Ultrafast Excitonic Response in Two-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskites Driven by Intense Midinfrared Pulses.

Two-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (2DHPs) are natural quantum-well-like materials, in which strong quantum and dielectric confinement effects due to the organic spacers give rise to tightly bound excitons with large binding energy. To examine the mutual interactions between the organic spacer cations and the inorganic charge-residing octahedral framework in 2DHPs, here we perform femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy by direct vibrational pumping of the organic spacers, followed by a visible-to-ultraviolet probe covering their excitonic resonances. Measurements on prototypical lead-bromide based 2DHP compounds, (BA)_{2}PbBr_{4} and (BA)_{2}(FA)Pb_{2}Br_{7} (BA^{+}=butylammonium; FA^{+}=formamidinium), reveal two distinct regimes of the temporal response. The first regime is dominated by a pump-induced transient expansion of the organic spacer layers that reduces the exciton oscillator strength, whereas the second regime arises from pump-induced lattice heating effects primarily associated with a spectral shift of the exciton energy. In addition, vibrational excitation enhances the biexciton emission, which we attribute to a stronger intralayer exciton confinement as well as vibrationally induced exciton detrapping from defect states. Our study provides fundamental insights regarding the impact of organic spacers on excitons in 2DHPs, as well as the excited-state dynamics and vibrational energy dissipation in these structurally diverse materials.

The process of estimating the cost of surgery: Providing a practical framework for surgeons.

Over the last decades, health care costs have been increasing at an alarming, exponential rate which is considered unsustainable. Surgical care utilizes one-third of health care costs. Estimating, evaluating, and understanding the cost of surgery is a vital step towards cost management and reduction. Current cost estimation studies and cost-effectiveness studies have vast disparities in their methodology, with published costs of Operating Room varying from as low as $7 and as high as $113 per minute. Costs in surgery are distinguished as direct and indirect. Allocation of direct costs involves identification, measurement, and valuation processes. Allocation of indirect costs involves the allocation of capital and overhead costs and of indirect department costs. Annualised capital costs and overhead hospital costs are then allocated to surgery by either the cost-centre allocation or the activity-based allocation frameworks. Indirect department costs are allocated to a specific surgery by weighted service allocation or hourly rate allocation or inpatient day allocation, or marginal markup allocation. The growing societal, financial and political pressure for cost reduction has brought cost analysis to the forefront of healthcare discussions. Thus, we believe that almost every single surgeon will eventually enter the field of healthcare economics by necessity. This review aims to provide surgeons with a practical framework for engaging in cost estimation studies.

Patient and Surgeon Risk-Taking Regarding Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Decisions regarding care for osteoarthritis involve physicians helping patients understand likely benefits and harms of treatment. Little work has directly compared patient and surgeon risk-taking attitudes, which may help inform strategies for shared decision-making and improve patient satisfaction. METHODS: We surveyed patients contemplating total joint arthroplasty visiting a high-volume specialty hospital regarding general questions about risk-taking, as well as willingness to undergo surgery under hypothetical likelihoods of moderate improvement and complications. We compared responses from surgeons answering similar questions about willingness to recommend surgery. RESULTS: Altogether 82% (162/197) of patients responded, as did 65% (30/46) of joint replacement surgeons. Mean age among patients was 66.4 years; 58% were female. Surgeons averaged 399 surgeries in 2019. Responses were similar between groups for general, health, career, financial, and sports/leisure risk-taking (P > .20); surgeons were marginally more risk-taking in driving (P = .05). For willingness to have or recommend surgery, as the chance of benefit decreased, or the chance of harm increased, the percentage willing to have or recommend surgery decreased. Between a 70% and 95% chance of moderate improvement (for a 2% complication risk), as well as between a 90% and 95% chance of moderate improvement (for 4% and 6% complication risks), the percentage willing to have or recommend surgery was indistinguishable between patients and surgeons. However, for lower likelihoods of improvement, a higher percentage of patients were willing to undergo surgery than surgeons recommended. Patients were also more often indifferent between complication risks. CONCLUSION: Although patients and surgeons were often willing to have or recommend joint replacement surgery at similar rates, they diverged for lower-benefit higher-harm scenarios.

