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Accurate interpretation of mercury (Hg) isotopic data requires the consideration of several biotic factors such as age, diet, geographical range, and tissue metabolic turnover. A priori knowledge of prey-predator isotopic incorporation rates and Hg biomagnification is essential. This study aims to assess Hg stable isotopes incorporation in an Arctic species of Phocidae, the hooded seal Cystophora cristata, kept in human care for 24 months (2012-2014) and fed on a constant diet of Norwegian Spring Spawning herring Clupea harengus. We measured THg, MMHg and iHg levels, as well as Hg stable isotope composition with both mass dependent (MDF) and mass independent (MIF) fractionation (e.g. δ 202 Hg and Δ 199,200,201,204 Hg) in hooded seal kidney, liver, hair and muscle, in addition to herring muscle. We then calculated Hg MDF and MIF isotopic fractionation between hooded seals and their prey. We found a significant shift in δ 202 Hg between hooded seal hair (+0.80‰) and kidney (-0.78‰), and herring muscle. In hooded seals tissues δ 202 Hg correlated positively with MMHg percentage. These findings suggest that tissue-specific Hg speciation is the major driver of changes in Hg isotopic fractionation rates in this Arctic predator. Δ 199 Hg, Δ 200 Hg, Δ 201 Hg and Δ 204 Hg values did not vary between herring and hooded seal tissues, confirming their utility as tracers of Hg marine and atmospheric sources in top predators. To our knowledge, this represents the first attempt to assess complex Hg isotope dynamics in the internal system of Arctic Phocidae, controlling the effects of age, diet, and distribution. Our results confirm the validity of Hg stable isotopes as tracers of environmental Hg sources even in top predators, but emphasize the importance of animal age and tissue selection for inter-study and inter-species comparisons., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Certain active particles execute continuous self-propelled motion at the air-water interface due to Marangoni forces. Here, we report motion of camphor and pentanol infused disks in an L-shaped two path and a Y-shaped three path channel. These channels are open to the sink. In both the cases, these channels have asymmetry in arm-lengths while the arm-widths are equal. The active disks are introduced in the decision region (center) of the channel from where they elect to move along a particular path towards the sink. We observe that these active disks show a preference for reaching the sink along the minimal (in length) path. The camphor disk prefers the minimal path 80% of the time in the two-path and 68% of the time in the three-path channels, while for the pentanol disk, the preference rates for the minimal path selection are 88% and 74%, respectively. Furthermore, we perform numerical analysis to validate the experimental observations.

Citrobacter werkmanii (C. werkmanii), an opportunistic urinary bacterium that causes diarrhea, is poorly understood. Our research focuses on genetic features that are crucial to disease development, such as pathogenic interactions, antibiotic resistance, virulence genes and genetic variation. Following its morphological, biochemical, and molecular identification, the whole genome of C. werkmanii strain NIB003 was sequenced in Bangladesh for the first time. Despite having around 80% whole genome conservation, the research shows that the Bangladeshi strain forms a separate phylogenetic cluster. This emphasises the genetic variability within C. werkmanii, resulting in particular modifications at the strain level and changes in its ability to cause disease. The results of the genetic diversity analysis indicate that the Bangladeshi sequenced genome is more diverse than the other strains due to the existence of unique features, such as the presence of t-RNA binding domain and N-6 adenine-specific DNA methylases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Sundarbans represent the largest mangrove system on earth, covering >10,000 km 2 . These mangroves can export a vast amount of aquatic carbon that can be potentially sequestered for millennia. However, the mechanisms that drive these processes remain poorly constrained. Here, we estimate porewater-driven carbon exchange between the Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal using high-resolution time series and a radon groundwater mass balance approach spanning a neap-spring tidal cycle. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) increased from neap to spring tides by 352 % up to a maximum of 65.6 cm d -1 largely driven by creek bank overtopping after the mid-tide. Exports of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon and alkalinity doubled between neap and spring, likely due to the 'first flush' of older porewater in the mangrove flats. Groundwater discharge was a significant driver of the net carbon export, contributing up to 86.7 % of DIC and 74.0 % of alkalinity during the spring tide while contributing a lower proportion of DOC (4 %-23 %). If these results are representative of the Sundarbans more broadly, carbon fluxes from the Sundarbans would be more than an order of magnitude higher than some of the world's largest rivers on an areal basis, highlighting the importance of Sundarbans mangroves to global oceanic carbon budgets., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Screening tests are the cornerstone for early detection and optimal management of cancers. Most of the present cancer-screening tests are intrusive, time-consuming, and specifically target a particular anatomical site or cancer type. Only a few studies have reported the objective measures of 18 F-FDG PET-based cancer screening in asymptomatic individuals. This review and meta-analysis is an attempt to assess the applicability and performance of 18 F-FDG PET-based modalities for whole-body cancer screening., Materials and Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis were performed following PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were conducted using relevant MeSH terms and keywords, for articles published in the last 2 decades (2000-2022). Pooled estimates of diagnostic test accuracy-including sensitivity, specificity, positive-likelihood ratio, negative-likelihood ratio, and hierarchical summary ROC (HSROC) curve were generated using bivariate random-effects meta-analysis., Results: Seventeen studies were included in the systematic review and 13 studies were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. The mean estimates of pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive-likelihood ratio, negative-likelihood ratio, and Odds ratio using 18 F-FDG PET with a 95% confidence interval were 0.47 (0.25-0.69), 0.97 (0.95-0.98), 18.8 (6.8-51.5), 0.45 (0.27-0.76), 41.0 (7.9-211.8) and for 18 F-FDG PET/CT were 0.83 (0.75-0.88), 0.98 (0.97-0.99), 49.7 (29.2-84.5), 0.15 (0.8-0.28), 329.9 (125.0-870.8), respectively. Among screening modalities, 18 F-FDG PET/CT had a higher accuracy i.e., the area under the HSROC curve (AUC): 0.91 (0.87-0.95) compared to 18 F-FDG PET: 0.72 (0.61-0.82)., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that currently 18 F-FDG PET-based screening has limited applicability for population-based cancer-screening programs. However, it has a promising role as a combined screening strategy for at-risk individuals and allows for comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic evaluation in high-resource settings., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Japan Radiological Society.)

Background: Vagal schwannomas are well-documented, but cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas (CSCS) are rare, with most knowledge from case reports. This study aims to identify radiological predictors of misdiagnosis and factors guiding surgical approaches based on tumor size and extent., Methods: An ambispective analysis was conducted on 21 cases of CSCS, examining preoperative data, intraoperative findings and the questionnaire to identify the potential predictors. Tumors were classified into three types based on their relationship with the carotid sheath, and this classification was correlated with vessel ligation and postoperative neural outcomes., Results: An excellent agreement was found between radiologist on new classification system(Kappa:0.89). Tumor classification revealed a diverse distribution, with 6 cases identified as Type 1, 6 as Type 2, 5 as Type 3, and 4 as Type 3S. The necessity of external carotid artery (ECA) ligation correlated with the tumor type. Type 3 tumors required ECA ligation in 50% of cases, while Type 1 and Type 2 tumors predominantly involved vascular preservation. Postoperative complications included vagal palsy in 28.5% of cases and first bite syndrome in 71.4%., Conclusion: Accurate preoperative planning and a novel staging system can enhance surgical outcomes and reduce postoperative complications as validated by our study., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Biliary dilatation without obvious etiology on cross sectional imaging warrants further investigation. This study aimed to assess yield of endoscopic ultrasound in providing etiologic diagnosis in such situation., Methods: Prospective cohort of consecutive patients with biliary dilatation & non diagnostic computed tomography (CT) and /or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) underwent endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with/without fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and were followed clinically, biochemically with/without radiology for up to six months. The findings of EUS were corroborated with histopathology of surgical specimens and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) findings in relevant cases., Results: Median age of 121 patients completing follow up was 55 years. 98.2% patients were symptomatic and median common bile duct (CBD) diameter was 13 mm. EUS was able to identify lesions attributable for biliary dilatation in (67 out of 121) 55.4% cases with ampullary neoplasm being the commonest (29 out of 67 i.e. 43%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified jaundice as the predictor of positive diagnosis on EUS, of finding ampullary lesion and pancreatic lesion on EUS. EUS had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of 95.65%, 94.23%, 95.65% and 95.04% respectively in providing etiologic diagnosis. Threshold value for baseline bilirubin of 10 mg%, for baseline CA 19.9 of 225 u/L and for largest CBD diameter of 16 mm were determined to have specificity of 98%, 95%, 92.5% respectively of finding a positive diagnosis on EUS., Conclusion: EUS provides considerable diagnostic yield with high accuracy in biliary dilatation when cross sectional imaging fails to provide etiologic diagnosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rheo-dielectric studies of soft materials provide important information on the dynamic structure and electric polarization. We study the dielectric dispersion of a nematic liquid crystal by applying a high AC probe field without a DC bias and a low AC probe field with a high DC bias under steady rotational shear. The dielectric anisotropy of the nematic is positive and the applied electric field is parallel to the velocity gradient with a magnitude larger than the Freedericksz threshold field. We find that the dielectric dispersion and the relaxation frequencies are strongly shear rate dependent. The analysis of the results based on a simple physical model shows that the effective dielectric constant of the nematic with non-uniform director tilt in the shear plane can be modelled as a series combination of parallel and perpendicular components. Our experiments demonstrate changes in dielectric dispersion are due to molecular reorientation under the influence of the competing effects of hydrodynamic and dielectric torques.

