The purpose of this paper is to utilize adaptive dynamic programming to solve an optimal consensus problem for double-integrator multi-agent systems with completely unknown dynamics. In double-integrator multi-agent systems, flocking algorithms that neglect agents' inertial effect can cause unstable group behavior. Despite the fact that an inertias-independent protocol exists, the design of its control law is decided by dynamics and inertia. However, inertia in reality is difficult to measure accurately, therefore, the control gain in the consensus protocol was solved by developing adaptive dynamic programming to enable the double-integrator systems to ensure the consensus of the agents in the presence of entirely unknown dynamics. Firstly, we demonstrate in a typical example how flocking algorithms that ignore the inertial effect of agents can lead to unstable group behavior. And even though the protocol is independent of inertia, the control gain depends quite strongly on the inertia and dynamic of the agent. Then, to address these shortcomings, an online policy iteration-based adaptive dynamic programming is designed to tackle the challenge of double-integrator multi-agent systems without dynamics. Finally, simulation results are shown to prove how effective the proposed approach is.

Allergic diseases were recently reported related to both SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 through observational studies. However, their causal relationship remains unclear. Herein, we performed univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MR) studies to investigate the causal association between various allergic diseases and COVID-19. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summaries were used in this study, with 360838 participants in the allergic disease database, 455449 in asthma, 217914 in allergic rhinitis (AR), and 205764 in atopic dermatitis (AD). In univariate MR analysis, the allergic disease was not causally in connection with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection but have a causal protective effect on severe COVID-19. In contrast, no significant causal effect was found of SARS-CoV-2 infection/severe COVID-19 on the allergic disease. AD, mixed asthma, and childhood asthma were causal protective factors for severe COVID-19. Multivariate MR analysis further revealed the dominant role of asthma in allergic diseases and the dominance of childhood asthma in asthma subtypes. In summary, this study, based on the population genetic variation model, pointed out the protective effect of allergic diseases against severe COVID-19, which may provide some inspiration for further exploration of the pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19.

Rotavirus A (RVA) is an important cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children. This study aims to investigate the molecular epidemiology of RVA children hospitalized with AGE in Chiang Rai, Thailand in 2018-2020 by RT-PCR. Of 302 samples, RVA was detected in 11.6% (35 samples): 11.3% (19/168) in 2018-2019 and 11.9% (16/134) in 2019-2020. Surprisingly, G8P[8] was detected as the predominant genotype at 68.4% in 2018-2019 and 81.2% in 2019-2020. In addition, other genotypes were also detected, including G1P[8] (15.8%), G2P[4] (5.3%), G3P[8] (10.5%) in 2018-2019 and G9P[8] (18.8%) in 2019-2020. Analysis of genomic constellation of G8P[8] strains, represented by RVA/Human-wt/ THA/5CR11/2019/G8P[8], revealed a DS-1-like genetic backbone: G8-P[8]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H2. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 gene showed that the DS-1-like G8P[8] strains clustered in a distinct sublineage A together with 13 G8P[8] strains reported from Thailand and China, and these sublineage A G8P[8] strains contained unique amino acid substitutions in two positions (A125S and N147D) on the VP7 antigenic epitopes. Homology modeling of the VP7 capsid protein confirmed that these two amino acid changes were located on the surface exposed area of the virion. Phylogenetic trees of the VP1, VP6, NSP2, NSP3, and NSP4 genes have demonstrated that DS-1-like G8P[8] strains in the present study and 51 DS-1-like G8P[8] reference strains published formerly clustered in separate lineages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the emergence of novel DS-1-like G8P[8] strains that might have evolved genetically through reassortment events with locally or globally circulating genotypes.

Internet-based researchers (IBR) are often presented with the challenge of determining what is in the public and private domain for online ethics. Convery and Cox (2012) argue that the literature generally supports the use of informed consent in private settings but is less clear about public spaces. Thus, establishing what is public and private is increasingly relevant. The complexity in this area is that ethical guidelines vary from university to university. What is acceptable or deemed as public in one institute may be deemed up for interpretation in another.

In this letter, an attempt is made that, in low and extremely low cycle fatigue regime, applicability of the Wöhler Curve Method is examined using experimental fatigue data from the literature. The conclusion is that the Wöhler Curve Method is well suitable for fatigue life assessment of metallic materials in low and extremely low cycle fatigue regime.