Evaluation of the content validity index of the Australian/Canadian osteoarthritis hand index, the patient-rated wrist/hand evaluation and the thumb disability exam in people with hand arthritis.

BACKGROUND: The Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index (AUSCAN), the Patient-Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRWHE) and the Thumb Disability Exam (TDX) are patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) designed to assess pain and hand function in patients with hand arthritis, hand pain and disability, or thumb pathology respectively. This study evaluated the content validity of AUSCAN, PRWHE and TDX in people with hand arthritis. METHODS: This study enrolled participants with hand arthritis to rate the items of all 3 PROM in terms of relevance and clarity. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was computed for each item in each scale (I-CVI) as well as for the overall scale (S-CVI). Kappa was used to determine the inter-rater agreement among the raters. RESULTS: Overall, 64 individuals with hand arthritis (27% with OA, 67% with rheumatoid arthritis and 6% with psoriatic arthritis) participated in the study. The I-CVI for all items and all scales were very high (I-CVI > 0.76) and the modified Kappa agreement among the raters demonstrated excellent agreement (k > 0.76). The S-CVI for all PROMs was very high for relevance (AUSCAN = 0.92, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.94; PRWHE = 0.85, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.88 and TDX = 0.87, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.89) and for clarity (AUSCAN = 0.99, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00; PRWHE = 0.95, 95% CI 0.93 to 0.97 and TDX = 0.91, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.94), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated very high content validity indices for the AUSCAN, PRWHE and TDX; with strong consensus across raters. This augments prior studies demonstrating appropriate statistical measurement properties, to provide confidence that all three measures assess important patient concepts of pain and disability.

Modeling the Solvent Extraction of Cadmium(II) from Aqueous Chloride Solutions by 2-pyridyl Ketoximes: A Coordination Chemistry Approach.

The goal of this work is to model the nature of the chemical species [CdCl2(extractant)2] that are formed during the solvent (or liquid-liquid) extraction of the toxic cadmium(II) from chloride-containing aqueous media using hydrophobic 2-pyridyl ketoximes as extractants. Our coordination chemistry approach involves the study of the reactions between cadmium(II) chloride dihydrate and phenyl 2-pyridyl ketoxime (phpaoH) in water-containing acetone. The reactions have provided access to complexes [CdCl2(phpaoH)2]∙H2O (1∙H2O) and {[CdCl2(phpaoH)]}n (2); the solid-state structures of which have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. In both complexes, phpaoH behaves as an N,N'-bidentate chelating ligand. The complexes have been characterized by solid-state IR and Raman spectra, and by solution 1H NMR spectra. The preparation and characterization of 1∙H2O provide strong evidence for the existence of the species [CdCl2(extractant)2] that have been proposed to be formed during the liquid-liquid extraction process of Cd(II), allowing the efficient transfer of the toxic metal ion from the aqueous phase into the organic phase.

Expression of α-Defensins, CD20+ B-lymphocytes, and Intraepithelial CD3+ T-lymphocytes in the Intestinal Mucosa of Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: Emerging Mediators of Intestinal Barrier Function.