Coal mining activities greatly damage water resources, explicitly concerning water quality. The adverse effects of coal mining and potential routes for contaminants to migrate, either through surface water or infiltration, into the groundwater table. Dealing with pollution from coal mining operations is a significant surface water contamination concern. Consequently, surface water resources get contaminated, harming nearby agricultural areas, drinking water sources, and aquatic habitats. Moreover, the percolation process connected with coal mining could alter groundwater quality. Subsurface water sources can get contaminated by toxins generated during mining activities that infiltrate the soil and reach the groundwater table. The aims of this study are the creation of models and the provision of proposals for corrective measures. Twenty-five scenarios were simulated using MODFLOW; according to the percolation percentage and contamination, 35% of the study area, i.e., the middle of the research area, was the most affected. About 38.08% of the area around the mining zones surrounding Margherita is prone to floods. Agricultural areas, known for applying chemical fertilizers, are particularly vulnerable, generating a risk of pollution to surrounding water bodies during flooding. The outputs of this research contribute to identifying and assessing flood-vulnerable regions, enabling focused measures for flood risk reduction, and strengthening water resource management., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Scaffolds play a crucial role in bone tissue engineering to support the defect area through bone regeneration and defect reconstruction. Promising tissue regeneration without negative repercussions and avoidance of the lifelong presence inside the body make bioresorbable metals prosper in the field of regenerative medicine. Recently, Zn and its alloys have emerged as promising biodegradable materials for their moderate degradation rate and satisfactory biocompatibility. Nevertheless, it is very challenging for cells to adhere and grow over the Zn surface alone, which influences the tissue-implant integration. In this study, an attempt has been made to systematically investigate the bioactivity responses in terms of in vitro hemocompatibility, cytotoxicity, antibacterial activity, and in vivo biocompatibility of newly developed Zn-2Cu-0.5Mn/Mg alloy scaffolds with different surface roughness. The rough surface of Zn-2Cu-0.5Mg shows the highest degradation rate of 0.16 mm/yr. The rough surface exhibits a prominent role in the adsorption of protein, further enhancing cell adhesion. Concentration-dependent alloy extract shows the highest cell proliferation for 12.5% of the extract with a maximum cell viability of 101% in Zn-2Cu-0.5Mn and 108% in Zn-2Cu-0.5Mg after 3 d. Acceptable hemolysis percentages (less than 5%) with promising anticoagulation properties are observed for all of the conditions. Enhanced antibacterial ( Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli ) activity due to a significant effect of ions illustrates the maximum killing effect on the bacterial colony for the rough Zn-2Cu-0.5Mg alloy. In addition, it is observed that for rough Zn-2Cu-0.5Mn/Mg alloys, the inflammatory response is minimal after subcutaneous implantation, and neo-bone tissue forms in the defect areas of the rat femur with satisfactory biosafety response. The osseointegration property of the Zn-2Cu-0.5Mg alloy is comparable to that of the Zn-2Cu-0.5Mn alloy. Therefore, the rough surface of the Zn-2Cu-0.5Mg alloy has the potential to enhance biocompatibility and promote better osseointegration activity with host tissues for various biomedical applications.

Background: Invasive fungal sinusitis, particularly mucormycosis, presents a significant clinical challenge, especially in pediatric populations. This retrospective epidemiologic study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes associated with this rare but severe condition, with a focus on orbital morbidity., Methods: Clinical data of 12 pediatric patients diagnosed with invasive fungal sinusitis between 2021 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Diagnosis involved microbiological and histopathologic examinations, alongside radiologic imaging. Treatment comprised surgical intervention and antifungal therapy, with a detailed evaluation of orbital involvement. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression., Results: Predominantly affecting males, the median age of the patients was 8 years. Common symptoms included orbital swelling and impaired vision. Imaging revealed characteristic features of invasive fungal sinusitis, including fat stranding and bone erosions. Orbital involvement was extensive, with poor visual outcomes observed in several cases. Surgical debridement and antifungal therapy, including transcutaneous retrobulbar Amphotericin B, were administered. Risk factors associated with poor orbital outcomes included duration of diabetes and glycated hemoglobin levels. Mortality rate stood at 22.2%., Conclusions: Early diagnosis, aggressive surgical intervention and combined antifungal therapy are essential for improving outcomes. Timely intervention showed stabilization of the orbital disease and better outcomes in pediatric patients. Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to better understand and address this serious condition., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) has emerged as a reliable immunohistochemistry (IHC) marker for identifying breast origin in metastatic carcinomas. This study investigates the utility of TRPS1 IHC in non-breast cytology specimens., Materials and Methods: A retrospective search of our pathology database for the year 2021 identified fluids (pleural and peritoneal) and liver, lung and bone fine needle aspirations (FNAs) with surgical follow-up confirming non-breast metastatic carcinomas. Cell blocks from cases with sufficient neoplastic cells underwent immunostaining using a rabbit polyclonal antibody against human TRPS1. Cases lacking tumor on deeper levels after the original work-up were excluded from the study. Two pathologists independently interpreted the TRPS1 staining., Results: Of 136 cases assessed, 31 (22.79%) exhibited positive TRPS1 staining, while 105 (77.21%) were nonreactive. Positivity rates were observed in tumors of Mullerian cell origin, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and lung origin at 28.85%, 25%, and 21.57%, respectively. Of the tumors of Mullerian cell origin 10 (66.67%) were serous carcinomas, 4 (26.67%) were endometrioid carcinomas, and one (6.67%) was a clear cell carcinoma. Lung tumors comprised seven (63.64%) squamous cell carcinomas and four (36.36%) adenocarcinomas, while the gastrointestinal tumors consisted of 14 (80%) adenocarcinomas and one (20%) squamous cell carcinoma., Conclusions: Although recognized as a sensitive marker for mammary carcinomas, TRPS1 immunostaining was also detected in Mullerian, lung, and GIT carcinomas. This highlights the significance of being cautious when depending solely on TRPS1 immunostaining to distinguish metastatic breast tumors., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Human life and health have interacted reciprocally with the surrounding environment and animal fauna for ages. This relationship is evident in developing nations, where human life depends more on the animal population for food, transportation, clothing, draft power, and fuel sources, among others. This inseparable link is a potent source of public health issues, especially in outbreaks of zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Zoonotic diseases are referred to as diseases that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans. Among the globally emerging diseases in the last decade, 75% are of animal origin, most of which are life-threatening. Since most of them are caused by potent new pathogens capable of long-distance transmission, the impact is widespread and has serious public health and economic consequences. Various other factors also contribute to the transmission, spread, and outbreak of zoonotic diseases, among which industrialization-led globalization followed by ecological disruption and climate change play a critical role. In this regard, all the possible strategies, including advances in rapid and confirmatory disease diagnosis and surveillance/monitoring, immunization/vaccination, therapeutic approaches, appropriate prevention and control measures to be adapted, and awareness programs, need to be adopted collaboratively among different health sectors in medical, veterinary, and concerned departments to implement the necessary interventions for the effective restriction, minimization, and timely control of zoonotic threats. The present review focuses on the current scenario of zoonotic diseases and their counteracting approaches to safeguard their health impact on humans., (Copyright © 2024 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Intercellular communication, an essential biological process in multicellular organisms, is mediated by direct cell-to-cell contact and cell secretary molecules. Emerging evidence identifies a third mechanism of intercellular communication- the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are membrane-enclosed nanosized bodies, released from cells into the extracellular environment, often found in all biofluids. The growing body of research indicates that EVs carry bioactive molecules in the form of proteins, DNA, RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), lipids, metabolites, etc., and upon transferring them, alter the phenotypes of the target recipient cells. Interestingly, the abundance of EVs is found to be significantly higher in different diseased conditions, most importantly cancer. In the past few decades, numerous studies have identified EV miRNAs as an important contributor in the pathogenesis of different types of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism behind EV miRNA-associated cancer progression and how it could be used as a targeted therapy remain ill-defined. The present review highlights how EV miRNAs influence essential processes in cancer, such as growth, proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, apoptosis, stemness, immune evasion, resistance to therapy, etc. A special emphasis has been given to the potential role of EV miRNAs as cancer biomarkers. The final section of the review delineates the ongoing clinical trials on the role of miRNAs in the progression of different types of cancer. Targeting EV miRNAs could be a potential therapeutic means in the treatment of different forms of cancer alongside conventional therapeutic approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer ranks fourth globally among women's cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma constitutes 70% of cervical cancer cases, often metastasizing to lungs and paraaortic nodes. Uncommon sites include the brain, skin, spleen, and muscle, while pericardial fluid metastasis is highly rare. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix that was metastatic to the pericardium and was detected on cytologic evaluation of pericardial fluid. CASE REPORT A 42-year-old woman who was previously treated for stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix presented with symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath for 8 days, and chest pain for 3 days. Clinical workup revealed pericardial effusion, with spread to the lungs and mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Cytological analysis of the fluid showed malignant cells, consistent with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated cells positive for p63 and p40, while negative for GATA-3, D2-40, calretinin, and WT1. These findings in conjunction with patient's known history of cervical squamous cell carcinoma was consistent with a cytologic diagnosis of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to pericardial fluid. CONCLUSIONS History and clinical correlation plays a vital role in determining the primary site causing malignant pericardial effusions. While the occurrence of cervical cancer metastasizing to the pericardium is uncommon, it should be considered, particularly in cases involving high-grade, invasive tumors, recurrences, or distant metastases. This possibility should be included in the list of potential diagnoses when encountering pericardial effusions with squamous cells in female patients.

