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Introduction: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic procedures worldwide, due to the increased prevalence of osteoarthritis associated with an ageing global population. Although many studies have focused on the causes of readmission among TKA patients within 30 days post-surgery, none have been conducted in Hong Kong. This study investigated the 30-day readmission rate, causes, and risk factors among TKA patients in Hong Kong., Methods: This retrospective review included patients who underwent TKA at a local university-affiliated hospital between 2001 and 2020. Eligible patients were identified using the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System and electronic patient records. Their data were analysed to determine the 30-day readmission rate, risk factors, and underlying causes., Results: Among the 3827 TKA patients included, the male-to-female ratio was 1:2.78 (1012:2815) and the mean age (±standard deviation) was 71.11±8.82 years. Of these patients, 3.4% underwent unplanned readmission to hospitals through the Accident and Emergency Department within 30 days of TKA. The most common causes of readmission were knee pain (33.1%), knee swelling (26.2%), and gastrointestinal-related conditions (8.5%). Age ≥80 years (odds ratio [OR]=1.63; P=0.01) and hypertension (OR=2.08; P<0.001) were risk factors for readmission. Bilateral simultaneous TKA (OR=0.42; P=0.005) was associated with lower risk of readmission., Conclusion: The readmission rate in this study was 3.4%, comparable to rates in previous reports. Enhanced patient education and optimised perioperative pain management are needed to minimise hospital readmissions. Fall prevention, cautious painkiller prescribing, and improved nursing care are recommended to prevent readmission., Competing Interests: All authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.

We study percolation transition of run and tumble particles (RTPs) on a two dimensional square lattice. RTPs in these models run to the nearest neighbour along their internal orientation with unit rate, and to other nearest neighbours with rates p . In addition, they tumble to change their internal orientation with rate ω . We show that for small tumble rates, RTP-clusters created by joining occupied nearest neighbours irrespective of their orientation form a phase separated state when the rate of positional diffusion p crosses a threshold; with further increase of p the clusters disintegrate and another transition to a mixed phase occurs. The critical exponents of this re-entrant site-percolation transition of RTPs vary continuously along the critical line in the ω - p plane, but a scaling function remains invariant. This function is identical to the corresponding universal scaling function of percolation transition observed in the Ising model. We also show that the critical exponents of the underlying motility induced phase separation transition are related to corresponding percolation-critical-exponents by constant multiplicative factors known from the correspondence of magnetic and percolation critical exponents of the Ising model.

The impact of land use changes on ecosystem services (ES) or Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) is relatively well-known, but the influence of socioeconomic changes on ES remains less clear, especially at larger spatial scales. Multiple socioeconomic factors influence the demand for a service (i.e. higher economic income and human development can increase demand for ES) and the provision of such service (i.e. environmental policies and cultural relationships with nature may enhance access to ES). Such complex relationships require a multidimensional approach to understand the socioeconomic drivers of change of ES. We investigated how socioeconomic drivers affect demand, diversity and provision of crop pollination service. Our Brazil-wide assessment spans a decade (2006-17) and encompasses a period of rapid land use intensification and concentration of land ownership. Our results revealed that the replacement of small and diverse pollinator-dependent farming systems by large pollinator-dependent monocultures has led to deficits in crop pollination services, with demand increasing by 3.3% while diversity and provision have decreased by 16.1 and 22.5%, respectively. These changes are linked to increased wealth concentration and social inequality, as regions that presented concentrated land ownership and limited access to credit were associated with reduced pollination provision. Our study provided a country-wide quantitative assessment of socioeconomic drivers of change in ES to reveal an association between social inequality and reduced ES provision., 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.)

Mineral carbon storage in mafic and ultramafic rock masses has the potential to be an effective and permanent mechanism to reduce anthropogenic CO 2 . Several successful pilot-scale projects have been carried out in basaltic rock (e.g., CarbFix, Wallula), demonstrating the potential for rapid CO 2 sequestration. However, these tests have been limited to the injection of small quantities of CO 2 . Thus, the longevity and feasibility of long-term, large-scale mineralization operations to store the levels of CO 2 needed to address the present climate crisis is unknown. Moreover, CO 2 mineralization in ultramafic rocks, which tend to be more reactive but less permeable, has not yet been quantified. In these systems, fractures are expected to play a crucial role in the flow and reaction of CO 2 within the rock mass and will influence the CO 2 storage potential of the system. Therefore, consideration of fractures is imperative to the prediction of CO 2 mineralization at a specific storage site. In this review, we highlight key takeaways, successes, and shortcomings of CO 2 mineralization pilot tests that have been completed and are currently underway. Laboratory experiments, directed toward understanding the complex geochemical and geomechanical reactions that occur during CO 2 mineralization in fractures, are also discussed. Experimental studies and their applicability to field sites are limited in time and scale. Many modeling techniques can be applied to bridge these limitations. We highlight current modeling advances and their potential applications for predicting CO 2 mineralization in mafic and ultramafic rocks., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

An international workshop on "Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change and Air Pollution" took place at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China, during 23-27 October, 2023. Experts working in various multi-disciplinary areas of agroecosystem and environmental research gathered for academic communication and discussions. Two discussion groups focused on "agriculture under air pollution and climate change: current challenges and priorities for the future" and "adapting agriculture to air pollution and climate change: current status and next steps." Insights derived from the discussions are summarized in this article and include opinions about current issues, knowledge gaps' identification, and potential priorities and actions that could be taken. The first discussion mainly addresses ozone impact estimates; ozone metrics for impact and risk assessments; ozone monitoring; air pollution impacts and policy; and the pivotal role of agriculture and consumer choices. The second discussion covers adaptation and mitigation; greenhouse gases and energy efficiency; concerns about the link between adaptation and mitigation; local food, planetary-health diets and carbon footprint; irrigation and climate change adaptation; scientific evidence and policy-making; air pollution and crop adaptation; machine learning and crop modeling; and challenges faced by smallholder farmers and large-scale enterprises. Hence, this report could be useful for research, educational, and policy purposes, collating opinions of experts working in diverse research areas., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Plastic pollution is now considered globally ubiquitous, irreversible, and a planetary boundary threat. Solutions are urgently needed but their development and application are hampered by the complexity and scale of the issue. System dynamics is a technique used to understand complex behaviours of systems through model building and is useful for conceptualising the relationships between various interacting, dynamic factors, and identifying potential intervention points within the system where specific policies or innovations might have the greatest impact or meet with the greatest resistance. Here, twenty-five participants (all scientific researchers of various career stages, disciplines and nationalities working on plastic pollution) completed a series of exercises through an interactive, iterative group model building exercise during a one-day workshop. The process culminated in the generation of a causal loop diagram, based on participants' perspectives, illustrating the dynamic factors relating to the constraints and enablers of solutions to plastic pollution. A total of 18 factors and seven feedback loops were identified. Key factors influencing the system were Effective legislation, Funding, Public education and awareness, Behaviour change, Innovation, and Effective waste management. Our findings highlight that there is no single driver, or 'silver bullet', for resolving this complex issue and that a holistic approach should be adopted to create effective and systemic change., 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.)

The rapid spread of invasive aquatic plants poses significant ecological and economic challenges, necessitating effective management strategies. Pyrolysis, a thermochemical decomposition process in an oxygen-free environment, offers a promising solution for converting these plant-based biomass sources into biochar. Biochar, produced through the pyrolysis of organic materials in low-oxygen environments, has high carbon content, excellent resistance to degradation, and high aromaticity, making it a valuable resource for various industries, including agriculture, environment, and energy sectors and supports the circular economy. Invasive aquatic plants are widely distributed and are ideal resources for biochar production. Pyrolysis of invasive aquatic plants offers multiple benefits, including protecting ecosystems from aggressive species, promoting human health, mitigating aquatic weed proliferation, and generating other renewable energy resources. Invasive plant-derived biochar has emerged as a novel material, distinguished from traditional biochar by its unique structure and composition. This study explores the pyrolysis potential of various invasive aquatic plants by examining biochar's origins, analysing how pyrolysis conditions affect the conversion of these invasive aquatic plants, and exploring characterization methods, applications, and future potential of biochar derived from these plants. An economic analysis of biochar pyrolyzed from invasive aquatic plants is also reviewed and reported., 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.)

