Two experiments were conducted for the objective of isolating and characterizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from elephant grass and using selected strains as inoculants in elephant grass to enhance its quality as silage. A total of 156 LAB strains were identified in the different periods (0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days). The main LAB present during the fermentation period were Weissella cibaria at day 1, W. paramesenteroides at day 3, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and L. pentosus after the 7th day of fermentation. For inoculation in elephant grass, three strains (L. plantarum 28.19, L. pentosus 28.22 and Lacticaseibacillus casei 28.26) were selected. There was a significant effect of inoculant × period interaction on all silage variables analysed, except for the mould population, which was affected only by fermentation period. At the beginning of fermentation (day 1), silages inoculated with the strains L. plantarum, L. pentosus, and Lc. casei had significantly lower pH compared to the control and commercial inoculant treatments silages. The LAB population in the silages did not differ significantly during the fermentation period, except on days 1 and 7. Silages inoculated with the selected strains had significantly higher crude protein concentrations compared to the control silage. Therefore, selected strains of LAB showed promise for producing better quality elephant grass silage.

The threat of emergency measures introduced in face of COVID-19 has largely been framed in terms of individual rights. We argue that it is not the protection of the sovereign individual that is most at stake, but the relations between political subjects and the institutions that enable their robust political participation. Drawing on Hannah Arendt's analysis of the ways in which isolation and the incapacity to discern truth or reality condition totalitarianism and are exacerbated by it, we argue that the dangers for the evacuation of democratic politics are stark in our era. We consider contemporary political action in concert in Germany to illustrate this critique of COVID-19 emergency measures. Drawing on the legal concept of “appropriateness,” we explicate how the German critical response to the shutdown is founded on a concern for democratic principles and institutions, and aims to achieve two crucial goals: governmental transparency and social-political solidarity.

Demographic changes in rates of living alone, migration, and having no living partner, spouse, or children are leaving more older adults without the typical uncompensated familial and non-familial care partners that are the backbone of long-term care provision. We aimed to understand the precarities and outcomes specifically experienced by older adults without care partners to inform future intervention development. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and PRISMA-ScR protocol, we conducted a scoping review of nine databases to map the current peer-reviewed evidence regarding these indivdiduals’ precarities, outcomes, and interventions using the Health Equity Promotion Model (HEPM) as our guiding framework. Our comprehensive search strategy resulted in 5,100 unique articles, 33 of which met our inclusion criteria. Three independent reviewers screened and extracted data, and the first author used deductive content analysis with the pre-specified HEPM framework. Fifteen studies reported precarities related to environmental/structural forces, and psychological, social, behavioral, and biological processes. Twenty-four studies reported adverse health and well-being outcomes with more focus on health than well-being outcomes (19 versus 8). Four studies tested interventions, and reported environmental/structural, social, and behavioral processes and health and well-being outcomes. Only 13 of the 33 reviewed studies set out to explicitly study older adults without care partners, and no studies focused on marginalized sub-groups. This scoping review highlights our lack of understanding of older adults without care partners’ distinctive precarities and outcomes, and the vital research needed to develop and test interventions that effectively address their unique needs.

Within this study, an optimized ultra-wideband (UWB) multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna incorporating band-rejection features is introduced for wireless application. The proposed design comprises four circular single-element antenna units that are designed on a Rogers RT/duroid 5880 (tm) support material having an overall size of 80 × 80 × 0.8 mm3 or 0.72λ0 × 0.72λ0 × 0.0072λ0 (λ0 is the free-space wavelength at lowest frequency 2.7 GHz) and positioned perpendicularly. To enhance isolation, cross-shaped extensions are incorporated. Measurement results indicate that this antenna demonstrates an impedance bandwidth of −10 dB, spanning from 2.7 to 11.67 GHz (125%) and penta-notched filters for 3.2–4.0 GHz, 4.49–5.05 GHz, 5.56–6.16 GHz, 8.23–8.56 GHz, and 10.29–11.53 GHz. The presented antenna is capable of filtering signals from WiMAX (3.3–3.7 GHz), N79 band (4.8–4.9 GHz), WLAN downlink (5.725–5.825 GHz), ITU-R (8.275–8.5 GHz) and Ku-band downlink (10.7–11.2 GHz). The antenna exhibits envelope correlation coefficients (ECC) below 0.04 and provides isolation superior to 20 dB. Experimental results indicate that the simulated characteristics closely match the measured ones. The developed MIMO antenna demonstrates strong suitability for ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless communication applications.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes infection in birds and mammals (terrestrial and marine), both domestic and wild. The state of Tabasco has favourable climatic and ecological conditions for the replication and dissemination of this parasite. Therefore, the aim of this study was to isolate and genotype T. gondii from free-range chickens in this region of México by PCR-RFLP of 15 genetic markers. A total of 12 chickens were obtained from 7 municipalities. Serological survey by the modified agglutination test (MAT) of chicken serum samples revealed that 9 out of the 12 chickens (75%) tested had antibodies against T. gondii (titres ≥ 1:10). Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected by PCR in tissues from 8 out of the 12 chickens. Twelve viable strains of T. gondii were isolated from the heart and brain samples of eight chickens by bioassay in mice. Genetic characterization of tachyzoite-derived DNA was performed using 10 multilocus RFLP-PCR genotyping markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico) and five virulence-related markers (CS3, ROP5, ROP16, ROP17 and ROP18). A total of 6 ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotypes were identified, including #8 (also known as Type BrIII), #28, #38, and 3 new genotypes designated as #344, #345 and #346. Combination of ROP18/ROP5 alleles were 1/3, 3/3 and 4/3. ToxoDB #344 and #345 genotypes also had a new allele at the ROP5 locus. These results suggest high genetic diversity of T. gondii in southeastern México.