Cavernous malformations (CMs) of the central nervous system (CNS) are vascular anomalies characterized by clusters of dilated, thin-walled blood vessels prone to leakage and hemorrhage. These malformations can occur throughout the CNS, including the brain and spinal cord, and present with a wide range of clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic cases to severe neurological deficits. Advances in neuroimaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have greatly improved the diagnosis and understanding of CMs, enabling more precise differentiation from other vascular lesions. The management of CMs has evolved alongside advancements in surgical and radiosurgical techniques, offering various therapeutic options depending on the lesion's characteristics and patient symptoms. While conservative management is often appropriate for asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic lesions, surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery may be indicated in cases with recurrent hemorrhage or significant neurological impairment. This comprehensive review explores the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of CMs, highlighting current evidence-based practices and emerging therapeutic approaches. The review also addresses the genetic and molecular underpinnings of CMs, particularly in hereditary cases, and discusses potential future directions in research and treatment. By synthesizing the latest knowledge in the field, this review aims to enhance clinical decision-making and promote further investigation into the optimal management of CMs in the CNS., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Das et al.)

Introduction: Primary vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) is a prevalent cause of end-stage renal failure in children. Scars on radionuclide imaging indicate irreparable damage to the growing kidneys. This study aims to determine whether a urinary tract infection (UTI) associated with primary VUR promotes the development of new renal scars or progression in the pre-existing ones., Materials and Methods: Children with primary VUR on continuous antibiotic prophylaxis at a tertiary teaching hospital's paediatric nephrourology clinic were observed prospectively. At recruitment, a renal cortical (dimercaptosuccinic acid [DMSA]) scan was done, and the children were followed up every 3 months. Breakthrough UTIs were documented, and follow-up DMSA scans were performed to document new scarring/grade advancement of existing scars in the renoureteric units (RUUs)., Results: Seventy-two RUUs in 36 patients were monitored. Fifty-four (75%) RUUs were exposed to VUR of different grades, and 46 (85.1%) had a UTI. On the DMSA scan, these showed new scar development in 10/18 (55%) RUUs and scar progression in 13/28 (46.4%) RUUs. Of the 8 RUUs with VUR and without UTI, new scars manifest in 4/5 (80%) and progressed in 1/3 (33%). On univariate analysis, there was no significant difference in the formation of new scars or scar advancement on the DMSA scan between RUU with VUR and UTI and those without UTI. There was a significant positive correlation between the scarring on DMSA scan and the grade of reflux (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Primary VUR patients had fresh or progressed scarring regardless of urinary infection. A higher VUR grade at presentation was a significant risk factor for scarring., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 African Journal of Paediatric Surgery.)

Introduction: Distal hypospadias accounts for the majority of hypospadias. Mathieu and Snodgrass techniques are widely used for repair of distal hypospadias but their comparative efficacy and reported outcomes are still debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of these two techniques., Methods: Electronic databases and trial registries were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Mathieu and Snodgrass techniques for primary distal hypospadias repair. Outcome measures included complication rates and cosmetic outcomes. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the ROB2. Data was analyzed using Review Manager 5.4; Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) also was conducted for important outcomes., Results: Twelve RCTs were eligible for inclusion. The Snodgrass technique showed a significantly lower incidence of urethrocutaneous fistula (UCF) (RR 0.48, 95% CI [0.30-0.77]). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of meatal stenosis (MS) between the two (RR 1.64, 95% CI [0.85-3.15]). TSA supports the findings for outcome UCF but not for MS. Operative time was shorter with the Snodgrass technique., Conclusion: This SRMA indicates a lower incidence of UCF with Snodgrass technique compared to the Mathieu technique in distal hypospadias repair. However, there was no significant difference in the risk of MS., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Nurses face various emotional challenges while providing care to burn patients. An existential-phenomenological approach was utilized to gain an insight into the emotional experiences of burn nurses. The semi-structured interviews were audio recorded with twenty-two burn nurses and analyzed with Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Three themes were revealed: Emotionally overwhelming environment; Psychological trauma; Impact on quality patient care. Implementing support strategies is crucial to retain the nurses in emotionally overwhelming burn unit and to provide quality care to burn patients.

This study aims to identify the change in the health status of women, particularly in cervical cancer treatment through HPV vaccination. Thus, the research aims to measure the reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer in vaccinated women and evaluate the impact of HPV vaccination on the overall health and well-being of women treated for cervical cancer. The paper uses a research approach that involves reviewing the literature, analysing epidemiological data, and assessing the impact of the vaccination program. Major observations suggest that many developed countries' campaigns have reduced cervical cancer and enhanced treatment. Further, the study also addresses some additional effects of the intervention, both health-related with an emphasis on the decrease in healthcare costs and an enhancement of the quality of life among women, and social with a focus on the changes in women's status as a result of vaccination. The research also focusses on the community and economic points of view on HPV vaccination programs, its problems and opportunities regarding socio-economic factors, cultural disparities, and healthcare systems. This study implies that working on those barriers by implementing effective interventions, increasing awareness, and demanding relevant changes in policies could improve vaccination levels as well as outcomes. Hence, this research supports HPV vaccination as vital to the future health status of women. Through the use of survey data and the adoption of a public health perspective, the study can fill existing gaps in the literature on preventive interventions and cervical malignancies and consequently contribute to the enhancement of women's health, particularly in developing countries., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Babu et al.)

