CGP do not substantially differ between initial tumor vs tumor recurrence and recurrent thymomas vs non-recurrent thymomas. Cell-cycle control genes alterations are associated with an early recurrence after thymectomy. Multiple target therapies are potentially available by performing a comprehensive CGP, suggesting that a precision medicine approach on these patients could be further explored.

Background/Objectives: With breast cancer (BC) survival improving due to optimized therapy, enhancing quality of life has become increasingly important. Both diagnosis and treatment, with their potential side effects, pose risks to mental well-being. Our study aimed to analyze the incidence and potential risk factors for mental disorders in BC patients. Methods: This retrospective analysis used claims data from AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg, including 11,553 BC patients diagnosed via ICD code C50 between 2010 and 2020 and 31,944 age-matched controls. Patients with mental disorders in the 12 months prior to diagnosis were excluded. Mental disorders were categorized into eight groups based on ICD codes: anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, adjustment disorder, dissociative disorder, hypochondriac disorder, affective disorder, mania, and other neuroses. Results: Mental disorders were significantly more common in BC patients than in controls (64.2% vs. 38.1%, p<0.01, OR 2.91). In particular, hypochondriac, anxiety, affective, and adjustment disorders occurred significantly more often in BC patients. No differences were found for mania, bipolar disease, other neuroses, obsessive-compulsive- and dissociative disorder. Furthermore, endocrine therapy was associated with psychological comorbidities (OR 1.69, p<0.001), while primarily metastasized patients (Stage C) had a lower risk than adjuvant patients in stage A (OR 0.55, p<0.0001). Regarding surgical treatment, mastectomy patients showed lower rates of mental illnesses (61.2%) than those with breast-conserving treatment (71.6%) or especially breast reconstruction (78.4%, p<0.01). Breast reconstruction was also associated with more hypochondriac (p<0.01) and adjustment disorders (p<0.01). Conclusions: So, BC patients experience significantly more mental disorders than controls, particularly, when treated with endocrine therapy and breast reconstructive surgery.

Background/Objectives: Bovine babesiosis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by ticks that causes important losses in livestock worldwide. Recent research performed on the drugs currently used to control bovine babesiosis reported several issues including drug resistance, toxicity impact, and residues in edible tissue, suggesting the need for developing novel effective therapies. The endochin-like quinolones ELQ-316 and buparvaquone (BPQ) act as cytochrome bc1 inhibitors and have been proven to be safe and efficacious against related apicomplexans, such as Plasmodium spp. and Babesia microti, without showing toxicity in mammals. The objectives of this study are investigating whether ELQ-316, BPQ and their combination treatment could be effective against Babesia bovis in an in vitro culture model, and comparing with imidocarb (ID), the routinely used drug. Methods: In vitro cultured parasites at starting 2% percentage of parasitemia (PPE) were treated with BPQ, ELQ-316, ID, and the combinations of BPQ+ ELQ-316 and ID+ ELQ-316 at drug concentrations that ranged from 25 to 1200 nM, during four consecutive days. Parasitemia levels were evaluated daily using microscopic examination. Data was compared using the independent Student's t-test and ANOVA test. Results: All drugs tested, whether used alone or in combination, significantly decreased the survival (p<0.05) of B. bovis in in vitro cultures. The combination of BPQ+ ELQ-316 had the lowest calculated inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) 31.21 nM (IC95%: 15.06 - 68.48) values, followed by BPQ, 77.06 nM (IC95%: 70.16- 86.01), ID+ELQ316 197 nM (IC95%:129.0 - 311.2), ID 635.1 nM (IC95%: 280.9 – 2119) and ELQ316 654.9 nM (IC95%: 362.3 – 1411). Conclusion: The results reinforce the higher efficacy of BPQ at affecting B. bovis survival, and the potential synergistic effects of its combination with ELQ-316, providing a promising treatment option against B. bovis.

Background: Post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a common complication associated with pancreatic resections. Early identification of this adverse event could avoid otherwise prolonged hospital stay due to clinical management and treatment of symptoms created by POPF. This retrospective study investigated the prevalence of pancreatic fistula among patients who underwent oncological pancreatic resection between August 2018 and December 2023 at Bnai-Zion Medical Center. Elevated C-reactive protein levels have been utilized as an early postoperative marker indicating the presence of inflammation due to tissue injury complication. Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prediction potential of elevated C-reactive protein levels in detecting the risk for infection created by pancreatic fistula. Methods: Demographic and clinical data was collected from medical records files of ninety-four pancreatic cancer patients’ cohort who were subjected to resection. Results: A significant increase in C-reactive protein levels was found on day three following surgery at the group of forty-six patients having developed pancreatic fistula compared to patients without pancreatic fistula (p=0.002). There was no statistical difference among the groups in any demographic characteristics (such as age, gender, BMI, smoking status, etc.) and any other clinical features (e.g. serum albumin levels, chemotherapy protocol, surgical technique, hospitalization time, lymph node involvement). Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that C-reactive protein could serve as an early biomarker for pancreatic fistula formation in patients undergoing pancreatic resection for cancer.

The artificial solar saltwork fields of Hon Khoi are important industrial and biodiversity resources in southern Vietnam. Most hypersaline environments in this area are characterized by saturated salinity, nearly neutral pH, intense ultraviolet radiation, elevated temperatures and fast desiccation processes. However, the extreme halophilic prokaryotic communities associated with these stressful environments remain uninvestigated. To fill this gap, a metabarcoding approach was conducted to characterize these communities by comparing them with solar salterns in northern Vietnam as well as with Italian salterns. Sequencing analyses revealed that the multiple reuses of crystallization ponds apparently create significant perturbations and structural instability in prokaryotic consortia. However, some interesting features were noticed when we examined the diversity of ultra-small prokaryotes belonging to Patescibacteria and DPANN Archaea. Surprisingly, we found at least five deeply branched clades, two from Patescibacteria and three from DPANN Archaea, which seem to be quite specific to Hon Khoi saltwork fields ecosystem and can be considered as a part of biogeographical connotation. Further studies are needed to characterize these uncultivated taxa, to isolate and cultivate them, which will allow us to elucidate their ecological role in these hypersaline habitats and to explore their biotechnological and biomedical potential.

Newborn screening (NBS) is hailed as a public health success, but little is known about long-term outcomes following a positive newborn screen. There has been difficulty gathering long-term follow-up (LTFU) data consistently, reliably, and with minimal effort. Six programs developed and tested a core set of minimal LTFU data elements. After an iterative data collection process and the development of a data collection tool, the group agreed on minimal LTFU data elements. The denominator captured all infants with an NBS diagnosis, accounting for children who moved or died prior to the follow-up year. They also agreed on three LTFU outcomes: if the child was still alive, had contact with a specialist, and received appropriate care specific to their diagnosis within the year. The six programs representing NBS public health programs, clinical providers, and research programs provided data across multiple NBS disorders. In 2022, 83.8% (563/672) of the children identified by the LTFU programs were alive and living in the jurisdiction; of those, 92.0% (518/563) saw a specialist, and 87.7% (494/563) received appropriate care. The core LTFU data elements can be applied as a foundation to address the impact of early diagnosis by NBS within and across jurisdictions.

A drug repositioning effort supported the possible use of the anti-HIV drug etravirine as a treatment for Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA). Etravirine increases frataxin protein and corrects the biochemical defects in cells derived from FRDA patients. Because of these findings, and since etravirine displays a favorable safety profile, we conducted this pilot open-label phase 2 clinical trial assessing the safety and potential efficacy of etravirine in FRDA patients. Thirty-five patients were stratified into 3 severity groups and randomized to etravirine 200 mg/day or 400 mg/day. They were treated for 4 months. Efficacy endpoints were represented by changes in peak oxygen uptake and workload as measured by incremental exercise test, SARA score, cardiac measures, measures of QoL and disability. Data were collected 4 months before the start of the treatment (T-4), at the start (T0), at the end (T4) and 4 months after the termination of the treatment (T+4). Etravirine was well tolerated. Etravirine completely stopped the progression of the SARA score during the 4-months treatment period, compared to the 4 months pre and post treatment. It increased peak workload, while the improvement of peak oxygen uptake was not statistically significant. No changes in the cardiac measures were observed. Health and QoL measures showed a worsening at the suspension of the drug. In this open trial etravirine significantly improved neurological function and was generally safe and reasonably tolerated. This suggests that etravirine represents a potential therapeutic agent in FRDA deserving testing in a randomized placebo controlled clinical trial.

Platinum and taxane chemotherapy is associated with the risk of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs), which may require switching to less effective treatments. Desensitization to platinum and taxane HSRs can be used to complete chemotherapy according to the standard regimen. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the current management of HSRs to platinum and/or taxane chemotherapy in patients with gynecologic cancers. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey among gynecological and medical oncologists consisting of 33 questions. A total of 144 respondents completed the survey and 133 respondents were included in the final analysis. Most participants were gynecologic oncologists (43.6%) and medical oncologists (33.8%), and 77.4% (n=103) were involved in chemotherapy treatment. More than 73% of participants experienced >5 HSRs to platinum and taxane per year. Pre-medication and a new attempt with platinum or taxane chemotherapy were used in 84.8% and 92.5% of Grade 1-2 HSR to platinum and taxane, respectively. In contrast, desensitization was used in 49.4% and 41.8% of Grade 3-4 HSR to platinum and taxane, respectively. Most participants strongly emphasized the need to standardize the management of platinum and taxane HSR in gynecologic cancer. Our study showed that HSR in gynecologic cancer is common, but management is variable and the use of desensitization is low. In addition, the need for guidance on the management of platinum- and taxane-induced HSR in gynecologic cancer was highlighted.

This study explored the antimicrobial potential of Piper betle L. (PBL) and Piper nigrum L. (PNL) extracts against MRSA. Plant parts including stem, leaf, and fruit were extracted using aquadest, methanol, and hexane, resulting in 18 distinct extracts. FT-IR combined with cluster analysis (CA) categorized the extracts, and anti-MRSA activity was assessed through the paper disk dif-fusion method. The most potent extracts were further analyzed using GC-MS to identify bioac-tive compounds. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted for MRSA protein targets (4DKI, 6H5O, and 4CJN). The hexane extract of PNL and the aqueous extract of PBL fruit showed the strongest inhibitory effects. GC-MS identified Piperine (14.22%) and Diisooctyl phthalate (14.67%) as major compounds, with Piperolein B, Piperanine, Beta-caryophyllene ox-ide, and Alpha-caryophylladienol as minor compounds in the hexane extract of PNL, while hy-droxychavicol (81.89%) and Chavibetol (12.01%) were predominant in the aquadest extract of PBL. Molecular docking revealed that Piperolein B and Piperine had strong binding affinities to MRSA proteins 4DKI, 6H5O, and 4CJN, comparable to ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, this study confirms the potential of PBL and PNL as sources of novel anti-MRSA agents, supporting fur-ther research to develop new therapies.

Aims: The aim of our work was to demonstrate the possibility, in carefully selected cases, to perform operations under local anesthesia with a benefit to the patient and savings for national health care. Method: 123 patients with breast cancer underwent quadrantectomy or wide tumorectomy and sentinel lymph node removal under local anesthesia in out-patient surgery. Results: Of the 123 patients, 9 had micro-metastases and 4 had macro-metastases and only three of this had metastasis in other lymph nodes. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that it is possible in selected cases to operate on breast cancer in out-patient surgery, with an advantage for the patient and savings for national health care.

Global dust events have become more frequent due to climate change and increased human activity, significantly impacting air quality and human health. Previous studies have often focused on simulating cross-regional dust transport based on atmospheric parameters; however, comprehensive monitoring of dust events remains challenging. Therefore, this study utilized Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) satellite Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) imagery, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) lidar, and other auxiliary data to conduct three-dimensional spatiotemporal monitoring and cross-regional transport analysis of two typical dust events in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region of China using four dust intensity indices (Icsd, Dust Detection Index (DDI), Dust value (DV), and Dust Strength Index (DSI)) and the HYSPLIT model. We found that among the four indices, DDI was the most suitable for studying dust in the BTH region, with a detection accuracy (POCD) of > 88% at all times and reaching a maximum of 96.14%. Both the 2021 and 2023 dust events originated from large-scale deforestation in southern Mongolia and the border area of Inner Mongolia, with dust plumes distributed between 2 and 12 km being transported across regions to the BTH area. Further, when dust aerosols are primarily concentrated below 4 km and PM10 concentrations consistently exceed 600 µg/m³, large dust storms are more likely to occur in the BTH region. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the sources, transport pathways, and environmental impacts of dust aerosols.

Glioblastoma (GBL) is one of the more malignant primary brain tumors, currently treated by a multimodality strategy including surgery, radio- and chemotherapy, mainly consisting of Temozolomide(TMZ)-based chemotherapy. Tumor relapse often occurs due to the establishment of TMZ resistance, with a patient median survival <2 years. The identification of natural molecules having strong anti-tumor activity, led to combine these compounds with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, developing protocols of integrated anticancer therapies. Curcumin (CUR), Resveratrol (RES), and its glucoside Polydatin (PLD) are widely employed in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields, and several studies demonstrated that the combination of these natural products was more cytotoxic than the single compound alone in different cancers. Some of us recently demonstrated the synergistic efficacy of the sublingual administration of a new nutraceutical formulation of CUR+PLD in reducing tumor size and improving GBL patient survival. To deepen some mechanistic aspects of these results, we investigated if the pretreatment with a combination of CUR+PLD, can improve TMZ cytotoxicity on GBL cells, by analyzing the effects on cell cycle, viability and morphology, on proteins related to cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis or autophagy, and on actin network. Cell viability was assessed by MTT or by the cell counter CytoSmart. CalcuSyn software was used to study the CUR+PLD synergism. Morphology was evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and protein expression was analyzed by Western Blot. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle, autophagic flux, and apoptosis analyses. The results obtained provide evidence that CUR and PLD, acting in synergy with each other, strongly improve the efficacy of alkylating antitumor agents such as TMZ, also in drug-resistant GBL cells, through their abilities to affect survival, differentiation, and tumor invasiveness.

