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Ancestral SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and variants of concern (VOC) caused a global pandemic with a spectrum of disease severity. The mechanistic explaining variations related to airway epithelium are relatively understudied. Here, we biobanked airway organoids (AO) by preserving stem cell function. We optimized viral infection with H1N1/PR8 and comprehensively characterized epithelial responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in phenotypically stable AO from 20 different subjects. We discovered Tetraspanin-8 (TSPAN8) as a facilitator of SARS-CoV-2 infection. TSPAN8 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 infection rates independently of ACE2-Spike interaction. In head-to-head comparisons with Ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta and Omicron VOC displayed lower overall infection rates of AO but triggered changes in epithelial response. All variants shared highest tropism for ciliated and goblet cells. TSPAN8-blocking antibodies diminish SARS-CoV-2 infection and may spur novel avenues for COVID-19 therapy.

Background: The increasing prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection globally has become a huge concern. This organism is a gram-negative bacterium that infects the lining of the stomach, causing peptic ulcer disease as well as gastric cancer. Approximately 50% of the world populations are known to be infected with Helicobacter pylori.This study evaluated the knowledge, perception as well as prevalence of Helicobacter pylori among the students of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). A total of 1,500 who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Ethical clearance and informed consent were retrieved and a well-structured questionnaire was administered to each participant. Blood samples were collected from the participants and screened for Helicobacter pylori antibody using rapid test kits (CTK Biotech, Inc., San Diego, USA). Information obtained was analysed using SPSS version 25.0. P-values

Without mitigation, the intrinsic alignment (IA) of galaxies poses a significant threat to achieving unbiased cosmological parameter constraints from precision weak lensing surveys. Here, we apply for the first time to data a method to extract the scale dependence of the IA contribution to galaxy-galaxy lensing, which takes advantage of the difference in alignment signal as measured by shear estimators with different sensitivities to galactic radii. Using data from Year 1 of the Dark Energy Survey, with shear estimators METCALIBRATION and IM3SHAPE, we find that systematic uncertainties dominate our signal and claiming a detection of IA is not possible. In particular, uncertainty on multiplicative bias calibration poses a significant challenge. Building upon this, we forecast the application of this method to Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) data. We develop a scheme to account for residual multiplicative bias within the measurement covariance, and forecast the requirements on a pair of shear estimators for detecting IA and constraining its 1-halo scale dependence. We find that for LSST Year 1, shear estimators should have at least a $40\%$ difference in IA amplitude, and the Pearson correlation coefficient of their shape noise should be at least $\rho=0.50$, to ensure a $1\sigma$ detection of IA and a constraint on its 1-halo scale dependence with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than $1$. For Year 10, a $1\sigma$ detection and constraint become possible for $20\%$ differences in alignment amplitude and $\rho=0.50$., Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures (excluding appendices). For submission to MNRAS