Objectives: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) plays a crucial role in their initial assessment of salivary gland neoplasms. In the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC), the category of Salivary Gland Neoplasm of Uncertain Malignant Potential (SUMP) categorizes lesions with ambiguous features. This study aims to investigate the risk of neoplasm (RON) and risk of malignancy (ROM) within different subgroups of SUMP lesions using data from three large academic institutions., Methods: We analyzed salivary gland (FNA) cases from three academic institutions post-MSRSGC implementation. Salivary gland FNA cases categorized as Milan IVB (SUMP) with subsequent surgical pathology follow-up were analyzed. Cases were divided into basaloid, oncocytic, and clear cell SUMP subtypes, with RON and ROM assessed and compared., Results: Out of 1377 MSRSGC cases, 231 were SUMP (16.8%), with 101 subjected to surgical pathology follow-up. The overall ROM for SUMP was 20.8%, with variations of 10% to 29.5% observed amongst institutions, but no significant difference was observed among three institutions (p = 0.15). Basaloid and oncocytic SUMP displayed 17.1% and 20.5% ROM, respectively, without significant disparity. However, all clear cell SUMP cases were malignant on surgical resection., Conclusions: This study highlights the variability in ROM for SUMP lesions and the significantly higher ROM in SUMP cases with clear cell features. These findings emphasize the importance of accurately subcategorizing SUMP lesions, particularly those with clear cell features, for appropriate clinical management., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Outer membrane protein (OMP) of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) i.e., blood group antigen binding adhesin (babA) is responsible for the attachment of H. pylori in the gastric epithelium. Its adherence is causative for gastric pathology such as gastritis, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), or digestive tract disorders like erosive reflux disease (ERD) and (NERD) non-erosive reflux disease and together called Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). BabA manifests rapid and varied selection via substitution of amino acid in its Leb-carbohydrate binding domain (CBD) which enables better binding preferences for distinct human populations and ABO blood group phenotypes. The positive evolutionary selection of the pathogenic factor of this genetically diverse bacterium has enabled it to adapt to the host gastric environment. Analyzing the association of virulent genes (cagA, vacA) and babA will help us better understand bacteria's pathogenicity., Method: 109 H. pylori strains from patients with distinct gastrointestinal diseases were genotyped using Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) for cagA, vacA, and babA followed by Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis., Result: In the babA + ve genotype, a statistically significant association with p = 0.04 and < 0.0001 is seen in gastritis and ERD respectively. A significant association of genotype vacAs1m2 (p = 0.0002) was seen in gastritis, vacAs1m1 (p = 0.02) in NERD, vacAs1m1 (p < 0.0001) and vacAs1m2 (p = 0.002) in ERD. This relationship helps to detect gastritis or ERD where BabA gene can be used as an independent marker for detecting their presence., Conclusion: The appearance of variants within distinct disease categories is due to local genetic variation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare malignant tumor that affects soft tissue and has high rates of lung metastasis and mortality. The primary treatments for OS include preoperative chemotherapy, surgical resection of the lesion, and postoperative chemotherapy. However, OS chemotherapy presents critical challenges related to treatment toxicity and multiple drug resistance. To address these challenges, nanotechnology has developed nanosystems that release drugs directly to OS cells, reducing the drug's toxicity. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized lipid-bilayer bound vesicles that act as cell-derived vehicles and drug delivery systems for several cancers. This study aims to utilize EVs for OS management by co-delivering Hdac1 siRNA and zoledronic acid (zol). The EVs' surface is modified with folic acid (FA) and their targeting ability is compared to that of native EVs. The results showed that the EVs' targeting ability depends on the parent cell source, and FA conjugation further enhanced it. Furthermore, EVs were used as the carrier for co-loading drug (zol) and small RNA (Hdac-1). This approach of using surface engineered EVs as carriers for cargo loading and delivery can be a promising strategy for osteosarcoma management.

Coagulation proteases, in addition to playing an essential role in blood coagulation, often influence diverse cellular functions by inducing specific signaling pathways via the activation of protease-activated receptors (PARs). PAR activation-induced cellular effects are known to be cell-specific as PARs are expressed selectively in specific cell types. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that coagulation protease-induced PAR activation in a specific cell type could affect cellular responses in other cell types via communicating through extracellular vesicles (EVs) as coagulation protease-induced PAR signaling could promote the release of EVs in various cell types. EVs are membrane-enclosed nanosized vesicles that facilitate intercellular communication by transferring bioactive molecules, such as proteins, lipids, messenger RNAs, and microRNAs, etc., from donor cells to recipient cells. Our recent findings established that factor (F)VIIa promotes the release of EVs from vascular endothelium via endothelial cell protein C receptor-dependent activation of PAR1-mediated biased signaling. FVIIa-released EVs exhibit procoagulant activity and cytoprotective responses in both in vitro and in vivo model systems. This review discusses how FVIIa and other coagulation proteases trigger the release of EVs. The review specifically discusses how FVIIa-released EVs are enriched with phosphatidylserine and anti-inflammatory microRNAs and the impact of FVIIa-released EVs on hemostasis in therapeutic settings. The review also briefly highlights the therapeutic potential of FVIIa-released EVs in treating bleeding and inflammatory disorders, such as hemophilic arthropathy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests There are no competing interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Imazethapyr is the most common herbicide used for weed management in pulses. A field trial was carried out with imazethapyr 10% SL formulation at 100 and 150 g a.i./ha application rates, as pre-and post-emergence, to study dissipation of imazethapyr in soil, persistence in urdbean plant, terminal residues in urdbean grains and effect on soil microbes. An acetate buffered- quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was validated for imazethapyr residue analysis. The half-life of imazethapyr in soil ranged from 15.12 to 18.02 days. The residues of imazethapyr persist up to 60 days in soil and up to 7-15 days in urdbean plant. Residues were not detected in grains at the time of harvest. Persistence of imazethapyr residues in soil significantly impact soil microbial populations depending on herbicide application rates and timing., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Numerous factors influence the magnitude and effector phenotype of vaccine-induced CD8 + T cells, thereby potentially impacting treatment efficacy. Here, we investigate the effect of vaccination dose, route of immunization, presence of a target antigen-expressing tumor, and heterologous prime-boost with peptide vaccine partner following vaccination with antigen-armed VSV-GP. Our results indicate that a higher vaccine dose increases antigen-specific CD8 + T cell proportions while altering the phenotype. The intravenous route induces the highest proportion of antigen-specific CD8 + T cells together with the lowest anti-viral response followed by the intraperitoneal, intramuscular, and subcutaneous routes. Moreover, the presence of a B16-OVA tumor serves as pre-prime, thereby increasing OVA-specific CD8 + T cells upon vaccination and thus altering the ratio of anti-tumor versus anti-viral CD8 + T cells. Interestingly, tumor-specific CD8 + T cells exhibit a different phenotype compared to bystander anti-viral CD8 + T cells. Finally, the heterologous combination of peptide and viral vaccine elicits the highest proportion of antigen-specific CD8 + T cells in the tumor and tumor-draining lymph nodes. In summary, we provide a basic immune characterization of various factors that affect anti-viral and vaccine target-specific CD8 + T cell proportions and phenotypes, thereby enhancing our vaccinology knowledge for future vaccine regimen designs.