China has just lifted its zero-Covid policy and made it more relaxed, which suggests the end of zero-Covid globally. Vietnam is one of a few countries that implemented zero-Covid at the very beginning, yet we decided to abandon it much sooner. Consequently, a spike in cases followed just after this opening. Healthcare workers (HCW)—the frontliners—are the most harmed and vulnerable, both physically and psychologically. HCW have been playing a vital role in a successful response against multiple Covid-19 pandemics, and patient safety will obviously be in jeopardy when the well-being of HCW is neglected. Nevertheless, literature has reported the anticipated repercussions of Covid-19 on HCW, especially on their mental health and well-being, mostly due to the shortage of resources and equipment, intense work hours, and lack of support for mental health. In this paper, we report on the burden of Vietnamese HCW during the fourth wave of the pandemic, raise awareness among both the community and the authorities, and also deliver feasible solutions adapted from Vietnam. These insights can also be learned by other countries and modified based on local circumstances to help better deal with future outbreaks.

Recently, the author specifically concerned with for low-cycle fatigue (LCF) of metals. An attempt was made that the well-known Wöhler Curve Method was used to perform LCF assessment of metals. From the author’s study, it is sure that the Wöhler Curve Method is well suitable for LCF life analysis of metals, in which the stress-based intensity parameter calculation is on the basis the linear-elastic analysis. In view of the fact that medium/high cycle fatigue lives of metals is well calculated by the Wöhler Curve Method, thus from the author’s study it appears to be possible that, for low/medium/high cycle fatigue (LHCF) of metals, the Wöhler Curve Method is well suitable for fatigue life assessment. This study specifically concern with such a subject. By using a number of the fatigue test data of metals from the literature, it has been proven that, in LHCF regime, the Wöhler Curve Method and the generalized Wöhler Curve Method are well suitably used to perform the fatigue life assessment of metals under uniaxial and multiaxial loading, respectively.

Background: Enhanced safety surveillance (ESS) of seasonal influenza vaccines is required by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). ESS is conducted during each Northern Hemisphere (NH) influenza season and aims to monitor the reactogenicity of influenza vaccines early in the season. A cell culture-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVc; Flucelvax® Tetra), which has an advantage of avoiding egg-adaptive mutations that may reduce vaccine effectiveness, has been available in Europe since the 2019/20 influenza season. The objective of this manuscript is to summarize ESS activity across three seasons for QIVc in all age groups. Methods: As per EMA guidelines, an enhanced passive safety surveillance (EPSS) approach was adopted. The EPSS envisages near-real-time surveillance of adverse events (AEs) that are reported spontaneously by vaccinees. The EPSS was conducted in primary care setting in Genoa (Italy) during the seasons 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22. All AEs registered within the first 7 days following immunization were analyzed by season, type, age group and seriousness. Results: Over three seasons, a total of 3,603 QIVc exposures were recorded within EPSS. No safety signals were identified. The overall reporting rates of individual case safety reports (ICSRs) for the seasons 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 were 1.75% (18/1030), 0.48% (5/1032) and 0.40% (4/1001), respectively. The average number of AEs per ICSR was similar (range 3.3–3.8) across the three seasons. Most AEs were reactogenic in nature. The rate of AEs was similarly low in all age groups. Conclusions: These results support the favorable safety profile of QIVc in all indicated age groups.

Understanding leaf trait variation is critical for the prediction of plant responses to global climate changes. Leaf trichomes are derived from stomatal epidermal cells, which play critical roles in biotic defenses and against abiotic stress. Previous studies reported spatial variations in stomatal traits and their driving factors at the same sampling sites. However, it remains unclear how leaf trichome densities vary along large geographic gradients and whether trichomes and stomata co-vary under environmental changes. We measured the leaf trichome densities of 44 Quercus variabilis populations in situ across Eastern Asia (24 to 51.8 °N, 99 to 137 °E) and 15 populations grown in a common garden, and used structural equation modelling to evaluate their relationships with climatic factors and stomatal traits. Our results revealed that climatic factors not only had a direct effect on trichome density, but also had indirect effects on trichome density through stomatal density and leaf mass per area. Trichome density was positively correlated with stomatal density whether in situ or in the common garden, and both increased with drought, which implied that trichomes may impact stomatal behavior and both traits may co-vary under certain environmental conditions. Our results suggested that leaf trichomes possess highly adaptive variation and are in close coordination with stomata in response to climate changes. Our findings provide new insights toward elucidating the interactions between leaf traits and the adaptive strategies of plants under climate change.