Latar belakang : lip reposition merupakan perawatan untuk memperbaiki berlebihnya tampilan gingiva saat tersenyum. Gummy smile merupakan diagnosis dari berlebihnya tampilan gingiva pada saat tersenyum, Akan tetapi sering dijumpai kesulitan saat melakukan lip reposition. Tujuan tindakan eksisi pada lip reposisition biasanya membuat garis panduan pada saat eksisi, Akan tetapi, eksisi pada daerah mukosa alveolar menjadi salah satu hal yang menantang karena alveolar mukosa tergolong licin, Oleh karena itu menjepit dengan klem panjang saat hendak melakukan eksisi dapat menjadi alternatif untuk memandu ketepatan eksisi pada lip reposition dan mempercepat waktu pengerjaan. Laporan Kasus: pasien datang ke praktek pribadi dengan alasan keluhan estetik. Dilakukan pengukuran panjang gigi dan tinggi gingival menggunakan sistem Chu. Hasilnya, gingiva pada gigi 13,12,11,21,22,23 menutupi sekitar 2-3 mm dari CEJ (cemento enamel junction), pada saat terseyum lebar pasien memiliki 5mm kelebihan penampilan gingiva. Pasien didiagnosis gummy smile dan memerlukan Iip reposition .Setelah daerah operasi teranestesi, operator membuat garis vertikal serta melepas pelakatan mukosa alveolar, setelah itu menggunakan klem panjang untuk menjepit dan melakukan eksisi. Kesimpulan: keuntungan dari prosedur ini yaitu mempersingkat durasi operasi, mengurangi resiko eksisi berlebihan dan memaksimalkan penyembuhan primer jaringan lunak. Eksisi yang dibantu oleh klem dapat meningkatkan presisi pada lip reposition.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections are initiated by attachment of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) on the viral Spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) on human host cells. This critical first step occurs in dynamic environments, where external forces act on the binding partners and avidity effects play an important role, creating an urgent need for assays that can quantitate SARS-CoV-2 interactions with ACE2 under mechanical load. Here, we introduce a tethered ligand assay that comprises the RBD and the ACE2 ectodomain joined by a flexible peptide linker. Using magnetic tweezers and atomic force spectroscopy as highly complementary single-molecule force spectroscopy techniques, we investigate the RBD:ACE2 interaction over the whole physiologically relevant force range. We combine the experimental results with steered molecular dynamics simulations and observe and assign fully consistent unbinding and unfolding events across the three techniques, enabling us to establish ACE2 unfolding as a molecular fingerprint. Measuring at forces of 2 to 5 pN, we quantify the force dependence and kinetics of the RBD:ACE2 bond in equilibrium. We show that the SARS-CoV-2 RBD:ACE2 interaction has higher mechanical stability, larger binding free energy, and a lower dissociation rate compared to SARS-CoV-1, which helps to rationalize the different infection patterns of the two viruses. By studying how free ACE2 outcompetes tethered ACE2, we show that our assay is sensitive to prevention of bond formation by external binders. We expect our results to provide a way to investigate the roles of viral mutations and blocking agents for targeted pharmaceutical intervention., This study was supported by German Research Foundation Projects 386143268 and 111166240, a Human Frontier Science ProgramCross Disciplinary Fellowship (LT000395/2020C) and European Molecular Biology Organization Non-Stipendiary long-term fellowship (ALTF 1047-2019) to L.F.M., and the Physics Department of LMU Munich. R.C.B. and P.S.F.C.G. are supported by start-up funds provided by Auburn University, and D.L. acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the Spanish State Research Agency Retos Grant RTI2018- 099318-B-I00, cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Promoting a safe learning environment has been a crucial element in the crafting and implementation of school policies and programs to ensure students’ growth and development. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the peer leadership skills and the performance on the peer leadership skills of the students in reducing bullying cases. A survey questionnaire was used in gathering the data needed from the respondents in the public secondary schools in Narvacan, Philippines. The data were treated statistically using the weighted mean and one-way analysis of variance. It was found that the most common bullying cases the students encounter in school are verbal abuse specifically name-calling and persistent teasing and insult, physical abuse, and emotional abuse. This study also showed that the students possessed the necessary peer leadership skills in addressing bullying in school. However, their difficulty in expressing themselves and in training their peers to be leaders were noted as the least skill they possessed. Furthermore, the students were still developing their performance on peer leadership practices in reducing bullying cases in school. Although the result is very close to its significant level, it was found that there is no significant difference in the bullying cases between and among the students in the five public secondary schools. However, it was found that there is a significant difference between and among the students in the five secondary schools along with peer leadership practices and skills. The findings of the study serve as a basis for the school administrators to continuously explore alternative solutions or strengthen further the existing policies on bullying problems in school.

Land has an important role to human livelihood and the economic need for land that is inversely proportional to the availability of the amount of land (tendrung is static) to be one factor triggering the spike in the number of disputes, conflicts and land affairs that occurred in Indonesia. Land use change can be a cause of disputes followed by the development of plantation development that continues to increase causing increased demand for land. Communal rights to customary community land should be given legal protection. These communal rights shall be regulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Agrarian Affairs / Spatial Planning and Head of BPN Number 10 of 2016, and in particular the provisions of Article 16 paragraph 1 h jo Section 53 of the BAL, In case of land rights disputes granted to legal subjects with communal rights of customary law community then the law must be enforced in its settlement to be resolved through the Court (litigation) of the institution having the authority to resolve the dispute and settlement of a non litigation dispute or alternative disputes resolution. Alternative dispute resolution in the form of win-win solusen that can provide mutual benefit.

