-DETA adsorbent had a pHiep of 8.2, and its charge was positive when the pH was lower than the pHiep. Parameters affecting nitrate adsorption, such as dosage, initial concentration, pH, and contact time, were studied. The adsorption data corresponded well to the Langmuir isotherm with an R2 correlation coefficient of 0.998, and the adsorption capacity was found to be 195.65 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics of NO3− ions by PS-Succ-DETA corresponded perfectly to the PS-II model, with an R2 coefficient of 0.999. The negative value of ΔG (−10.02 kJ/mol), ΔH (−18.76 kJ/mol), and ΔS (−28.83 J/K/mol) indicates that NO3- adsorption is spontaneous exothermic and suggests a decrease in randomness at the solid-liquid interface during the adsorption. The mechanism of adsorption of nitrate ions onto PS-Succ-DETA occurs via electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds between the NO3− ions and the -NH2 and NH functions of PS-Succ-DETA.

Wesselsbron virus (WSLV) is a zoonotic, mosquito-borne orthoflavivirus endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, causing abortions and stillbirths in small ruminants. The life cycle of WSLV involves Aedes mosquitoes and various wildlife and domestic animals. Seminal studies in the 1950s have shown the zoonotic potential of WSLV, notably in accidental infections of laboratory workers exposed to infected material. More recent epidemiological studies suggest the emergence of clade I WSLV strains in peri-domestic and rural areas of western and eastern Africa. The pathobiology of recent clade I WSLV strains is unknown and no virus isolate is available. To address these gaps, we generated a recombinant clade I WSLV SA999 infectious clone (rSA999) by reverse genetics. Subsequently, lactating ewes were inoculated intravenously with the WSLV rSA999 strain or the clade II SAH177 strain in insect-free biocontainment stables. Inoculated ewes developed fever, viremia, and showed high levels of viral RNA at mucosal surfaces, and elevated viral titers in milk. Milk production was reduced, which directly affected the growth of the lambs, particularly within the rSA999 group. The ewes with higher WSLV titers in their milk in each group transmitted the infection to their lambs, which developed fever, prolonged viremia, and virus secretion. All infected animals produced high antibody titers with cross-neutralizing activity against both WSLV strains. Histopathology and blood biochemistry analysis indicated liver damage associated with necrotizing hepatitis lesions and active viral replication in some cases, which was more pronounced in the rSA999 group. Notably, only the SAH177-infected animals exhibited lesions consistent with meningoencephalitis, suggesting that WSLV clade II strains are neurotropic and that clade I strain are more hepatotropic. These findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized mode of vector-free transmission of WSLV that raises significant concerns for public and animal health.

ABSTRACT Cigarette smoke (CS) promotes the development of chronic pulmonary disease and has been associated with increased risk for influenza-related illness. Here, we directly addressed the impact of CS disordered microbiota on the severity of influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Specific and opportunistic pathogen-free (SOPF) C57BL/6J mice were exposed to CS or room air (RA) for 5.5 months. Each exposed mouse was then cohoused with a group of recipient germ-free (GF) mice for 1 month for microbial transfer. Colonized GF mice were then infected intranasally with IAV and disease development was monitored. Upper and lower airway and fecal microbiota were longitudinally investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bacterial cultures in donor and recipient mice. The bacterial family Streptococcaceae accounted for the largest difference between CS- and RA-exposed microbiota in the oropharynx. Analysis of the oropharynx and fecal microbiota indicated an efficient transfer to coprophagic recipient mice, which replicated the differences in microbiota composition observed in donor mice. Subsequent IAV infection revealed significantly higher weight loss for CS microbiota recipient mice at 8–10 days post infection (dpi) compared to control recipient mice. In addition, H1N1 infection inflicted substantial changes in the microbiota composition, especially at days 4 and 8 after infection. In conclusion, mice with a CS-associated microbiota suffer from higher disease severity upon IAV infection compared to mice colonized with a normal SOPF microbiota. Our data suggest that independently of CS exposure and concomitant structural lung damage, microbial distortion due to CS exposure may impact the severity of IAV disease course.IMPORTANCEIt has been reported that chronic exposure to CS is associated with a disordered microbiota composition. In this study, we colonized germ-free (GF) mice with the microbiota from SOPF mice which were chronically exposed to CS or RA. This allowed disentangling the effect of the disordered microbiota from the immune-modulating effects of actual CS exposure. We observed a successful transfer of the microbiotas after cohousing including specific microbiota differences induced by CS exposure in formerly GF mice, which were never exposed to CS. We then investigated the effects of IAV infection on the disease course and microbiotas of formerly GF mice. We found that mice with CS-associated microbiota reveal worse disease course compared to the control group. We hypothesize that CS-induced disordering of the microbiota may, indeed, impact the severity of influenza A disease.