Background & Aims: Older adults are at risk for muscle and cognitive function decline during advanced aging, but the underlying metabolic mechanisms and the role of aging-associated chronic morbidities remain unclear. In the present study, we examined whether protein and amino acid kinetics in older adults with and without chronic morbidities are different when 50-70 and 70-90 of age and related to markers of muscle and brain health declines., Methods: In a large cross-sectional observational study, 575 older adults from 12 trials (2014-2022) were stratified based on their age (50-70y vs. 70-95y) and the presence of chronic morbidities. The main outcomes were whole-body production (WBP) and interconversions of amino acids by stable amino acid tracers, body composition, and muscle and cognitive performance. Additionally, the association between metabolic markers and muscle and brain health was assessed., Results: Overall lower muscle strength, muscle and fat mass, and cognitive function (p < 0.03), but no mood disturbances, were found in 70-95y compared to 50-70y older adults. Presence of morbidities was associated with lower muscle strength and mass, and cognitive function, but higher visceral adipose tissue, and mood disturbances (p < 0.05). Aging was associated with suppressed WBP of most amino acids, de novo arginine production, and net protein breakdown, but higher myofibrillar protein breakdown (p < 0.007). Presence of morbidities was associated with lower WBP of glutamine, glutamate, histidine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and net protein breakdown, and higher WBP of valine and taurine (p < 0.04). Age showed significant negative correlations with WBP of nearly all amino acids, de novo arginine production and net protein breakdown (r: [-0.407, -0.136], p < 0.01) but a positive correlation with WBP of myofibrillar protein breakdown (r = 0.133, p = 0.009). Lean mass showed positive correlations with de novo arginine production and net protein breakdown and WBP of all amino acids except for isoleucine (r: [0.16, 0.799], p < 0.005). MoCA showed a positive correlation with WBP of leucine and valine (r: [0.163, 0.2], p < 0.03). Worse cognitive performance was positively associated with WBP of tau-methylhistidine and taurine (r: [0.13, 0.141], p < 0.04), but negatively associated with WBP of glycine and valine, de novo arginine production, and net protein breakdown (r: [-0.222, -0.115], p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Comprehensive phenotyping of a large group of older adults revealed differences in metabolic health in response to advanced aging and chronic morbidities. Poor muscle health accompanied by advanced aging was associated with overall metabolic downregulation, except for enhanced myofibrillar (muscle) protein breakdown. Presence of chronic morbidities was further associated with disturbed muscle health, mood, arginine, and taurine pathways, and higher visceral adipose tissue. Therefore, different phenotypes among older adults need to be considered when evaluating therapeutic approaches to improve muscle and brain health., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Malassezia species are commensal fungi residing on the skin and in the gut of humans and animals. Yet, under certain conditions, they become opportunistic pathogens leading to various clinical conditions including dermatological disorders. The emergence of drug resistance and adverse effects associated with conventional antifungal agents has propelled the search for alternative treatments, among which phytomedicine stands out prominently. Phytochemicals, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, demonstrate potential antifungal activity against Malassezia by inhibiting its growth, adhesion, and biofilm formation. Furthermore, the multifaceted therapeutic properties of phytomedicine (including anti-fungal and, antioxidant properties) contribute to its efficacy in alleviating symptoms associated with Malassezia infections. Despite these promising prospects, several challenges hinder the widespread adoption of phytomedicine in clinical practice mostly since the mechanistic studies and controlled experiments to prove efficacy have not been done. Issues include standardization of herbal extracts, variable bioavailability, and limited clinical evidence. Hence, proper regulatory constraints necessitate comprehensive research endeavors and regulatory frameworks to harness the full therapeutic potential of phytomedicine. In conclusion, while phytomedicine holds immense promise as an alternative or adjunctive therapy against Malassezia, addressing these challenges is imperative to optimize its efficacy and ensure its integration into mainstream medical care. In this review we provide an update on the potential phytomedicines in combating Malassezia-related ailments, emphasizing its diverse chemical constituents and mechanisms of action., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors do hereby declare that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases morbidity in postoperative patients. No current guidelines identify which patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) to the skull base may be at increased risk. Postoperative care for these patients often includes a period of inactivity to prevent transient intracranial pressure shifts that may impact skull base reconstruction. We sought to characterize if postoperative bed rest puts patients undergoing EEA at increased risk of developing thromboembolic complications., Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing intradural surgery with primary skull base reconstruction for intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak via EEA for any skull base pathology between July 2018 and May 2024 yielded 221 patients who met inclusion criteria. Univariate and multivariable regressions were performed with patient demographics, extent of approach, intraoperative leak flow rate, bed rest duration, presence and length of postoperative lumbar drainage, and use of postoperative mechanical VTE prophylaxis., Results: Mean age of included patients was 52.6 ± 16.8 years, 48% of patients were male, and 3.6% of patients had DVTs. Age (odds ratio [OR] 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96-1.06, P = 0.83), sex (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.05-2.19, P = 0.31), body mass index (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.87-1.07, P = 0.74), extended approach (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.13-4.36, P = 0.80), cerebrospinal fluid leak flow rate (OR 5.71, 95% CI 0.77-118.90, P = 0.14), bed rest duration (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.77-1.27, P = 0.60), and presence of lumbar drainage (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.55-2.02, P = 0.76) were not significant predictors of postoperative VTE incidence on multivariable analysis., Conclusions: Short-term bed rest after EEA is not a risk factor for development of VTE in the immediate postoperative period., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The (n,γ) reaction cross-section for the elements 68 Zn, 96 Zr, 121 Sb and 123 Sb, present in the reactor structural/shielding materials, was measured by neutron activation technique in the neutron energy region of 1-2 MeV as very limited data is available in this energy range. Further, the neutron spectrum peaks in this energy region for the fast breeder reactors and proposed accelerator driven sub-critical systems. The natural strontium ( nat Sr) element was used as a neutron flux monitor by considering effective combined reaction cross-section for 86 Sr(n,γ) 87 Sr m and 87 Sr(n,n') 87 Sr m reactions. The pellets of mixture of sample and monitor were irradiated by a quasi-mono energetic fast neutron beam, generated by 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be reaction at FOTIA, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. The activity of activation products was measured by off-line gamma-ray spectrometry using High Purity Germanium Detector (HPGe). The present data with improved uncertainty and covariance analysis enhance the cross-section data base for better constraining the evaluated data and theoretical models. The theoretical (n,γ) reaction cross-sections were calculated using TALYS 1.96, which could reasonably explain the present data with the Fermi gas level density prescription., 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.)

