Leptospirosis is an emerging acute zoonotic infection caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira, with a high prevalence in tropical and subtropical countries. According to the Ministry of Public Health's database on leptospirosis cases during the years 2023- 2020, the year with the highest number of reported cases was 2022 with 240 cases, followed by 2023 with 222 cases. Regarding gender, the highest number of leptospirosis cases reported during the study period was male, and the average age was between 29 and 39 years. The department with the highest number of cases reported in 2023 was Antioquia with 38 cases, followed by Tolima, Bogotá, Santander, and Cundinamarca. In 2022, the department with the highest number of cases was Huila, followed by Antioquia, Tolima, Santander, and Risaralda. While in 2021 and 2020, the department with the highest incidence was Antioquia, followed by Tolima and Bogota. The occurrence of leptospirosis is significantly associated with several host characteristics, such as male gender and working age group; social and environmental determinants remain the main variables.
Urban green spaces play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and enhancing human well-being in densely populated cities. This study examines the ecological and social benefits of urban parks in three major cities across different continents. By analyzing vegetation cover, species diversity, and public health data, we aim to understand the relationship between green spaces and ecosystem services. The findings suggest that well-maintained urban parks contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation and offer substantial health benefits to urban residents. Strategies for improving urban green space management are discussed.
This study explores the significance of mycorrhizal networks in improving drought resilience among temperate forest ecosystems. By analyzing soil samples and plant health indicators across different forest regions, we aim to understand how these networks contribute to water and nutrient uptake during drought conditions. The research employs both field studies and advanced molecular techniques to assess the diversity and functionality of mycorrhizal fungi. Our findings suggest that mycorrhizal associations play a critical role in maintaining forest health and biodiversity under climate change scenarios.
The present work demonstrates a dynamic and computational modeling approach for the analysis of athletes' anthropometric data. This study focuses on improved modeling techniques based on specific measurements. It classifies and compares different types of skulls and other anthropometric classes among sportswomen. Additionally, the research examines the relationship between blood pressure, runner velocity (running time), and stature in two case studies. The findings aim to contribute to reducing the risks associated with sports activities for women.
This article is related to the experimental data regarding the ability of MRET Noise Field Generator (MRET NFG) placed at the distance of 7 feet from 'phantom head' exposed to RF phones radiation to reduce specific absorption rate (SAR) of the water based solution inside 'phantom head'. The core part of Generator is MRET polymer compound. Due to the fractal geometry structure of MRET polymer compound and the phenomenon of piezoelectricity, this polymer generates subtle, low frequency, non-coherent electromagnetic oscillations (composite noise field) that can modify RF signals as a result of superposition phenomenon. The superposition of composite noise field generated by MRET Generator on RF microwave signals leads to amplitude modulation of RF signals where random low frequency signal generated by MRET Generator is a modulating signal and original microwave signal is a modulated one. The low frequency, non-coherent electromagnetic oscillations (noise field) can affect the hydrogen lattice of the molecular structure of water and subsequently modify the electrodynamic properties of water [Smirnov 2008]. The increase of dielectric permittivity of water finally leads to reduction of the absorption rate of electromagnetic field (SAR) of the water-based jelly which simulates living tissue. The reduction of SAR values is confirmed by the research conducted at FCC certified RF Exposure Laboratory, Escondido, California. The influence of MRET Noise Field Generator signals on RF phones in this experiment does not change location of 'Hot Spot'. The 'Hot Spots' remain in the same location as without the influence of generator, and their amplitudes decrease in 80% of data points. This test also confirmed that the placement of MRET Generator at the distance of 7 feet from 'phantom head' exposed to RF phones does not significantly affect the air measurements of RF phone signals and subsequently does not lead to any significant distortion of transmitted RF signals [Moulton 2007].
Microemulsification of orange peel oil (OPO) with different surfactants (T20, T60, T80 and lecithin) and cosurfactants (ethanol, propanol and butanol) to encapsulate OPO were studied in 1:1 surfactant:cosurfactant ratio and their phase diagrams were constructed. The monophase microemulsion regions were analysed by viscosity and conductivity measurements. The particle sizes of microemulsions were determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS). It was found that microemulsion forming ability of OPO was dependent to the surfactant and cosurfactant type. Between the surfactants, T60 and T80 exhibited the highest ability in forming microemulsion with OPO. The conductivity measurements of microemulsion systems showed that the conductivity of the microemulsions depends upon water content and O/W microemulsions formed at higher water content. The viscosity results showed that the viscosity of the solutions increased at first and then showed a sharp declining. Dynamic light scattering results showed that the particle sizes of the OPO capsules in O/W microemulsions with 1% wt. oil were less than 20 nm. It can be concluded that T60 is a good surfactant in terms of OPO entrapment in an aqueous solution as it gave the broadest region of O/W microemulsion.
Genetic algorithm and partial least square (GA-PLS), kernel PLS (GA-KPLS) and Levenberg-Marquardt artificial neural network (L-M ANN) techniques were used to investigate the correlation between capacity factor (k') and descriptors for 40 nanoparticle compounds which obtained by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) stationary phases consisting of thin films of gold-centered monolayer protected nanoparticles (MPNs) system. The applied internal (leave-group-out cross validation (LGO-CV)) and external (test set) validation methods were used for the predictive power of models. The correlation coefficient LGO-CV (Q2) between experimental and predicted k' for training set by GA-PLS, GA-KPLS and L-M ANN was 0.872, 0.931 and 0.981, respectively. This indicates that L-M ANN can be used as an alternative modeling tool for quantitative structure–retention relationship (QSRR) studies.
Urbanization is an ongoing global phenomenon that significantly alters natural habitats and ecosystems. This research examines the effects of urban expansion on native plant species in coastal regions, focusing on biodiversity loss, habitat fragmentation, and changes in species composition. Using a combination of field surveys and remote sensing data, the study evaluates the ecological consequences of urban infrastructure development on plant communities. The findings highlight the critical need for sustainable urban planning to preserve native flora and maintain ecological balance.