Inserts of DNA from extranuclear sources, such as organelles and microbes, are common in eukaryote nuclear genomes. However, sequence similarity between the nuclear and extranuclear DNA, and a history of multiple insertions, make the assembly of these regions challenging. Consequently, the number, sequence, and location of these vagrant DNAs cannot be reliably inferred from the genome assemblies of most organisms. We introduce two statistical methods to estimate the abundance of nuclear inserts even in the absence of a nuclear genome assembly. The first (intercept method) only requires low-coverage (<1x) sequencing data, as commonly generated for population studies of organellar and ribosomal DNAs. The second method additionally requires that a subset of the individuals carry extra-nuclear DNA with diverged genotypes. We validated our intercept method using simulations and by re-estimating the frequency of human NUMTs (nuclear mitochondrial inserts). We then applied it to the grasshopper Podisma pedestris, exceptional for both its large genome size and reports of numerous NUMT inserts, estimating that NUMTs make up 0.056% of the nuclear genome, equivalent to >500 times the mitochondrial genome size. We also re-analysed a museomics dataset of the parrot Psephotellus varius, obtaining an estimate of only 0.0043%, in line with reports from other species of bird. Our study demonstrates the utility of low-coverage high-throughput sequencing data for the quantification of nuclear vagrant DNAs. Beyond quantifying organellar inserts, these methods could also be used on endosymbiont-derived sequences. We provide an R implementation of our methods called “vagrantDNA” and code to simulate test datasets.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK)-fusion sarcomas are rare, part of the emerging theoretically-targetable tyrosine-kinase RAS::MAPK-pathway fusion myopericytic-ovoid-sarcomas. We report our clinicopathologic and treatment experience with an ALK-fusion sarcoma. A novel ERC1-unaligned-ALK-fusion infiltrative nonmetastatic low-grade sarcoma of the right hand of a 15-month-old male was treated with crizotinib, an ALK tyrosine-kinase inhibitor as oral monotherapy, inducing complete radiographic and clinical resolution by 10 months and sustained response now 8 months after elective discontinuation. Crizotinib can successfully be used to treat unresectable novel ALK-fusion sarcomas.

Background: At least 5-10% of malignancies occur secondary to an underlying cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS). For patients with a CPS, cancer surveillance is recommended with the goal of identifying malignancy earlier, in a presumably more curable form. Surveillance protocols, including imaging studies, lab work, and procedures, can be complex, differing based on age, gender, and syndrome, which may adversely affect adherence. Mobile health (mHealth) applications have been utilized in the oncology field and could help to facilitate adherence to cancer surveillance protocols. Methods: Applying a user-centered mobile app design approach, patients with a CPS and/or primary caregivers were interviewed to identify current methods for care management and barriers to compliance with recommended surveillance protocols. Broad themes from these interviews informed the design of the mobile app, HomeTown, subsequently evaluated by usability experts. The design was then converted into software code in phases, evaluated by patients and caregivers in an iterative fashion. User population growth and app usage data were assessed. Results: Common themes identified include general distress surrounding surveillance protocol scheduling and results, difficulty remembering medical history, assembling a care team, and seeking resources for self-education. These themes were translated into specific functional app features including push reminders, syndrome-specific surveillance recommendations, ability to annotate visits and results, storage of medical histories, and links to reliable educational resources. Conclusions: Families with CPS demonstrate a desire for mHealth tools to facilitate adherence to cancer surveillance protocols, reduce related distress, relay medical information, and provide educational resources. HomeTown may be a useful tool for engaging this patient population.

Understanding the molecular landscape of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most common thyroid cancer in children, creates additional therapeutic approaches. RET gene rearrangements are observed in pediatric PTC and selective inhibition of RET is now possible with specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors designed to target diverse RET-activating mutations. We present a 13-year-old female with radioactive iodine-refractory metastatic PTC, found to harbor a NCOA4-RET fusion, who responded to treatment with selpercatinib with elimination of supplemental oxygen need, marked reduction in pulmonary nodules and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and substantial improvement in thyroglobulin levels. Response was maintained despite 2 dose reductions for possibly-related weight gain.