Abstract The copper electrode modified by bacteria immobilised by a polycaprolactone film was successfully developed by electropolymerisation for the purpose of determining the presence of phenol. Electrochemical techniques such as square-wave voltammetry (SWV), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the electrochemical properties of the Cu-polymer/bacteria electrode. The results show that the intensity of the phenol oxidation peak increases with concentration, allowing us to obtain good analytical results with DL of 2.156 × 10–7 M and QL which is 7.2 × 10–7 M , confirming that the biosensor has excellent electroanalytical activity for phenol oxidation, with good stability and a wide linear range. Our electrode is based on a easily available and inexpensive material, as well as on its simple preparation, which has demonstrated high performance for phenol.

Converting solar energy using the Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) to produce electrical energy and supply industrial heat is one of the most prominent and most popular sustainable and renewable, widely used throughout the worldwide due to its effectiveness and benefit returns. For this reason, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of these power plants under a specific climatic conditions and analysis the results come out from the simulation using an EES developed model. The analysis investigates the energy and exergy of the PTC plant coupled with Turboden ORC cycle. The presented model allows us to preview the theoretical results and derive the expected results smoothly, with the possibility of development for a better control of the use of renewable energies in the industrial field. The thermal efficiency of the ORC cycle increases as the heat output increases until it reaches an almost constant value above 2801 [kW] in heat output with a output capacity of the ORC cycle about 1 [MW].

Recently, we have observed a noticeable evolution and growing use and incorporation of chatbots on websites, mobile and social networking apps. A chatbot is a computer program that exhibits a capacity to converse quite naturally with users in a way that resembles a human dialogue. Examples of chatbots can be found in several areas, including education, commerce, and tourism. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its sub-fields, such as Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Natural Language Processing (NLP), is increasing across all business sectors. One of the most advanced applications of this technology is the chatbot, which is particularly beneficial due to the quick response times and its simplicity. Nevertheless, although studies on chatbots exist in tourism, academic research covering their adoption, technological evolution, and impact on this sector is still relatively sparse. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of chatbots and their effect on tourism. First, we provide a new classification of chatbots based on specific criteria. Second, we explore the conceptual architecture of chatbots and their key components. Third, this study aims to assess and contrast the main existing tools for developing chatbots, classifying them and highlighting their key advantages and disadvantages. Fourth, this study aims to examine the integration of chatbots in the tourism sector by identifying their key applications in the industry over the past decade. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the impact of chatbots on the various functionalities outlined in the 6A framework for tourism. To achieve this, a thorough search will be conducted using five prominent databases - Scopus, ACM, IEEE Xplore, Springer Link, and Web of Science - covering the period from 2013 to 2023. For this study, 1155 academic publications were reviewed after applying a systematic review protocol including purpose, research questions, keywords, digital libraries, search strings, and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Only 31 were identified to be primary studies.

As the unused drugs which are disgracefully arranged can contaminate the environment, a conceivable application of unused pharmaceutical compounds as corrosion inhibitors was successfully implemented, in this context thiamazole was assessed as a potential copper corrosion inhibitor in near neutral 3% sodium chloride solution. Electrochemical methods, surface and solution analysis are used to explore copper corrosion and its resistance. Corrosion of copper and its inhibition by thiamazole have been investigated in 3% NaCl solution using Potentiodynamic polarization, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-rays diffraction analysis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX),contact angle measurements, Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and Ion chromatography(IC).According to polarization measures, thiamazole works as a mixed type inhibitor. The values of polarization resistance and inhibition efficiency increase with thiamazole concentration increase, according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data. After 24 h immersion time of copper sheets in free amd containing thiamazole solution, it was revealed that thiamazole behave as mixed-type inhibitor with an efficiency of 97%. SEM/EDX investigations confirm that thiamazole forms a protective and hydrophobic layer on copper surface, this finding was assessed by contact angle (CA) tests; these results are further supported by XRD patterns that show the removal of crystalline corrosion products. The results of inductively coupled plasmasolution analysis and ionic chromatography demonstrate that in the presence of 10-4 M thiamazole in the investigated solution, the concentration of chloride increased while the concentration of copper (II) ions decreased.The outlined findings infer that the used molecule plays a role of an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor.