Defect engineering is foundational to classical electronic device development and for emerging quantum devices. Here, we report on defect engineering of silicon with ion pulses from a laser accelerator in the laser intensity range of 1019 W cm−2 and ion flux levels of up to 1022 ions cm−2 s−1, about five orders of magnitude higher than conventional ion implanters. Low energy ions from plasma expansion of the laser-foil target are implanted near the surface and then diffuse into silicon samples locally pre-heated by high energy ions from the same laser-ion pulse. Silicon crystals exfoliate in the areas of highest energy deposition. Color centers, predominantly W and G-centers, form directly in response to ion pulses without a subsequent annealing step. We find that the linewidth of G-centers increases with high ion flux faster than the linewidth of W-centers, consistent with density functional theory calculations of their electronic structure. Intense ion pulses from a laser-accelerator drive materials far from equilibrium and enable direct local defect engineering and high flux doping of semiconductors.

Background Intensity-modulated helical tomotherapy (HT) is a promising technique in preparation for bone marrow transplantation. Nevertheless, radiation-sensitive organs can be substantially compromised due to suboptimal delivery techniques of total body irradiation (TBI). To reduce the potential burden of radiation toxicity to organs at risk (OAR), high-quality coverage and homogeneity are essential. We investigated dosimetric data from kidney, lung and thorax, liver, and spleen in relation to peripheral blood kinetics. To further advance intensity-modulated total body irradiation (TBI), the potential for dose reduction to lung and kidney was considered in the analysis. Patients and methods 46 patients undergoing TBI were included in this analysis, partially divided into dose groups (2, 4, 8, and 12 Gy). HT was performed using a rotating gantry to ensuring optimal reduction of radiation to the lungs and kidneys and to provide optimal coverage of other OAR. Common dosimetric parameters, such as D05, D95, and D50, were calculated and analysed. Leukocytes, neutrophils, platelets, creatinine, GFR, haemoglobin, overall survival, and graft-versus-host disease were related to the dosimetric evaluation using statistical tests. Results The mean D95 of the lung is 48.23%, less than half the prescribed and unreduced dose. The D95 of the chest is almost twice as high at 84.95%. Overall liver coverage values ranged from 96.79% for D95 to 107% for D05. The average dose sparing of all patients analysed resulted in an average D95 of 68.64% in the right kidney and 69.31% in the left kidney. Average D95 in the spleen was 94.28% and D05 was 107.05%. Homogeneity indexes ranged from 1.12 for liver to 2.28 for lung. The additional significance analyses conducted on these blood kinetics showed a significant difference between the 2 Gray group and the other three groups for leukocyte counts. Further statistical comparisons of the dose groups showed no significant differences. However, there were significant changes in the dose of OAR prescribed with dose sparing (e.g., lung vs. rib and kidney). Conclusion Using intensity-modulated helical tomotherapy to deliver TBI is a feasible method in preparation for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Significant dose sparing in radiosensitive organs such as the lungs and kidneys is achievable with good overall quality of coverage. Peripheral blood kinetics support the positive impact of HT and its advantages strongly encourage its implementation within clinical routine.

Type 1 diabetes in children is heralded by a preclinical phase defined by circulating autoantibodies to pancreatic islet antigens. How islet autoimmunity is initiated and then progresses to clinical diabetes remains poorly understood. Only one study has reported gene expression in specific immune cells of at-risk children, associated with progression to islet autoimmunity. We analysed gene expression by RNAseq in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, NK cells and B cells, and chromatin accessibility by ATACseq in CD4+ T cells, in five genetically at-risk children with islet autoantibodies who progressed to diabetes over a median of 3 years (‘Progressors’) compared to five children matched for sex, age and HLA-DR who had not progressed (‘Non-progressors). In Progressors, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were largely confined to CD4+ T cells and enriched for cytotoxicity-related genes/pathways. Several top-ranked DEGs were validated in a semi-independent cohort of 13 Progressors and 11 Non-progressors. Flow cytometry confirmed progression was associated with expansion of CD4+ cells with a cytotoxic phenotype. By ATAC-seq, progression was associated with reconfiguration of regulatory chromatin regions in CD4+ cells, some linked to differentially expressed cytotoxicity-related genes. Our findings suggest that cytotoxic CD4+ T cells play a role in promoting progression to type 1 diabetes.