AIM: The present study investigates the role of innate and adaptive immune system of intestinal mucosal barrier function in cirrhosis. METHODS: Forty patients with decompensated (n = 40, group A), 27 with compensated cirrhosis (n = 27, group B), and 27 controls (n = 27, group C) were subjected to duodenal biopsy. Expression of α-defensins 5 and 6 at the intestinal crypts was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Serum endotoxin, intestinal T-intraepithelial, and lamina propria B-lymphocytes were quantified. RESULTS: Cirrhotic patients presented higher endotoxin concentrations (p < 0.0001) and diminished HD5 and HD6 expression compared to healthy controls (p = 0.000287, p = 0.000314, respectively). The diminished HD5 and HD6 expressions were also apparent among the decompensated patients compared to compensated group (p = 0.025, p = 0.041, respectively). HD5 and HD6 expressions were correlated with endotoxin levels (r = -0.790, p < 0.0001, r = - 0.777, p < 0.0001, respectively). Although intraepithelial T-lymphocytes were decreased in group A compared to group C (p = 0.002), no notable alterations between groups B and C were observed. The B-lymphocytic infiltrate did not differ among the investigated groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that decreased expression of antimicrobial peptides may be considered as a potential pathophysiological mechanism of intestinal barrier dysfunction in liver cirrhosis, while remodeling of gut-associated lymphoid tissue as an acquired immune response to bio-pathogens remains an open field to illuminate.

Treatment engagement in the early phase of cognitive-behavior therapy for panic disorder: A grounded theory analysis of patient experience.

Exposure-based cognitive-behavior therapy (EBCBT) is the treatment of choice for panic disorder (PD). However, little is known about early treatment processes that facilitate retention in treatment and positive outcomes of PD treatment. We studied the development of early treatment process with semi-structured individual in-depth interviews with 12 patients with PD, conducted post session 3. Grounded theory was used to analyze the transcripts. The development of early treatment process was captured by four thematic categories: approaching the problem, easing in and opening up, building trust and bonding, and making sense of panic. The developmental scheme culminated to the core category: Jointly Engaging in PD Therapy versus Awaiting Relief, capturing early engagement or disengagement from PD therapy respectively. The emergent core category was cross-validated against distal treatment outcome. Emergent processes can be replicated and incorporated in early treatment procedures of EBCBT for PD. Clinical practice recommendations are discussed.

Large Energy Barrier and Magnetization Hysteresis at 5 K for a Symmetric {Dy2} Complex with Spherical Tricapped Trigonal Prismatic DyIII Ions.

The introduction of the Schiff base ligand N-salicylidene-2-amino-5-chlorobenzoic acid (sacbH2) in 4f-metal chemistry has afforded a new dinuclear complex, [Dy2(NO3)4(sacbH)2(H2O)2(MeCN)2] (1), with the metal ions adopting a rare spherical tricapped trigonal prismatic coordination geometry. The deprotonated phenoxido O atoms of the organic chelate occupy the axial triangular faces of the prism and were found to be very close to the main anisotropy axes of the two DyIII ions. As a result, the {DyIII2} compound exhibits frequency- and temperature-dependent out-of-phase ac signals below ∼25 K in the absence of a static dc field, yielding an energy barrier of 109.3(1) K for the reversal of magnetization. Fast and efficient quantum tunneling of magnetization, attributed to the strong tails of signals below ∼15 K, was suppressed through the application of a small dc field, yielding entirely visible χM″ signals below 27 K. Single-crystal magnetic hysteresis studies confirmed the single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior of 1; the hysteresis loops appear at temperatures below ∼5 K, which is one of the highest blocking temperatures in the field of 4f-SMMs to date. This joint magneto-structural and ab initio study demonstrates the ability of more common coordination numbers (i.e., 9), but with rare coordination geometries (i.e., spherical tricapped trigonal prismatic), to promote axiality that enhances the molecular anisotropy and subsequently the magnetization dynamics of the system.

How Does the Amount and Composition of PM Deposited on Platanus acerifolia Leaves Change Across Different Cities in Europe?