Speeding is the factor that usually associated with fatal accident. However, riders have tendency to exceed their vehicle's speed above the regulated speed. Therefore, the likelihood of traffic accidents is significantly influenced by braking ability. Unfortunately, the braking capability has not been accommodated properly in the accident risk management, such as riding license obtaining mechanism. This paper focuses on the possibility of the development of riding licensing criteria based on rider's braking capability. The parameters used in the analysis are the safety factor and margin of safety, due to the differences in riders' braking capability. All the input data were collected from the result of previous related studies. Although the sample size is varied but data source was taken from relevant objects studies. The result of this study showed that impact speed and/or rider's involvement in fatal crashes could be reduced by increasing their braking ability. It strongly indicates that each rider should realize that their speed choices should be suited to their braking ability which could be increased during the riding licensing practical test. The utilization of a rider's braking abilities, which could provide a minimum margin of safety, should therefore be taken into consideration as a basis for the criteria used to obtain a riding license., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is the most abundant alkaline gas in the atmosphere, mainly emitted by agricultural activities. NH 3 readily reacts with other atmospheric acidic pollutants, such as the oxidation products of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), to create fine particulate matter, which has far-reaching effects on human health and ecosystems. Here, we investigated long-term atmospheric NH 3 trends in South Asia (SA) using satellite observations from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). We analyzed 15 years (2008-2022) of IASI-NH 3 retrievals against climate, biophysical, and chemical variables using an ensemble of multivariate statistical methods to identify the major factors driving the observed patterns in the region. Trend analysis of IASI-NH 3 data reveals a significant rise in atmospheric NH 3 over 51 % of SA plains, but a downward trend over 31 % of the region. Spatial correlation analysis reveals that biophysical factors, representing cropland expansion and agriculture intensification, have the highest positive correlation over 56 % of SA plains experiencing positive NH 3 trends. However, our results reveal that the chemical conversion of NH 3 to ammonium compounds, driven by the positive trends in NOₓ and SO 2 pollution, is driving the apparently declining trend of NH 3 in the other regions. Our results provide important insights into the NH 3 trends detected by satellite data and can better inform the policy design aimed at reducing NH 3 emissions and improving air quality for developing regions of the world., 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 cross-species transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection has necessitated development of specific reagents for detecting infection in various animal species. The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, which is involved in viral entry, is a highly immunogenic protein. To develop assays targeting this protein, we generated eight monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the S1 and seven against the S1/S2 protein (ectodomain) of SARS CoV-2. Based on neutralization capability and reactivity profile observed in ELISA, the mAbs generated against the S1/S2 antigen exhibited a broader spectrum of epitope specificity than those produced against the S1 domain alone. The full-length ectodomain induced antibodies that could neutralize the two most important variants of the virus encountered during the pandemic, namely Delta and Omicron. The availability of these reagents could greatly enhance the development of precise diagnostics for detecting COVID-19 infections in various host species and contribute to the advancement of mAb-based therapeutics., 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 in vitro permeation testing (IVPT) of topical products is performed across the human cadaver skin, which is stored frozen for a prolonged duration. The cryo-preservation technique is not economical and is a cumbersome process. Moreover, prolonged skin preservation in a frozen state and frequent freeze-thawing are known to affect the integrity of the skin barrier. Therefore, lyophilization was explored as an alternative to protect the skin tissue from microbial contamination and degeneration. Notably, the project's objective was to investigate the impact of the freeze-drying process on the skin's barrier properties. The morphometrics of the lyophilized skin were measured. Histological studies did not reveal any notable changes in the organization and intactness of the layers due to the freeze-drying process. The biophysical attributes of the skin, such as transepidermal water evaporation rate and transepidermal electrical resistivity (TEER), were not significantly different between the control skin (not subjected to the freeze-drying process) and the freeze-dried skin (FDS). The permeability of caffeine, a hydrophilic model permeant, and nicotine, a lipophilic model permeant, were consistent across the control and the FDS. It is evident from the studies that the lyophilization process did not significantly impact the barrier properties and permeability of the skin., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Alveolar ridge resorption following tooth extraction poses significant challenges for future dental restorations. This study investigated the efficacy of fish scale-derived hydroxyapatite (FSHA) as a socket preservation graft material to maintain alveolar bone volume and architecture. FSHA was extracted from *Labeo rohita* fish scales and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. In vitro, biocompatibility and osteogenic potential were assessed using Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cells. Cell viability, migration, and proliferation were evaluated using MTT and scratch assays. In vivo performance was assessed in a rat model, and FSHA was compared to a commercial xenograft (Osseograft) and ungrafted controls. Histological analysis was performed at 8-week post-implantation to quantify new bone formation. FTIR confirmed the purity and homogeneity of FSHA. In vitro, FSHA enhanced Saos-2 viability, migration, and proliferation compared to controls. In vivo, FSHA demonstrated superior bone regeneration compared to Osseograft and ungrafted sites, with balanced graft resorption and new bone formation. Histological analysis revealed an active incorporation of FSHA into new bone, with minimal gaps and ongoing remodeling. Approximately 50%-60% of FSHA was resorbed by 8 weeks, closely matching the rate of new bone deposition. FSHA stimulated more bone formation in the apical socket region than in coronal areas. In conclusion, FSHA is a promising biomaterial for alveolar ridge preservation, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, osteogenic potential, and balanced resorption. Its ability to promote robust bone regeneration highlights its potential as an effective alternative to currently used graft materials in socket preservation procedures., (© 2024 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Implant abutment screw loosening is the most common prosthetic complication of implant-supported single crowns. However, few studies have objectively evaluated the effectiveness of different tightening protocols on reverse tightening values (RTVs)., Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the optimal tightening protocol for implant abutment screws with different screw materials., Material and Methods: Sixty implants from 2 implant systems (Keystone and Nobel Biocare) with different definitive screw materials were selected. One group used diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated screws (DLC Group), and the other used titanium nitride (TiN) screws (TiN Group). Each group consisted of 30 implants. The implants in each group were distributed randomly into 3 subgroups (n=10). The implants from both manufacturers were mounted in resin blocks by following a clinical component connection protocol: a cover screw was placed, then an impression coping, and finally an original manufacturer prefabricated abutment. The abutment screws were tightened to the manufacturer's recommended tightening value using 3 different protocols: tighten the screw once (1T); tighten the abutment screw to the recommended tightening value, wait 10 minutes, and then retighten (2T); and tighten the abutment screw to the recommended tightening value, countertighten, tighten, countertighten, and then tighten (3TC). RTVs were measured after 3 hours. The Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to test for normal distribution of the data. The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to each system's group that was not normally distributed (P<.05). Where differences existed, a post hoc analysis using the Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Flinger (DSCF) pairwise comparisons test was conducted., Results: No significant differences were found among the 3 different tightening groups in the TiN group (P>.05). However, significant differences were found among the 3 different tightening protocols in the DLC group (P<.05)., Conclusions: Abutment screw systems from different manufacturers behave differently with respect to how they are tightened. For the TiN screw group, statistically similar RTVs were found for the 3 tightening protocols. The most efficient tightening protocol for the DLC-coated screw was the 3TC-DLC., (Copyright © 2024 Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cauliflower is an important winter crop grown in India, its curds are rich in nutritional profile, containing valuable minerals and vitamins. However, cauliflower harvesting is mainly accomplished by hands, which is time-consuming and requires a high labour force. On the other hand, most developed cauliflower harvesters are once over or single pass type, which harvests all plants irrespective of their maturity. So, the selective harvester could improve the cauliflower curds yield, and then decrease the labour requirement. To improve the cutting performance of the selective cauliflower harvester, the working parameters of the chainsaw cutting mechanism need to be considered and optimized. This research investigates the impact of cutting height, feed (push) force, and cutting speed on the efficiency of the cutter during harvest. The Taguchi approach, together with grey relational analysis (GRA), was employed to identify the most favorable combination of operational parameters. In addition, the variance analysis was conducted to statistically examine the impact of multiple parameters. The findings indicated that the feed force was the major parameter that influenced the cutting force, splitting failure levels, and cutting time. The most effective parameter combination consisted of a cutting height of 15 mm, a feed force of 10 N, and a cutting speed of 5 m/s. The grey relational grade of the ideal parameter combination has shown a 0.322 increase in comparison to the grade achieved with the initially selected parameter combination. This setting was further incorporated in the developed selective cauliflower harvester to improve the performance of its cutting mechanism., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In cells, proteins rapidly self-assemble into sophisticated nanomachines. Bioinspired self-assembly approaches, such as DNA origami, have been used to achieve complex three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures and devices. However, current synthetic systems are limited by low yields in hierarchical assembly and challenges in rapid and efficient reconfiguration between diverse structures. Here, we developed a modular system of DNA origami "voxels" with programmable 3D connections. We demonstrate multifunctional pools of up to 12 unique voxels that can assemble into many shapes, prototyping 50 structures. Programmable switching of local connections between flexible and rigid states achieved rapid and reversible reconfiguration of global structures in three dimensions. Multistep assembly pathways were then explored to increase the yield. Voxels were assembled via flexible chain intermediates into rigid structures, increasing yield up to 100-fold. We envision that foldable chains of DNA origami voxels can achieve increased complexity in reconfigurable nanomaterials, providing modular components for the assembly of nanorobotic systems with future applications in synthetic biology, assembly of inorganic materials, and nanomedicine.