Given the increased extraction of trace elements for use by new and emerging technologies, monitoring the environmental fate and potential effects of these compounds within the aquatic environment has never been more critical. Here, hepatic trace element concentrations were assessed in a key sentinel predator, the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), using a long-term dataset. Variation in concentrations were assessed in relation to other elements, time period, decomposition state, sex, age, total body length, sexual maturity and nutritional status, and cause of death. Additionally, mercury toxicity thresholds for evaluating risk were reviewed and employed. Concentrations of elements which bioaccumulate, THg, MeHg, Cd, and Pb, in addition to Se and V, were strongly correlated with age, and/or body length. An association was observed between Zn concentrations and disease status, with significantly higher concentrations measured in individuals that died from infectious disease, compared to other causes. Strong inter-elemental relationships were detected, namely between Hg and Se, MeHg and Se, Cd and Se, and Cu and Zn. While THg:Se molar ratio values were observed to increase with age and body length, approaching equimolarity. THg was largely comprised of inorganic Hg in older individuals, potentially bound to Se, therefore the effects from THg toxicity may possibly be less important than originally assumed. In contrast, higher MeHg:Hg ratio values were reported in juveniles, suggesting a poorer efficiency in demethylation and a higher sensitivity. The generation of data on proportions of hepatic MeHg and inorganic Hg is highly informative to both future toxicity threshold assessments within pollutant indicator assessments, and to understanding the ultimate fate of mercury in the marine web., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Neuropsychological impairments are common in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. It has been proposed that epilepsy surgery might alleviate these impairments by providing seizure freedom; however, findings from prior studies have been inconsistent. We mapped long-term neuropsychological trajectories in children before and after undergoing epilepsy surgery, to measure the impact of disease course and surgery on functioning. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 882 children who had undergone epilepsy surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (1990-2018). We extracted patient information and neuropsychological functioning [obtained from IQ tests (domains: full-scale IQ, verbal IQ, performance IQ, working memory and processing speed) and tests of academic attainment (reading, spelling and numeracy)] and investigated changes in functioning using regression analyses. We identified 500 children (248 females) who had undergone epilepsy surgery [median age at surgery = 11.9 years, interquartile range = (7.8, 15.0)] and neuropsychological assessment. These children showed declines in all domains of neuropsychological functioning in the time leading up to surgery (all P-values ≤0.001; e.g. βFSIQ = -1.9, SEFSIQ = 0.3, PFSIQ < 0.001). Children lost on average one to four points per year, depending on the domain considered; 27%-43% declined by ≥10 points from their first to their last preoperative assessment. At the time of presurgical evaluation, most children (46%-60%) scored one or more standard deviations below the mean (<85) on the different neuropsychological domains; 37% of these met the threshold for intellectual disability (full-scale IQ < 70). On a group level, there was no change in performance from pre- to postoperative assessment on any of the domains (all P-values ≥0.128). However, children who became seizure free through surgery showed higher postoperative neuropsychological performance (e.g. rrb-FSIQ = 0.37, P < 0.001). These children continued to demonstrate improvements in neuropsychological functioning over the course of their long-term follow-up (e.g. βFSIQ = 0.9, SEFSIQ = 0.3, PFSIQ = 0.004). Children who had discontinued antiseizure medication treatment at 1-year follow-up showed an 8- to 13-point advantage in postoperative working memory, processing speed and numeracy, and greater improvements in verbal IQ, working memory, reading and spelling (all P-values ≤0.034) over the postoperative period compared with children who were seizure free and still receiving antiseizure medication. In conclusion, by providing seizure freedom and the opportunity for antiseizure medication cessation, epilepsy surgery might not only halt but reverse the downward trajectory that children with drug-resistant epilepsy display in neuropsychological functioning. To halt this decline as soon as possible or, potentially, to prevent it from occurring in the first place, children with focal epilepsy should be considered for epilepsy surgery as early as possible after diagnosis., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) has emerged as a formidable infection in patients with COVID-19, this study was designed to assess the QOL in patients with and its predictability for survival in CAM victims. This long term prospective observational study of 290 patients with CAM was conducted over 2 years using a standard questionnaire (the abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire [WHO-BREF]), Karnofsky performance scale (KPS), palliative performance scale (PPS) and patient rated improvement (PRI) ranging from 0 to 9. Cut-off values of ≤ median score was considered to indicate poor QOL or poor improvement. The overall 2 year survival rate was 78.27% with mean survival time of 763.2 ± 1.2 days (Mean ± S.E) (95% CI: 760.76-765.6). The disease specific mortality was 22.1%. The overall mean QOL was 53.5(10.2) with 51% of population exhibiting poor QOL. Spearman rho correlation showed strong positive correlation between the three QOL scales and PRI (ρ-0.72, p  < 0.001). On Cox regression analysis the stage, all four domains of WHO BREF, KPS, and PPS were independent predictors of long term survival in CAM patients. Approximately half of the patients with CAM had poor QOL and poor improvement. All 4 domains of WHO BREF score can be used as a predictor of long term survival in CAM patients. Early recognition is the key to optimal treatment, improved outcomes, and improved QOL in patients with CAM., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAll authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Graduate medical education and training in Cytopathology faced numerous unexpected challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. It was caused by the SARS-Co-V2 coronavirus and transmitted by breathing droplets or aerosol particles containing the virus and less commonly by contact with infected surfaces and fomites. To mitigate the rapid spread of disease non-essential services were closed, surgical procedures were prioritized, and "social distancing" was implemented. These measures led to a marked decline in the volume of specimens, number of fine needle aspiration (FNA) and rapid on-site evaluation procedures performed. The trainees in Pathology were required to stay at home either entirely or partly during the early period of the pandemic. This led to re-designing of the cytopathology training program nationwide. Many innovative methods and protocols were put in place to overcome the challenges faced and adjustments made in creating the virtual training program in Cytopathology. On May 5th, 2023, the WHO declared that COVID-19 was no longer a global emergency. Regulations were lifted and healthcare services returned to pre-pandemic era. Graduate medical education and training returned to normal however many changes were incorporated into the training program moving forward. Herein the impacts and innovations that COVID-19 had on Cytopathology training are described., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Severe preeclampsia and pulmonary edema pose significant challenges for an anesthesiologist. Pregnancy is associated with major physiologic changes to meet the increased demands of the mother and fetus. Preeclampsia complicates this balance by adding additional stress to the mother and baby. Pulmonary edema is a rare complication of preeclampsia, and it is a potentially life-threatening condition. Meticulous care is needed in the anesthetic management of this condition, especially when the patient is morbidly obese and presents for an emergency cesarean section., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Ethy Ahammedunni et al.)

Intracranial kissing aneurysms, arising either from the same artery or from 2 adjacent arteries at similar locations, are rare. 1 , 2 The internal carotid artery is most frequently involved; kissing aneurysms rarely affect the distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA). By dint of the close proximity of the aneurysm fundus, these aneurysms can pose unique operative challenges. 3 , 4 A highly fragile aneurysm dome with a high intraoperative rupture rate is a unique management challenge in DACA aneurysms. 5 The stakes are higher when there is an aneurysm rupture in the setting of kissing DACA aneurysms requiring an anterior interhemispheric approach. The negotiation of a tight interhemispheric fissure in between the bridging veins and prevention of a premature aneurysm rupture at a narrow space become vital in these situations. Video 1 highlights the surgical steps of clipping bilateral kissing DACA aneurysms in a 60-year-old woman. This surgical video highlights the microneurosurgical nuances of opening a tense interhemispheric fissure and maneuvers for prevention of a premature aneurysm rupture. These nuances are quintessential in the successful surgical clipping of kissing DACA aneurysms. The patient in Video 1 presented with an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage with severe headache of sudden onset and nuchal rigidity (World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grade II). Both aneurysms were located at the A3-A4 junction and successfully clipped through a right-sided anterior interhemispheric approach. She made a satisfactory postoperative recovery (modified Rankin Scale score of 1 at 6-week follow-up and 0 at 6-month follow-up) with an excellent angiographic outcome., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides and perovskites are both promising materials in high-performance optoelectronic devices. Here, we developed a self-driven photodetector by creating a heterojunction between few-layer MoS 2 and lead-free perovskite Cs 2 CuBr 4 . The detector shows a unique property of very high sensitivity in a broad spectral range of 400 to 800 nm with response speed in a millisecond order. Current-voltage characteristics of the heterojunction device show rectifying behavior, in contrast to the ohmic behavior of the MoS 2 -based device. The rectifying behavior is attributed to the type II band alignment of the MoS 2 /Cs 2 CuBr 4 heterojunction. The device shows a broadband (400 to 800 nm) photodetection with very high responsivity reaching up to 2.8 × 10 4 A/W and detectivity of 1.6 × 10 11 Jones at a bias voltage of 3 V. The detector can also operate in self-bias mode with sufficient response. The photocurrent, photoresponsivity, detectivity, and external quantum efficiency of the device are found to be dependent on the illumination power density. The response time of the device is found to be ∼32 and ∼79 ms during the rise and fall of the photocurrent. The work proposes a MoS 2 /Cs 2 CuBr 4 heterostructure to be a promising candidate for cost-effective, high-performance photodetector.