During the last few decades, the main focus of numerus studies has been on the human breast milk microbiota and its influence on the infant intestinal microbiota and overall health. The presence of lactic acid bacteria in breast milk affects both the quantitative and qualitative composition of the infant gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to assess the dominant cultivable rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria, specific for breast milk of healthy Bulgarian women and fecal samples of their infants over the first month of life, in 14 mother-infant tandem pairs. Additionally, we evaluated strain diversity among the dominant newly isolated species. 68 gram-positive and catalase negative strains were subjected to identification by using MALDI-TOF technique. Predominant culturable populations belonging to the rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria have been identified as Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Limosilactobacillus reuteri. Also, we confirmed the presence of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus gasseri. 27 isolates were selected as representatives and analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing for strain identity confirmation and a phylogenetic tree based on 16S rDNA gene sequence was constructed. Comparative analysis by four RAPD primers revealed genetic differences between newly isolated L. rhamnosus strains. This pilot study provides data for the current first report concerning investigation on characteristic microbiota of human breast milk and infant feces in Bulgaria.

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a rare condition characterised by chronic inflammation and granuloma formation in the breast. The aetiology of IGM is unclear. By focusing on the protein-coding regions of the genome, where most disease-related mutations often occur, whole-exome sequencing (WES) is a powerful approach for investigating rare and complex conditions, like IGM. We report WES results on paired blood and tissue samples from eight IGM patients. Samples were processed using standard genomic protocols. Somatic variants were called with two analytical pipelines: nf-core/sarek with Strelka2 and GATK4 with Mutect2. Our WES study of eight patients did not find evidence supporting a clear genetic component. The discrepancies between variant calling algorithms, along with the considerable genetic heterogeneity observed amongst the eight IGM cases, indicate that common genetic drivers are not readily identifiable. With only three genes, CHIT1, CEP170, and CTR9, recurrently altered in multiple cases, the genetic basis of IGM remains uncertain. The absence of validation for somatic variants by Sanger sequencing raises further questions about the role of genetic mutations in the disease. These observations suggest that IGM may be influenced by non-genetic factors, such as environmental triggers or immune system dysregulation, rather than being primarily a genetic disorder.

In this study, Cu2O nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel technique and subsequently functionalized with extracts from plants of the Rauvolfioideae subfamily and citrus fruits. Com-prehensive characterization techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, BET, SEM, and TEM, were employed to evaluate the structural and surface properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that both functionalized Cu2O nanoparticles exhibit mesoporous structures, as confirmed by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and pore size distribution analysis. The Green Extract functionalized nanoparticles displayed a more uniform pore size distribution compared to those functionalized with the Orange Extract. The study un-derscores the potential of these functionalized Cu2O nanoparticles for applications in drug de-livery, catalysis, and adsorption processes, highlighting the influence of the functionalization method on their textural properties and performance in antibacterial efficacy.

The burden of bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) is rapidly increasing in Africa including Rwanda. This is a retrospective study investigates the diversity, distribution, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of BSIs bacteria in three tertiary referral hospitals in Rwanda between 2020 and 2022. A total of 1,532 blood culture tests were performed for visiting patients. Overall, the proportions of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were 48.2% and 51.8, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant species accounting for 25% of all Gram-positive BSIs species and Klebsiella species representing 41% of all Gram-negative BSIs species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that Amikacin exhibited the highest activity against Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp. and Escherichia coli in &gt;92% of cases and Klebsiella spp. in 75.7%. Meropenem and Imipenem were highly efficacious to Salmonella spp. (100% susceptibility), Enterobacter spp. (96.2% and 91.7%, respectively), and Escherichia coli (94.7% and 95.5%, respectively). The susceptibility of Enterococcus spp., S. aureus, and Streptococcus spp. to Vancomycin was 100%, 99.5% and 97.1%, respectively. Klebsiella spp. was highly sensitive to Colistin (98.7%), Polymyxin B (85.6%), Imipenem (84.9%), and Meropenem (78.5%). We recommend strengthening the implementation of integrated transdisciplinary and multisectoral One Health including AMR-stewardship for the surveillance, prevention, and control of AMR in Rwanda.

Corticosterone, an end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, is a crucial stress hormone. Dysregulated HPA axis and corticosterone release play pivotal roles in the onset and persistence of symptoms of stress-related psychiatric disorders such as anxiety. The intake of nutrients, probiotics, and prebiotic supplements decreases blood corticosterone levels. The dipeptide L-carnosine is composed of beta-alanine and L-histidine and is commercially available as a nutritional supplement for recovery from fatigue. L-carnosine is involved in stress-induced corticosterone responses and anxiety behaviors in rodents. Here, we assessed the effect of L-carnosine in CD157 knockout (KO) mice, a murine model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The uptake of L-carnosine suppressed the increase in plasma corticosterone levels in response to acute stress and attenuated anxiety-like behaviors in CD157 KO mice. These results suggest that L-carnosine supplementation may relieve anxiety by suppressing excessive stress responses in individuals with ASD.

It was previously reported that the peptide derived from LfcinB, R-1-R exhibited anti-Candida activity and this activity was enhanced in combination with an extract from the Bidens pilosa plant. However, the mechanism of action has not been studied. In the current study, a proteomic study was carried out, followed by a bioinformatic analysis and biological assays in both SC5314 strain and a fluconazole-resistant isolate of Candida albicans, after incubation with R-1-R. The proteomic data showed that after treatment with R-1-R in the two study strains, most of the differentially expressed proteins in comparison to controls were up-regulated. These proteins were mainly involved in membrane and cell wall biosynthesis, membrane transporters, oxidative stress, the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and response to DNA damage. Besides, the proteomic analysis of C. albicans parental strain SC5314 treated with R-1-R in combination with an ethanolic extract of B. pilosa was also undertaken. The proteins differentially expressed after this treatment were involved in similar functional processes as the proteins differentially expressed after treatment with R-1-R peptide alone, but at different levels and were mostly down-regulated. The biological assays allowed validation of the proteomic results, evidencing damage to the cell surface, generation of reactive oxygen species and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. The results provide information to begin to unlock the understanding of the complex antifungal mode of action of the R-1-R peptide, its combination with the extract, and possibly other derivatives of natural products.

Ambiguity exists over treatment and surveillance strategies after endoscopic submucosal dissec-tion (ESD) for esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN) with unfavorable histologic features. This study investigated the long-term outcomes of ESD in high-risk ESCN patients. We retro-spectively included early ESCN patients treated with ESD at two medical centers in Taiwan be-tween August 2010 and December 2023. Demographic, endoscopic, and pathological data were collected. Among 146 patients (mean age 59.17 years) with 183 lesions, 73 (50%) had a history of head and neck cancer (HNC). En bloc and R0 resection were achieved in 100% and 95.6% of the lesions, respectively. The 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and local recurrence rates were 42.7%, 94.7% and 11%. R0 resection was significantly associated with re-currence in univariate analysis (adjusted OR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.05-0.99, P=0.05). Alcohol abstinence was independently associated with lower recurrence (adjusted OR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.08-0.48, P

Scale drop disease virus (SDDV), a double-stranded DNA virus in the family Iridoviridae, has been reported widely in southeast Asian countries as a causative agent of scale drop syndrome (SDS) in Asian seabass. SDS have resulted in high mortality and significant economic losses to the aquaculture industry. This study demonstrated the use of metagenomic methods to investigate bacterial and viral communities present in infected fish tissues and recovering a complete genome of the causative agent named SDDV TH7_2019. Characterization of the TH7_2019 genome revealed a genome size of 131 kb with 134 putative ORFs encoding viral proteins potentially associated with host apoptosis manipulation. A comparative genome analysis showed a high degree of amino acid identity across SDDV strains, with variations in number of repeat sequences and mutations within core genes. Phylogenetic analyses indicate a close relationship among SDDV genomes. This research enhances our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationship of SDDV, contributing valuable insights for further development of effective control strategies of SDDV.

Vaccination is an important method of immunological preventive care required for health management of all animal including fish. More particularly, immunization is important in in-land fisheries for the management of diseases in fish brood stocks and healthy seed production. According to the latest statistics in 2020, 90.3 million tonnes of captured fish production was achieved from the aquaculture sector. Out of the above, 78.8 million tonnes from marine and 11.5 million tonnes from inland waters aquaculture sectors. About 4% decline in fish production was achieved in 2020 than 2018 from inland fisheries sectors. On the other hand, the digestive protein content, healthy fats and nutritional values of fish products are comparitively more affordable as compared to other meat sources. In 2014, about 10% aquatic cultured animals were lost (costing &gt; 10 billion $ global annual loss) due to infectious diseases. Therefore, vaccination in fish especially in brood stocks is one of the most important approaches to stop such losses in the fisheries sector. Fish vaccines consist of either whole killed pathogens, subunit of a protein, a recombinant protein, DNA vaccines or live attenuated vaccines. Challenges existing are adaption of vaccination in fisheries sector, route of administration, use of effective adjuvants and most importantly lack of effective results. Use of autogenous vaccines, vaccination via intramuscular, intraperitoneal or oral routes, and most importantly adding vaccines in feed using top dressing methods or as a constituent in fish feed are now in emerging. These method shall lower the risk of using antibiotics in cultured water which in turn will reduce the environmental contamination.

The in vitro cultivation of M. leprae has not been possible since it was described as causing leprosy, and the limitation of animal models for clinical aspects makes studies on leprosy and bacteria-human host interaction a challenge. Our aim was to standardize the ex vivo skin model (hOSEC) to maintenance and study of M. leprae as an alternative animal model. Bacillary suspensions were inoculated into human skin explants and sustained in DMEM medium until 60 days. Explants were evaluated by RT-PCR-16SrRNA, and cytokines gene expression. Viability and infectivity of bacilli recovered from explant (D28 and D60) were evaluated using the Shepard’s model. All explants were RT-PCR-16srRNA positive. Viability and infectivity of recovered bacilli from explants, analyzed after 5 months of inoculation in mice showed an average positivity of 31%, being the highest positivity in the D28 groups (80%). Furthermore, our work showed different pattern in cytokines gene expression (TGF-β, IL-10, IL-8 and TNF-α) in the presence of alive or dead bacilli. Although changes can be made for improve future experiments, our results have demonstrated that it is possible to use the hOSEC to maintain M. leprae for 60 days, interacting with the host system, an important step in the development of experimental models for studies on the biology of the bacillus, its interactions, and drug susceptibility.

Oral cancer represents a significant global public health challenge, contributing substantially to cancer incidence and mortality. Despite established risk factors such as tobacco use and alcohol consumption, early detection remains crucial for effective treatment. This study introduces a novel approach using a transistor-based biosensor system for detecting the P90 (CIP2A) protein. We have tested the presence of CIP2A in human leukoplakia samples that can rise into oral squamous cell carcinoma. The method employs commercially available glucose test strips functionalized with P90 antibodies, providing high sensitivity and a low limit of detection, which is five orders lower than commercial ELISA kits. A specially designed printed circuit board (PCB) facilitates accurate measurements, and the device's performance is optimized through characteristic tests. Human sample testing validates the biosensor's effectiveness in distinguishing samples after cell lysis. This study contributes to advancing accurate and cost-effective diagnostic approaches for oral pre-cancer and cancer tissues.

To assess if SARS-CoV-2 infection induces changes in the urinary volatilomic fingerprint able to be used in the non-invasive COVID-19 diagnosis and management, urine samples of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (62), recovered COVID-19 patients (30), and non-infected individuals (41) were analysed using solid-phase microextraction technique in headspace mode, combined with gas chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). In total, 101 volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) from 13 chemical families were identified, being terpenes, phenolic compounds, norisoprenoids, and ketones the most represented groups. Overall, a decrease in the levels of terpenes and phenolic compounds was observed in the control group, whereas norisoprenoids and ketones showed a significant increase. In turn, a remarkable increase was noticed in norisoprenoids and ketones and a milder increase in alcohols, furanic, and sulfur compounds in the recovery group than in the COVID-19 group. Multivariate statistical analysis identified sets of VOMs with the potential to constitute volatile signatures for COVID-19 development and progression. These signatures are composed of D-carvone, 3-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)aniline (MTA), 1,1,6-trimethyl-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), 2-heptanone, and 2,5,5,8a-tetramethyl-1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8-octahydro-1-naphthalenyl ester acetate (TONEA) for COVID-19 infection and nonanoic acid, α-terpinene, β-damascenone, α-isophorone, and trans-furan linalool for patients recovering from the disease. This study provides evidence that changes in the urinary volatilomic profile triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection constitute a promising and valuable screening and/or diagnostic and management tool for COVID-19 in clinical environment.