This paper elaborates the design and analysis of cross-aperture-coupled twin port ceramic radiator. Stimulation of alumina ceramic using a cross slot helps to produce circular waves within 7.35–7.8 GHz. The polarization diversity concept helps to improve the separation level by above 25 dB. Loading of double negative unit cell made metasurface (MS) improves the antenna gain over 11.5 dBi within the working spectrum. Machine learning (ML) techniques, i.e. Decision Tree and Random Forest are utilized to predict the |S11|/Axial ratio parameters. Experimental verification/ML prediction and optimized simulated consequences confirm that the structured radiator works efficiently between 7.21 and 8.2 GHz with over 25 dB isolation between the ports. Directive pattern and decent values of (MIMO) parameters make the radiator applicable for the 6G communication system.

To understand the requirements of animals their calls can be analysed. This potentially enables specific and more precise individual care under different emotional and physiological conditions. This study was conducted to identify three different conditions (oestrus, delayed milking and isolation) of buffaloes based on vocalization patterns. A total of 600 acoustic samples of buffaloes for each condition were collected under different conditions consisting of 300 records for confirming and 300 for non-confirming of a particular condition. Important acoustic features like amplitude (P), total energy (P2s), pitch (Hz), intensity (dB), formants (Hz), number of pulses, number of periods, mean period (sec) and unvoiced frames (%) were extracted using the MFCC (mel frequency cepstrum coefficients) technique. Algorithms (model) were trained by partitioning the acoustic data into training and validation sets to develop predictive models. Three different ratios were assessed: 60%-40%, 70%-30% and 80%-20%. Decision tree models were optimized based on decision and average square error (probability) options and other parameters were set to default values of the software package to deveop the best model. The performance of algorithms was evaluated on the parameter accuracy rate. Decision tree models predicted the physiological conditions oestrus, isolation and delayed milking with an accuracy of 66.1, 84.3 and 71.3%, respectively, while the logistic regression model predicted with an accuracy rate of 59.5, 71.1 and 65.7%, respectively, and the artificial neural network (ANN) model predicted these three conditions with 77.7, 85.2 and 79.4% accuracy, respectively. The ANN model was found to be best on the basis of minimum misclassification rate (on 80%-20% portioning). However, decision tree algorithms also provided the additional information that intensity (maximum), amplitude (minimum) and formant (F1) are the most important features of vocal signals to identify physiological conditions like oestrus, isolation and delayed milking respectively in dairy buffalo.

This paper presents a novel compact self-quintuplexing antenna using a half-mode substrate-integrated waveguide cavity to implement multi-operation wireless services. The proposed antenna design incorporates five triangular protrusions of different dimensions, assembled with SIW to function as the radiating elements. Each radiator supports the one-eighth mode of the SIW cavity. The resonance frequencies of radiators are 3.63, 4.44, 5.23, 6.21, and 7.05 GHz. Each radiator operates at a distinct frequency due to the differing dimensions and is independently driven by 50 Ω microstrip lines. The measured reflection coefficients and isolation among any two ports are less than −10 dB and better than 23.6 dB, respectively. The measured gains at their respective resonant frequencies are 5.66, 4.84, 5.03, 7.08, and 6.59 dBi. The front-to-back ratio is better than 8.7 dB in each band. The difference of co-to-cross-polarization is greater than 19.3 dB.