Background Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the gut microbiota have beneficial anti-inflammatory and gut homeostasis effects and prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D) in mice. Reduced SCFA production indicates a loss of beneficial bacteria, commonly associated with chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including T1D and type 2 diabetes. Here, we addressed whether a metabolite-based dietary supplement has an impact on humans with T1D. We conducted a single-arm pilot-and-feasibility trial with high-amylose maize-resistant starch modified with acetate and butyrate (HAMSAB) to assess safety, while monitoring changes in the gut microbiota in alignment with modulation of the immune system status. Results HAMSAB supplement was administered for 6 weeks with follow-up at 12 weeks in adults with long-standing T1D. Increased concentrations of SCFA acetate, propionate, and butyrate in stools and plasma were in concert with a shift in the composition and function of the gut microbiota. While glucose control and insulin requirements did not change, subjects with the highest SCFA concentrations exhibited the best glycemic control. Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and vitamin B7 production correlated with lower HbA1c and basal insulin requirements. Circulating B and T cells developed a more regulatory phenotype post-intervention. Conclusion Changes in gut microbiota composition, function, and immune profile following 6 weeks of HAMSAB supplementation were associated with increased SCFAs in stools and plasma. The persistence of these effects suggests that targeting dietary SCFAs may be a mechanism to alter immune profiles, promote immune tolerance, and improve glycemic control for the treatment of T1D. Trial registration ACTRN12618001391268. Registered 20 August 2018,https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375792

Background: The Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) pregnancy-birth cohort investigates the developmental origins of type 1 diabetes (T1D), with recruitment between 2013 and 2019. ENDIA is the first study in the world with comprehensive data and biospecimen collection during pregnancy, at birth and through childhood from at-risk children who have a first-degree relative with T1D. Environmental exposures are thought to drive the progression to clinical T1D, with pancreatic islet autoimmunity (IA) developing in genetically susceptible individuals. The exposures and key molecular mechanisms driving this progression are unknown. Persistent IA is the primary outcome of ENDIA; defined as a positive antibody for at least one of IAA, GAD, ZnT8 or IA2 on two consecutive occasions and signifies high risk of clinical T1D. Method: A nested case-control (NCC) study design with 54 cases and 161 matched controls aims to investigate associations between persistent IA and longitudinal omics exposures in ENDIA. The NCC study will analyse samples obtained from ENDIA children who have either developed persistent IA or progressed to clinical T1D (cases) and matched control children at risk of developing persistent IA. Control children were matched on sex and age, with all four autoantibodies absent within a defined window of the case’s onset date. Cases seroconverted at a median of 1.37 years (IQR 0.95, 2.56). Longitudinal omics data generated from approximately 16,000 samples of different biospecimen types, will enable evaluation of changes from pregnancy through childhood. Conclusions: This paper describes the ENDIA NCC study, omics platform design considerations and planned univariate and multivariate analyses for its longitudinal data. Methodologies for multivariate omics analysis with longitudinal data are discovery-focused and data driven. There is currently no single multivariate method tailored specifically for the longitudinal omics data that the ENDIA NCC study will generate and therefore omics analysis results will require either cross validation or independent validation.KEY MESSAGESThe ENDIA nested case-control study will utilize longitudinal omics data on approximately 16,000 samples from 190 unique children at risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D), including 54 who have developed islet autoimmunity (IA), followed during pregnancy, at birth and during early childhood, enabling the developmental origins of T1D to be explored. The ENDIA nested case-control study will utilize longitudinal omics data on approximately 16,000 samples from 190 unique children at risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D), including 54 who have developed islet autoimmunity (IA), followed during pregnancy, at birth and during early childhood, enabling the developmental origins of T1D to be explored.