Particulate matter (PM) deposited on Platanus acerifolia tree leaves has been sampled in the urban areas of 28 European cities, over 20 countries, with the aim of testing leaf deposited particles as indicator of atmospheric PM concentration and composition. Leaves have been collected close to streets characterized by heavy traffic and within urban parks. Leaf surface density, dimensions, and elemental composition of leaf deposited particles have been compared with leaf magnetic content, and discussed in connection with air quality data. The PM quantity and size were mainly dependent on the regional background concentration of particles, while the percentage of iron-based particles emerged as a clear marker of traffic-related pollution in most of the sites. This indicates that Platanus acerifolia is highly suitable to be used in atmospheric PM monitoring studies and that morphological and elemental characteristics of leaf deposited particles, joined with the leaf magnetic content, may successfully allow urban PM source apportionment.

Growth interactions and antilisterial effects of the bacteriocinogenic Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris M104 and Enterococcus faecium KE82 strains in thermized milk in the presence or absence of a commercial starter culture.

Traditional Greek cheeses are often produced from thermized milk (TM) with the use of commercial starter cultures (CSCs), which may not inhibit growth of Listeria monocytogenes completely. Therefore, this study evaluated the behavior of an artificial L. monocytogenes contamination in commercially TM (63 °C; 30 s) inoculated with a CSC plus Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis M104 and/or Enterococcus faecium KE82, two indigenous strains producing nisin A and enterocin A and B, respectively. Inoculation treatments included TM with the CSC only, and TM without the CSC but with strain M104 alone, or combined with strain KE82. All treatments were incubated at 37 °C for 6 h followed by 66 h at 18 °C. L. monocytogenes grew by 0.66-1.24 log cfu/ml at 37 °C, whereas its further growth at 18 °C was retarded, suppressed, or accompanied by different inactivation rates, depending on each TM treatment. Strain M104 caused the greatest inactivation, whereas the CSC per se was the least effective treatment. Strain KE82 assisted the CSC in controlling pathogen growth at 37 °C, whereas both reduced the nisin A-mediated antilisterial activity of strain M104. Overall, the most 'balanced' treatment against L. monocytogenes was CSC+M104+KE82. Hence, this starter/co-starter combination may be utilized in traditional Greek cheese technologies.

Pre-emptive intrathecal vancomycin therapy reduces external ventricular drain infection: a single centre retrospective case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: External ventricular drain (EVD)-related infection is a significant source of morbidity in neurosurgical patients. Recently, there has been a drive to adopt new catheters with bactericidal properties to reduce infection rates. We propose that the use of standard catheters combined with pre-emptive intrathecal vancomycin (ITV) 10 mg daily provides an effective alternative. DESIGN: Retrospective study of all patients with EVDs between 2010 and 2012, comparing infection rates in those who did and did not receive pre-emptive ITV. All EVDs were of the standard silicon catheter type. CSF infection was defined, as per Centre for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, as clinical suspicion ± positive CSF gram stain/culture or leucocytosis. Infection rates were compared using Pearson's chi-squared test. RESULTS: 262 EVDs were included in the study, of which 111 were managed with pre-emptive ITV. The infection rate was 2.7% in the vancomycin group and 11.9% in the control group (p<.01). There were no cases of vancomycin-resistant infection in either group. CONCLUSION: The use of pre-emptive ITV is associated with a significantly lower EVD infection rate. This compares favourably with those reported in the literature for bactericidal catheters.

Microbial Quality of and Biochemical Changes in Fresh Soft, Acid-Curd Xinotyri Cheese Made from Raw or Pasteurized Goat's Milk.