Background: Human and mouse natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to develop memory-like function after short-term exposure to the cocktail of IL-12/15/18 or to overnight co-culture with some tumor cell lines. The resulting cells retain enhanced lytic ability for up to 7 days as well as after cryopreservation, and memory-like NK cells (mlNK) have been shown to induce complete remissions in patients with hematological malignancies. No single phenotype has been described for mlNK and the physiological changes induced by the short-term cytokine or tumor-priming which are responsible for these enhanced functions have not been fully characterized. Here, we have generated mlNK by cytokine and tumor-priming to find commonalities to better define the nature of NK cell "memory" in vitro and, for the first time, in vivo., Methods: We initiated mlNK in vitro from healthy donors with cytokines (initiated cytokine-induced memory-like (iCIML)-NK) and by tumor priming (TpNK) overnight and compared them by high-dimensional flow cytometry, proteomic and metabolomic profiling. As a potential mechanism of enhanced cytolytic function, we analyzed the avidity of binding of the mlNK to NK-resistant tumors (z-Movi). We generated TpNK from healthy donors and from cancer patients to determine whether mlNK generated by interaction with a single tumor type could enhance lytic activity. Finally, we used a replication-incompetent tumor cell line (INKmune) to treat patients with myeloid leukaemias to potentiate NK cell function in vivo., Results: Tumor-primed mlNK from healthy donors and patients with cancer showed increased cytotoxicity against multiple tumor cell lines in vitro, analogous to iCIML-NK cells. Multidimensional cytometry identified distinct memory-like profiles of subsets of cells with memory-like characteristics; upregulation of CD57, CD69, CD25 and ICAM1. Proteomic profiling identified 41 proteins restricted to mlNK cells and we identified candidate molecules for the basis of NK memory which can explain how mlNK overcome inhibition by resistant tumors. Finally, of five patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or refractory acute myeloid leukemia treated with INKmune, three responded to treatment with measurable increases in NK lytic function and systemic cytokines., Conclusions: NK cell "memory" is a physiological state associated with resistance to MHC-mediated inhibition, increased metabolic function, mitochondrial fitness and avidity to NK-resistant target cells., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MWL is a cofounder and part-time chief scientific officer of INmuneBio, a biotech company developing the INKmune agent. All relevant conflicts of interest have been declared to UCL throughout the period of research., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The concept of a standardized reference diet (SRD) is used in laboratory model organisms to ensure nutritional control between studies and laboratories. Although models using the genetically identical, all female parthenogenetic marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) are growing in popularity, research into nutrition in this species still has many knowledge gaps. To fast track the development of a SRD in terms of protein and amino acids (SRD protein ) for this species, we first analyzed the composition of its body amino acids to determine the ideal protein concept (IPC) of indispensable amino acids in wild-caught P. virginalis (which had an unusually high preponderance of leucine and arginine). Then, we strategically evaluated three common clusters of types of fish feed: (1) ornamental fish feed (SER) fortified with a naturally occurring alga (Spirulina). This type of feed was protein-high in arginine and leucine (SER + SPI) that fulfils the species' IPC for iso-protein (~ 40%), iso-phosphorus (~ 0.8%) and near iso-energetic (~ 475 kcal 100 g -1 ); (2) freeze-dried live feed consisting of chironomid larvae (CHI) fortified with Spirulina (CHI + SPI) that fulfils the IPC for iso-protein (~ 46%), iso-phosphorus (~ 0.7%) and near iso-energetic (~ 405 kcal 100 g -1 ); and (3) a commercially standardized 'starter diet' for carnivorous fish larvae (FISH) and post-larval shrimps (SHRIMP) with iso-protein (~ 56%) and iso-phosphorus (~ 1.6%). A total of six diets, embracing a diverse range of proteinaceous feeds, were used in a 100-day ad libitum feeding and growth trial. The FISH group outperformed all the other groups (p < 0.05) and our exploratory multivariate analysis revealed an ideal demand of > 44% protein (tailored to deliver high arginine 3% and leucine 4%, followed by the usual lysine > 3.5% and methionine 1.2%) but also the lowest carbohydrate level (21%). For SRD protein , our findings show that the FISH diet is ideal and suggest the possibilities of using a CHI + SPI diet for further optimization (more economic use of protein and phosphorus)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fatty acid accumulation was studied in the parthenogenetic all-female marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis using six arbitrarily designed experimental feeds and related to individuals with glair glands (sexual maturity) after 100 days of ad libitum feeding at 21 °C, including gravid females from the wild as a reference. Fatty acids 16:0 and 18:1n-9 comprised 40% of the total amount of fatty acids and tended to up-concentrate in bodies. Shorter chain 14:0 depleted from feed to body. Across diets, there was a concomitant decrease in precursor fatty acid and increase in product fatty acid, such as reinforcements in monounsaturated fatty acid (18:1n-9), eicosanoid precursors 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid, ARA) and 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA) in-vivo, but not 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) except when deficient in CHI or CHI + SPI diets. Saturation kinetics modeling (R 2 0.7-0.9, p < 0.05) showed that when the ARA share is ~ 1%, the EPA share is ~ 8%, and the DHA share is ~ 2% in the food lipids, the accumulation of fatty acids in body lipids levels off. The lowest DHA in the CHI (0% glair glands) or CHI + SPI (0-3.9% glair glands) diets, and the lowest ARA in SER (0% glair glands) or SER + SPI (0-3% glair glands) diets, were synchronous with negligible sexual maturity despite a wide range of observed specific growth rates (2.77-3.60% per day), body size (0.44-0.84 g), ≤ 5% crude lipid and 40-46% crude protein feed. The FISH and SHRIMP diets (56% protein, 11-14% lipid) with the highest ARA, EPA, and DHA together seem to be the most conducive diets for sexual maturity (up to 20% of individuals with glair glands). We propose a fatty acid profile mimicking the FISH or SHRIMP diets as a starting point for designing the lipid content required in the marbled crayfish standardized reference diet., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study examines the use of hyperspectral imaging for the identification of stale food items by analyzing minute changes in their spectral signatures. An algorithm is proposed for the detection of subtle alterations in spectral signatures and is validated through intra-class classification comparisons among various stages of adulterating food samples acquired using a spectroradiometer. The analysis reveals that the spectral angle mapper proves effective for inter-class classification of consumable food items but faces challenges in classifying slight changes in spectral signatures within the same category. In contrast, DNA encoding demonstrates reliability, despite the generated code-words being independent of the actual intensity of received reflectance at each band. DNA encoding can provide insights into the nature of absorbance or reflectance at each band, making it a valuable tool for intra-class classification. Additionally, a novel concept called spectral velocity is introduced for subclass pattern matching. This method of single-pixel analysis relies on artificially constructed nD-vectors derived from spectral signatures. The findings suggest that the combination of hyperspectral imaging and DNA encoding offers a valuable tool for the quality assurance of consumable food items and demonstrates its potential for ensuring food safety and quality, ultimately contributing to human health., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interestNot applicable., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Objective: Skin cancer refers to the pathological condition characterized by the proliferation of atypical skin cells in an uncontrolled manner. Plant-based products such as bixin although show promising anticancer properties, but maintaining their stability in a formulation is a difficult task. The objective of the research is to formulate a silver nanoparticle gel preparation of bixin and evaluate its anticancer properties., Methods: The extract from Bixa orellana seed was prepared by hot extraction technique to isolate the active ingredient, bixin. A green synthesis approach was utilized for preparing the silver nanoparticle gel of bixin (BOAgNPs). Characterization of silver nanoparticles was done using FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, compatibility study, homogeneity testing, pH evaluation, and drug content determination. The in-vitro anticancer activity was performed using cell lines (B16F10) and in-vivo by chemical carcinogen (7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene) in mice., Results: The BOAgNPs-loaded topical gel was found to be homogeneous (clear orange color) and pH-compatible (pH ≈ 6.66) with the skin. The characterization studies indicated the presence of all functional groups in the formulation. An optimized batch of bixin-nano gel showed about 60% inhibitory effects on B16F10 cell lines ( in-vitro activity) when equated with a reference drug, 5-fluorouracil. The in-vivo anticancer study suggested suppression of tumorigenesis and promotion of the healing process with bixin-nano gel application on the skin., Conclusion: The results suggested the promising anticancer property of bixin when formulated in silver nanoparticle gel. The preparation of silver particles nano gel with bixin might provide an effective alternative option for treating skin cancers, provided more research complements the findings of the present study., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