Purpose. This study aims to identify the role of technological innovation in promoting the competitive advantage of industrial enterprises by examining the case of the Bioscan Pharmaceutical Industry Corporation in the State of Setif, Algeria. Results. This study explores the importance of both product innovation and the creation of productive processes in improving the competitive advantage of the pharmaceutical industry in the State of Setif, while also identifying the most influential dimension in supporting the competitive advantage of the studied enterprise. The results indicate that technological innovation has a positive impact on upgrading the competitive advantage of the Bioscan Pharmaceutical Industry Corporation in the state of Setif. It is concluded that the mechanisms used by the firm to develop its technological innovation through product creation and the establishment of production processes have contributed in a very positive and effective way to improving its competitive advantage. Scientific novelty. The current study presents its novelty by focusing on technological innovation in industrial enterprises within the pharmaceutical industry. Previous studies on this subject have primarily examined industrial enterprises in other sectors such as the electrical and household equipment industry and heavy industries. Additionally, this study comprehensively reviews all theoretical concepts related to technological innovation and competitive advantage, thereby contributing to strengthening the theoretical understanding of enterprise workers. Practical value. The practical value of the study lies in highlighting the role and importance of analysing the views and responses of pharmaceutical industry workers regarding the optimal use of technological innovation components as the primary component of industrial enterprises. This effective asset contributes to lower production costs and improves product quality, positively influencing the current and future objectives of the enterprise.

A comprehensive characterisation of Omicron-BA.1 and VOC Delta in numerous in vitro and in vivo models uncovers the factors that led to its global dominance.

Abstract Immunization with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-vectored COVID-19 vaccine candidates expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in place of the VSV glycoprotein relies implicitly on expression of the ACE2 receptor at the muscular injection site. Here, we report that such a viral vector vaccine did not induce protective immunity following intramuscular immunization of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice. However, when the viral vector was trans-complemented with the VSV glycoprotein, intramuscular immunization resulted in high titers of spike-specific neutralizing antibodies. The vaccinated animals were fully protected following infection with a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2-SD614G via the nasal route, and partially protected if challenged with the SARS-CoV-2Delta variant. While dissemination of the challenge virus to the brain was completely inhibited, replication in the lung with consequent lung pathology was not entirely controlled. Thus, intramuscular immunization was clearly enhanced by trans-complementation of the VSV-vectored vaccines by the VSV glycoprotein and led to protection from COVID-19, although not achieving sterilizing immunity.

The losses of soil due to water erosion pose a major problem exacerbating land degradation in many regions worldwide, including Morocco. Soil degradation has detrimental consequences for agriculture, ecosystems, and the environment in general. In this context, the main objective of this study is to assess the risk of soil erosion in the Mazer watershed, located at the heart of a significant agricultural region in the Settat province of Morocco. To achieve this goal, we have employed an advanced methodology that combines the use of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) with the advantages offered by the Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. This approach allows us to analyze five key factors contributing to soil losses through water erosion: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), vegetation cover (C), topography (LS), and anti-erosion practices (P). By overlaying these five elements, we have developed a quantitative map of soil losses for the Mazer watershed. The results show an average soil degradation of 77.2 tons per hectare per year, with variations ranging from 0.6 to 885.2 tons per hectare per year. This diversity highlights the significant impact of environmental and human factors. This precise methodology enables the identification of major contributors to erosion, facilitating the implementation of tailored protective measures. Understanding the causes of water erosion is essential for promoting sustainable agricultural practices, soil conservation, and environmental policies aimed at preserving the ecosystem and local natural resources, thereby mitigating soil erosion and promoting sustainability.

This paper is based on the adsorption in polluted water of Methylene Blue (MB) used in the textile industry, by the cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) of the city of Beni Mellal (CBM) and that of Sidi Bou Othmane (CSB). Different analyzes are used namely: (FTIR, GTA/DTA and X-ray). The equilibrium kinetics shows that the (CSB) fixes the (MB) better than the (CBM). It should be noted that at pH=8, Qmax up to 333.33 and 263.15 mg/g for (CSB) and (CBM) are obtained. The kinetic adsorption results are best described by the expression of the pseudo-second order model (P-SO). The adsorption isotherms of (MB) by (CBM) and (CSB) are suitably described by the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic analysis to show that the adsorption of MB on the cactus of Beni Mellal and Sidi Bou Othmane is an exothermic process and spontaneous.

Various applications of electrochemical sensors and biosensors have been reported in many fields. These include pharmaceuticals, drug detection, cancer detection, and analysis of toxic elements in tap water. Electrochemical sensors are characterised by their low cost, ease of manufacture, rapid analysis, small size and ability to detect multiple elements simultaneously. They also allow the reaction mechanisms of analytes, such as drugs, to be taken into account, giving a first indication of their fate in the body or their pharmaceutical preparation. Several materials are used in the construction of sensors, such as graphene, fullerene, carbon nanotubes, carbon graphite, glassy carbon, carbon clay, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and metals. This review covers the most recent progress in electrochemical sensors used to analyze drugs and metabolites in pharmaceutical and biological samples. We have highlighted carbon paste electrodes (CPE), glassy carbon electrodes (GCE), screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE) and reduced graphene oxide electrodes (rGOE). The sensitivity and analysis speed of electrochemical sensors can be improved by modifying them with conductive materials. Different materials used for modification have been reported and demonstrated, such as molecularly imprinted polymers, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, fullerene (C60), iron(III) nanoparticles (Fe3O4NP), and CuO micro-fragments (CuO MF). Manufacturing strategies and the detection limit of each sensor have been reported.