Purpose: Radiation accidents and misuse of nuclear weapons elevate the risk of development of acute life-threatening injuries as well as their late effects are noted in survivors. Currently, no countermeasure agents are available for the management of radiation-induced GI injury (RIGI) in humans. In the present study, the radiomitigative potential of Trichostatin A (TSA) was evaluated against acute and late RIGI., Methods: 15 Gy gamma radiation was delivered to the whole abdomen of C57BL/6 mice, followed by intravenous TSA (150 ng/kg) administration after 1 h and 24 h. Acute changes were checked 24 h and 3.5 days post irradiation. Mice were monitored for development of fibrosis, survival for 1 year and alteration in different signaling pathways., Result: 15 Gy abdominal irradiation activated the DNA damage marker (γ-H2AX) by nearly 3.2 ± 0.29 fold and regulated the repair proteins, XRCC1 and PARP1 in the intestine, which was differentially regulated by TSA. The Wnt signaling pathway and stem cell proliferation in the intestine were also positively regulated by TSA. The TSA administered mice demonstrated improved intestinal morphology. 12.5% of TSA administered mice survived upto 1 year whereas 100% of 15 Gy exposed mice died by 6 months. The surviving mice that had received TSA showed reduced intestinal fibrosis than 15 Gy group, possibly via downregulation of TGFβ/Smad signaling., Conclusion: The findings suggest that TSA have the potential to mitigate both acute and late effects of radiation in the intestine and can be explored as promising agent in the management of RIGI.

This research addresses the imperative need for efficient underwater exploration in the domain of deep-sea resource development, highlighting the importance of autonomous operations to mitigate the challenges posed by high-stress underwater environments. The proposed approach introduces a hybrid model for Underwater Object Detection (UOD), combining Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) with a Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM). Bi-LSTM excels at capturing long-term dependencies and processing sequences bidirectionally to enhance comprehension of both past and future contexts. The model benefits from effective feature learning, aided by RBMs that enable the extraction of hierarchical and abstract representations. Additionally, this architecture handles variable-length sequences, mitigates the vanishing gradient problem, and achieves enhanced significance by capturing complex patterns in the data. Comprehensive evaluations on brackish, and URPC 2020 datasets demonstrate superior performance, with the BiLSTM-RBM model showcasing notable accuracies, such as big fish 98.5 for the big fish object in the brackish dataset and 98 for the star fish object in the URPC dataset. Overall, these findings underscore the BiLSTM-RBM model's suitability for UOD, positioning it as a robust solution for effective underwater object detection in challenging underwater environments., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Searches for pair-produced multijet signatures using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 128  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV are presented. A data scouting technique is employed to record events with low jet scalar transverse momentum sum values. The electroweak production of particles predicted in R-parity violating supersymmetric models is probed for the first time with fully hadronic final states. This is the first search for prompt hadronically decaying mass-degenerate higgsinos, and extends current exclusions on R-parity violating top squarks and gluinos.

Synthetic hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles are extensively explored for medicine, optics, and environmental remediation. However, natural iron nanoparticles in a freshwater ecosystem have not been well characterized. Here we report the presence of natural iron nanoparticles in a tropical freshwater ecosystem in southern India. These iron nanoparticles that exist as slime in the natural water system were characterized through a multiproxy investigation involving Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy and BET analyses. These nanoparticles exist as amorphous hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ), with the XRD peaks matching that of the iron arsenate compound. Fe 2 O 3 occurs as mesoporous hollow microspheres with a size range of 14.97 to 61.3 nm and a surface area of 48.45m 2 /g. Further, the identification of Bacillus cereus in the slime suggests its role in iron sequestration, indicating a biogeochemical origin, which we infer is a particularly common phenomenon in tropical river basins where lateritic soils prevail. This study is the first to describe natural iron nanoparticles in a tropical freshwater ecosystem. It identifies their amorphous hematite structure and biogeochemical origin, offering new insights into their ecological roles and potential applications. This discovery presents an opportunity for utilizing this slime as an important source of hematite nanomaterials, with potential industrial applications., 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.)

Glioblastoma is a malignant manifestation of a solid brain tumour with a very dismal prognosis due to an overall median survival of 14 months. The currently administered Standard treatment plan, the STUPP regimen, is not very effective in tackling this neoplasia. A major concern that affects the development of new drug formulations, specifically for Glioma, is the inherent sub-clonal heterogeneity, which includes the dynamic and intricate nature of the Tumour Microenvironment (TME). Targeting the cellular niche using personalized medication for glioma specifically gene therapy, seems to be promising, with most studies in preclinical models yielding optimistic results. This paper analyses the great headways made in glioma gene therapy in the last 10 years while looking into different therapeutic strategies. That said, certain challenges do plague the clinical use of gene therapy which have been highlighted in the hopes that future researchers will address these concerns and further propel gene therapy in its journey from the Lab to the bedside., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Enhancing soil health and nutrient levels through fertilizers boosts agricultural productivity and global food security. However, careful fertilizer use is essential to prevent environmental damage and improve crop yields. The soil test crop response (STCR) is a scientific approach to fertilizer recommendation that ensures efficient use, supporting higher crop production while protecting the environment and preserving resources., Methodology: A long-term field experiment on the STCR approach was initiated in 2017 at the Zonal Agriculture Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India. The experiment aimed to study the impact of STCR-based nutrient prescription along with farmyard manure (FYM) for a targeted yield of soybean ( Glycine max ), sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ), dry chili ( Capsicum annuum ), aerobic rice ( Oryza sativa L.), foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ), okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ), and kodo millet ( Paspalum scrobiculatum ) on yield and changes in soil health in comparison with other approaches of fertilizer recommendation., Results: The results showed a significant and positive impact of the integrated use of fertilizer with FYM based on the STCR approach on the productivity of all the crops and soil fertility. Significantly higher yields of soybean (23.91 q ha -1 ), sunflower (27.13 q ha -1 ), dry chili (16.67 q ha -1 ), aerobic rice (65.46 q ha -1 ), foxtail millet (14.07 q ha -1 ), okra (26.82 t ha -1 ), and kodo millet (17.10 q ha -1 ) were observed in the STCR NPK + FYM approach at yield level 1 compared to the general recommended dose and soil fertility rating approach. This approach outperformed the standard recommendations, enhancing nutrient uptake and efficiency across various crops. Utilizing the principal component analysis, the soil quality index effectively reflected the impact of nutrient management on soil properties, with the STCR NPK + FYM treatment at yield level 1 showing the highest correlation with improved soil physical and chemical parameters., Discussion: The STCR approach led to improved yield, nutrient uptake, utilization efficiency, and soil health, thanks to a balanced fertilization strategy. This strategy was informed by soil tests and included factors like crop-induced nutrient depletion, baseline soil fertility, the efficiency of inherent and added nutrients through fertilizers and farmyard manure, and the success of yield-targeting techniques in meeting the nutritional needs of crops., 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 reviewer SS declared a past collaboration with the author PD to the handling editor., (Copyright © 2024 Murthy, Nagaraju, Govinda, Uday Kumar, Basavaraja, Saqeebulla, Gangamrutha, Srivastava and Dey.)