The intricate nature of carbohydrates, particularly monosaccharides, stems from the existence of several chiral centers within their tertiary structures. Predicting and characterizing the molecular geometries and electrostatic landscapes of these substances is difficult due to their complex electrical properties. Moreover, these structures can display a substantial degree of conformational flexibility due to the presence of many rotatable bonds. Moreover, identifying and distinguishing between D and L enantiomers of monosaccharides presents a significant analytical obstacle since there is a need for empirically measurable properties that can distinguish them. This work uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to explore the chemical information included in 3D descriptors in order to comprehend the conformational space of d-Mannose stereoisomers. The isomers may be discriminated by utilizing 3D matrix-based indices, geometrical descriptors, and RDF descriptors. The isomers can be distinguished by descriptors, such as the Harary-like index from the reciprocal squared geometrical matrix (H&#95;RG), Harary-like index from Coulomb matrix (H&#95;Coulomb), Wiener-like index from Coulomb matrix (Wi&#95;Coulomb), Wiener-like index from geometrical matrix (Wi&#95;G), Graph energy from Coulomb matrix (SpAbs&#95;Coulomb), Spectral absolute deviation from Coulomb matrix (SpAD&#95;Coulomb), and Spectral positive sum from Coulomb matrix (SpPos&#95;Coulomb). Among these descriptors, the first two, H&#95;RG and H&#95;Coulomb, perform the best in differentiation among the 3D-Matrix-Based Descriptors (3D-MBD) class. The results obtained from this study provide a significant chemical insight into the structural characteristics of the compounds inside the graph theoretical framework. These findings are likely to serve as the basis for developing new methods for analytical experiments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper also have no conflict of interest whatsoever., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Neonicotinoids are among the most widely used systemic pesticides across the world. These chemicals have gathered significant attention for their potential adverse impacts on non-target organisms. Clothianidin is a novel neonicotinoid pesticide, employed globally to control sucking and chewing types of pests. In nature, various non-target organisms can be exposed to this chemical through contaminated food, water, and air. Nonetheless, extensive investigations demonstrating the sub-lethal impacts of clothianidin on non-target entities are limited. Hence, the present study was aimed to unravel the chronic sub-lethal impacts (LC 50 0.74 μg/mL) of clothianidin on a non-target organism, Drosophila melanogaster. The study parameters involved multiple tiers of life ranging from organismal level to the sub-cellular level. 1 st instar larvae were exposed to the six sub-lethal concentrations viz. 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, and 0.1 μg/mL of clothianidin till their 3 rd larval instar. Investigations involving organismal level have revealed clothianidin-induced significant reduction in the developmental duration, life span, phototaxis, and physical activities of the treated individuals. Interestingly, the tested compound has also altered the compound eye morphology of treated flies. Study was extended to the tissue and cellular levels where reduced cell viability in gut, brain, and fat body was apparent. Additionally, increased ROS production, nuclear disorganization, and higher lipid deposition were evident in gut of exposed individuals. Study was further extended to the sub-cellular level where chronic exposure to clothianidin up-regulated the major oxidative stress markers such as lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, HSP-70, SOD, catalase, GSH, and thioredoxin reductase. Furthermore, the activities of detoxifying enzymes such as CYP4501A1 and GST were also altered. Chronic exposure to clothianidin also triggered DNA fragmentation in treated larvae. In essence, results of this multi-level study depict the ROS-mediated toxicity of clothianidin on a non-target organism, D. melanogaster., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Distance-decay (DD) equations can discern the biogeographical pattern of organisms and genes in a better way with advanced statistical methods. Here, we developed a data Compilation, Arrangement, and Statistics framework to advance quantile regression (QR) into the generation of DD equations for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) across various spatial scales using freshwater reservoirs as an illustration. We found that QR is superior at explaining dissemination potential of ARGs to the traditionally used least squares regression (LSR). This is because our model is based on the 'law of limiting factors', which reduces influence of unmeasured factors that reduce the efficacy of the LSR method. DD equations generated from the 99th QR model for ARGs were 'S all = 90.03e -0.01 Dall ' in water and 'S all = 92.31e -0.011 Dall ' in sediment. The 99th QR model was less impacted by uneven sample sizes, resulting in a better quantification of ARGs dissemination. Within an individual reservoir, the 99th QR model demonstrated that there is no dispersal limitation of ARGs at this smaller spatial scale. The QR method not only allows for construction of robust DD equations that better display dissemination of organisms and genes across ecosystems, but also provides new insights into the biogeography exhibited by key parameters, as well as the interactions between organisms and environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Of late, there are many legal representations from select quarters to halt all medical interventions in children with differences of sex development (DSD). In this survey on management decisions in DSD, we distil the views of Indian stakeholders: parents, physicians, and grown-up patients with DSD on their management decisions to identify decisional satisfaction or gender dysphoria., Methods: The survey domains included the patient demographics, final diagnosis, decision on the sex of rearing, surgical interventions, opinion of the stakeholders on the preferred age of sex assignment, final sex of rearing, and agreement/disagreement about sex assignment (gender dysphoria)., Results: A total of 106 responses were recorded (66% parents, 34% grown-up patients aged 12-50 years). Among parents, 65/70 (95%) preferred the sex to be assigned soon after birth. All grown-up patients preferred sex to be assigned soon after birth. Regarding decisions on surgery, 74% of physicians and 75% of the grown-up patients felt parents should be allowed to decide interventions. Among Indian parents, 90% felt they should have the right to decide surgery in the best interest of their child for a safe social upbringing. Overall, gender dysphoria among Indian DSD patients was <1% (1/103, 0.97%)., Conclusions: The predominant preference and opinion of major Indian stakeholders (physicians, parents, and grown-up DSD patients) support the existing approach toward DSD management, including early sex assignment and necessary medical intervention., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons.)