The 2023 International African Swine Fever Workshop (IASFW) took place in Beijing, China, on 18–20 September 2023. It was jointly organized by the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health (USCCAH) at Kansas State University (KSU) and the Chinese Veterinary Drug Association (CVDA) and sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS), Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, and Zoetis Inc. The objective of this workshop was to provide a platform for ASF researchers around the world to unite and share their knowledge and expertise on ASF control and prevention. A total of 24 outstanding ASF research scientists and experts from 10 countries attended this meeting. The workshop included presentations on current ASF research, opportunities for scientific collaboration, and discussions of lessons and experiences learned from China/Asia, Africa, and Europe. This article summarizes the meeting highlights and presents some critical issues that need to be addressed for ASF control and prevention in the future.

This study reports the investigation of human serum albumin (HSA) adsorption on a poy-styrene-block–poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA)-coated PVDF membrane, which is a potential smart material for biomedical applications. First, copolymer coating on the membrane surface was successfully performed, due to the hydrophobic interaction of the PS anchoring group with the PVDF membrane. This was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization of the membrane. Then, HSA adsorption onto the coated membrane was assessed and was proved to be strongly dependent on the pH of the protein solution. Indeed, both FTIR mapping and mass balance calculation using UV–visible spectroscopy displayed a greater HSA adsorption on the membrane at pH 5, even though it still took place at higher pH, but to a lower extent. Afterwards, an ionic strength influence study evinced the role of electrostatic interactions between HSA and the PAA layer on HSA adsorption. Dead-end filtration of HSA through the coated membrane confirmed the pH dependence of HSA adsorption on the coated membrane.

Introduction: Isolated tibiotalar dislocation is an extremely rare lesion. It is due to high velocity mechanisms of injury. Case presentation: The authors report the case of an acute closed isolated posterior tibiotalar dislocation in a 28-year-old patient following a road traffic accident. The reduction was performed as an emergency procedure under general anesthesia followed by a 6-week cast immobilization without weight bearing. Conclusion: It is rare for a tibiotalar joint dislocations to occur as an isolated injury especially in its posterior form. Our observation illustrates the place of urgent orthopedic treatment in the management of this lesion.

This paper concerns the thermal design of Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE). The paper presents new transient semi-analytical models to estimate i) the disturbed soil thermal resistance of EAHE pipe as a function of duration of operation and ii) thermal performance of EAHE operating under transient conditions. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the parameter choices of this new model for short period of continuous operation of the system (less than 70 h). The results show that time discretization steps of 15 min and 1 h present and lead to appreciable results compared to the experiments. Therefore, the variation of the layer length step of the buried pipe does not alter simulation results. In terms of precision of the soil temperature profile, refined solutions were obtained by the decreasing of the disturbed soil radius and the increasing the number of roots of Bessel's functions. Furthermore, the effect of the variation of surrounding soil radius is discussed for short period of continuous operation of the system. The time step of 1 h and the interval of the surrounding soil radius of 0.4 m–1.1 m are found accurate for good results with a reasonable computational time.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to be rampant with considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide since its emergence in December 2019. Several studies have focused on identifying different predictive factors of poor prognosis, including biological markers, such as C Reactive Protein among others. The objective of our work was to determine whether the CRP levels on admission to the intensive care unit are predictive of an unfavorable evolution of patients with COVID-19 through the experience of the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital of Oujda and to compare our results with those reported in the literature.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, monocentric, descriptive and analytical study in the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care of the Mohammed VI University Hospital of Oujda, Morocco, between March 2020 and October 2021, including all critically ill patients admitted to the department during this period and meeting the inclusion criteria. The baseline admission CRP value was arbitrarily set at 100mg/d, thus conditioning the division of our patients into two groups (group 1: CRP < 100mg/L, group 2: CRP ≥ 100mg/L).ResultsAmong our 1035 included patients, 291 patients with had a CRP 75%) in group 2 (60.8%) compared to group 1 (39.2%). In group 2, 79.8% of patients were mechanically ventilated, compared to 20.2% of patients in group 1. Finally, the mortality rate in patients with a CRP ≥ 100mg/l was 77.4%, compared with 22.6% for patients with a CRP < 100mg/l. These findings are all statistically highly significant (p

Abstract The main purpose of this study is to elaborate anticorrosive coatings for the welded steel 316L, since this later is widely used in industrial field. Hence, within this work we have studied the electrochemical behaviour of different zones of the welded steel 316 in 1 M HCl media. The macrography study of the welded steel has revealed the different areas with a good contrast. We have stated three different zones, namely; melted zone (MZ), heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal zone (BM). Impedance studies on welded steel 316L were conducted in 1 M HCl solution, coating of Epoxy/Alumina composite was applied on different zones, in order to reveal the anti-corrosion efficiency in each zone. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was undertaken in order to check how far the used coating in such aggressive media protects the studied zones and these findings were assessed by water contact angle measurements. The choice of this coating is based on the cost and the safety. We concluded that the Epoxy/Alumina composite has a good protecting effect regarding welded steel in aggressive media.