Multifunctionality as a paradigm requires materials exhibiting multiple superior properties. Integrating second-order optical nonlinearity and large bandgap with piezoelectricity could, for example, enable broadband, strain-tunable photonics. Though very different phenomena at distinct frequencies, both second-order optical nonlinearity and piezoelectricity are third-rank polar tensors present only in acentric crystal structures. However, simultaneously enhancing both phenomena is highly challenging since it involves competing effects with tradeoffs. Recently, a large switchable ferroelectric polarization of ~ 80 uC cm-2 was reported in Zn1-xMgxO films. Here, ferroelectric Zn1-xMgxO is demonstrated to be a platform that hosts simultaneously a 30% increase in the electronic bandgap, a 50% enhancement in the second harmonic generation coefficients, and a near 200% improvement in the piezoelectric coefficients over pure ZnO. These enhancements are shown to be due to a 400% increase in the electronic anharmonicity and a ~200% decrease in the ionic anharmonicity with Mg substitution. Precisely controllable periodic ferroelectric domain gratings are demonstrated down to 800 nm domain width, enabling ultraviolet quasi-phase-matched optical harmonic generation as well as domain-engineered piezoelectric devices.

Healing large bone defects remains challenging in orthopedic surgery and is often associated with poor outcomes and complications. A major issue with bioengineered constructs is achieving a continuous interface between host bone and graft to enhance biological processes and mechanical stability. In this study, we have developed a new bioengineering strategy to produce oriented biocompatible 3D PLGA/aCaP nanocomposites with enhanced osseointegration. Decellularized scaffolds -containing only extracellular matrix- or scaffolds seeded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells were tested in a mouse model for critical size bone defects. In parallel to micro-CT analysis, SAXS tensor tomography and 2D scanning SAXS were employed to determine the 3D arrangement and nanostructure within the critical-sized bone. Both newly developed scaffold types, seeded with cells or decellularized, showed high osseointegration, higher bone quality, increased alignment of collagen fibers and optimal alignment and size of hydroxyapatite minerals., Biomaterials, 294

The evaluation fieldwork comprised the excavation of 240 trenches in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2). This comprised the excavation of 147 trenches measuring 50m in length and 93 trenches measuring 25m in length; all trenches measured 1.8m in width. The trenches were located to test geophysical anomalies and to provide a representative sample of the remainder of the site. The locations of Trenches 25, 26, 42, 100, 104, 126, 128 and 136 were altered during the course of the fieldwork due to the proximity of ecological constraints (tree and/or hedgerow root protection areas). Between September and November 2022, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of land at Roundhill Solar Farm, Inkberrow, Worcestershire. A total of 240 trenches were excavated. The evaluation identified three distinct areas of settlement activity, focused in the northwestern and north-eastern parts of the site. The settlement activity appears to have originated in the later Iron Age, represented by at least nine roundhouses located on a ridge of high ground in the north-east of the site. During the Early Roman period the focus of settlement appears to have shifted to lower ground to the north-west of the ridge. The majority of the datable pottery recovered from features is from local industries, with broad date ranges, and it is difficult to ascribe accurate phasing to the activity; however, it is possible to interpret the data as representing a focus of activity between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, with reduced settlement continuing into the 4th century AD. Post-medieval and modern agricultural features were also recorded.

We propose and analyze an epidemiological model for vector borne diseases that integrates a multi-stage vector population and several host sub-populations which may be characterized by a variety of compartmental model types: subpopulations all include Susceptible and Infected compartments, but may or may not include Exposed and/or Recovered compartments. The model was originally designed to evaluate the effectiveness of various prophylactic measures in malaria-endemic areas, but can be applied as well to other vector-borne diseases. This model is expressed as a system of several differential equations, where the number of equations depends on the particular assumptions of the model. We compute the basic reproduction number $\mathcal R_0$, and show that if $\mathcal R_0\leqslant 1$, the disease free equilibrium (DFE) is globally asymptotically stable (GAS) on the nonnegative orthant. If $\mathcal R_0>1$, the system admits a unique endemic equilibrium (EE) that is GAS. We analyze the sensitivity of $R_0$ and the EE to different system parameters, and based on this analysis we discuss the relative effectiveness of different control measures., 42 pages, 3 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1808.07574