ECG is a non-invasive way of determining cardiac health by measuring the electrical activity of the heart. We investigate a novel detection technique for feature points P, QRS and T to diagnose various atrial and ventricular cardiovascular anomalies with ECG signals for ambulatory monitoring. Before the system is worthy of field trials, we validated it with several databases and recorded their response. The QRS complex detection is based on the Pan Tompkins Algorithm and difference operation method that provides positive predictivity, sensitivity and false detection rate of 99.29\%, 99.49\% and 1.29 \% respectively. Proposed novel T wave detection provides sensitivity of 97.78\%. Also, proposed P wave detection provides positive predictivity, sensitivity and false detection rate of 99.43\%, 99.4\% and 1.15\% for the control study (normal subjects) and 82.68\%, 94.3\% and 25.4\% for the case (patients with cardiac anomalies) study respectively. Disease detection such as, arrhythmia is based on standard R-R intervals while myocardial infarction is based on the ST-T deviations where the positive predictivity, sensitivity and accuracy are observed to be 94.6\%, 84.2\% and 85\%, respectively. It should be noted that, since the frontal leads are only used, the anterior myocardial infarction cases are detected with the injury pattern in lead \textit{avl} and ST depression in reciprocal leads. Detection of atrial fibrillation is done for both short and long duration signals using statistical methods using interquartile range and standard deviations, giving very high accuracy, 100\% in most cases. The system hardware for obtaining the 2 lead ECG signal is designed using commercially available off the shelf components. Small field validation of the designed system is performed at a Public Health Centre in Gujarat, India with 42 patients (both cases and controls). We achieved 78.5\% accuracy during the field validation.

Abstract Myiasis is the infestation by dipteran fly larvae to feed on the host’s organs, bodily fluids, or ingested food. We report a 14 year old grade 7 female patient who visited our hospital with a complaint of right ear pain of two years duration. Keywords: Otomyiasis, myiasis, aural myiasis, adult

Splenic hematoma following an acute pancreatitis is a rare complication which is thought to be due to the distribution of pancreatic exudates to the spleen. We presented a case of a 44-year-old patient with acute pancreatitis who developed splenic hematoma. He responded well to conservative management and the hematoma resolved.

We carried out 3-D simulations of monodisperse particle suspensions subjected to a constant shear rate with the view to investigate the effect of electrical double layers around the particles on apparent suspension viscosities. To this end, expressions for Debye length, zeta potential and ionic strength (pH) of the liquid were incorporated into our in-house lattice Boltzmann code that uses the Immersed Boundary method and includes sub-grid lubrication models. We varied the solids concentration and particle radius, keeping the particle Reynolds number equal to 0.1. We report on results with respect to the effect of pH (in the range 9 through 12) and Debye length on apparent viscosity and spatial suspension structures, particularly at higher solids volume fractions, and on the effect of flow reversals.

The use of endocardial pacing in patients with univentricular hearts is limited. However, it may be the better option when the risk of surgery is high. We report a case of complete heart block who underwent left ventricular endocardial pacing due to the high risk of epicardial lead placement.

Background: The global spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a significant disease burden, yet asthma patients do not have the expected high morbidity and mortality rates in the pandemics of COVID-19. Objective:To find the difference of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in asthma and non-asthma children and evaluate the effect of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on its expression. Methods: The ACE2, immunoglobulin E (IgE) and eosinophils were tested in different children. Results: A total of 157 children aged 3-16 years were enrolled. The expression of ACE2 in asthma children were lower than non-asthma children (T=-2.512, P=0.013). Allergic non-asthma children had a significant higher ACE2 expression than children with allergic asthma (P=0.013) and non-allergic asthma (P=0.029). The expression of ACE2 had no significant difference between first diagnosed asthma children and that had been treated with ICS for≥6 months (F=0.028, P=0.598). The allergic asthma children showed a significantly higher Eosinophils cells (EC) count than the allergic non-asthma (W=200, P＜0.001) and non-allergic non-asthma children (W=1089, P＜0.001). Non-allergic asthma children also had a significant higher EC count than the allergic non-asthma (W=182.5, P＜0.001) and non-allergic non-asthma (W= 200.5, P＜0.001) children. There was no significant difference in IgE levels between asthmatic children and non-asthmatic children (W=2792.5, P= 0.18). Conclusion: Circulating ACE2 levels in asthmatic children were lower than those in non-asthmatic children and ICS treatment for ≥6 months did not affect the expression of ACE2 in peripheral blood in the asthma children.