We report a novel class of azophotoswitches incorporating various five-membered heteroaryl units such as thiazole, isothiazole, thiadiazole, and isothiadiazole. These azophotoswitches were developed through an initial screening of 24 compounds using DFT calculations to identify those with the wavelength of maximum absorption ( λ max ) at a long wavelength. Subsequently, eight selected azophotoswitches were synthesized. Compounds containing both thiazole and isothiazole moieties showed relatively long λ max compared to the other synthesized compounds. These azophotoswitches exhibited reversible isomerization under visible light irradiation at 430 nm, 450 nm, 470 nm ( trans to cis ) and 525 nm ( cis to trans ). Analysis of the X-ray crystal structures of the cis isomer of phenylazo[1,3,4-thiadiazole] exhibited a unique orthogonal geometry.

Drug repurposing for cancer treatment is a valuable strategy to identify existing drugs with known safety profiles that could combat the neoplasm, by reducing costs. Oral squamous cell carcinoma, an ulcer-proliferative lesion on the mucosal epithelium, is the most common oral malignancy. About 10% of cancer patients within the Indian subcontinent suffer from OSCC, primarily due to chewing of betel plant derivatives. Concomitant administration of the chemotherapeutic agent (Cisplatin/Paclitaxel) is the treatment of choice. Analysis of the oral mycobiome of OSCC patients has projected the role of Candida albicans in potentiating OSCC. Hence, repurposing antifungal drugs emerges as a promising approach, as these drugs could target both the cancer cells and the infection. Cancer cells often have heightened energy requirements, and targeting mitochondrial proteins to disrupt mitochondrial division and induce dysfunction contributing to cell death, offers a method for treating OSCC. We identified 18 mitochondrial targets playing a crucial role in the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. They were docked against 125 antifungal ligand molecules sourced from PUBCHEM. Ligand profiling was performed using Lipinski's rule of 5, SwissADME and ProTox. Also, molecular dynamics and MM-PBSA were performed to validate our results. Among all protein ligand interactions, we observed that targeting DRP1 with itraconazole yielded superior binding and stability. Overall, lower toxicity and thumping ADME properties solidified the choice of ligand. We hope this experimental approach will enable us to provide a basis for selecting a lead molecule for a possible novel nano-formulation and validate our finding through in-vitro cell line-based testing.

Bisphenol A (BPA) raises concerns among the scientific community as it is one of the most widely used compounds in industrial processes and a component of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of BPA toxicity in food-grade plastics. Owing to its proliferation in the aqueous environment, we delved into the performance of various biological, physical, and chemical techniques for its remediation. Detailed mechanistic insights into these removal processes are provided. The toxic effects of BPA unravel as changes at the cellular level in the brain, which can result in learning difficulties, increased aggressiveness, hyperactivity, endocrine disorders, reduced fertility, and increased risk of dependence on illicit substances. Bacterial decomposition of BPA leads to new intermediates and products with lower toxicity. Processes such as membrane filtration, adsorption, coagulation, ozonation, and photocatalysis have also been shown to be efficient in aqueous-phase degradation. The breakdown mechanism of these processes is also discussed. The review demonstrates that high removal efficiency is usually achieved at the expense of high throughput. For the scalable application of BPA degradation technologies, removal efficiency needs to remain high at high throughput. We propose the need for process intensification using an integrated combination of these processes, which can solve multiple associated performance challenges., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The first search for soft unclustered energy patterns (SUEPs) is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, collected in 2016-2018 by the CMS detector at the LHC. Such SUEPs are predicted by hidden valley models with a new, confining force with a large 't Hooft coupling. In events with boosted topologies, selected by high-threshold hadronic triggers, the multiplicity and sphericity of clustered tracks are used to reject the background from standard model quantum chromodynamics. With no observed excess of events over the standard model expectation, limits are set on the cross section for production via gluon fusion of a scalar mediator with SUEP-like decays.

We report the synthesis, characterization, anti-cancer activity and mechanism of action of a novel water-soluble Cu(II) complex with salicylidene carbohydrazide as the ligand and o -phenanthroline as the co-ligand. The synthesized complex (1) was characterized by FT-IR, EPR, and electronic spectroscopy, as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction. This compound was found to be paramagnetic from EPR spectra and X-ray crystallography revealed that the molecule crystallized in an orthorhombic crystal system. The crystal lattice was asymmetric containing two distinct binuclear copper complexes containing the Schiff base as the major ligand, o -phenanthroline as a co-ligand, two nitrate anions, and two water molecules. The Cu(II) in the first site coordinated with the enolised ligand comprising enolate O - , phenolate O - , and the imine N and N,N from o -phen. The major part of this complex exists as Cu(II) coordinated with two H 2 O molecules at the second site with nitrate acting as the counter anion. However, a smaller portion of the complex exists where Cu(II) is coordinated with NO 3 - and H 2 O, and the remaining water molecule acts as lattice water. It was tested for DNA binding and cleavage properties which revealed that it binds in an intercalative mode to CT-DNA with K b value of 1.25 × 10 4 M -1 . Furthermore, cleavage studies reveal that the complex has potential for efficient DNA cleavage under both oxidative and hydrolytic conditions. It was able to enhance the rate of cleavage by 2.8 × 10 8 times. The complex shows good cytotoxicity to breast cancer monolayer (2D) as well as spheroid (3D) systems. The IC 50 values for MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 monolayer culture was calculated as 1.86 ± 0.17 μM and 2.22 ± 0.08 μM, respectively, and in (3D) spheroids of MDA-MB-231 cells, the IC 50 value was calculated to be 1.51 ± 0.29 μM. It was observed that the complex outperformed cisplatin in both breast cancer cell lines. The cells treated with complex 1 underwent severe DNA damage, increased oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest which finally led to programmed cell death or apoptosis in triple negative breast cancer cells through an intrinsic pathway.