Background: Computer professionals often develop a forward head posture due to prolonged hours of computer use, leading to neck pain. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), an advanced technique for treating myofascial trigger points, has become increasingly popular for addressing these musculoskeletal issues., Objectives: The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of IASTM mobilization on SBAL (superficial back arm line) and SM(specific muscles-upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and sternocleidomastoid) in managing chronic neck pain among computer professionals., Participants & Methods: The study involved 62 computer professionals, randomly divided into two groups. Group A received IASTM on SBAL and group B received IASTM on SM for neck pain each receiving three sessions weekly for four weeks. Outcome variables like Neck Disability Index (NDI), NPRS(Neck Pain Rating Scale), Craniovertebral angle (CVA), and range of motion (ROM) for flexion, and side flexion (right & left side) were evaluated at baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks., Results: Significant improvement in NPRS were observed in both the SBAL and SM groups after 2 weeks of IASTM, wth the SBAL group demonstrating greater improvement. At 4 weeks, IASTM on SBAL showed significantly higher improvements in NPRS, CVA, NDI, and flexion compared to the SM group. The repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of both time and group, along with a significant interaction between time and group for all outcome variables, except for CVA., Conclusion: The study indicates that IASTM on SBAL may offer a more effective treatment for chronic neck pain in computer professionals compared to targeting specific muscles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest “No financial, legal, or political conflicts involving third parties (government, corporations, private foundations, etc.) have been declared for any aspect of the submitted work (including, but not limited to grants and funding, advisory board participation, study design, preparation of the manuscript, statistical analysis, etc.)”. All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Round window approach and cochleostomy approach can have different depth of electrode insertion during cochlear implantation which itself can alter the audiological outcomes in cochlear implant., Objective: The current study was conducted to determine the difference in the depth of electrode insertion via cochleostomy and round widow approach when done serially in same temporal bone., Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology in conjunction with Department of Anatomy and Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology over a period of 1 year. 12-electrode array insertion was performed via either approach (cochleostomy or round window) in the cadaveric temporal bone. HRCT temporal bone scan of the implanted temporal bone was done and depth of insertion and various cochlear parameters were calculated., Result: A total of 12 temporal bones were included for imaging analysis. The mean cochlear duct length was 32.892 mm; the alpha and beta angles were 58.175° and 8.350°, respectively. The mean angular depth of electrode insertion via round window was found to be 325.2° (SD = 150.5842) and via cochleostomy 327.350 (SD = 112.79) degree and the mean linear depth of electrode insertion via round window was found to be 18.80 (SD = 4.4962) mm via cochleostomy 19.650 (SD = 3.8087) mm, which was calculated using OTOPLAN 1.5.0 software. There was a statically significant difference in linear depth of insertion between round window and cochleostomy. Although the angular depth of insertion was higher in CS group, there was no statistically significant difference with round window type of insertion., Conclusion: The depth of electrode insertion is one of the parameters that influences the hearing outcome. Linear depth of electrode insertion was found to be more in case of cochleostomy compared to round window approach (p = 0.075) and difference in case of angular depth of electrode insertion existed but not significant (p = 0.529)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Self-assembly provides access to non-covalently synthesized supramolecular materials with distinct properties from a single building block. However, dynamic switching between functional states still remains challenging, but holds enormous potential in material chemistry to design smart materials. Herein, we demonstrate a chemical fuel-mediated strategy to dynamically switch between two distinctly emissive aggregates, originating from the self-assembly of a naphthalimide-appended peptide building block. A molecularly dissolved building block shows very weak blue emission, whereas, in the assembled state (Agg-1), it shows cyan emission through π stacking-mediated excimer emission. The addition of a chemical fuel, ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide (EDC), converts the terminal aspartic acid present in the building block to an intra-molecularly cyclized anhydride in situ forming a second aggregated state, Agg-2, by changing the molecular packing, thereby transforming the emission to strong blue. Interestingly, the anhydride gets hydrolyzed gradually to reform Agg-1 and the initial cyan emission is restored. The kinetic stability of the strong blue emissive aggregate, Agg-2, can be regulated by the added concentration of the chemical fuel. Moreover, we expand the scope of this system within an agarose gel matrix, which allows us to gain spatiotemporal control over the properties, thereby producing a self-erasable writing system where the chemical fuel acts as the ink.

Linear mixed models are traditionally used for jointly modeling (multivariate) longitudinal outcomes and event-time(s). However, when the outcomes are non-Gaussian a quantile regression model is more appropriate. In addition, in the presence of some time-varying covariates, it might be of interest to see how the effects of different covariates vary from one quantile level (of outcomes) to the other, and consequently how the event-time changes across different quantiles. For such analyses linear quantile mixed models can be used, and an efficient computational algorithm can be developed. We analyze a dataset from the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) maintenance study conducted by Tata Medical Center, Kolkata. In this study, the patients suffering from ALL were treated with two standard drugs (6MP and MTx) for the first two years, and three biomarkers (e.g. lymphocyte count, neutrophil count and platelet count) were longitudinally measured. After treatment the patients were followed nearly for the next three years, and the relapse-time (if any) for each patient was recorded. For this dataset we develop a Bayesian quantile joint model for the three longitudinal biomarkers and time-to-relapse. We consider an Asymmetric Laplace Distribution (ALD) for each outcome, and exploit the mixture representation of the ALD for developing a Gibbs sampler algorithm to estimate the regression coefficients. Our proposed model allows different quantile levels for different biomarkers, but still simultaneously estimates the regression coefficients corresponding to a particular quantile combination. We infer that a higher lymphocyte count accelerates the chance of a relapse while a higher neutrophil count and a higher platelet count (jointly) reduce it. Also, we infer that across (almost) all quantiles 6MP reduces the lymphocyte count, while MTx increases the neutrophil count. Simulation studies are performed to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Prepubertal vaginal bleeding is a common presentation for pediatric adolescent gynecologists with a broad differential diagnosis that historically may not have included complex lymphatic anomalies. However, given recent consensus criteria and imaging capabilities, this may be a condition that pediatric adolescent gynecologists see more frequently in the future., Case: We present a case of a 5-year-old pre-pubertal girl whose only presenting symptoms of a rare complex lymphatic anomaly was copious vaginal bleeding. After three vaginoscopies, two hysteroscopies, two pelvic MRIs, and a percutaneous ultrasound guided core needle biopsy, this patient was eventually diagnosed with Kaposiform lymphangiomatosis at age 9 years-old, and she is now being treated medically with sirolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, with improvement in her symptoms., Summary and Conclusion: Complex lymphatic anomalies should be considered after initial and secondary workups for pre-pubertal vaginal bleeding or copious vaginal discharge are negative. Furthermore, this case illustrates the value of pelvic MRI in the setting of unknown cause of vaginal bleeding when typical workup is negative., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to report., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The species within the family Cunninghamellaceae during an investigation of soil microfungi in Korea, in which three strains were isolated from Gangwon, Chungbuk, and Gyeongbuk provinces, designated as KNUF-22-121A, KNUF-22-126A, and KNUF-22-316, respectively. Because the morphological and molecular analyses of these three strains were identical, KNUF-22-316 underwent further detailed study. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region and the large subunit 28S rRNA gene revealed that the strain belonged to the genus Absidia , but occupied a distinct phylogenetic position. The strain KNUF-22-316 was compared with closely related species Absidia radiata CGMCC 3.16257 T and Absidia yunnanensis CGMCC 3.16259 T , morphologically different with shorter sporangiophores, smaller sporangia and columellae, and the consistent presence of collars. Here, we provide a detailed description and images of this proposed new species, which we have named Absidia microsporangia sp. nov., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of the Korean Society of Mycology.)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, with approximately 1.5 million deaths per year. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against TB is used in infants but shows variable protection. Here, we introduce a novel approach using a double gene knockout mutant (DKO) from wild-type Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) targeting fbpA and sapM genes. DKO exhibited enhanced anti-TB gene expression in mouse antigen-presenting cells, activating autophagy and inflammasomes. This heightened immune response improved ex vivo antigen presentation to T cells. Subcutaneous vaccination with DKO led to increased protection against TB in wild-type C57Bl/6 mice, surpassing the protection observed in caspase 1/11-deficient C57Bl/6 mice and highlighting the critical role of inflammasomes in TB protection. The DKO vaccine also generated stronger and longer-lasting protection than the BCG vaccine in C57Bl/6 mice, expanding both CD62L - CCR7 - CD44 +/- CD127 + effector T cells and CD62L + CCR7 +/- CD44 + CD127 + central memory T cells. These immune responses correlated with a substantial ≥ 1.7-log 10 reduction in Mtb lung burden. The DKO vaccine represents a promising new approach for TB immunization that mediates protection through autophagy and inflammasome pathways., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Mishra, Khan, Singh, Glyde, Saikolappan, Garnica, Das, Veerapandian, Dhandayuthapani and Jagannath.)