An influenza A virus (H3N2) with an envelope with the same structure as COVID-19 was used for antiviral testing of material surfaces, in comparison with some results of feline calicivirus. The evaluation method used was the film adhesion method, in which the virus solution is placed on the material and adhered to it using a film. The evaluation method was based on the film adhesion method, in which the virus solution is placed on the material and adhered with a film, and the plaque method, in which the cell virus is allowed to infect the material and form plaques, but the appropriate virus concentration must be adjusted to observe the plaques. When not under that restriction, the plaques are often incomplete; this is observed. For this reason, this study applied an area measurement method that can reflect viral activity even when plaques are not obtained. This study revealed that different types of metallic materials have different antiviral properties. Specifically, the antiviral activity of iron, carbon steel, and nickel was relatively high, while that of stainless steel and titanium was relatively low. The order of antiviral activity was as follows: Fe, SS400, Ni, SUS316L, SUS304, and Ti.

Microencapsulation using polymer materials is a potent process to protect and prolong the survival of probiotics. Cissampelos pareira leaf contains natural gelling agents that possess solidifying properties. This study aimed to investigate the development of microencapsulation containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei using C. pareira extract as a natural encapsulating material. The absorption bands near 1603 cm−1 and 1725 cm−1 detected by Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were identified as pectin in C. pareira structure. The L. paracasei-C. pareira microcapsules (LP-CP) showed high encapsulation efficiency by 90.5% which was confirmed by the evaluation of their survival rate. Under thermal conditions (85oC), bacterial viability detected in the microcapsules was 69% as opposed to non-encapsulated bacteria where viability was as low as 5%. Furthermore, the microcapsule presented 75% bacterial viability whereas the free cells showed 30% under acidic conditions (pH 2). During storage conditions, LP-CP viability remained at 50% when the storage time was extended to 90 days whereas, the survival rate of free cells significantly decreased by 100% after 90 days. This information suggests that C. pareira is a potent polymer which can be used as an eco-friendly material for the microencapsulation of probiotics relevant as dietary supplementation for humans or animals.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate anti-staphylococcal activity of liposomal daptomycin, against four biofilm-producing S. aureus and S. epidermidis clinical strains, three of which are methicillin resistant. Neutral and negatively charged Daptomycin-loaded liposomes were prepared by three methods thin film hydration (TFH), DRV and microfluidic mixing (MM), and characterized for drug encapsulation (EE%), size distribution, zeta-potential, vesicle stability, drug release and drug integrity. Interestingly, whilst drug loading in THF and DRV nanosized (by extrusion) vesicles was around 30-35, very low loading (~4%) was possible in MM vesicles, requiring further explanatory investigations. Liposomal encapsulation protected daptomycin from degradation and preserve its bioactivity. Quantitative microtiter plate (crystal violet, CV), methylthiazoltetrazolium (MTT), and growth curve (GC) assays evaluated antimicrobial activity of neutral and negative charge daptomycin-liposomes towards planktonic bacteria and biofilms. Neutral liposomes exhibited dramatically enhanced inhibition of bacteria growth (compared to free drug) for all species studied, while negative charged liposomes were totally inactive. Biofilm prevention and treatment studies revealed high antibiofilm activity of liposomal daptomycin. Neutral liposomes were more active for prevention and negative charge ones for treating established biofilms. Planktonic bacteria as well as matured biofilms of low daptomycin susceptible MRSE and MRSA strains were almost completely eradicated by liposomal-daptomycin indicating the need for their further exploration as antimicrobial therapeutics.

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is closely associated with tumor progression and metastasis. However, the relevance and role of VCAM-1 in lung cancer have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we found that VCAM-1 was highly overexpressed in lung cancer tissue compared with that of normal lung, and high VCAM-1 expression correlated with poor survival of lung cancer patients. VCAM-1 knockdown reduced invasion in A549 human lung cancer cells, and competitive blocking experiments targeting the Ig-like domain 6 of VCAM-1 (VCAM-1-D6) demonstrated that the VCAM-1-D6 domain was critical for VCAM-1-mediated A549 cell invasion. Next, we developed a human monoclonal antibody specific to human and mouse VCAM-1-D6 (VCAM-1-D6 huMab), which was isolated from a human synthetic antibody library using phage display technology. Finally, we showed that VCAM-1-D6 huMab had a nanomolar affinity for VCAM-1-D6 and that it potently suppressed invasion in A549 and NCI-H1299 lung cancer cell lines. Taken together, these results suggest that VCAM-1-D6 is a novel therapeutic target in VCAM-1-mediated lung cancer invasion and that our newly developed VCAM-1-D6 huMab will be a useful tool for inhibiting VCAM-1-expressing lung cancer cell invasion.

The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess vitamin D-related knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in Iranian adults who may be at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. This study was conducted on 527 subjects, aged ≥20 years from Public health care centers in Tehran, Iran. Based on results of literature review and in-depth interviews, the 38-item vitamin D-related KAP questionnaire with four subscale was developed: 1) general knowledge; 2) nutritional knowledge; 3) attitudes; 4) behaviors. Validity of the developed vitamin D-KAP questionnaire was assessed, utilizing face, content, and construct validity methods. Internal consistency was calculated to assess reliability of the current developed questionnaire. A total of 572 (54.1% female) adults, aged 30.2±7.9 years, participated in the study. All items were perceived as relevant and comprehendible by participants. Content validity was confirmed by the panel of experts. The internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, exceeded the minimum reliability standard of 0.60 for four subscales. The EFA suggested a four-factor construct and the results of the CFA indicated acceptable fit indices for the proposed model. No ceiling effects were observed except for general knowledge (1.2%). Floor effects detected were 0, 1.1, 2.4, and 8.7% for practice, attitude, general knowledge, and nutrition knowledge, respectively. General knowledge had the highest score (79.59±14.52) and nutrition knowledge, the lowest score (42.58±20.40) among the four sub-scales. Results confirm the initial validity and reliability of the vitamin D-related knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire. Further investigations in different urban and rural population are recommended.

Ectopic expression of the MYB transcription factor of AmROSEA1 from Antirrhinum majus has been reported to change anthocyanin and other metabolites in several species. In this study, we found that overexpression of AmRosea1 significantly improved the tolerance of transgenic rice to drought and salinity stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that a considerable amount of stress-related genes were affected by exogenous AmRosea1 during both drought and salinity stress treatments. These affected genes are involved in stress signal transduction, the hormone signal pathway, ion homeostasis and the enzymes that remove peroxides. This work suggests that the AmRosea1 gene is a potential candidate for genetic engineering of crops.

Presented study demonstrates the application of actual technologies and tools for the development of a large scale axial flux electricity generator. (1) Background: The specifics of its application – run-of-river site – predefine design requirements, close to wind turbine generator. An extensive study of available solutions is used as a start point for further concept development; (2) Methods: A step based methodology is defined for concept parameters assessment and feasibility study. It demonstrates the advantages of virtual prototyping when assessing various design parameters; (3) Results: Several simulations over built different virtual prototypes provide sufficient information to elaborate an improved design concept. Major result is a ready for detailed design concept, with defined major parameters and studied work behavior; (4) Conclusions: The major outcome is the presentation of the application of virtual prototyping in assessment of large structures, where physical prototyping is expensive and time consuming approach. Application of virtual prototyping at very early product development stage is an effective way to undertake efficient solutions towards the concept of the product.

Wang et al. (Nature 623, 340—350; 2023)¹ used satellite observations and phenological signatures to map and estimate the extent of planted rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Müll.Arg.), and associated deforestation, for eight Southeast Asian countries. Their assessment implies that planted rubber may have caused over 4 Mha of deforestation since 1993 — a value greater than assumed in setting deforestation policies. Unfortunately, their estimates rely on incorrect methods. In addition, their definition of “deforestation” is misleading because it includes all tree cover loss, not just natural forests, but also from established rubber gardens, and other plantations. Our assessment indicates that since 2001 the actual extent of deforestation associated with planted rubber is approximately one quarter that reported by Wang et al.

The growing number of algorithmic decision-making environments, which blend machine and bounded human rationality, strengthen the need for a holistic performance assessment of such systems. Indeed, this combination amplifies the risk of local rationality, necessitating a robust evaluation framework. We propose a novel simulation-based model to quantify algorithmic interventions within organisational contexts, combining causal modelling and data science algorithms. To test our framework's viability, we present a case study based on a bike-share system focusing on inventory balancing through crowdsourced user actions. Utilising New York's Citi Bike service data, we highlight the frequent misalignment between incentives and their necessity. Our model examines the interaction dynamics between user and service provider rule-driven responses and algorithms predicting flow rates. This examination demonstrates why these dynamics are necessary for devising effective incentive policies. The study showcases how sophisticated machine learning models, with the ability to forecast underlying market demands unconstrained by historical supply issues, can cause imbalances that induce user behaviour, potentially spoiling plans without timely interventions. Our approach allows problems to surface during the design phase, potentially avoiding costly deployment errors in the joint performance of human and AI decision-makers.

A synthetic jet actuator (SJA) is a fluidic device often consisting of a vibrating diaphragm that alters the volume of a cavity to produce a synthesized jet through an orifice. The cyclic ingestion and expulsion of the working fluid leads to a zero-net mass-flux and the transfer of linear momentum to the working fluid over an actuation cycle, leaving a train of vortex structures propagating away from the orifice. SJAs are a promising technology for flow control applications due to their unique features, such as no external fluid supply or ducting requirements, short response time, low weight, and compactness. Hence, they have been the focus of many research studies over the past few decades. Despite these advantages, implementing an effective control scheme using SJAs is quite challenging due to the large parameter space involving several geometrical and operational variables. This article aims to explain the working mechanism of SJAs and provide a comprehensive review of the effects of SJA design parameters in quiescent conditions and crossflow.

Since the discovery that Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDCAi) could enhance radiation response, a number of HDACi, mainly pan-HDAC inhibitors, have been studied either as monotherapy or in combination with photon irradiation or chemotherapeutic drugs in the management of breast cancer. Studies on combination of HDACi and particle type of radiation remain limited. CUDC-101 is a multitarget inhibitor of Histone deacetylases (HDACs), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER-2). In this paper, the effectiveness of CUDC-101 in enhancing radiation response to protons irradiation was studied in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A cell lines, using X-rays as reference radiation. γ-H2AX foci assays showed increased sensitivity to CUDC-101 in MDA-MB-231 cell line compared to the MCF-7 cell line. In both cell lines, induction of apoptosis was enhanced in CUDC-101 pre-treated cells compared to radiation (protons or X-rays) alone. Increased apoptosis was also noted in CUDC-101 pre-treated cells in the MCF-10A cell line. Cell cycle analysis showed increased G2/M arrest by CUDC-101 mono-treatment as well as combination of CUDC-101 and X-irradiation in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Collectively, the findings indicate that CUDC-101 effectively enhances response to both X-radiation and proton irradiation, in the triple negative MDA-MB-231 cell line. The study highlights that CUDC-101 holds potential in the management of triple negative breast cancer as monotherapy or in combination with X-irradiation.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) remains a significant global health concern, particularly in regions with high tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, such as South Africa. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of LTBI and assess patient knowledge about the condition in a primary healthcare clinic in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional design was used, and convenience sampling recruited outpatients aged 18 years and older with no prior history of TB. Blood samples were analyzed using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay to determine LTBI status, and a survey assessed patient knowledge of LTBI. Strong positive correlations were observed between what patients understand by the term LTBI and how is LTBI different from TB (0.70), patients understand by the term LTBI and the risk factors for developing LTBI (0.70), how is LTBI different from TB and the risk factors for developing LTBI (0.78), and how is LTBI different from TB and the recommended treatments for LTBI (0.79), indicating overlap in understanding. In contrast, negative correlations between if patients ever heard of latent LTBI before and patients understanding the term LTBI (-0.25), the risk factors for developing LTBI (-0.22), LTBI progressing to active TB (-0.27), and the recommended treatments for LTBI (-0.27). This divergence points to different dimensions of patient knowledge and awareness. Age, gender, occupation, comorbidities, and HIV status showed varying LTBI positivity trends. Among younger patients aged 20-29, 15.4% tested positive, while the 30-39 group showed a nearly equal split between positive (48.1%) and negative cases. A higher positivity rate was seen in females (39.1%) compared to males (31.6%). Unemployed individuals had higher positivity rates, suggesting socioeconomic factors' influence. Comorbidities, especially hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, correlated with higher LTBI positivity among females, but this was less evident in males. HIV-positive patients had a higher LTBI-negative rate compared to HIV-negative patients. These findings suggest that demographic and health factors, including age, gender, occupation, comorbidities, and HIV status, may predict LTBI positivity.

This paper presents the development and testing of the passive Almaty Ankle Exoskeleton V.2. The device features a new design with three electric linear actuators, and the shin and foot platforms are connected by links with spherical and universal joints. Functional testing demonstrates the prototype's ability to operate effectively within the natural range of ankle joint movements. Preliminary results indicate that the exoskeleton can reduce calf muscle activation in the work limb where the device is applied. In this the passive exoskeleton is designed for dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, whose operation with numerical results is highlighted by focusing on parameters such as angular velocity, linear acceleration, and angles. These measurements provide valuable information about the exoskeleton's performance and efficiency.