The metabolic syndrome of type 1 diabetes results from insulin deficiency secondary to pancreatic β-cell destruction and is classified as type 1A or 1B depending on the presence or absence of pancreatic islet autoantibodies. Type 1A is an autoimmune disease in which islet autoantibodies are present by 3 years of age in the majority of children who will develop clinical disease. Susceptibility is polygenic, but alleles at the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus account for about half the lifetime risk. The second most significant locus is the insulin gene itself, and insulin is a key autoantigen that drives β−cell destruction. The incidence of type 1A is rising as a result of environmental factors, which has enhanced the penetrance of lower risk HLA alleles. The type 1A stereotype of the thin juvenile now overlaps with the type 2 diabetes stereotype of the obese, insulin-resistant adult. The gut microbiome, a bellwether of the external environment, is altered in type 1A and its modification may be an approach to primary prevention. Recognition that type 1A is primarily an autoimmune β-cell disease that progresses to a metabolic disorder only in its end-stage will expand therapeutic options for earlier intervention and secondary prevention.

High quality, ultrathin, superconducting films are required for advanced devices such as hot-electron bolometers, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors, and quantum applications. Using Hybrid Physical-Chemical Vapor Deposition (HPCVD), we show that MgB2 films as thin as 4 nm can be fabricated on the carbon terminated 6H-SiC (0001) surface with a superconducting transition temperature above 33K and a rms roughness of 0.7 nm. Remarkably, the film quality is a function of the SiC surface termination, with the C-terminated surface preferred to the Si-terminated surface. To understand the MgB2 thin film/ SiC substrate interactions giving rise to this difference, we characterized the interfacial structures using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy/channeling, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The MgB2/SiC interface structure is complex and different for the two terminations. Both terminations incorporate substantial unintentional oxide layers influencing MgB2 growth and morphology, but with different extent, intermixing and interface chemistry. In this paper, we report measurements of transport, resistivity, and critical superconducting temperature of MgB2/SiC that are different for the two terminations, and link interfacial structure variations to observed differences. The result shows that the C face of SiC is a preferred substrate for the deposition of ultrathin superconducting MgB2 films.

The development of small-angle scattering tensor tomography has enabled the study of anisotropic nanostructures in a volume-resolved manner. It is of great value to have reconstruction methods that can handle many different nanostructural symmetries. For such a method to be employed by researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, it is crucial that its reliance on prior knowledge about the system is minimized, and that it is robust under various conditions. Here, we present a method employing band-limited spherical functions to enable the reconstruction of reciprocal space maps of a wide variety of nanostructures. This method has been thoroughly tested and compared to existing methods in its ability to retrieve known reciprocal space maps, as well as its robustness to changes in initial conditions, using both simulations and experimental data. The anchoring of this method in a framework of integral geometry and linear algebra highlights its possibilities and limitations., Comment: Article has 11 pages and 6 figures, supplementary information has 7 pages and 4 figures

BJS open 5(6), zrab112 (2021). doi:10.1093/bjsopen/zrab112, Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford

Background Total body irradiation (TBI) is often a component of the conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with hematological malignancies. However, total marrow irradiation (TMI) could be an alternative method for reducing radiation therapy-associated toxicity, as it specifically targets the skeleton and thus could better protect organs at risk. Here, we compared dosimetric changes in irradiation received by the target volume and organs at risk between TBI and TMI plans. Materials and methods Theoretical TMI plans were calculated for 35 patients with various hematological malignancies who had already received TBI in our clinic. We then statistically compared irradiation doses between the new TMI plans and existing TBI plans. We examined whether TMI provides greater protection of organs at risk while maintaining the prescribed dose in the targeted skeletal area. We also compared beam-on times between TBI and TMI. Results TMI planning achieved significant reductions in the mean, minimum, and maximum irradiation doses in the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, and body (i.e., remaining tissue except organs and skeleton). In particular, the mean dose was reduced by 49% in the liver and spleen and by 55–59% in the kidneys. Moreover, TMI planning reduced the corpus beam-on time by an average of 217 s. Conclusion TMI planning achieved significant dose reduction in organs at risk while still achieving the prescribed dose in the target volume. Additionally, TMI planning reduced the beam-on time for corpus plans despite a high modulation factor. Graphical abstract