African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) is a large double-enveloped DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family that causes a lethal hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. Since 2007, a highly virulent genotype II strain has emerged and spread in Europe and South-East Asia, where millions of animals succumbed to the disease. Field- and laboratory-attenuated strains of ASFV cause highly variable clinical disease severity and survival, and mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that the immunological and hygienic status of pigs is a determinant of ASF disease course. Here we compared the immunological profile at baseline and in response to ASFV infection in specific pathogen-free (SPF) and farm-raised Large White domestic pigs. At steady state, SPF pigs showed lower white blood cell counts and a lower basal inflammatory and antiviral transcriptomic profile compared to farm pigs, associated with profound differences in gut microbiome composition. After inoculation with a highly virulent ASFV genotype II strain (Armenia 2008), severe clinical signs, viremia and pro-inflammatory cytokines appeared sooner in SPF pigs, indicating a reduced capacity to control early virus replication. In contrast, during infection with an attenuated field isolate (Estonia 2014), SPF pigs presented a milder and shorter clinical disease with full recovery, whereas farm pigs presented severe protracted disease with 50% lethality. Interestingly, farm pigs showed higher production of inflammatory cytokines, whereas SPF pigs produced more anti-inflammatory IL-1ra early after infection and presented a stronger expansion of leukocytes in the recovery phase. Altogether, our data indicate that the hygiene-dependent innate immune status has a double-edge sword impact on immune responses in ASF pathogenesis. While the higher baseline innate immune activity helps the host in reducing initial virus replication, it promotes immunopathological cytokine responses, and delays lymphocyte proliferation after infection with an attenuated strain. Such effects should be considered for live vaccine development and vigilance.

Conversational agents are being increasingly adopted in various domains, such as e-commerce and customer services, and as a direct communication channel between companies and end-users. Several tools have been developed to facilitate their definition and deployment. They exploit existing cloud infrastructures and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to efficiently process users’ input and extract conversational information. Major Information Technology (IT) companies, such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon, have provided powerful tools to develop conversational agents. Still, choosing the most appropriate tool is not easy, as it may require high costs associated with automatic natural language processing (NLP) services and expertise in software engineering and AI. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze different tools to help developers and non-developers to choose the optimal tool for their specific scenario of creating a conversational agent.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing have been widely used in recent years, and one of the best applications of these technologies is conversational agents. These agents are computer programs that can converse with users in natural languages. Developing conversational agents using artificial intelligence techniques is an exciting prospect in natural language processing. In this study, we built an intelligent conversational agent using deep learning techniques. We used a sequence-to-sequence model with encoder–decoder architecture. This encoder–decoder uses a recurrent neural network with long–short-term memory cells. The encoder was used to understand the user’s question, and the decoder was to provide the answer.

During the present study, biopolymer lignin was extracted, in particular, from sugar beet pulp (molasses) from the Tadla region (224 km from Marrakech, Morocco). The lignin was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric TG/DTA analysis and then used as a modifier to enhance the electroanalytical detection of heavy metal ion traces. The performance of the lignin/CPE sensor to detect lead (II) was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square-wave voltammetry in 0.3 mol L−1 NaCl. With optimized experimental parameters, the lignin/CPE sensor developed has a minimum detection limit of 2.252.10−11 M for Pb (II). The proposed working electrode has been successfully applied for the coanalysis of Pb (II) in tap water with good results.