Thanks to the rapid advancements in Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) and vehicular communication, the concept of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data technologies promotes the vision of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). By enabling a comprehensive data exchange platform, ITS is critical in enhancing road safety, traffic efficiency, and the overall driving experience. However, the open and dynamic nature of IoV networks brings significant performance and security challenges to IoV data acquisition, storage, and usage. To comprehensively tackle these challenges, this paper proposes a Decentralized Digital Watermarking framework for smart Vehicular networks (D2WaVe). Specifically, D2WaVe consists of two core components: FIAE-GAN, a novel feature-integrated and attention-enhanced robust image watermarking model based on a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), and BloVA, a Blockchain-based Video frames Authentication scheme. By leveraging an encoder-noise-decoder framework, trained FIAE-GAN watermarking models can achieve the invisibility and robustness of watermarks that can be embedded in video frames to verify the authenticity of video data. Then, BloVA ensures the integrity and auditability of IoV data in the storing and sharing stages. Experimental results based on a proof-of-concept prototype implementation validate the feasibility and effectiveness of our D2WaVe scheme for securing and auditing video data exchange in smart vehicular networks.

Staphylococcus aureus, found in the oral cavity as an opportunistic bacterium, has been reported as a cause of infective endocarditis and pneumonia. Salt is an essential mineral component for maintaining human body cells and has attracted attention as a promoter of S. aureus biofilms. This study was conducted to clarify how salt affects biofilm formation by S. aureus and S. mutans, which is a pathogen implicated in the dental caries. Bacteria were cultivated with various concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl) in Toryptic Soy Broth with 0.25% sucrose and 0.25% glucose (TSBs and TSBg) for 16 hours. Contribution of GTF on the membrane vesicles (MVs) from S. mutans and extracellular DNA (eDNA) was also analyzed in the biofilm formation. S. aureus biofilms were induced by the addition of 0.004–0.25 M NaCl but decreased by NaCl concentrations greater than 0.25 M, in TSBs. The biofilm formation of mixed bacteria (S. aureus and S. mutans) gradually increased in a NaCl concentration-dependent manner in TSBs and TSBg. Moreover, the biofilm was dependent on glucan formation by GTF in MVs at high salinity. The mixed-species biofilm of S. aureus and S. mutans was upregulated by the collaboration of eDNA and MVs. Therefore, eDNA and MVs are developmental factors for S. aureus biofilm formation under harsh conditions. The intake of sucrose and glucose may be a risk factor for infection by opportunistic pathogens such as S. aureus in persons who consume high concentrations of salt in foods and drinks in custom-type foods.

This paper explores the application of machine learning (ML) in predicting functional recovery in patients with ischemic stroke. As technology advances, ML shows significant potential in the field of stroke medicine, especially in the areas of big data analytics and personalized medicine. Studies have shown that ML algorithms can improve the accuracy of stroke image analysis, subtype classification, risk assessment, treatment guidance, and prognosis prediction. However, the widespread use of ML still faces challenges such as data standardization, model validation, privacy, and bias. This paper reviews the current application status of ML in the field of stroke, discusses the challenges faced, and looks forward to the future development direction, aiming to promote the practical application of ML technology in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke to improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

This paper explores the application of machine learning (ML) in predicting functional recovery in patients with ischemic stroke. As technology advances, ML shows significant potential in the field of stroke medicine, especially in the areas of big data analytics and personalized medicine. Studies have shown that ML algorithms can improve the accuracy of stroke image analysis, subtype classification, risk assessment, treatment guidance, and prognosis prediction. However, the widespread use of ML still faces challenges such as data standardization, model validation, privacy, and bias. This paper reviews the current application status of ML in the field of stroke, discusses the challenges faced, and looks forward to the future development direction, aiming to promote the practical application of ML technology in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke to improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

Background: Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD) is one of the worldwide health issues with increasing incidence. Recent data point out that those patients can have a defective immune system, rendering response to vaccinations suboptimal. Since 1990, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) vaccination has been introduced among the compulsory childhood vaccinations in Oman. Given the questionable immunogenicity of vaccinations in IBD patients, we designed this study to quantify the immune response to scheduled HBV vaccine in IBD patients and compare it with that in a matching control cohort of healthy blood donors at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH). Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study that was conducted between the 1st of July 2023 and the 31st of May 2024 at SQUH. Using the hospital information System (HIS), a total of 252 participants were enrolled in our study and divided into two groups. Group (1) included 126 IBD patients and group (2) included 126 healthy controls. Baseline demographics, medical comorbidities and viral serologies before and after vaccination were collected. The primary outcome of the study was to compare the long term immune response to HBV vaccine between the two groups. The secondary outcomes included identifying possible risk factors for suboptimal vaccine response. Results: One hundred and twenty-six participants were included in each group. Durable protective immune response to HBV vaccine was attained in 29 patients (23%) of the IBD group compared to 109 participants (86.5%) of the control group. There was a statistically significant association (p = 0.0156) between prednisolone treatment and low immune response to HBV vaccine. Moreover, esomeprazole usage exhibited a statistically significant association (p < 0.0001) with suboptimal response to HBV vaccine. Meanwhile, there was no statistically significant correlation between low immunogenicity to HBV vaccine and age, sex, type of IBD, comorbidities, and BMI. Conclusions: IBD patients are less immunogenic to HBV vaccination compared to healthy controls. Factors like esomeprazole and/or corticosteroid therapy might be associated with poor immune response. These findings highlight the importance of reassessing the immunogenicity of HBV vaccination and probably other protective vaccinations in all IBD patients as part of their standard of care.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the similarities and differences between the Kawasaki disease (KD) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with KD and MIS-C at a single center between July 2020 and November 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The study included 39 MIS-C patients (84.6% male) with a median age of 138 months and 17 KD patients (58.8% male) with a median age of 36 months. Compared with the KD patients, MIS-C patients were older (p<0.001), had longer hospital stays (p=0.023), elevated neutrophil count (p<0.001), C-reactive protein (p<0.001), procalcitonin (p<0.001), interleukin-6 (p<0.014), ferritin (p<0.001), fibrinogen (p<0.001), troponin I (p=0.001), NT-proBNP (p<0.001), and, D-dimer levels (p<0.001). They had more hypotension (p=0.024), decreased left ventricular function (p=0.023), and a greater need for corticosteroids (p<0.001), enoxaparin (p=0.045), and therapeutic plasma exchange (p<0.001). Patients with KD displayed a higher frequency of rash (p<0.001), oral mucosal changes (p<0.001), conjunctival injection (p<0.001), extremity changes (p<0.001), and cervical lymphadenopathy (p<0.001). They had a longer duration of fever (p<0.001), elevated white blood cell count (p<0.001), platelet count (p<0.001), and alanine aminotransferase level (p<0.001). The two groups were similar in terms of hemoglobin levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumin levels, or the frequency of coronary dilation/aneurysm, myocarditis, pericarditis, invasive mechanical ventilatory support, and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Conclusions: Older patient age, a greater presence of gastrointestinal and cardiac findings associated with hypotension, increased NT-proBNP levels, decreased left ventricular function, the use of various treatment modalities, and longer hospital stays suggest MIS-C, whereas a longer duration of fever and classical clinical features of KD favor KD.

This study delves into the complex challenges that arise when managing rescue operations in the aftermath of traffic accidents spanning various forms of transportation, including roads, railways, aviation, and waterways. Given the inherent complexity of traffic-related disasters, these events typically necessitate well-coordinated rescue strategies, involving the collaboration of multiple emergency services and the use of specialized equipment. The legal framework set forth by the Republic of Serbia plays a pivotal role in shaping the procedures and responsibilities within these rescue efforts, guiding the allocation of resources, enforcing safety protocols, and ensuring effective coordination between different agencies. Moreover, the incorporation of innovative technical solutions is critical in successfully extricating victims from perilous situations. This paper also underscores the vital importance of preventive measures, particularly in road traffic, which are mandated by national legislation. The establishment of specialized investigative bodies, such as the Traffic Accident Investigation Center, has greatly enhanced the systematic approach to preventing future incidents. By examining the various components of rescue operations, this research highlights the essential role of timely and efficient interventions in minimizing casualties and mitigating the broader impacts of traffic disasters.

Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) plays a vital role in strengthening the resilience of local communities against both natural and human-made disasters. This paper seeks to examine the role of CBDRR in enhancing the resilience of local communities to both natural and man-made disasters. It underscores the critical importance of active community involvement across all stages of disaster management, from preparedness and mitigation to response and recovery. The paper also explores the key factors that contribute to the successful implementation of CBDRR, including institutional backing, capacity development, inclusive strategies, and the use of modern technologies. Additionally, it discusses the challenges and opportunities in building strong partnerships between local communities and external stakeholders, which are crucial for ensuring the sustainability of these efforts. Finally, the paper offers recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of CBDRR initiatives, drawing on insights gained from past disaster experiences. The findings of this study point to the importance of continuous monitoring and evaluation of CBDRR programs to maintain their relevance and ensure their effectiveness as risks evolve. Incorporating lessons learned from past disasters into future planning also plays a crucial role in helping communities enhance their resilience over time. Ultimately, by encouraging collaboration between communities, governments, and various organizations, CBDRR lays the foundation for a comprehensive disaster management framework that is equipped to meet future challenges and supports long-term sustainable development.

With the development of agriculture, the complexity and dynamism of orchard environments pose challenges to the perception and positioning of inter row environments for agricultural machinery. The paper proposes a method for extracting navigation lines and measuring pedestrian obstacles. The improved YOLOv5 algorithm is used to detect tree trunks between left and right rows in orchards. The experimental results show that the average angle deviation of the extracted navigation lines is less than 5 degrees, verifying its accuracy. Due to the variable posture of pedestrians and ineffective camera depth, a distance measurement algorithm based on four zone depth comparison is proposed for pedestrian obstacle distance measurement. Experimental results show that within a range of 6m, the average relative error of distance measurement does not exceed 1%, and within a range of 9m, the maximum relative error is 2.03%. The average distance measurement time is 30 milliseconds, which can accurately and quickly achieve pedestrian distance measurement in orchard environments. On the publicly available TUM RGB-D dynamic dataset, YOLOD-SLAM2 significantly reduces the RMSE index of absolute trajectory error compared to ORB-SLAM2 algorithm, which is less than 0.05 m/s. In actual orchard environments, YOLOD-SLAM2 has a higher degree of agreement between the estimated trajectory and the true trajectory when the car is traveling in straight and circular directions. The RMSE index of the absolute trajectory error is less than 0.03m/s, and the average tracking time is 47ms, indicating that the YOLOD-SLAM2 algorithm proposed in this paper can meet the accuracy and real-time requirements of agricultural machinery positioning in orchard environments.

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes necessitate a consistent material flow to the melt pool, typically achieved through pneumatic conveying of metal powder via thin pipes. This study aims to record and analyze the multiphase fluid-solid flow. An experimental setup utilizing a high-speed camera and specialized optics was constructed, the flow through thin transparent pipes was recorded. The resulting information was analyzed and compared with coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics - Discrete Element Modeling (CFD-DEM) simulations, with special attention to the solids flow fluctuations. The paper details the experimental design, video analysis using Particle Tracking, and a novel method for deriving volumetric concentrations and flowrate from flat images. The findings confirm the accuracy of the CFD-DEM simulations and provide insights into the dynamics of pneumatic conveying, which could be used to enhance the efficiency of DED processes.

Mining industry is undergoing a revolution with the introduction of automation, especially through autonomous haul truck systems and is expected to have further essential developments due to advancements in swarm robotics and its applications. This study evaluates the performance of four different swarm robot models, i.e. baseline, ant, firefly, and honeybee, focusing on mining efficiency, scalability, reliability, and selectivity. Enhancements such as role specialization in the ant model, advanced communication in the firefly model, improved localization and the hybrid control system combining centralized and decentralized controls in the honeybee model are integrated to optimize their functionality. Mining simulations presented in this study include swarm robots of various designs, each resulting in certain advantages for autonomous operations. Their capabilities have been evaluated against performance criteria on a spider chart, identifying where each model excelled or failed in an actual extraction operation in mining. This study aims to identify the most optimal swarm models in relation to unique mining site conditions and goals. The applications of the suggested swarm models could contribute to achieving further improvement in productivity, scalability, selectivity and reliability, resulting in a more sustainable, automated and effective operations in mining.

This study introduces a data obfuscation technique, leveraging the exponential map associated with the generators of Lie groups. Originating from quantum machine learning frameworks, our method illustrates the practical application of quantum mechanics principles in data processing. Specifically, it employs the exponential map of a generator algebra to introduce controlled noise into the data, achieving obfuscated data while preserving its utility for machine learning tasks. This strategy is shown to safeguard privacy in sensitive datasets, such as discussed medical records, and to enhance dataset volume and diversity through augmentation. Our empirical analysis, benchmarked against standard machine learning approaches, demonstrates that our method can maintain or even improve the predictive accuracy of the original data. This research highlights the potential of Lie group theory for advancing data privacy in medicine, marking a significant contribution to machine learning methodologies by offering the dual benefits of data obfuscation and enrichment. Through this synthesis of algebraic structures and machine learning, we propose new pathways for the secure and effective use of data in sensitive areas.