Purpose Helical tomotherapy (HT) is a viable method for delivering total body irradiation (TBI) when preparing patients for allogenic stem cell or bone-marrow transplantation. TBI can be planned to reduce the amount of radiation delivered to organs at risk, such as the lungs, with the aim of decreasing toxicity. However, it is important for the ribcage to receive the prescribed radiation dose in preparation for bone-marrow transplantation. In this retrospective study, we analyzed radiation dose coverage of the lungs and ribcage in patients who underwent TBI delivered by HT to achieve lung dose sparing. Methods Thirty-five patients were included in the analysis and divided into three groups based on their prescribed radiation dose (4, 8, or 12 Gy). HT was performed using a rotating gantry to reduce radiation to the lungs. Dosimetric parameters for the lungs and ribcage as well as dose-volume histograms were calculated. Results The mean lung D95 was 60.97%, 54.77%, and 37.44% of the prescribed dose for patients receiving 4 Gy, 8 Gy, and 12 Gy, respectively. Ribcage coverage was most optimal for patients receiving 4 Gy, with a D95 of 91.27% and mean homogeneity index of 1.17, whereas patients receiving 12 Gy had a mean D95 of 78.65% and homogeneity index of 1.37, which is still within the range recommended by treatment guidelines. Conclusions Using HT to achieve lung tissue sparing is a viable approach to minimizing pulmonic complications in patients undergoing TBI. As this planning adjustment does not compromise the dose and quality of coverage received by the ribcage, it is a feasible tool within conditioning regimens for allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation.

Background Major demographical changes in Germany commenced in the 1960s. Ongoing humanitarian crises in the Ukraine with subsequent immigration will have also long-range effects on national provision of cancer treatment. Ensuring the best possible outcomes for each cancer patient undergoing radiotherapy requires the prediction and prevention of unfavorable side effects. Given that recent research has primarily focused on clinical outcome indicators solely, less is known regarding sociodemographic predictors of therapeutic outcomes, such as patient nationality. Here, we investigated whether the severity of early side effects after radiotherapy are associated with patient nationality and other sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Methods Out of 9187 patients treated at a German university medical center between 2017 and 2021, 178 German and 178 non-German patients were selected for matched-pair analysis based on diagnostic and demographic criteria. For all 356 patients, data on side effects from follow-up care after radiotherapy were collected. Results Non-German patients were more likely to have severe side effects than German patients. Side effect severity was also associated with tumor entity, concomitant therapy, body mass index, and age. Conclusion Foreign cancer patients are at higher risk of experiencing severe side effects of radiotherapy, suggesting a need to develop and implement targeted preventive measures for these patients. Further research investigating factors predicting the occurrence of radiotherapy side effects, including other sociodemographic characteristics, is needed to better personalize therapy regimens for cancer.

The rapidly increasing statistical power of cosmological imaging surveys requires us to reassess the regime of validity for various approximations that accelerate the calculation of relevant theoretical predictions. In this paper, we present the results of the 'N5K non-Limber integration challenge', the goal of which was to quantify the performance of different approaches to calculating the angular power spectrum of galaxy number counts and cosmic shear data without invoking the so-called 'Limber approximation', in the context of the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). We quantify the performance, in terms of accuracy and speed, of three non-Limber implementations: ${\tt FKEM (CosmoLike)}$, ${\tt Levin}$, and ${\tt matter}$, themselves based on different integration schemes and approximations. We find that in the challenge's fiducial 3x2pt LSST Year 10 scenario, ${\tt FKEM (CosmoLike)}$ produces the fastest run time within the required accuracy by a considerable margin, positioning it favourably for use in Bayesian parameter inference. This method, however, requires further development and testing to extend its use to certain analysis scenarios, particularly those involving a scale-dependent growth rate. For this and other reasons discussed herein, alternative approaches such as ${\tt matter}$ and ${\tt Levin}$ may be necessary for a full exploration of parameter space. We also find that the usual first-order Limber approximation is insufficiently accurate for LSST Year 10 3x2pt analysis on $\ell=200-1000$, whereas invoking the second-order Limber approximation on these scales (with a full non-Limber method at smaller $\ell$) does suffice., 15 pages, 8 figures. Journal-accepted version