The microbiological quality of and changes in the main physicochemical parameters, together with the evolution of proteolysis, lipolysis and volatile profiles of soft Xinotyri, a traditional Greek acid-curd cheese (pH≈4.4, moisture 65%, salt 1%) made from raw (RMC) or pasteurized (PMC) goat's milk without starters, were evaluated during aerobic storage at 4 oC for 60 days. No statistically significant differences between the total nitrogen (TN) and nitrogen fraction (% of TN) contents, the degradation of intact αs- or ß-caseins, total free amino acid (FAA) contents, and the ratio of hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides in the water-soluble fraction of RMC and PMC were found. Threonine, alanine and lysine were the principal FAAs. Oleic, palmitic, capric and caprylic acids, and ethyl hexonate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, ethanol, 3-methyl butanol, phenyl ethyl alcohol and acetone were the most abundant free fatty acids and volatile compounds, respectively. Cheese lipolysis evolved slowly at 4 oC, and milk pasteurization had no significant effect on it. Mesophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were predominant in fresh cheese samples. PMC samples had significantly lower levels of enterococci and enterobacteria than RMC samples, while yeasts grew at similar levels during storage at 4 oC. All cheese samples (25 g) were free of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. Coagulase--positive staphylococci exceeded the 5-log safety threshold in fresh RMC samples, whereas they were suppressed (<100 CFU/g) in all PMC samples. Consequently, pasteurization of raw goat milk's and utilization of commercially defined or natural mesophilic LAB starters are recommended for standardizing the biochemical, microbial and safety qualities of fresh soft Xinotyri cheese.

Recycling of typical supercapacitor materials.

A simple, facile and low-cost method for recycling of supercapacitor materials is proposed. This process aims to recover some fundamental components of a used supercapacitor, namely the electrolyte salt tetraethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF4) dissolved in an aprotic organic solvent such as acetonitrile (ACN), the carbonaceous material (activated charcoal, carbon nanotubes) purified, the current collector (aluminium foil) and the separator (paper) for further utilization. The method includes mechanical shredding of the supercapacitor in order to reduce its size, and separation of aluminium foil and paper from the carbonaceous resources containing TEABF4 by sieving. The extraction of TEABF4 from the carbonaceous material was based on its solubility in water and subsequent separation through filtering and distillation. A cyclic voltammetry curve of the recycled carbonaceous material revealed supercapacitor behaviour allowing a potential reutilization. Furthermore, as BF4(-) stemming from TEABF4 can be slowly hydrolysed in an aqueous environment, thus releasing F(-) anions, which are hazardous, we went on to their gradual trapping with calcium acetate and conversion to non-hazardous CaF2.

Western blot expression of 5-lipoxygenase in the brain from striped dolphins (stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) with or without encephalitis/meningo-encephalitis of infectious nature.

Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV), Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella ceti are pathogens of major concern for wild cetaceans. Although a more or less severe encephalitis/meningo-encephalitis may occur in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) infected by the aforementioned agents, almost no information is available on the neuropathogenesis of brain lesions, including the neuronal and non-neuronal cells targeted during infection, along with the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. We analyzed 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) expression in the brain of 11 striped dolphins and 5 bottlenose dolphins, affected or not by encephalitic lesions of various degrees associated with DMV, T. gondii and B. ceti. All the 8 striped dolphins with encephalitis showed a more consistent 5-LOX expression than that observed in the 3 striped dolphins showing no morphologic evidence of brain lesions, with the most prominent band intensity being detected in a B. ceti-infected animal. Similar results were not obtained in T. gondii-infected vs T. gondii-uninfected bottlenose dolphins. Overall, the higher 5-LOX expression found in the brain of the 8 striped dolphins with infectious neuroinflammation is of interest, given that 5-LOX is a putative marker for neurodegeneration in human patients and in experimental animal models. Therefore, further investigation on this challenging issue is also needed in stranded cetaceans affected by central neuropathies.

Processes discriminating adaptive and maladaptive Internet use among European adolescents highly engaged online.

Today adolescents are highly engaged online. Contrary to common concern, not all highly engaged adolescents develop maladaptive patterns of internet use. The present qualitative study explored the experiences, patterns and impact of use of 124 adolescents (M(age) = 16.0) reporting signs of internet addictive behaviors. The focus was to discern adaptive and maladaptive use patterns, which promote or interfere with adolescents' development, respectively. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in seven European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Germany, Romania, Netherlands and Iceland) and qualitatively analyzed using grounded theory. Considerable variability emerged in the way adolescents satisfied their personal needs online and offline, in the experienced impact from high online engagement and functional value ascribed to the internet, and in the self-regulatory processes underlying use. Variability in these discriminating processes was linked to adaptive or maladaptive adolescent internet use patterns. The emerged processes can provide direction for designing prevention and intervention programs promoting adaptive use.