The Arabian Desert is characterised by very low rainfall and high evaporation, yet on its northeastern edge in central Iraq are 210 springs along the Abu Jir lineament, which represents the western depositional margin of a foreland basin infilled by the floodplain sediments of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; there is little evidence of faulting. The springs discharge from gently east-dipping Paleocene-Eocene limestones, either where groundwater flowpaths intersect the ground surface or where groundwater flow is forced to the surface by confining aquitards. Calculated annual recharge to the aquifer system across the Arabian Desert plateau (130-500 million m3) is enough to sustain the Abu Jir springs provided groundwater extraction is not excessive. The hydrochemistry of the springs is determined by evaporation, rainfall composition (high SO4 concentrations are due to dissolution of wind-blown gypsum in the rainfall), and plant uptake of Ca and K (despite the sparse vegetation). Limestone dissolution has relatively little impact; many of the springs are undersaturated with respect to calcite and lack tufa/travertine deposits. The springs at Hit-Kubaysa contain tar and high levels of H2S that probably seeped upwards along subvertical faults from underlying oil reservoirs; the presence of hydrocarbons makes the water reducing and converts the dissolved SO4 to H2S.

Present worldwide difficulties in healthcare and the environment have motivated the investigation and research of novel materials in an effort to find novel techniques to address the current chal-lenges and requirements. In particular, the use of nanomaterials has demonstrated a significant promise in the fight against bacterial infections and the problem of antibiotic resistance. Metal na-noparticles and carbon-based nanomaterials in particular have been highlighted for their excep-tional abilities to inhibit many types of bacteria and pathogens. In order for these materials to be as effective as possible, synthetic techniques are crucial. Therefore, in this review article, we high-light some recent developments in the design and synthesis of various nanomaterials, including metal nanoparticles (e.g., Ag, Zn, or Cu), metal hybrid nanomaterials, and the synthesis of mul-ti-metallic hybrid nanostructured materials. Following that, examples of these materials’ applica-tions in antimicrobial performance targeted at eradicating multi-drug resistant bacteria, material protection such as microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), or additives in construction ma-terials have been described.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are usually used to predict current species’ geographic distributions and to forecast the impact of climate change, with different aims, such as conservation, and biodiversity management. SDMs use has been increasing in the last decades, however, they are vulnerable to parametrization and data quality input. Thus, inappropriate input can lead to potential unreliability in results. In this context, the most used data and methodologies in SDM, and putative deviations from the consensual best practices, were identified, by analysing recent literature (2018 to 2022). Results show that the parameters presented more consistently are the chosen algorithm (MaxEnt was used in 98% of the studies), the accuracy measures, and the time windows. Many papers fail to specify other parameters, limiting the reproducibility of the studies. Some papers also fail to provide information about the target species: only a fraction of the species' range is considered, or no justification for including specific variables in the model is provided. These options can decrease reliability in predictions under future scenarios since data provided to the model is inaccurate from the start or there is insufficient information for outputs discussion.

The study aims at evaluating the demand of forest bathing in the Northern Italy’s regions underlining the willingness to pay and the potential tourists’ habits and flows on attending alpine contexts. Through the submission of a questionnaire, the sample’s answers have been analyzed employing a stratified sampling methodology considering three different macro areas (Northwest regions, Northeast regions, and Friuli Venezia Giulia region). After analyzing the sample attitudes, the research approached the estimation section by calculating the flow as the number of potential forest bathing hikes per year and the willingness to pay trough the Contingent Valuation Method. The main results indicate that Forest Bathing activity in Northern Italy have a considerable monetary value and it is generally compared with positive feelings, particularly concerning well-being, and fascination factors.

This study investigates the utilization of innovative green composites made from hemp shiv, a waste by-product of hemp cultivation, with the aim of promoting sustainability within the construction industry. The manufacturing method involve the application of pressure in a mold to create the samples. These materials were produced using an environmentally friendly binder consisting of colophony, arabic gum and corn starch, moreover white glue and bioepoxy are also used to compare with the green resins. Three different binder compositions for the specimens. The samples underwent mechanical testing through tensile and bending assessments, and their performance was compared to that of non-green binders to validate the effectiveness of the manufacturing processes. The study revealed that decreasing the moisture content during the curing process is crucial for improving the mechanical properties. The best results were achieved when using arabic gum as a binder, yielding a tensile strength of 2.16 MPa and a bending strength of 5.25 MPa, with a composition of 62.5% hemp shiv and a manufacturing process involving a pressure of 5 MPa.

Deep inhalation breath hold (DIBH) has become a valuable technique in left breast cancer radiotherapy, offering the possibility to reduce radiation exposure to organs at risk (OARs) and minimize the risk of cardiac complications. The treatment method involves patients stopping breathing during irradiation to temporarily distance the heart from the radiation field, reducing potential cardiac and other complications. Research shows that DIBH reduces the radiation dose to the heart and lungs. However, the effectiveness of DIBH is determined by a variety of factors, including the patient's training, cooperation, anatomical features, age and choice of radiotherapy technique. Additionally, cardiovascular risk factors: diabetes, smoking, hypertension can affect the effectiveness and potential complications of DIBH. Moreover, lack of consent, fear, anxiety, depression and comorbid psychiatric disorders disqualify some patients from the DIBH treatment method. Careful patient selection, comprehensive training and optimization of treatment parameters are essential to maximize the benefits of DIBH while minimizing potential side effects. DIBH enhancement techniques, such as IMRT or VMAT, also have an important role to play. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the factors affecting the efficacy and side effects of DIBH in radiation therapy for left breast cancer, with the aim of optimizing its clinical application while minimizing side effects.

Wheeled mobile robot dynamics and suitable controller design are challenging but rewarding fields of study. By understanding the dynamics of wheeled mobile robots, it could be possible to design suitable hybrid control schemes for wheeled mobile robots. Since hybrid control schemes involve combining individual control methods to create a more effective overall control strategy. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as using fuzzy linear quadratic Gaussian control. We were therefore inspired to create dynamic models and their controller designs for the wheeled mobile robot by examining the dynamics of the wheeled mobile robot. The novelty of the current paper is to hybridize the different control schemes for wheeled mobile robots in order to get better performance. Entire systems models were simulated in a MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The results obtained for the settling time response by FLQG were 87.1% over LQG; this study compared the effectiveness of current and previous FLQG controllers in external disturbances and found peak amplitude improvements of 71.25%. Therefore, the proposed controller is suitable for use with the wheeled mobile robot.

As cardiovascular diseases continue to be a leading cause of mortality, recent-ly, wearable devices for monitoring cardiac activity have gained much interest among medical community. This paper introduces an innovative ECG monitoring system based on a single – lead ECG machine enhanced with machine learning methods. The system only processes and analyses the ECG data, but also predict potential heart disease at an early stage. The wearable device was built on the ADS1298 and a microcontroller STM32L151xD. A server module based on REST API architecture style was designed to fa-cilitate interaction with web-based segment of the system. The module is responsible for receiving data in real time from microcontroller and their deliver to web – based segment. Algorithms for analyzing ECG signals have been developed, including band filter artifact removal, K-means clustering for signal segmentation, and PQRST analysis. Machine leaning methods as Isolation Forest have been employed for ECG anomaly detection. Moreover, a comparative analysis with various machine learning methods, including lo-gistic regression, random forest, SVM, XGBoost, decision forest and, CNNs was conducted to predict cardiovascular diseases. Convoluted Neural Networks (CNN) showed an accu-racy of 0.926, proving high effectiveness in ECG data process.

The band gap research in graphene is still a very important topic for materials application. Here, we report a band gap opening and p-type semiconducting property of the graphene by using an electrochemical doping on graphene surface. The manganese-oxide nanopar-ticles adsorbed on the graphene were used as the dopants in an electrolyte, which induce the band gap opening and the change of electronic structure. In addition, the fabricated graphene FET shows the p-type semiconductor behaviors. The temperature dependent conductivity of the p-type doped graphene at applied potential of 1.5 V during electro-chemical doping shows the formation of band gap of 0.23 eV, which is obtained from the fitting of conductivity equation. The semiconducting properties of manganese-oxide doped graphene is attributed to the formation of manganese-oxide nanoparticle on the surface of graphene.

This research presents the Cross-Cultural Intelligent Language Learning System (CILS), a novel approach integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into language education to enhance cross-cultural communication. CILS utilizes advanced AI technologies to provide adaptive, personalized learning experiences that cater to the unique linguistic and cultural backgrounds of each learner. By dynamically adjusting content and methodology, CILS significantly improves linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding, essential for effective global interactions. The implementation of CILS in platforms such as Busuu and HelloTalk has demonstrated marked improvements in engagement and communication skills among learners. Empirical studies validate the system's effectiveness in real-world settings, showing enhanced learner performance and increased intercultural competence. Additionally, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) applied confirms that the usability and perceived usefulness of AI-driven systems strongly influence learner acceptance and sustained use. This study not only underscores the potential of AI in transforming language education but also highlights the critical role of cultural sensitivity in designing educational technologies.

Few studies have paid attention to the industrial lands along the Chinese Grand Canal from a cultural per-spective, but cities along the route like Hangzhou have relied on the Canal system to promote industrializa-tion over the past hundred years, and relocated, transformed, or demolished the factories to construct cul-tural space or products mostly after industrial recession at the beginning of 21st century. To deeply analyze this process is quite helpful to understand the typical cultural change and its gain and loss along the Canal especially after cultural and creative industries have been established as the pillar industries of China's na-tional economy. Therefore, along the Hangzhou section of the Canal, we dynamically monitored the land use of the selected 10 industrial lands, with the analysis of high-resolution satellite imageries and the in-dustrial past, the areas of different uses in 2022 were compared. Meanwhile, along with archival data, fieldwork, and experts’ consultation, we designed a mark sheet with factors and scores to comprehensively assess cultural changes over those lands, and its reasons and influence also have been argued, and the prob-lems and suggestions have been offered. This study can contribute to a better understanding of public poli-cy choices in China regarding cities along the Grand Canal after the industrial decline, and provide new perspectives for cultural research, heritage conservation, and urban planning of canals or waterfront spaces.

Teaching, learning, research, and development are all supported in a favorable atmosphere at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The wetland systems made up of freshwater that are extremely biodiverse makeup about 10% of the total land area. Flooding, deforestation, excessive sedimentation, blockages to streams, abuse, overuse, and invasion of wetlands are some of the recent environmental challenges that the university faced. Urban heat island impacts, contaminants in the air, wetland degradation, social issues including stress, and a detachment from nature are all major concerns. With the green corridor behind the faculties of law and management science serving as a model supported by sustainability as a true foundation for UNILAG's campus landscapes, this article investigates the sustainable restoration of wetlands within the boundaries of the university. The use of qualitative techniques was employed, utilizing the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis. Additionally, a geospatial mapping of the wetlands and tributaries that connect the Lagos Lagoon was conducted to evaluate the intrinsic ecological goods and services through a series of analytical steps, beginning with an analysis of the land area, current biodiversity, hydrology, and its potential through landscape mapping and analysis. The biophysical setup, landscape features, climatic data analysis, the ecological goods and services derived from the wetlands, and the records of flooding and rainfall are all included in the geospatial evaluation and analysis. The educational institution's site planning for the remediation of its wetlands takes into account the actual evolution of the area's drainage network. Throughout the wetlands, low carbon emissions are generated by off-road bike lanes, trails for walking, and raised hardwood platforms. Combining native plant species and park furniture, the academic landscape atmosphere will be improved in each of the wetlands and aesthetic values. the country's "University of First Choice" and its biophysically restored wetlands will help illuminate the landscape while the green corridors have an innate ability to attract human affinity within the academic community. All of these elements are implemented following an environmentally friendly landscape planning, management, design model, and enforcement process.

Viral pathogens pose a substantial threat to public health and necessitate the development of effective remediation and antiviral strategies. This short communication aimed to investigate the antiviral efficacy of disinfectants on the surface proteins of human pathogenic viruses. Using in silico modeling, ligand binding energies (LBEs) of selected disinfectants were predicted and combined with their environmental impacts and costs through eco-pharmaco-economic analysis (EPEA). Results revealed the binding affinities of chemical disinfectants to viral proteins varied significantly (p

Timber-concrete composite (TCC) systems join the positive aspects of engineered wood products (good seismic behaviour, low thermal conductivity, environmental sustainability, good behaviour under fire if appropriately designed) with those of concrete (high thermal inertia, durability, excellent fire resistance). TCC facades are typically composed by an internal insulated timber-frame wall and an external concrete slab, separated by a ventilated air cavity. However, there is very limited knowledge concerning the performance of TCC facades, especially for what concerns their thermal behaviour. The present paper deals with the development and optimisation of a 2D CFD model for the analysis of TCC ventilated façades thermal behaviour. The model is calibrated and validated against the experimental data collected during the annual monitoring of a real TCC ventilated envelope in the north of Italy. Also, a new solver algorithm is developed to significantly speed up the simulation. The final model can be used for the time-efficient analysis and optimisation of the thermal performance of TCC ventilated facades, as well as other ventilated facades with external massive cladding, avoiding the expensive and time-consuming construction of mock-ups, or the use of comparably slow (conventional) CFD solvers that are less suitable for optimization studies.

In view of the problem that the output thrust of solenoid actuator is affected by various factors and is difficult to calculate in actual working conditions, this paper proposes a semi-analytical model constructed by magnetic field subdomain method with internal and external boundary conditions in cylindrical coordinate system for calculation, and the general solution equations of magnetic vector potential for each subdomain are derived and solved by MATLAB. Taking a push-pull electromagnet as an example, the finite element simulation and experimental comparative analysis are carried out. The correctness and applicable conditions of the subdomain method are illustrated by comparing the gradient plot of magnetic vector potential, inductance curve and electromagnetic force. By calculating the output thrust after considering the core gravity, spring force and electromagnetic force, it is shown that this method has the advantage of computational flexibility compared with the finite element method, and it is easier to write special algorithms according to various working conditions to calculate the important parameters in engineering applications.