Abutment screw loosening is the most common complication in single implant-supported crowns, typically remedied by simply reattaching the restoration, preferably using a new abutment screw. The internal aspect of the implant along with any other components should be decontaminated before reconnection. This clinical report provides information on the appropriate management of the decontamination process, as well as evidence of the foreign material found within the implant body., (Copyright © 2024 Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of present review is to provide a scientific overview of sugarcane as a potential feedstock for biofuel and use of genome editing approach for improvement of industrial and agronomical traits in sugarcane. Sugarcane, a perennial tropical grass with a high biomass index, is a promising feedstock for bioethanol production, and its bagasse, rich in lignocellulosic material, serves as an ideal feedstock for producing second-generation bioethanol. To improve the conversion of sugarcane biomass into biofuels, developing varieties with improved biomass degradability and high biomass and sucrose content is essential. The complex genome architecture and earlier lack of sequence data hindered biotechnological advancements in sugarcane, but recent genome sequence updates offer new opportunities for sugarcane improvement. The first genetically modified sugarcane was developed in 1992 by Bower and Birch using microprojectile bombardment of embryogenic callus. Since then, transgenic techniques have rapidly evolved, leading to the advancement of genome editing technologies. Application of genome editing tools particularly CRISPR/Cas system has been successfully used in sugarcane for editing. Recently, multiple alleles of the magnesium chelatase and acetolactate synthase genes in sugarcane have been successfully edited through multiplexing. Additionally, CRISPR-edited sugarcane varieties with modified cell wall components and increased sucrose content for enhanced bioethanol production have been developed. At the end, the future of CRISPR-edited crops will depend on how well regulatory frameworks adapt to the rapidly evolving technology., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: The prevalence of atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is increasing in young Indians (18-50 years of age). However, the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques in such individuals are poorly understood, presenting distinct challenges for the management of ACS. This study aims to analyze plaque characteristics in young Indian patients with ACS who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging., Methods: This was a prospective, multicentric, non-interventional study on patients aged 18-50 years presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, or unstable angina, and were scheduled to undergo OCT-guided PCI. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed post-procedure and at the 6-month and 12-month follow-ups., Results: The study included 100 ACS patients (mean age = 43.6 ± 5.2 years), with 51% presenting with STEMI. Pre-PCI OCT assessment showed that fibrous plaques (75%) were most common followed by plaques containing macrophages (27%), microchannels (20%), and calcified nodules (14%). In addition, plaque rupture, plaque erosion, and lipid-rich plaques, along with red, white, and mixed thrombi, were observed in 31%, 25%, 24%, 21%, 14%, and 17% (total thrombus occurrence = 52%) of the patients, respectively. At 12 months, the MACE (coronary artery bypass graft) rate was 1%., Conclusions: Young Indian patients with ACS displayed a range of plaque morphologies identified through pre-PCI OCT. Among these, fibrous plaques were the most prominent type, followed by plaques containing macrophages. Additionally, plaque rupture, plaque erosion, and lipid-rich plaques were also observed in this population., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest All authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest. MN is an employee of Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd., (Copyright © 2024 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier, a division of RELX India, Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the worldwide working-age population, visual disability and blindness are common conditions caused by diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Nowadays, due to diabetes, many people are affected by eye-related issues. Among these, DR and DME are the two foremost eye diseases, the severity of which may lead to some eye-related problems and blindness. Early detection of DR and DME is essential to preventing vision loss. Therefore, an enhanced capsule generation adversarial network (ECGAN) optimized with the rat swarm optimization (RSO) approach is proposed in this article to coincide with DR and DME grading (DR-DME-ECGAN-RSO-ISBI 2018 IDRiD). The input images are obtained from the ISBI 2018 unbalanced DR grading data set. Then, the input fundus images are preprocessed using the Savitzky-Golay (SG) filter filtering technique, which reduces noise from the input image. The preprocessed image is fed to the discrete shearlet transform (DST) for feature extraction. The extracting features of DR-DME are given to the ECGAN-RSO algorithm to categorize the grading of DR and DME disorders. The proposed approach is implemented in Python and achieves better accuracy by 7.94%, 36.66%, and 4.88% compared to the existing models, such as the combined DR with DME grading for the cross-disease attention network (DR-DME-CANet-ISBI 2018 IDRiD), category attention block for unbalanced grading of DR (DR-DME-HDLCNN-MGMO-ISBI 2018 IDRiD), combined DR-DME classification with a deep learning-convolutional neural network-based modified gray-wolf optimizer with variable weights (DR-DME-ANN-ISBI 2018 IDRiD)., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Quite often, conception of a child occurs after consuming small doses of alcohol. However, effect of this factor on offspring has not been studied at all. The aim of this study was to examine the level of motor activity, anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior, sensitivity to analgesic effect of ethanol, as well as activity of the enzymes DPP-IV, PEP, and ADG in the blood of rats whose fathers received ethanol immediately before mating. As a result of the conducted experiments, it was found that the males conceived by the intoxicated fathers have significant differences in behavior compared to control animals. Thus, motor activity in the rats conceived by males under the influence of alcohol was 2-2.5 times less intense; they exhibited decreased severity of the anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior. In such animals, activity of DPP-IV and ADG was increased and activity of PEP in the blood was reduced. In the rats conceived by the fathers under the influence of alcohol, analgesic effect of ethanol was decreased, and there was also reduction in response of the activities of ADG, DPP-IV, and PEP enzymes to ethanol administration. It is assumed that a single use of ethanol by male rats immediately before mating leads to the decrease in methylation of the paternal inherited genes in offspring. As a result, activity of a number of enzymes could change, which leads to the change in the balance of neuropeptides involved in mediation of animal behavior.

Previous findings of sex-differences in type, location, consequences, and risk factors of running-related injuries (RRIs) are contradictory. We aim to clarify these potential sex-differences. This cohort study analyzed prospective RRIs among recreational runners participating in running events (5-42 km) by combining data of two RCTs, including all intervention arms. Participants received a baseline questionnaire at registration and three follow-up questionnaires (before and up to 1 month after the event) detailing runners characteristics, injury characteristics (location, type [muscle and tendon], joint injury, etc.), and consequences (medication use, pain scores [0-10]). A predetermined injury definition was used to register RRIs. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis of risk factors for a new RRI (demographics, training characteristics, event distance, and RRI-history), using separate models per sex. We analyzed 6428 participants with an average follow-up time of 4.8 months, 82% finished at least one follow-up questionnaire. During follow-up, 2133 (33%) participants (33% men, 34% women) suffered one or more RRIs. We found no sex-differences in injury location and type of injury. Men used less medication (13% vs. 15%, p = 0.01) and had lower pain scores while running (4.2 [SD2.9] vs. 4.5 [SD 2.8], p = 0.04) compared to women. A history of RRIs was associated with a new RRI in both men (OR 1.9 [95% CI: 1.6-2.2]) and women (OR 1.7 [95% CI: 1.4-2.0]). No relevant sex-differences were found between middle-aged runners. Our findings do not support accounting for sex-specific factors, specifically with regard to training characteristics, injury history, or injury consequences, in the development of personalized RRI risk reduction. Trial Registration: The INSPIRE trial (NTR5998) and SPRINT study (NL7694) were prospectively registered in the Dutch Trial Register., (© 2024 The Author(s). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Backgroud and Objectives: As patients with diabetes are at a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than those without diabetes, it is important to gain a clinical understanding of the differential effects of smoking cessation on several risk factors between patients with and without diabetes., Materials and Methods: Patients who participated in a smoking cessation program received an assessment of the outcomes of interest. The outcomes were changes in metabolic parameters and renal function from baseline to 6-month follow-up after the smoking cessation program., Result: A total of 1954 patients joined the smoking cessation program, and 1381 patients were in the smoking cessation failure (SCF) group and 573 were in the smoking cessation success (SCS) group. The decrease in HbA1c after smoking cessation was only observed in patients with diabetes. Smoking cessation was also associated with a significant decrease in LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes. In terms of renal function, smoking cessation was associated with an improvement in eGFR, and the trend was similar in patients with and without diabetes., Conclusion: Successful smoking cessation was associated with improvement in renal function. Moreover, it was associated with improvements in HbA1c and LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes, despite significant weight gain., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Aquaporins (AQPs) are trans-membrane protein involved in water transport and different cellular functions such as cell adhesion, signalling and proliferation. These membrane proteins are essential for key physiological functions such as organ development, osmoregulation, tissue regeneration and metabolism. The regulation of AQP5 gene expression in ruminants during growth phase has not been analysed in-vivo. Therefore, the gene expression pattern was analysed in Jamunapari goats during 3 months to 12 month of age and adult age group in response to heat stress. The genotyping of the AQP5 gene was carried out by High-Resolution Melting (HRM) in four different goat breeds, which indicated four distinct genotypes in the population. The nucleotide diversity for the AQP5 gene ranged from 0.315 and 0.524 across the breeds. Additionally, a close evolutionary relationship between AQP5 and the HSP70 gene was observed, indicating a shared pathway for heat stress regulation. The m-RNA expression level of AQP5 at 3, 9, 12 month and adult age group exhibited 47.24, 1140, 43.17 and 12.55-fold higher expression than control. The m-RNA expression level of the AQP5 gene was up-regulated and significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 9-month age as compared to the other age groups. Heat stress phenotypes were classified based on respiration rate and heart rate, and the m-RNA expression of AQP5 was higher in heat stress-susceptible (HSS) individuals than heat stress-tolerant (HST) individuals at 3, 9, and 12 months of age. The AQP5 plays a significant role in thermoregulation during growth phases in response to heat stress in goats, however, it is required to understand the role of aquaporins at cellular level as well as to establish the association with production performance in ruminant system in-vivo., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our findings highlight changes in AML management strategies in India. There was a decrease in overall patient registrations, particularly at large referral centers, while smaller centers saw an increase, reflecting a shift towards more localized care. This shift was accompanied by a rise in the use of hypomethylating agents (HMAs). Despite these changes, survival outcomes remained comparable to pre-pandemic levels, likely due to improved infection control measures and maintaining treatment protocols. Our study concludes that standard AML care remained feasible during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of continuing treatment for eligible patients even in times of crisis., (© 2024 British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Various adjuvant therapies have been used to prevent recurrence after pterygium excision. However, no single agent has been proven to be a gold standard for completely preventing recurrence with no associated complications., Purpose: This study aims to compare the recurrence rate following preoperative topical mitomycin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) eye drops in pterygium excision surgery., Methods: In this interventional longitudinal comparative study, 90 patients with primary pterygium attending the Ophthalmology Clinic were enrolled and randomized into three equal groups of 30 each. Groups A, B, and C received preoperative 0.02% MMC eye drops, 1% 5-FU eyedrops, and placebo treatment respectively for one week before surgery followed by pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft and histopathological analysis. Patients were followed for 6months to identify recurrence., Results: At the end of the 6months, the recurrence rate in the preoperative MMC group (6.7%) was less than the 5-FU (13.3%) and placebo (20%) groups. The histopathological findings were consistent with pterygium tissues. There were high grades of inflammation, degeneration, and vascularization in both the MMC and 5-FU groups in the specimens which recurred within a period of 6months. Five patients had a novel finding of smooth muscle choristoma tissue with bundles of smooth muscle cells and fat cells clustered among the conjunctival tissue., Conclusion: Based on our study results, we demonstrate that preoperative topical MMC and 5-FU eyedrops have efficacy in reducing recurrence in pterygium surgeries. The eyedrop route of administration has been proven to be an effective and easier alternative, enabling us to monitor for adverse effects of adjuvant drugs. Histopathological evaluation provides indices to predict features of future recurrence in pterygium specimens. This is the first study in which the efficacy of preoperative MMC and 5-FU is studied in eyedrop formulation along with histopathological correlation with recurrence., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction : Serum heat shock protein (HSP) concentrations have been reported as potential biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we investigate the role of serum HSP70, HSP90, and DNAJC7 as biomarkers for ALS. Methods : Serum samples were collected from ALS patients and volunteer controls from three different clinical cohorts (in Germany, Ireland, and Italy). Serum HSP concentrations were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Descriptive statistics, generalized logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to model associations between log serum HSP concentrations and ALS risk. Results : In total, 251 ALS patients and 184 healthy volunteers were included. Logistic regression models failed to find associations between ALS risk and log serum concentration of HSP70 (OR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.10-1.78, p  = 0.242), HSP90 (OR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.39-2.37, p  = 0.904), or DNAJC7 (OR 1.55, 95% CI: 0.90-2.68, p  = 0.118). Survival of ALS patients was not associated with log serum concentration of HSP HSP70 (HR1.06, 95% CI: 0.36-3.14, p  = 0.916), HSP90 (HR 1.17, 95% CI: 0.67-2.02, p  = 0.584), or DNAJC7 (HR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.57-1.21, p  = 0.337). Discussion : We did not replicate previous findings that serum HSP70 and HSP90 concentrations were associated with risk of ALS. DNAJC7 was not associated with ALS risk, and there were no obvious longitudinal patterns in log serum concentrations of HSP70, HSP90, or DNAJC7. In addition, serum HSP concentrations were not associated with ALS survival.