The career aspirations of adolescents with eating disorders: an exploratory study and suggested links to adolescent self-concept development.

The health effects of eating disorders (EDs) in adolescence have been widely studied, but their impact on present adolescent psychosocial adjustment and development have been overseen. This study aimed to investigate the association between EDs and career aspirations in middle adolescence. The participants were 147 adolescents diagnosed with EDs. Participants reported on their future career aspirations, and these were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Education of 1997. Of the participants, 83 adolescents were followed up longitudinally, and their aspirations were reassessed and compared for stability across the two assessments. Moreover, participants' career aspirations were compared to those of healthy (non-ED) best-friend controls. Health-related and social-behavioral science careers were chosen significantly more by adolescents with an ED as compared to their non-ED counterparts. For adolescents with an ED, career choices were consistent across reassessments. These findings suggest that adolescents with an ED gravitate toward careers associated with their pathology, namely, both facets of their mind-body pathology. This finding may indicate restricted identity development for adolescents with an ED. Suggestions for treatments protocols to include identity exploration are discussed.

Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis for the Geographic Origin Discrimination of Greek Beans "Gigantes-Elefantes" (Phaseolus coccineus L.).

Adulteration of high-value agricultural products is a critical issue worldwide for consumers and industries. Discrimination of the geographical origin can verify food authenticity by reducing risk and detecting adulteration. Between agricultural products, beans are a very important crop cultivated worldwide that provides food rich in iron and vitamins, especially for people in third-world countries. The aim of this study is the construction of a map of the locally characteristic isotopic fingerprint of giant beans, "Fasolia Gigantes-Elefantes PGI", a Protected Geographical Indication product cultivated in the region of Kastoria and Prespes, Western Macedonia, Greece, with the ultimate goal of the discrimination of beans from the two areas. In total, 160 samples were collected from different fields in the Prespes region and 120 samples from Kastoria during each cultivation period (2020-2021 and 2021-2022). The light element (C, N, and S) isotope ratios were measured using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), and the results obtained were analyzed using chemometric techniques, including a one-way ANOVA and Binomial logistic regression. The mean values from the one-way ANOVA were δ15NAIR = 1.875‱, δ13CV-PDB = -25.483‱, and δ34SV-CDT = 4.779‱ for Kastoria and δ15NAIR = 1.654‱, δ13CV-PDB = -25.928‱, and δ34SV-CDT = -0.174‱ for Prespes, and showed that stable isotope ratios of C and S were statistically different for the areas studied while the Binomial logistic regression analysis that followed correctly classified more than 78% of the samples.

Insecticide resistant mosquitoes remain thermal stress resistant, without loss of thermal plasticity.

A major component of mosquito's climate change response is their heat tolerance, and any ability to rapidly adjust to extreme environmental conditions through phenotypic plasticity. The excessive use of insecticides for the control of major mosquito species leads to resistant populations, however it is largely unclear if this concurrently impacts thermal stress resistance and their potential to adjust tolerance via phenotypic plasticity. Culex pipiens pipiens, Culex pipiens molestus and Aedes albopictus populations obtained from the same region were subjected for 12 generations to selection trials to larvicides Diflubenzuron (DFB) and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) to develop insecticide resistance. Adults emerging from the selected populations were acclimated at different temperatures and the upper and lower critical thermal limits (CTmax and CTmin) were estimated using dynamic thermal assays. In addition, the supercooling points (SCPs) of non-acclimated adults of resistant and control populations were determined. Our results revealed marked differences in thermal response among the three species, the different acclimation regimes and sexes. Aedes albopictus was more resistant in high than low temperatures compared to both Culex pipiens biotypes. Culex forms responded similarly to heat but differently to cold stress. In both forms, females responded better than males to all thermal stressors. Acclimation at higher and lower temperatures improves CTmax and CTmin values, respectively in both insecticide resistant and control populations of all three species. Overall, selection to insecticides did not affect the thermal performance of adults. Hence, insecticide-resistant mosquito populations perform similarly to untreated ones and are capable of readily adapting to new environmental changes rising concerns regarding their geographic range expansion and disease transmission globally.