Purpose: Post-pandemic management of COVID-19 infections and any emergent outbreaks is as an endemic disease remains a public health concern. Vaccine hesitancy may continue to hamper efforts to respond any new disease outbreaks and future epidemics. This qualitative study aimed to explore factors influencing covid-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in Kenya too gain deeper insights on this issue. Methods: The study was implemented in Western Kenya using key informant interviews. Fourteen (14) key informants were purposively selected for the study. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Interpretation of findings was done within the framework of the Health Belief Model. Key findings: Knowledge was a critical factor in combatting misinformation and fostering vaccine acceptance among participants in this study. Misinformation included rumors that the vaccine lowers immunity and was intended for population control. Cues to action included influence from political and opinion leaders and observing the loss of life among unvaccinated individuals. Perceived barriers to vaccine uptake included fear of vaccine safety, side effects, long waiting times at that time of our study, fear of contracting the COVID-19 at vaccination sites, family/spousal influence on vaccine uptake and fear of the unknown with the vaccine. Conclusion: Findings from this study provides insight into areas for targeted strategies for managing Covid-19 vaccinations and future pandemics. Within the framework of the Health Belief Model, this study identified salient barriers and facilitators of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy that may be helpful to inform future pandemic response.

The present study analyzed the effect of temperature, pH, retention time, pretreatment and mixing ratio on the anerobic digestion process. The parameters during the anaerobic co digestion of cow manure and food waste were then optimized using the Taguchi experimental design method. ANOVA is carried out to find the significant parameters which influence the biogas production. Experimental tests were carried out at laboratory scale reactors kept at different temperatures (28 °C, 35 °C, and 50 °C). The specific methanogenic Performance (SMP) during anerobic digestion at higher temperatures was characterized with the analysis of acetate, propionate, butyrate, hydrogen, glucose, and formate. The improvement of biogas production with different pre-treatment i.e., ultrasonic, autoclave, and microwave techniques also analysed. The results showed that reactor that maintained at 35 °C showed the highest biogas production. While the reactor that maintained at lower temperature (28 °C) produced the lower volume of biogas. As the retention time increases, the amount of biogas produced increases. Methanogenic activities of microorganisms reduced at higher temperature conditions (65 °C). Biogas production increased by 28.1%, 20.23%, and 13.27 % when the of substrates treated with ultrasonic, autoclave, and microwave, respectively, compared to the untreated substrate. The optimized condition for the highest biogas production during anaerobic co digestion of food waste and cow manure is temperature of 35 °C, pH of 7 and mixing ratio (CM: FW=1.5:0.5). ANOVA showed that temperature is the most important input parameter affecting biogas production, followed by mixing ratio.

Objective: We report a case of acute pancytopenia and liver injury after concomitant administration of low-dose methotrexate (MTX), and high-dose esomeprazole and metamizole. Case summary: A 71-year-old patient with chronic systemic idiopathic erosive arthritis was admitted after a pelvic ring fracture. After hospital admission, she received MTX in addition to esomeprazole and metamizole. Subsequent laboratory tests revealed pancytopenia and elevated liver enzymes. The follow-up clinical examinations were unremarkable, with the exception of sub-febrile temperatures. Further investigations did not detect a definitive etiology. Due to the suspicion of methotrexate-induced hematotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, antagonizing therapy with calcium folinate was administered, after which the blood counts and liver parameters normalized. Discussion: Due to the administration of high-dose metamizole immediately before the administration of low-dose MTX, the pre-existing hematotoxic pharmacodynamic effect of MTX was acutely enhanced by that of metamizole, although folic acid was administered preemptively. In addition, the concomitant administration of high-dose esomeprazole and normal dose torasemide resulted in a pharmacokinetic interaction with MTX by decreasing its renal secretion and elimination, further enhancing the concentration-dependent hematotoxic and hepatotoxic side effects of MTX. Conclusions: The relatively high demand for analgesics in patients with chronic rheumatic diseases already being treated with MTX and proton pump inhibitors necessitates that clinicians consider drug-drug interactions as potential causes of adverse drug reactions after the administration of metamizole or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In this category of patients, it is strongly recommended to switch to analgesics of other classes.

One of the most crucial elements in deeply understanding humans on a psychological level is manifested through facial expressions. The analysis of a human behavior can be informed by their facial expressions, making it essential to employ indicators such as expression (Expr), valence-arousal (VA), and action units (AU). In this paper, we introduce the method proposed in the Challenge of the 6th Workshop and Competition on Affective Behavior Analysis in-the-wild (ABAW) at CVPR 2024. Our proposed method utilizes the multi-modal Aff-wild2 dataset, which is splitted into spatial and audio modalities. For the spatial data, we extract features using a SimMiM model that was pre-trained on a diverse set of facial expression data. For the audio data, we extract features using a WAV2VEC model. To fusion the extracted spatial and audio features, we employed the cascaded cross-attention mechanism of a transformer.

Introduction: This study aims to elucidate the clinical diagnostic value of S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta (S100B) in epilepsy, a topic of ongoing debate among European and Asian epilepsy research centres.Methods and analysis: A structured long-term research plan was developed, comprising three phases. Phase one involves observational studies investigating the correlation between S100B levels in serum or cerebrospinal fluid and epilepsy. Phase two integrates observational and randomised controlled data to establish baseline S100B levels across diverse epilepsy demographics, underpinning the predictive value of S100B for epilepsy. Phase three focuses on randomised controlled trials to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of S100B as an epilepsy biomarker.Ethics and dissemination: All enrolled patients will provide written consent. The ethics committee of the Second People’s Hospital of Gansu Province, Affiliated Hospital of Northwest Minzu University, China, approved the study (GSSEY2022-KY009-01).Registration: The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023425431).

Investigation of oomycete diversity in rice paddies of Fars Province in Iran led to the identification of two new Pythium sensu lato (s.l.) species as Globisporangium izadpanahii sp. nov. and Pythium banihashemianum sp. nov. The identification was based on morphological and physiological features as well as the phylogenetic analysis of nuclear (ITS and βtub) and mitochondrial (cox1 and cox2) loci using Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood. A major characteristic of G. izadpanahii was the production of globose hyphal swellings; this species did not produce vesicles and zoospores. The present paper describes formally these two new species and defines their phylogenetic relationships with other congeneric species. According to multiple gene genealogy analysis, G. izadpanahii grouped with other species of Globisporangium in the former clade G of Pythium s.l. and was closely related to both G. nagaii and the recently described G. coniferarum. The second species, designated P. banihashemianum, grouped with other species of Pythium sensu stricto in the former clade B of Pythium s.l. and according to the phylogenetic analysis shared an ancestor with P. plurisporium. In pathogenicity tests on rice seedlings, P. banihashemianum isolates were highly pathogenic causing severe root and crown rot, while G. izadpanahii isolates were not pathogenic.

Existing implants used with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), and other joint reconstruction treatments, have displayed premature failures and frequent needs for revision surgery in recent years, particularly with young active patients who represent more than 55% of all joint reconstruction patients. Bone cement and stress shielding have been identified as the major reasons for premature joint failures. A breakdown of the cement may happen, and revision surgery may be needed because of the aseptic loosening. The significant mismatch of stiffness properties of patient trabecular bones and metallic implant materials in joint reconstruction surgery results in the stress shielding phenomenon. This could lead to significant bone resorption and increased risk of bone fracture and the aseptic loosening of implants. The present project introduces an approach for development of customized cellular structures to match the mechanical properties and architecture of human trabecular bone. It consists of four modules:1- characterization of geometry, microarchitecture, and stiffness properties of patient’s bones; 2- developing customized lattice structures tailored to mimic properties established in module 1; 3 - integration of developed lattice structure into full scale implant design and manufacturing; 4- implementation of the developed technology for use in implants that would overcome most of the issues related to aseptic loosening phenomenon. The present work aims at fulfilling the objectives of module 2 by exploring new designs of customized lattice structures and texture tailored to mimic closely patients’ bone anisotropic properties and that can incorporate an engineered biological press-fit fixation technique. The effects of various lattice design variables on mechanical performance of the structure are examined through systematic experimental plan using statistical design of experiments technique and analysis of variance method. All tested lattice designs were explored under realistic geometrical, biological, and manufacturing constraints. Of the four design factors examined in this study, strut thickness was found to have the highest percent contribution (41%) regarding the structure stiffness, followed by unit cell type, and cell size. Srut shape was found to have the lowest effect with only 11% contribution. The introduced solution offers lattice structure designs that can be adjusted to match bone stiffness distribution and promote bone ingrowth and hence eliminating the phenomenon of stress shielding while incorporating biological press-fit fixation technique.

Efficient fixed crane position analysis is critical in precast buildings construction to maximize lifting efficiency for precast elements. The primary objective is to minimize the travel distances of fixed cranes, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and cost control. This involves strategically reducing the distances between the transport truck parking, where elements are stored, the fixed crane, and the construction installation point. Despite its significance, existing studies often overlook the dynamic movement efficiency of transport trucks, particularly when dealing with multiple transport trucks and various models of fixed cranes, rendering the opti-mization of this scenario a challenging NP-hard problem susceptible to combinatorial explosion. This study presents a novel mathematical model leveraging the Genetic Algorithm (GA). The model aims to solve optimal model and position of fixed cranes, along with identifying ideal positions for transport truck parking. The study's methodology is validated and demonstrated through a project case study. Comparative analyses between the proposed model and the original planning underscore a noteworthy 6% reduction in both duration and costs when lifting elements directly from transport trucks, as opposed to establishing an on-site stock yard. Furthermore, the developed GA exhibits a substantial improvement in final solutions, achieving a remarkable 30% reduction in both operational duration and costs. This research contributes valuable insights into fixed crane position analysis of precast building construction, providing foundation for enhanced operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the industry.

This article seeks to provide an improved and more comprehensive understanding of the concept and theories on wasteland. It achieves this by focusing on the Indian context allowing us to unpack the importance of including multiple perspectives of wasteland narratives; this means including more positive narratives of the potential of wasteland to inform and improve prospects for land policies in the global south. Wasteland is commonly recognized as an underutilized category of land that may transform into a valuable resource base with proper management measures. The term waste has multiple angles that carry different notions ranging from fallow to agroforestry land in the global south and Brownfield to green space in the global north. We conduct a narra-tive review approach to qualitatively analyze the concept wastelands studied in pre-existing lit-erature from 1970 to present. The unsystematic literature review approach incorporates multiple elements of wasteland discourse, like understanding the meaning of the term on a global scale, setting out the meaning of the term waste into multiple perspectives explicitly in the Indian con-text, along with different classes and management approaches of wasteland from a national per-spective. The multiple perspectives of wasteland not only generate misconception on land resource but spawn difficulties in land use policy particularly for Indian scenario. For sustainable land use policy, reclaiming wasteland would be the best possible way for India and other countries in Global South, which requires a comprehensive methodological overview on wasteland narrative.

Excess consumption of a high-fat diet has been identified as one of the contributing factors for obesity. Women are at higher risk for adult obesity than men, predisposing them to a different set of detrimental disease conditions. Furthermore, aging studies show that physiological decline also has a serious impact on changes in the endocrine properties of white adipose tissue. Howev-er, there is still relatively little known about the factors associated with obesity and aging and their compounding impact on women’s health. To investigate adipocytokine secretion profile changes, female C3H/HeJ mice were induced to obesity through long-term consumption of a high-fat diet. Weight gain measurements and Echo MRI analysis of fat composition showed in-creases were a due solely to the high fat content in the diet. Adipocytokine secretions were ana-lyzed in media conditioned from harvested visceral fat tissue that was organ cultured ex-vivo. Adipocytokine analysis across diets and age showed significant increases in Adiponectin and Leptin secretion in high-fat diets, accelerated increases in Resistin secretion with high-fat diets. Aging induced increased secretion of Lipcalin-2, Pentraxin-3 and Serpin E1, MCP-1 and ICAM-1, regardless of diet. Furthermore, comparisons of organoid cultured protein secretions and flash-frozen tissue samples differed greatly, suggesting the WAT organoid cultures may yield information more reflective of in situ conditions. Taken together, our results show that diet and aging significantly impact secretions from adipose tissue, that may contribute to women’s health issues.

.(1) Background: Groundwater resources management in dry lands, characterized by climate var-iability and population growth, is difficult. Exploration and exploitation of groundwater, due to inadequate surface water is very costly. The present study employed Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and GIS to identify Ground-Water Potential (GWP) areas in a semi-arid region of Nigeria; (2) Methods: Land-use-land-cover, drainage density, slope, rainfall, static water level, soil media, vadose media and aquifer media were selected for GWP analysis. Parameters weights were de-termined using AHP and ranked based on their contribution to GWP by experts. The parameters were then integrated using weighted overlay tool in ArcGIS 10.5 to produce GWP map of the study area. Boreholes yield data from 245 wells were collected to determine the model accuracy and model validation; (3) Results: Results classified the study area into very high GWP (1.9%), high GWP (8.8%), moderate GWP (62%), low GWP (20.70%) and very low GWP (6.6%). Validation of the AHP model with boreholes yield data shows a correlation coefficient of 71.3% giving a good prediction; (4) Conclusions: AHP and GIS can be used to successfully map GWP areas which could serve as an exploration guide for sustainable management of groundwater resources in semi-arid areas.