Background: Nonfunctional pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) exhibit wide variability in growth pattern based on subtype. Silent corticotroph adenomas (SCAs) demonstrate aggressive growth compared with other nonfunctional pituitary adenomas (NFPAs), especially into the cavernous sinus. In this study, we sought to characterize other growth patterns of SCAs compared with NFPAs., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with nonfunctional PitNETs treated with surgical resection via endoscopic endonasal approach at a single institution from August 1, 2018, to May 11, 2024. Preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were reviewed to determine extension into the suprasellar space, sphenoid sinus, cavernous sinus, and clivus., Results: The study comprised 91 patients, including 20 SCAs and 71 NFPAs. SCAs demonstrated significantly greater rates of growth into the sphenoid sinus (55.0% vs. 23.94%, P = 0.013), clivus (65.0% vs. 16.9%, P < 0.0001), and cavernous sinus (defined as Knosp grade 3 or 4; 55.0% vs. 23.35%, P = 0.016). Other NFPAs were more likely to grow into the suprasellar space (92.96% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.038). Tumor volume was similar between groups (11.93 cm 3 vs. 9.06 cm 3 , P = 0.2)., Conclusions: Silent corticotroph PitNETs demonstrate predilection for invasion of bony structures, with higher rates of growing through the sellar floor into the sphenoid sinus, growing posteroinferiorly into the clivus and laterally into the cavernous sinuses. Other nonfunctional PitNETs tended to follow the path of least resistance, growing superiorly into the suprasellar space. These differences in growth patterns may account for some of the clinical challenges of treating silent corticotroph PitNETs., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The study was conducted to determine the chemical and structural properties of polysaccharides extracted from the marine macroalgae Nemalion cari-cariense. Furthermore, evaluate the anticancer and free radical scavenging activity of purified N. cari-cariense polysaccharide. Approximately 41.6% (w/w) of crude polysaccharide was extracted from N. cari-cariense macroalgae biomass. After deproteinization, the purified polysaccharide's major chemical composition was found to be 92.6%, with all protein content removed. The purified polysaccharide had ash and moisture % of 23.01% and 4.03%, respectively. The C, H, and N of the test polysaccharide were analyzed using GC-MS, with results of 39.21%, 5.87%, and 4.29%, respectively. Furthermore, this analysis also revealed the monosaccharide composition such as glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and rhamnose glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and rhamnose 54.62%, 29.64%, 2.8%, 5.9%, and 6.8% respectively. The molecular weight of purified polysaccharide was found as 49 kDa through PAGE analysis. The FT-IR analysis revealed that the presence of functional groups exactly attributed to polysaccharide and 1 H and 13 C-NMR analyses confirmed the structural properties of N. cari-cariense polysaccharide. The free radicals scavenging ability of purified N. cari-cariense polysaccharide was investigated by various assays such as total antioxidant assay (22.3%-72.5% at 50-250 μg mL -1 ), DPPH assay (23.6%-76.9% at 10-160 μg mL -1 ), OH radical scavenging assay (13.6%-70.2% at 50-250 μg mL -1 dosage, and SO radical scavenging assay (27.6-68.41% at 50-250 μg mL -1 concentration). The polysaccharide demonstrated 82.63% anticancer activity towards the A549 lung cancer cell line at 1000 μg mL -1 dosage. The findings suggest that this polysaccharide has biological applications., 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. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The general objective of this study is to comparatively assess the climate-resilient potential of four different poultry genotypes-Giriraja (n = 8), Country chicken (n = 8), Naked neck (n = 8), and Kadaknath (n = 8)-reared in a hot-humid tropical environment. Birds from all genotypes had ad libitum access to feed and water and were exposed to identical environmental temperatures in the experimental shed. Diurnal meteorological data were recorded inside and outside the shed daily. Blood biochemical, hormonal, and endocrine variables were monitored monthly until the birds reached 12 weeks of age. Significant variations (P < 0.01) were observed at different intervals in variables, including total protein, albumin, globulin, triglycerides, and cholesterol. Genotype-specific differences were noted in triglycerides (P < 0.01), albumin (P < 0.01), total protein (P < 0.05), and cholesterol (P < 0.05). Inter-genotype variations (P < 0.05) were also observed in serum cortisol, T 3 , and T 4 levels. Distinct variations (P < 0.05) were also observed during specific intervals, particularly in cortisol and T 3 levels. The study of hepatic mRNA expression of HSPs and HSF-1 revealed a significant breed difference (P < 0.05) in the expression pattern of HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, and HSP110, while no difference was observed between genotypes for HSP40 and HSF-1. The study highlights the Naked Neck breed as an exemplar of resilience, showcasing its distinctive ability to maintain homeostasis under heat stress compared to other genotypes. The genetic and physiological insights gained from this investigation offer prospective pathways for aligning sustainable poultry farming with environmental exigencies., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to International Society of Biometeorology.)