Mast cells are multifunctional immune cells scattered in tissues near blood vessels and mucosal surfaces where they mediate important reactions against parasites and contribute to the pathogenesis of allergic reactions. Serine proteases released from secretory granules upon mast cell activation contribute to these functions by modulating cytokine activity, platelet activation and proteolytic neutralization of toxins. The forced release of granule proteases into the cytosol of mast cells to induce cell suicide has recently been proposed as a therapeutic approach to reduce mast cell numbers in allergic diseases, but the molecular pathways involved in granule-mediated mast cell suicide are incompletely defined. To identify intrinsic granule proteases that can cause mast cell death, we used mice deficient in cytosolic serine protease inhibitors and their respective target proteases. We found that deficiency in Serpinb1a, Serpinb6a, and Serpinb9a or in their target proteases did not alter the kinetics of apoptosis induced by growth factor deprivation in vitro or the number of peritoneal mast cells in vivo. The serine protease cathepsin G induced marginal cell death upon mast cell granule permeabilization only when its inhibitors Serpinb1a or Serpinb6a were deleted. In contrast, the serine protease granzyme B was essential for driving apoptosis in mast cells. On granule permeabilization, granzyme B was required for caspase-3 processing and cell death. Moreover, cytosolic granzyme B inhibitor Serpinb9a prevented caspase-3 processing and mast cell death in a granzyme B-dependent manner. Together, our findings demonstrate that cytosolic serpins provide an inhibitory shield preventing granule protease-induced mast cell apoptosis, and that the granzyme B-Serpinb9a-caspase-3 axis is critical in mast cell survival and could be targeted in the context of allergic diseases.

Industrial Process Heat (IPH) represents a promising sector of application for solar concentration technologies – the Linear Fresnel Reflectors (LFR) as an alternative to the conventional source of thermal energy. Morocco is endowed with an abundant solar resource as other countries in the MENA region, with high level of DNI available over the year especially in the southeast, mid-south, and the south (Moroccan Sahara Desert). The main objective of this work is to assess the potential of solar thermal production of industrial process heat considering six different sites in Morocco. The evaluation has been done with respect to the Levelized Cost of Heat (LCoH), representing the whole production cost structure. This study includes as well a comparison of the same application in Stellenbosch (South Africa) and Andasol (Spain). The results show that the annual thermal production is 7.2 GWh-th/year in Zagora, 6.4 GWh-th/year in Missour, and around 6.3 GWh-th/year in Ben-Guerir and Erfoud. As expected, the Moroccan sites show, in general, higher thermal energy production with +1.4 GWh-th/year in Zagora compared to the Andasol site, and +2.9 GWh-th/year compared to Stellenbosch. The cheapest LCoH has been found to be 2.47 c$/kWh-th in Zagora, whereas it was 4.02 c$/kWh-th in Stellenbosch and 3.04 c$/kWh-th in Andasol, with a difference of +62.75% and +23.1% respectively.

The human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants, possibly due to the properties of the immature neonatal pulmonary immune system. Using the newborn lamb, a classical model of human lung development and a translational model of RSV infection, we aimed to explore the role of cell-mediated immunity in RSV disease during early life. Remarkably, in healthy conditions, the developing T cell compartment of the neonatal lung showed major differences to that seen in the mature adult lung. The most striking observation being a high baseline frequency of bronchoalveolar IL-4-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which declined progressively over developmental age. RSV infection exacerbated this pro-type 2 environment in the bronchoalveolar space, rather than inducing a type 2 response per se. Moreover, regulatory T cell suppressive functions occurred very early to dampen this pro-type 2 environment, rather than shutting them down afterwards, while γδ T cells dropped and failed to produce IL-17. Importantly, RSV disease severity was related to the magnitude of those unconventional bronchoalveolar T cell responses. These findings provide novel insights in the mechanisms of RSV immunopathogenesis in early life, and constitute a major step for the understanding of RSV disease severity.

The co-administration of a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA), and a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), has been shown to be beneficial in the management of non-communicable chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The resulting relaxation of the airways can be synergistically enhanced, reducing symptoms and optimizing lung function. This provides an insight into more effective treatments. In this study, the LABAs formoterol fumarate dihydrate (FOR) and indacaterol maleate (IND) were each associated with tiotropium bromide monohydrate (TIO) to assess their synergistic potential. This was done using an appropriate ex vivo model of isolated perfused guinea pig tracheal rings, and pharmacological models of drug interaction. Among the dose ratios studied for both types of combination, a higher synergistic potential was highlighted for FOR/TIO 2:1 (w/w). This was done through three steps by using multiple additions of drugs to the organ baths based on a non-constant dose ratio and then on a constant dose ratio, and by a single addition to the organ baths of specific amounts of drugs. In this way, the synergistic improvement of the relaxant effect on the airways was confirmed, providing a basis for improving therapeutic approaches in asthma and COPD. The synergy found at this dose ratio should now be confirmed on a preclinical model of asthma and COPD by assessing lung function.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes. They quickly respond to antigenic stimulation by producing copious amounts of cytokines and chemokines. iNKT precursors differentiate into three subsets iNKT1, iNKT2, and iNKT17 with specific cytokine production signatures. While key transcription factors drive subset differentiation, factors that regulate iNKT subset homeostasis remain incompletely defined. Transcriptomic analyses of thymic iNKT subsets indicate that Serpinb1a is one of the most specific transcripts for iNKT17 cells suggesting that iNKT cell maintenance and function may be regulated by Serpinb1a. Serpinb1a is a major survival factor in neutrophils and prevents cell death in a cell-autonomous manner. It also controls inflammation in models of bacterial and viral infection as well as in LPS-driven inflammation. Here, we examined the iNKT subsets in neutropenic Serpinb1a−/− mice as well as in Serpinb1a−/− mice with normal neutrophil counts due to transgenic re-expression of SERPINB1 in neutrophils. In steady state, we found no significant effect of Serpinb1a-deficiency on the proliferation and numbers of iNKT subsets in thymus, lymph nodes, lung, liver and spleen. Following systemic activation with α-galactosylceramide, the prototypic glycolipid agonist of iNKT cells, we observed similar serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 between genotypes. Moreover, splenic dendritic cells showed normal upregulation of maturation markers following iNKT cell activation with α-galactosylceramide. Finally, lung instillation of α-galactosylceramide induced a similar recruitment of neutrophils and production of iNKT-derived cytokines IL-17, IFN-γ, and IL-4 in wild-type and Serpinb1a−/− mice. Taken together, our results indicate that Serpinb1a, while dominantly expressed in iNKT17 cells, is not essential for iNKT cell homeostasis, subset differentiation and cytokine release.