Due to the increasing risk of extreme events caused by climate change (i.e. floods, fires, hurricanes) or wars, European veterinary public health may need some improvement. Utilizing a mix of qualitative (participatory observation) and quantitative methods (Internet mining), we analyzed the Greek media responses to the millennial flood in Thessaly (September 2023), focusing on animal health (including wild, companion animals and livestock) and public sentiment towards epizootic/epidemic threats. The study revealed a gap in crisis management plans regarding veterinary-related issues, emphasizing the need for comprehensive emergency response strategies. Our findings show how: (i) lay-referral system is projecting perception of epidemic threats into the population; (ii) emotional load of images of animal carcasses is misused by media creators aiming for big audience; (iii) pets owners are creating on-line communities for searching and treatment of their pets. Our results stress the importance of integrating crisis communication in consecutive phases of the discourse, such as (i) weather change; (ii) acute flood; (iii) recovery; (iv) outbreaks, into veterinary practices to better prepare for such disasters.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence combined with behavioral sciences have led to the development of cutting-edge tools for recognizing human emotions based on text, video, audio, and physiological data. However, these data sources are expensive, intrusive, and regulated, unlike plants which have been shown to be sensitive to human steps and sounds. A methodology is proposed to use plants as human emotion detectors. Electrical signals from plants are tracked and labeled based on video data. Labeled data are then used for classification. MLP, biLSTM, MFCC-CNN, MFCC-ResNet, and additionally, Random Forests, 1-Dimensional CNN, and biLSTM without windowing models are set using a grid search algorithm with cross-validation. Finally, best-parameterized models are trained and used with the test set for classification. The performance of this methodology is measured with a case study with 54 participants, who were watching an emotionally charged video, as ground truth their facial emotions were simultaneously measured using face emotion analysis. The Random Forest model shows the best performance, particularly in recognizing high-arousal emotions, achieving an overall weighted accuracy of 55.2% and demonstrating high weighted recall in emotions such as fear 61.0% and happiness 60.4%. The MFCC-ResNet model offers decently balanced results, with Accuracy(MFCC-ResNet)=0.318 and Recall (MFCC-ResNet)=0.324. With the MFCC-ResNet model fear and anger are recognized with 75% and 50% recall respectively. Thus, using plants as an emotion recognition tool seems worth investigating, addressing both cost and privacy concerns.

In a dynamic production processes, mechanical degradation poses a significant challenge, impacting product quality and process efficiency. This paper explores a novel approach for monitoring degradation in the context of viscose fiber production, a highly dynamic manufacturing process. Using causal discovery techniques, our method allows domain experts to incorporate background knowledge into the creation of causal graphs. Further, it enhances the interpretability and increases the ability to identify potential problems via changes in causal relations over time. The case study employs a comprehensive analysis of the viscose fiber production process within a prominent textile industry, emphasizing the advantages of causal discovery for monitoring degradation. The results are compared with state-of-the-art methods, which are not considered to be interpretable, specifically LSTM-based autoencoders, showcasing the alignment and validation of our approach. This paper provides valuable information on degradation monitoring strategies, demonstrating the efficacy of causal discovery in dynamic manufacturing environments. The findings contribute to the evolving landscape of process optimization and quality control.

There is a need to develop tools for mastitis management in goats and to measure the effects of milking machines on teats. Infrared thermography (IRT), as shown in cows, was a good candidate for early detection of mastitis and focusing on milking equipment and settings implicated in potential problems. The aim of this study was to test IRT to detect udder inflammation and the effects of mechanical milking on teats in relation to inflammation status, udder balance and teat shape in Alpine goats. IRT spectra were compared before and after milking in 551 goats from three commercial herds compared to their individual SCC (somatic cell count). We found no regression or trend between logSCC and IRT measurement or response to milking, even in highly inflamed goat udders. The effect of milking was significant (P

This study examines the performance of the Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analy-sis (IMDAA) in predicting five extremely severe cyclonic storms (ESCS) over the Bay of Bengal. The Advanced Research version of the WRF (ARW) model is utilized for this analysis over the last two decades. The initial and lateral boundary conditions are derived from the IMDAA datasets with a horizontal resolution of 0.12° × 0.12°. Five ESCSs from the past two decades are considered: Sidr 2007, Phailin 2013, Hudhud 2014, Fani 2019, and Amphan 2020. The model is integrated up to 96 hours using double nested domains of 12 km and 4 km. Model performance is evaluated using the 4 km results, compared with available observational datasets, including the best-fit data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, and Doppler Weather Radar (DWR). The results indicate that IMDAA provides accurate forecasts for ESCSs Fani, Hudhud, and Sidr in terms of track, intensity, and mean sea level pressure, aligning well with IMD observational datasets. However, Sidr's track deviates more from the observations. The calculated mean absolute maximum sustained wind speed errors range from 8.4 m/s to 10.6 m/s from day-1 to day-4, while mean track errors range from 114 km to 496 km during the same period. Statistical analysis, including bias, mean error, and standard deviation, underscores the significance of ESCS prediction. The discussion also covers rainfall prediction, maximum reflectivity, and the associated structure of the storms.

Fertility preservation technologies have existed for decades, and the field is rapidly advancing; limited data exist regarding the use of these technologies by transgender patients. Many options are available for transgender patients who wish to preserve fertility before transitioning. These options include the cryopreservation of gametes, ovarian tissue, or embryos. Currently, ejaculated, or testicular sperm, immature oocytes, and ovarian tissue can be preserved for later use, but no such use option exists for immature testicular tissue. Many financial, sociological, and legal barriers and a lack of awareness among physicians and patients also hindered the utilization of these fertility preservation services. While options are abundant, usage rates are relatively low. The initial data regarding the successful use of preserved tissues appears promising, with birth rates not dissimilar to non-transgender patients. Further investigations into this area are needed. In addition, counseling regarding fertility preservation options should become a significant part of the provider-patient conversation before transitioning therapies.; fertility; transgender; reproductive technology.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) adopts a modular multidomain structure that mediates antigen recognition and effector functions, such as complement-dependent cytotoxicity. IgG molecules are self-assembled into a hexameric ring on antigen-containing membranes, recruiting the complement component, C1q. To provide deeper insights into the initial step of the complement pathway, we report a high-speed atomic force microscopy study for quantitative visualization of the interaction between IgG and the C1 complex composed of C1q, C1r, and C1s. Results showed that C1q in the C1 complex is restricted regarding internal motion and has a stronger binding affinity for on-membrane IgG assemblages than C1q alone, presumably because of smaller conformational entropy loss upon binding. Furthermore, we visualized a 1:1 stoichiometric interaction between C1/C1q and an IgG variant that lacks the entire CH1 domain in the absence of antigen. In addition to the canonical C1q-binding site on Fc, their interactions are mediated through a secondary site on the CL domain that is cryptic in the presence of the CH1 domain. Our findings offer clues for novel-modality therapeutic antibodies.

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Keyword Spotting (KWS) technologies has revolutionized human to machine interaction. Yet, the challenge of end-to-end energy efficiency, memory footprint and system complexity of current Neural Network (NN) powered AI-KWS pipelines has remained ever present. This paper evaluates KWS utilizing a learning automata powered machine learning algorithm called the Tsetlin Machine (TM). Through significant reduction in parameter requirements and choosing logic over arithmetic based processing, the TM offers new opportunities for low-power KWS while maintaining high learning efficacy. In this paper we explore a TM based keyword spotting (KWS) pipeline to demonstrate low complexity with faster rate of convergence compared to NNs. Further, we investigate the scalability with increasing keywords and explore the potential for enabling low-power on-chip KWS.

Reactive NO_x is one of the major air pollutants, which also plays a key role as greenhouse gas. Many research efforts have been devoted to not only detection of NO_x in air but also abatement of NO_x emission. The aim of this mini review is to provide a panoramic snapshot of the electrochemical analysis methods for the emission and detection of NO_x in atmosphere, with special emphasis on NO_x sensor. The electrochemical detecting mechanism and materials for fabricating electrochemical gas sensors are discussed and the prospects and challenges in this area are also evaluated. This work will serve as a useful source to inform the interested audience of the latest developments and applications in the field of NO_x emission and electrochemical detection.

In Bangladesh, climate change is a major concern because of its geophysical location and climate dependent agriculture. As sessile organisms, crops plants have to face difficulties often in this environmentally vulnerable country. Therefore, this study examines the seasonal trend of two climatic parameters viz. temperature (maximum and minimum) and rainfall over a period of 1983 to 2013. Besides, this study provides insight into the relationship between climatic parameters and crop yield of two major crops viz. rice and wheat during 1997-2013. To assess the relationship of climatic parameters with time and yield using Pearson correlation analysis, time series data used at an aggregate level. SPSS software utilized for this analysis. The cropping seasons such as rice growing seasons Aus (summer rice), Aman (autumn rice) and Boro (winter rice) exhibited a significant increase in maximum and minimum temperature. Rainfall found to have a decreasing trend for all the seasons. This study also revealed that the climatic parameters had significant effects on rice yield, but these results varied among three rice crops. Maximum temperature had positive effects on all rice yields, especially on Aus and Aman. Minimum temperature had a negative effect on Aman rice yield but a positive effect on Aus rice yield. Wheat yield negatively associated with temperature. Rainfall exhibited negative relation with both rice and wheat yield.

Wearable smart devices have become ubiquitous in modern society, extensively researched for their health monitoring capabilities and convenience features. However, the "wearability" of these devices remains a relatively understudied area, particularly in terms of design informed by clinical trials. While wearable devices hold significant potential to enhance daily life, it is crucial to understand and validate design factors influencing their comfort, usability, and integration into everyday routines. This review aimed to evaluate the “wearability” of smart devices through a mixed-methods scoping review of the literature. By analyzing studies on comfort, usability, and daily integration, it sought to identify design improvements and research gaps to enhance user experience and system design. From 130 publications (1998-2024), 19 were included. The review revealed that most findings were qualitative, lacking the quantitative studies needed for validated design criteria. While qualitative data provides rich insights, the absence of quantitative research limits a comprehensive understanding of design issues in the field. This underscores the need for future studies to use quantitative methodologies to better assess and validate design guidance, improving wearability.

Background Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a well-established risk factor for incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease. However, evidence regarding its association with recurrent events is limited. To address this gap, we conducted a retrospective analysis of routine clinical data, focusing on patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between 2000 and 2022 with available admission Lp(a) results. Methods Patients were stratified into three groups based on their Lp(a) level (≤50 mg/dL, 51–90 mg/dL, and >90 mg/dL). A multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the associations of Lp(a) with recurrent AMI, CV mortality, and all-cause mortality. Results A total of 2248 patients (31.5% women), with a mean age of 64.7 ± 12.2 years, were retrospectively followed until December 31, 2022, or death. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for recurrent AMI were 1.01 (p=0.921) for levels 51–90 mg/dL and 1.51 (p=0.013) for levels >90 mg/dL, compared with levels ≤50 mg/dL. The corresponding HRs for CV mortality were 1.13 (p=0.300) and 1.14 (p=0.348), and those for all-cause mortality were 1.09 (p=0.310) and 1.20 (p=0.090), respectively. Stratification by sex and age revealed a significant association of Lp(a) with recurrent AMI only in women aged >65 years, with adjusted HRs of 2.34 (p=0.013) for levels 51–90 mg/dL and 3.94 (p90 mg/dL, compared with levels ≤50 mg/dL. Conclusions We observed a significant association of Lp(a) with recurrent AMI only in patients with Lp(a) levels >90 mg/dL. No associations were found between Lp(a) and CV or all-cause mortality. Notably, the association with recurrent AMI was most pronounced in women aged >65 years.

VEXAS syndrome, a monogenic X-linked disorder resulting from mutations in the UBA1 gene, has emerged as a key model for unraveling the links between systemic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases (SIAD) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This syndrome is characterized by the presence of vacuoles, X-linked inheritance, autoinflammation and somatic mutation patterns, highlighting a unique intersection between genetic and immunological dysregulation. Apart from VEXAS, 10% to 30% of individuals diagnosed with MDS exhibit SIAD phenotypes, a significant increase compared to the 5% incidence in the general population. In this comprehensive review, we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving the pro-inflammatory environment in MDS, focusing on the contribution of VEXAS syndrome to this complex interplay. We examine how UBA1 mutations disrupt cellular homeostasis, triggering inflammatory pathways. Furthermore, we explore the broader implications of these findings for the pathogenesis of MDS, proposing that the inflammatory dysregulation of VEXAS may shed light on mechanisms of disease progression and identify potential therapeutic targets in MDS. Through an integrated analysis of genetic, immunological and clinical data, this review seeks to deepen our understanding of the complex relationship between systemic inflammation and hematological malignancies, paving the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Anaerobic digestion followed by microalgal cultivation is considered a promising renewable alternative for the production of biomethane with reduced effluent generation, thus lowering the environmental impact. In this arrangement, in addition to generating energy, the microalgae act by potentiating the refinement of the effluents generated via anaerobic digestion (digestates). In this study, the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus was cultivated in photobioreactors with the final digestate resulting from the codigestion of Arundo donax L. plant biomass and cattle wastewater. The biotechnological route used was efficient, and biogas production ranged from 50.20 to 94.69 mL gVS-1. The first-order kinetic model with variable dependence (FOMT) provided the best fit for the biogas production data. In the microalgal posttreatment, the removal values ranged from 81.5 to 93.8% for chemical oxygen demand, 92.0 to 95.3% for N-NH4+, and 41.7 to 83.3% for PO43- after 26 days. The macromolecular composition of the algal biomass reached lipid contents ranging from 33.4 to 42.7%. Thus, the proposed process mediated by microalgae can be considered promising for the bioremediation and recovery of effluents produced by agriculture through the use of microalgal biomass for bioproduct production.