15 16 Wang et al (2022) undertook an evaluation of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) 17 model on 134 USLE runoff and soil loss plots. Wang et al did not compare the capacities of 18 WEPP and USLE based models to predict soil loss. The importance of doing that on bare 19 fallow plots is illustrated here. Data from comparisons of WEPP, RUSLE2, and the USLE-M 20 undertaken by Kinnell (2017) demonstrated that both RUSLE2 and the USLE-M predicted 21 event soil losses on 4 historic bare fallow USLE plots in the USA better than WEPP. It is 22 apparent that because WEPP is a steady state model designed to model event soil loss for 23 ridged tillage cultivation, WEPP is in not well suited to predicting event soil losses from bare 24 fallow plots that are planar with rills occurring in some storms but not all storms.. Given that 25 calibrated WEPP does not model event soil losses on bare fallow USLE plots better than 26 either RUSLE2 or the USLE-M, the fundamental ability of WEPP to model event erosion 27 under natural rainfall must be questioned at this time. 28 29 30 Keywords: WEPP; RUSLE2; USLE-M; calibration; natural rainfall 31 32 33 2

Key Points: 13 • Mantle flow leads to inwardly convergent tractions around the edges of cratons, 14 and compressive stresses within. 15 • Convergent tractions result from the downward diversion of mantle flow. 16 • This convective self-compression could help stabilize older lithosphere against con-17 vective erosion. Abstract 19 Despite being exposed to convective stresses for much of the Earth's history, cratonic roots 20 appear capable of resisting mantle shearing. This tectonic stability can be attributed to 21 the neutral density and higher strength of cratons. However, the excess thickness of cra-22 tons and their higher viscosity amplify coupling to underlying mantle flow, which could 23 be destabilizing. To investigate the stresses that a convecting mantle exerts on cratons 24 that are both strong and thick, we developed instantaneous global spherical numerical 25 models that incorporate present-day geoemetry of cratons within active mantle flow. Our 26 results show that mantle flow is diverted downward beneath thick and viscous cratonic 27 roots, giving rise to a ring of elevated and inwardly-convergent tractions along a craton's 28 periphery. These tractions induce regional compressive stress regimes within cratonic in-29 teriors. Such compression could serve to stabilize older continental lithosphere against 30 mantle shearing, thus adding an additional factor that promotes cratonic longevity. 31 Plain Language Summary 32 Cratons are the oldest continental relicts on Earth. Due to plate tectonics and man-33 tle convection, many non-cratonic rocks get recycled. However, cratons have escaped tec-34 tonic recycling, and some have remained stable for more than ∼ 3 billion years. Previ-35 ous studies have shown that cratons' high strength and neutral buoyancy provide them 36 with tectonic stability. Here we show that the deep roots of cratons also help to stabi-37 lize them. This is because mantle flow is deflected downward beneath thick cratonic roots, 38 and this deflection generates a ring of inwardly-directed forces around the edges of the 39 craton. These inward forces compress the craton interior. Such self-induced compressive 40 stresses may further help to stabilize Earth's oldest lithosphere. 41

The idea of e-flows emerged as a result of the efforts to lessen the effects of river flow alterations. The role of e-flows in ecosystem protection and water resources management isn’t yet fully understood and practiced. This review summarizes the historical evolution of the concept and recaps the assessment methods; analyze impacts of river flow alterations, and identifying gaps in the focus of e-flows researches. A total of 303 articles published since 2010 were collected and assessed. Most of the publications are focused on describing the effects and management of river flow alterations. According to the findings of this meta-analysis, less attention is given for basin scale, social, policy aspects of e-flows. Moreover, the role, importance, and influence of groundwater in the e-flows is given minor attention.

Here, the blood vessel shape was accurately measured to evaluate the viscoelastic properties of the radial artery. For a robust measurement, the shape parameters of the elliptical blood vessel were determined by integrating brightness over the entire vessel instead of using the brightness gradient at the vessel boundary. The usefulness of the proposed method was demonstrated via simulations and in vivo experiments. The obtained results exhibited considerable potential for estimating the viscoelastic properties of elliptically deformed blood vessels.

I am not sure this editorial comment deserves an abstract. Plesae advise.