The objective of the current paper is to evaluate the performances drop of a photovoltaic system composed of a new PV module conception without EVA encapsulation. After three years of operation under harsh atmospheric condition at Green Energy Park research facility, in the mid-south of Morocco, the system shows an energy drop around 1.8kWhe in one of its strings. For this reason, an inspection (in-situ and at the lab level) to evaluate and detect the source of this energy drop has been done using the IV-Curve, IR thermal and Electroluminescence. Results show that the Performance Ratio (PR) of the affected string reaches 13%. Besides, two modules from this last one showed a degradation rate (Rd) greater than 4.12 %. It has been found that the main cause of this energy drop is due to the presence of breakages and crack at the modules cells. Those deceases are caused by a bad manual cleaning, as well as, for the nature of the modules, without EVA protection against the mechanical shocks.

Optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) is known to be important for mitochondrial fusion and structural integrity. Here, using OPA1 knockout mice, the authors show a detrimental effect on host defense capabilities against pathogen infections. This study reports a critical role for OPA1 in innate immunity.

Summary: Neutrophil granule serine proteases contribute to immune responses through cleavage of microbial toxins and structural proteins. They induce tissue damage and modulate inflammation if levels exceed their inhibitors. Here, we show that the intracellular protease inhibitors Serpinb1a and Serpinb6a contribute to monocyte and neutrophil survival in steady-state and inflammatory settings by inhibiting cathepsin G (CatG). Importantly, we found that CatG efficiently cleaved gasdermin D (GSDMD) to generate the signature N-terminal domain GSDMD-p30 known to induce pyroptosis. Yet GSDMD deletion did not rescue neutrophil survival in Sb1a.Sb6a−/− mice. Furthermore, Sb1a.Sb6a−/− mice released high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines upon endotoxin challenge in vivo in a CatG-dependent manner. Canonical inflammasome activation in Sb1a.Sb6a−/− macrophages showed increased IL-1β release that was dependent on CatG and GSDMD. Together, our findings demonstrate that cytosolic serpins expressed in myeloid cells prevent cell death and regulate inflammatory responses by inhibiting CatG and alternative activation of GSDMD. : Burgener et al. show that cytosolic protease inhibitors Serpinb1a and Serpinb6a inhibit the granule serine protease cathepsin G to prevent neutrophil and monocyte death and cytokine release upon LPS challenge. Mechanistically, activation of gasdermin D by cathepsin G is required for inflammation but not for neutrophil death. Keywords: inflammation, cell death, neutrophil, pyroptosis, apoptosis, serpin, proteinase, cathepsin, elastase, gasdermin

In this work, Wood–polymer composites (WPCs) were prepared from pine wood and High-Density Recycled Polyethylene (HDPEr). In order to gain insight of the effect of changing ratios of the wood and the polymer within the elaborated samples, a set of composites were subjected to comparative analysis by X-ray diffraction and Infrared-ATR spectroscopy, the structural investigations revealed that significant blending occurred with woodflour, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was comparatively carried out over the different wood-polymer composition (HDPEr 70W30; HDPEr 60W40; HDPEr 50W50; HDPEr 40W60 and HDPEr 30W70).The structural analysis of the WPC was correlated with the surface analysis study.Contact Angle Measurements were carried out in order to evaluate the performance of WPC. Also, the interaction between wood and the recycled Polyethylene was supported by the static water Contact Angle test showing that the Contact Angle between water and High-Density Recycled Polyethylene (HDPEr) decreases when woodflour weight percent is greater than that of the polymer, however the water Contact Angle of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) filled with 30%,40% and 50% woodflour indicated the surface roughness was improved significantly.This statement was evidenced to be in a good consistence with the overall comparative investigations. Keywords: Composites, Recycled polyethylene, Infrared, X-ray diffraction, SEM, Contact angle