The development of intelligent medical service robots for patient care presents significant chal-lenges, particularly in integrating diverse knowledge sources and enabling robots to autono-mously perform tasks in dynamic and unpredictable healthcare environments. This study in-troduces a novel framework that combines large language models (LLMs) with healthcare-specific knowledge and robotic operations to enhance autonomous task execution for a Robotic Health Attendant (RHA). Utilizing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the RHA processes structured information about patient care protocols and unstructured human inputs to generate context-aware robot actions. A prototype system was tested in a simulated patient room where the RHA successfully performed both simple individual actions and complex tasks involving the execution of multiple actions, based on real-time dialogues with the LLM and predefined task specifications. The results demonstrate the potential of LLMs to reduce the reliance on hardcoded logic and provide healthcare professionals with the ability to interact with robotic systems through natural lan-guage.

This article explores the use of vegetation indices (VIs) in remote sensing for estimating standing wood volume and volume increments in forest ecosystems. The study investigates the correlations between various VIs and wood volume across different forest stand age classes, focusing on the effectiveness of commonly used indices such as Squared Ratio Simple Red Edge (SQSR) and Red-Edge Ratio Vegetation Index (RERVI), as well as other typical indicators including Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Red-Edge EVI (RE-EVI), and Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI). Additionally, the analysis considers a pair of indicators based on blue and near-infrared channels, resembling the Blue-normalized Difference Vegetation Index (BNDVI). The research reveals that quadratic and power-law models of SQSR and RERVI demonstrate higher correlations (>0.40) with wood volume, especially in younger forest stands (>0.80). Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of NDII and NDWI indices for estimating volume increments in certain classes of forest stands (0.70). However, correlations vary across different forest stand classes, suggesting the need for further investigation into the reliability of VIs for monitoring wood volume and volume increments in forest ecosystems. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of the applicability of VIs in remote sensing for forest management and ecosystem monitoring.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate useful preoperative clinical and hematologic variables in predicting malignancy in patients with the atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) nodules, and to suggest a machine learning-based prediction model. Methods: We enrolled 280 patients who underwent surgery for the AUS nodules at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital between 2018 and 2022. We evaluated preoperative hematologic indices, including Delta Neutrophil Index (DNI), Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), as well as preoperatively identifiable clinical variables such as age and sex at diagnosis, history of radiation exposure, familial history of thyroid cancer, primary tumor size, and the 2016 Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS) classification. Results: A total of 116 patients (41.4%) were finally diagnosed with various types of thyroid malignancy, excluding 32 patients (11.4%) with thyroid cancer incidentally identified. Age at diagnosis (p = 0.012), primary tumor size (p = 0.048), and the K-TIRADS classification (p = 0.003) were independent risk factors to predict the diagnosis of malignancy in patients with AUS nodules younger than 55 years, not in those aged of 55 years or older. Adding the NLR to these risk factors significantly improved the predictability for malignancy in the same patient group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The inclusion of NLR in the ma-lignancy prediction model enhances the predictive accuracy for malignancy in younger patients with AUS nodules. This finding suggests that incorporating NLR into preoperative assessment could refine management strategies and improve decision-making for surgical interventions.

Nonlinear single unit activity (SUA) characteristics are the useful measures to reveal the information processing and transfer features associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in the basal ganglia. Most of the state-of-the-art approaches to compute such parameters in continuous and discrete forms are strongly dependent on SUA recording length, noise level and input parameters. Due to the specificity of SUA data collection (mainly short recordings with relatively low signal-to-noise ratio) new techniques to evaluate neuronal nonlinear properties are needed. We have developed an encoding technique based on a mean interspike interval (ISI) value to calculate spike train discrete nonlinear features. The approach to compute mutual information (MI) of isolated neurons with its unstructured activity was also proposed. The proposed technique of SUA nonlinear features evaluation slightly depends on spike train length, has low correlations with other SUA characteristics (firing rate, coefficient of ISI variance and asymmetry index). The derived entropy measure in the subthalamic nucleus has significant positive correlation with PD severity. The proposed approach provides nonlinear features that are slightly dependent on investigated sample size and independent on input parameters. Also, the developed mean ISI based measures reflect the more complex nature of oscillatory activity in the basal ganglia, than it was thought previously. Moreover, MI, unlike entropy, takes into account the position of the spike train elements, which allows us to investigate the amount of information retained after the occurrence of temporary failures. The developed approach may be useful in describing nonlinear features of basal ganglia activity contributing to PD pathophysiology probably associated with impaired information transfer in movement disorders.

A constant effort is made in the physical metallurgy of transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steels. These are multiphase steels, whose mechanical behavior depends on the different phases present, the intrinsic strength of each phase, the work hardening of each constituent and the austenite to martensite transformation, among others. Hard and soft phases can be distinguished in these steels and both stress and strain are distributed between them. The objective of this work was to simulate the stress-strain behavior for two TRIP steels. Bouquerel’s model was modified to account for the initial martensite, a moderate hard austenite and adjustable strain hardening parameters. The austenite fraction that transforms into martensite was computed through an Olson and Cohen model. The Mecking-Kocks model was used to evaluate the increment in the dislocation density and the Rodriguez-Gutierrez model, to compute the hardening of martensite. Ferrite is considered a soft phase, martensite and bainite, hard phases and austenite, a phase with a moderate hardness. The routine was implemented in MATLAB, and results were compared with those obtained experimentally in a tension test of two TRIP steels of the same composition but different heat treatments, obtaining in both cases a good agreement for the stress-strain-curves.

Ovarian torsion (OT) is a rare gynaecological emergency that requires a prompt diagnosis for optimal patient management. To determine whether there were any biomarkers suitable for the non-invasive detection of OT, two independent reviewers performed systematic searches of five literature databases following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Full-texts of 24 selected articles were assessed for risk of bias and quality assurance using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).  15 articles described studies on animals and all described serum biomarkers comparing results between OT versus a sham operation, a control group or readings before and after OT. Ischaemia modified albumin (IMA), serum D-dimer (s-DD), heat shock protein-70 (hsp-70), Pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) and c-reactive protein (CRP) showed the most promise, each with p-values for the difference between groups achieving ≤0.001. In studies of humans, the biomarkers ranged from 16.4-92.3% sensitivity and 77-100% specificity. The most promising biomarkers for the early prediction of OT in patients included s-DD, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IMA and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-. IL-6 had the highest sensitivity of any biomarker identified in this review and was raised in all 13 patients with proven OT, with values of ≥10.2pg/ml, indicative of a 16 times higher risk of having OT. Signal peptide, CUB domain and EGF like domain containing 1 (SCUBE1) had a high specificity at 93.3%, second only to s-DD and a positive likelihood ratio (LR)&gt;10. IMA was the only other biomarker that also had a positive LR&gt;10, making it a promising diagnostic biomarker. The studies identified by this systematic literature review each analysed small patient groups but IMA, DD and SCUBE1 nevertheless showed promise as serum biomarkers with a pooled LR&gt;10. However, further well-designed studies are needed to identify and evaluate individual markers, or diagnostic panels to help clinicians manage this important, organ-threatening condition.

Detrital zircons from two samples of metaterrigenous rocks from the Lykhmanivka Syncline, Middle Dnieper Domain of the Ukrainian Shield (Skelevate Formation of the Kryvyi Rih Group), have been dated by the LA-ICP-MS U-Pb method. Metasandstones from the northern part of the Syncline yield zircons belonging to four age groups: 3205 ± 20 Ma, 3089 ± 11 Ma, 2939 ± 8 Ma, and 2059 ± 4 Ma. In contrast, zircon from metasediments from the southern end of the Lykhmanivka Syncline fall within two age groups: 3174 ± 13 Ma, and 2038 ± 9 Ma. The source area was dominated by rocks of the Auly Group (3.27–3.18 Ga) and the Sura Complex (3.17–2.94 Ga). The proportion of zircons dated at 2.07–2.03 Ga, which reflects the timing of metamorphism, is 5%. The metamorphic nature of the Paleoproterozoic zircon allows us to define the maximum depositional age of the metaterrigenous rocks of the Lykhmanivka Syncline at ca. 2.9 Ga, which is in good agreement with the earlier results from the metaterrigenous rocks of the Kryvyi Rih – Kremenchuk basin. Our data also indicate the local nature of sedimentation and the absence of significant transport and mixing of detrital material within the basin.

This study investigated the aerodynamic performances of various trains with different nose shapes, using as design variables two angles α,β for the heads shape and the bluntness angle γ, without crosswind. The effect on aerodynamic performances, such as the train drag coefficient, pressure distribution along the train surface, flow structures around the train and the wake, head pressure pulse, were analyzed. The results indicate that the increase of the train nose length for flat shapes decreases the CD values by 21.47% and 19.11%, decreasing the high-pressure region in the leading head. The duck-nose configuration emerges as a compromise between drag reduction and nose length. Increasing the angle γ a further drag reduction of 8.5% is featured. Drag formation along the train is also analyzed. The steeper the variation of the geometry, the higher the peak intensity and the slope of the curve. Regarding the flow features around the train, two-main counter-rotating vortices are captured in the wake. Moreover, the higher the nose length and the higher the bluntness angle γ, the weaker and narrower the wake. Again, a longer nose shape yields to a softer jump in terms of pressure difference, crucial for train homologation and safety.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Candida auris presents a formidable global health challenge, causing severe healthcare-associated infections with high mortality rates. Its ability to colonize surfaces and resist standard disinfectants undermines traditional hygiene practices, prompting an urgent need for novel strategies. Ultraviolet C (UVC) light offers a promising approach due to its rapid and broad-spectrum germicidal efficacy. This review comprehensively examines the current knowledge of UVC LED technology in combating C. auris, highlighting its effectiveness, limitations, and potential applications in healthcare hygiene. UVC light has potent activity against C. auris, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. UVC can reduce C. auris on contaminated surfaces, aiding in transmission prevention. This review explores implementation strategies, including mobile UVC systems for targeted disinfection of high-risk areas and equipment, integration into air handling units (AHUs) to continuously disinfect recirculating air, and incorporation into water treatment systems. Current limitations in our understanding of UVC safety and effectiveness necessitate further research to optimize application protocols and ensure treatment safety while maintaining efficacy against C. auris. Integrating UVC disinfection technology into infection control programs holds promise for strengthening hygiene practices that will curb the global spread of C. auris and improve patient outcomes.

The research improves the strength of plastic using avocado seed starch and PLA. The effect of blending avocado seed starch and PLA was optimized using the RSM approach by using two variables: water absorption and biodegradability. Mixing them using RSM gave the best result: 1.8 g of starch and 3 g of PLA. Degradable plastic has a (tensile strength of 10.1 MPa; elongation at break of 85.8%; young modulus of 190 MPa). Infrared spectroscopy showed that the plastic had a -OH bond at 3273.20 cm-1, 3502.73 cm-1, 3647.39 cm-1, a CH2 bond at 2953.52 cm-1, 2945.30 cm-1, 2902.87 cm-1, a C=C bond at 1631.78 cm-1, and a C-O bond at 1741.72 cm-1. The plastic decomposed in soil. It was organic and hydrophilic. Thermal tests, the plastic can withstand heat well, losing weight at 356.86°C to 413.64°C, forming crystals and plastic melts at 159.10°C—the same as PLA. Melt flow test, sample melts before measurement, therefore not measurable—process conditions that affect. Water absorption of 5.763% and biodegradation rate of 37.988% decomposed for 12 days. In morphology analysis, the starch and PLA fused to form a smooth surface. RSM found value was close to 1. RSM gave the best process parameters.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is an important gram-negative zoonotic conditional pathogen. It can infect humans and a variety of farm animals, leading to infections such as pneumonia, meningitis and even sepsis. thereby posing a significant threat to public health. OmpX acts as a virulence protein that can participate in bacterial pathogenesis, mediates bacterial adhesion to and invasion of epithelial cells, and is involved in bacterial adaptation to the osmotic pressure of the external environment. In this study, MBs-SELEX was used as the main strategy for screening aptamers. Omp X was used as the target protein and Omp A as the counter-screening target. qPCR and flow cytometry were used to determine the nature and specificity of the obtained aptamers for the Omp X protein. The analysis showed that among the obtained aptamers, three aptamers, Apt-1, Apt-2 and Apt-3, were selected with Kd values of 62.50 nM, 22.05 nM and 7.9 nM, respectively. In addition, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) was used for the characterization of KP in complex with specific FITC-labeled aptamers (FITC-Apt-3) and AuNCs. The complexes were characterized by observing blue fluorescent dots from AuNCs and green fluorescent dots from FITC-labeled aptamers overlapping with bacterial presence. These results suggest that AuNCs and aptamers can specifically bind to target bacteria, forming complexes. Furthermore, in vitro results demonstrated that Apt-1, Apt-2 and Apt-3 inhibited bacterial growth, with Apt-3 having the most significant inhibitory effect. The results suggest that aptamers can selectively recognize membrane proteins, thereby disrupting bacterial cell membrane formation and effectively inhibiting bacterial growth. Aptamers have a potential mechanism to inhibit bacterial growth.