Introduction and Objectives: Paediatric patients are given premedication in order to decrease preoperative anxiety, allow smooth induction, and prevent postoperative psychological insult and behavioural changes. A child friendly method of administration is desirable. We compared intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine and ketamine in the operating room environment, to evaluate the Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability (FLACC) score at the time of establishing intravenous access for induction of general anaesthesia., Methods: This prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary care center. One hundred patients, 2-10 years of age, ASA physical status 1 & 2, scheduled for general anaesthesia were enrolled. Patient's presedation behaviour was assessed by the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale Short Form (mYPAS-SF). Patients in Group D received Dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg intranasally, and patients in Group K received Ketamine 5 mg/kg intranasally. After 45 min, patients were transferred to the operating table where intravenous cannulation was carried out and the response to needle insertion was assessed by FLACC scale. Vital signs, including the pulse-oximetry, heart rate and respiratory rate were monitored. Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and agitation were also recorded., Results: A significantly higher FLACC score was seen in Group D as compared to Group K (p = 0.001). The mean heart rate between two groups was found to be significantly (p = 0.001) lower in Group D compared to Group K. However, the proportion of adverse events was 8% in patients who received ketamine., Conclusions: Intranasal ketamine in a dose of 5 mg/kg is clinically more effective as premedication in children aged 2-10 years in comparison with intranasal dexmedetomidine in a dose of 1 mcg/kg., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Air pollution exposure during pregnancy has been associated with numerous adverse pregnancy, birth, and child health outcomes. One proposed mechanism underlying these associations is maternal immune activation and dysregulation. We examined associations between PM 2.5 and NO 2 exposure during pregnancy and immune markers within immune function groups (TH1, TH2, TH17, Innate/Early Activation, Regulatory, Homeostatic, and Proinflammatory), and examined whether those associations changed across pregnancy., Methods: In a pregnancy cohort study (n = 290) in Rochester, New York, we measured immune markers (using Luminex) in maternal plasma up to 3 times during pregnancy. We estimated ambient PM 2.5 and NO 2 concentrations at participants' home addresses using a spatial-temporal model. Using mixed effects models, we estimated changes in immune marker concentrations associated with interquartile range increases in PM 2.5 (2.88 μg/m 3 ) and NO 2 (7.82 ppb) 0-6 days before blood collection, and assessed whether associations were different in early, mid, and late pregnancy., Results: Increased NO 2 concentrations were associated with higher maternal immune markers, with associations observed across TH1, TH2, TH17, Regulatory, and Homeostatic groups of immune markers. Furthermore, the largest increases in immune markers associated with each 7.82 ppb increase in NO 2 concentration were in late pregnancy (e.g., IL-23 = 0.26 pg/ml, 95% CI = 0.07, 0.46) compared to early pregnancy (e.g., IL-23 = 0.08 pg/ml, 95% CI = -0.11, 0.26)., Conclusions: Results were suggestive of NO 2 -related immune activation. Increases in effect sizes from early to mid to late pregnancy may be due to changes in immune function over the course of pregnancy. These findings provide a basis for immune activation as a mechanism for previously observed associations between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and reduced birthweight, fetal growth restriction, and pregnancy complications., 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: Sexual interest/arousal disorder (SIAD) is one of the most common sexual problems for women. In clinical research, there are often misalignments between the research priorities of patients and researchers, which can negatively impact care, and gender-diverse individuals are often excluded from research. Inclusion of patient perspectives when establishing research priorities may help to reduce these gaps; however, the research priorities of couples coping with SIAD remain unclear., Aim: Identify the research priorities of women and gender-diverse individuals with SIAD and their partners., Methods: In an online survey, couples coping with SIAD provided consent and responded to an open-ended question asking them to list the top 3 things they think are important for researchers to focus on related to couples coping with low sexual desire. A team-based content analysis was conducted to identify themes and their frequency of endorsement., Outcomes: An author-developed open-ended question., Results: Analysis of 1279 responses (n = 667 from women and gender-diverse individuals with SIAD, n = 612 from partners) resulted in our identification of 6 main themes: general causes, general treatment and coping, biophysiological, relationship, psychological, and environmental/contextual. Additionally, we identified 4 sub-themes within each of the latter 4 main themes: general, cause, treatment, and impact. For women and gender-diverse individuals with SIAD, their partners, and specifically gender-diverse participants, the 3 most endorsed themes were psychological general factors (24.3%, 21.2%, 24.3%; eg, stress and the link between SIAD and anxiety), relationship general factors (15.7%, 13.2%, 18.6%; eg, relationship length and communication on sexual desire), and biophysiological general factors (12.3%, 12.4%, 14.3%; eg, research on medications and hormones)., Clinical Implications: Clinical researchers should consider the research priorities of couples coping with SIAD to ensure their work aligns with the needs of the affected population., Strengths and Limitations: This study is the first to identify the research priorities of both women and gender-diverse individuals with SIAD and their partners. Most participants identified as heterosexual, North American, and of middle to high socioeconomic status; results may not generalize. Responses were sometimes brief and/or vague; interpretation of these responses was therefore limited and may have required more contextual information., Conclusion: Findings suggest that women and gender-diverse individuals with SIAD, their partners, and gender-diverse participants have similar research priorities that are consistent with a biopsychosocial approach to research. Heterogeneity of responses across themes supports a multidisciplinary, patient-oriented approach to SIAD research., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Sexual Medicine.)

The concentration of salt ions influences the availability and plant nutrients dynamics in the soil. Proper management of these ions can enhance food grain production, helping to feed the growing population. In this experiment, nine fertility combinations were followed to enhance the soil organic carbon and reduce the salt toxicity and monitor the plant nutrient availability. An incubation experiment was conducted for the period of one year with different organic soil amendments in combinations including biochar (BC), pressmud (PM), and farm yard manure (FYM) as follow: T1-control, T2-RDF, T3-FYM (10 t/ha), T4-PM (10 t/ha), T5-BC (10 t/ha), T6-FYM (5 t/ha) + PM (5 t/ha), T7-FYM (5 t/ha) + BC (5 t/ha), T8-PM (5 t/ha) + BC (5 t/ha), T9-FYM (5 t/ha) + BC (2.5 t/ha) + PM (2.5 t/ha). Results showed that addition of organic substance (10 t/ha) significantly (p < 0.05) affected soil pH and electric conductivity. Plant nutrient availability (N, K, and S) was also influenced by application of organic substance (10 t/ha). Organic C and available N were recorded the highest in the treatment T7 (FYM-5 t/ha + BC -5 t/ha); whereas, the highest available K and S were observed in treatment T5 (BC-10 t/ha). The microbial soil fertility indicators (alkaline phosphatases, arylsulphatase, dehydrogenase activity and microbial biomass carbon) were measured the highest in FYM (5 t/ha) + BC (5 t/ha) applied treatment. In conclusion, application of organic substance 10 t/ha (biochar alone or with FYM) improved the plant nutrient availability and soil microbial activities in saline soil. It could be a suitable option for enhancing the soil fertility in saline soils., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Dotaniya et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)