The ADAMTS family comprises 19 secreted metalloproteinases that cleave extracellular matrix components and have diverse functions in numerous disease and physiological contexts. A number of them remain ‘orphan’ proteases and among them is ADAMTS18, which has been implicated in developmental eye disorders, platelet function and various malignancies. To assess in vivo function of ADAMTS18, we generated a mouse strain with inactivated Adamts18 alleles. In the C57Bl6/Ola background, Adamts18-deficient mice are born in a normal Mendelian ratio, and are viable but show a transient growth delay. Histological examination revealed a 100% penetrant eye defect resulting from leakage of lens material through the lens capsule occurring at embryonic day (E)13.5, when the lens grows rapidly. Adamts18-deficient lungs showed altered bronchiolar branching. Fifty percent of mutant females are infertile because of vaginal obstruction due to either a dorsoventral vaginal septum or imperforate vagina. The incidence of ovarian rete is increased in the mutant mouse strain. Thus, Adamts18 is essential in the development of distinct tissues and the new mouse strain is likely to be useful for investigating ADAMTS18 function in human disease, particularly in the contexts of infertility and carcinogenesis.

A recent advance in invariant natural killer T cell (iNKT) cell biology is their classification into iNKT1, iNKT2 and iNKT17 subsets. Here the authors provide a transcriptomic analysis of these thymic subsets from Balb/c and C57Bl/6 mice that supports and extends the categorization.

Cocoa bean shell (CBS), a by-product with considerable concentrations of bioactive compounds and proven biofunctional potential, has been demonstrated to be a suitable ingredient for high-fiber functional biscuits adapted to diabetic consumers. In this work, the in vitro bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption of polyphenols and methylxanthines contained in these biscuits were evaluated, and the effect of the food matrix was studied. Biscuits containing CBS and the CBS alone underwent in vitro digestion followed by an intestinal permeability study. The results confirmed that compounds were less bioavailable in the presence of a food matrix, although the digestion contributed to their release from this matrix, increasing the concentrations available at the intestinal level and making them capable of promoting antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. After digestion, CBS biscuits were shown to possess α-glucosidase inhibition capacity comparable to that of acarbose. Moreover, the presence of the food matrix improved the stability of polyphenols throughout the digestion process. Intestinal absorption of flavan-3-ols seemed to be limited to a maximum threshold and was therefore independent of the sample, while procyanidin was not absorbed. Methylxanthine absorption was high and was boosted by the presence of the food matrix. The results confirmed the biofunctional potential of CBS-based biscuits.

We counted bacterial cells of E. coli strain K12 in several-microliter DI water or in several-microliter PBS in the low optical density (OD) range (OD = 0.05–1.08) in contact with the surface of Si-based impedance biochips with ring electrodes by impedance measurements. The multiparameter fit of the impedance data allowed calibration of the impedance data with the concentration cb of the E. coli cells in the range of cb = 0.06 to 1.26 × 109 cells/mL. The results showed that for E. coli in DI water and in PBS, the modelled impedance parameters depend linearly on the concentration of cells in the range of cb = 0.06 to 1.26 × 109 cells/mL, whereas the OD, which was independently measured with a spectrophotometer, was only linearly dependent on the concentration of the E. coli cells in the range of cb = 0.06 to 0.50 × 109 cells/mL.

This paper proposes a three-phase metaheuristic-based approach for induction machine bearing failure detection and diagnosis. It consists of extracting and processing different failure types features to set up a knowledge base, which contains different failure types. The first phase consists in pre-processing the measured signals by aggregating them and preparing the data in exploitable formats for the clustering. The second phase ensures the induction machine operating mode diagnosis. A measured signals clustering is performed to build classes where each one represents a health state. A variable neighborhood search (VNS) metaheuristic is designed for data clustering. Moreover, VNS is hybridized with a classical mechanics-inspired optimization (CMO) metaheuristic to balance global exploration and local exploitation during the evolutionary process. The third phase consists of two-step failure detection, setting up a knowledge base containing different failure types, and defining a representative model for each failure type. In the learning step, different class features are extracted and inserted in the knowledge base to be used during the decision step. The proposed metaheuristic-based failure detection diagnosis approach is evaluated using PRONOSTIA and CWR bearing data experimental platforms vibration and temperature measurements. The achieved results clearly demonstrate the failure detection and diagnosis, efficiency, and effectiveness of the proposed metaheuristic approach.