Effect of water salinity on immature performance and lifespan of adult Asian tiger mosquito.

BACKGROUND: Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) is a vector for pathogens like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Its adaptive capacity enables reproduction in temperate climates and development mainly in artificial containers with fresh water in urbanized areas. Nevertheless, breeding in coastal areas may also occur along with its aggressive invasiveness. Global warming and the consequent rise in sea levels will increase saline (> 30 ppt) or brackish (0.5-30 ppt salt) water in coastal regions. To address whether Ae. albopictus can breed in brackish water, we initiated the current study that analyses the survival of immature stages at different salinity concentrations and explores whether carryover effects occur in the resulting adults. This possible adaptation is important when considering the potential for development in new habitats and expansion of one of the world's most invasive species. METHODS: We investigated the influence of salinity on the survival of Ae. albopictus larvae and adults under laboratory-controlled conditions. First instar larvae were exposed to different salinity concentrations (0 to 30 ppt) and their development time, pupation, adult emergence, and overall survival were monitored daily. We used Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models to analyze the survival rates at different salinity levels. Furthermore, life tables were constructed under each salinity concentration. RESULTS: Increasing salt concentrations significantly increased the mortality risk during immature development, while no significant effect was observed on adult mortality risk. A comparison between distilled and bottled water revealed a notable increase in overall mortality risk for individuals developing in distilled water. However, no significant effects were found when analyzing survival from the first larval stage to adult emergence and adult lifespan. The life expectancy of immature stages decreased with increasing salt concentrations, although salinity concentration did not significantly impact adult life expectancy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that Ae. albopictus, previously considered freshwater species, can successfully develop and survive in brackish waters, even in the absence of characteristic structures found in euryhaline species. These adaptations may enable Ae. albopictus to establish new breeding sites and colonize unexplored territories. Knowledge of these physiological adaptations of Ae. albopictus to salinity should be pursued to increase the range of control of the species, and to make more accurate predictions of its dispersal and vectoring ability.

Multi-Elemental Analysis and Geographical Discrimination of Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" Beans Utilizing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Machine Learning Models.

Greek giant beans, also known as "Gigantes Elefantes" (elephant beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L.,) are a traditional and highly cherished culinary delight in Greek cuisine, contributing significantly to the economic prosperity of local producers. However, the issue of food fraud associated with these products poses substantial risks to both consumer safety and economic stability. In the present study, multi-elemental analysis combined with decision tree learning algorithms were investigated for their potential to determine the multi-elemental profile and discriminate the origin of beans collected from the two geographical areas. Ensuring the authenticity of agricultural products is increasingly crucial in the global food industry, particularly in the fight against food fraud, which poses significant risks to consumer safety and economic stability. To ascertain this, an extensive multi-elemental analysis (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, Se, Sr, Ta, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr) was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Bean samples originating from Kastoria and Prespes (products with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status) were studied, focusing on the determination of elemental profiles or fingerprints, which are directly related to the geographical origin of the growing area. In this study, we employed a decision tree algorithm to classify Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" beans based on their multi-elemental composition, achieving high performance metrics, including an accuracy of 92.86%, sensitivity of 87.50%, and specificity of 96.88%. These results demonstrate the model's effectiveness in accurately distinguishing beans from different geographical regions based on their elemental profiles. The trained model accomplished the discrimination of Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" beans from Kastoria and Prespes, with remarkable accuracy, based on their multi-elemental composition.