A trajectory view of the world system perspective reveals a fundamental engagement of protest against the ways we have thought or come to know the world around us. This realization only serves as an expression of the real protest concerning the deep inequalities of world system which have become politically central in our current times. This paper draws theoretical resources from the world system perspective and capping it with the terminal current unitary world and the place of terrorism in such system. Peripheral analysis of the world system was undertaken to expose the place and roles of nations globally and domestically in the development of contemporary terrorism. Lopsided economic structure, injustice, poverty and deprivation were identified as major factors facilitating the use of terrorist’s strategies by poor nations (referred to as semi-periphery nations) and individuals in drawing attention to their plights. A review of the western economic mechanism (Globalisation) and how it engenders terrorism in the present world was undertaken. An excursion was also undertaken to explore the various instances of global terrorism and the Nigerian situation as well as the analysis of the fundamental reasons behind terrorism and the modern-day tools for terrorists with a view to advancing some antidotes towards addressing global and domestic terrorism and its implications for national development. The paper concludes by advocating that irrespective of the divide we find ourselves we must all return to the pristine foundation of rational humanism and the reinstatement of mutually beneficial relations between the human world and the natural world.

Makala hii inaonyesha tofauti iliyopo kati ya majukumu na maumbo ya uhusika katika vichwa vya habari vya siasa kwenye gazeti la Taifa Leo. Nadharia ya uhusika iliyoasisiwa na Charles Fillmore mnamo mwaka wa 1968 imeongoza uchunguzi huu. Utafiti huu umefanywa baada ya kubaini kuwa wasomi mbalimbali wa gazeti hutafsili maana anuwai kwenye kichwa kimoja cha habari za siasa. Jambo hili husababisha utata wa kimaana na uenezaji wa jumbe zisizoithibatika katika jamii, hivyo basi, kuzalisha migogoro ya kisiasa nchini. Upekuzi wa yaliyomo kwenye matoleo ya gazeti la Taifa Leo ambayo yametawaliwa na vichwa vya habari za siasa na kuchapishwa kati ya mwaka 2017-2019 ni msingi wa data ya utafiti huu. Vichwa kumi na vinane vya habari za siasa vilisampulishwa kimakusudi na kutumika katika uchambuzi wa uchunguzi huu. Data katika makala hii imewasilishwa kupitia mfumo wa majedwali na maelezo. Matokeo ya tathmini ya uchunguzi huu yameshikilia kwamba Kiswahili hakina maumbo dhahiri ya uhusika ispokuwa katika nomino ambazo nafasi yake yaweza kuchukuliwa na viwakilishi vya nafsi ya pili na tatu umoja na wingi. Katika vichwa vya habari ambavyo nomino zake si za ngeli ya A-WA, viwakilishi faafu vya nomino hizo huchukua nafasi hiyo na kuwa maumbo ya uhusika. Kila aina ya uhusika ina jukumu lake la uhusika. Majukumu ya uhusika ni dhahania na hubadilika kulingana na aina ya uhusika. Uchunguzi huu utakuwa wenye umuhimu kwa wasomi wa magazeti na taifa kijumla. Wasomi wa magazeti wataongozwa na kigezo cha dhima ya maneno katika tungo kudondoa maana sawa katika vichwa lengwa vya habari za kisiasa na kupitisha tafsili hiyo moja kwa wanajamii. Kwa kufanya hivi, migogoro ya kisiasa katika jamii iletwayo na tafsili mbalimbali za kimaana itafutiliwa mbali.

The rising of global geriatric population has contributed to increased prevalence of dementia. Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease, which is characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive functions, such as judgment, language, memory, attention and visuospatial ability. Dementia not only has profoundly devastating physical and psychological health outcomes, but it also poses a considerable healthcare expenditure and burdens. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), or so-called anti-dementia medications, have been developed to delay the progression of neurocognitive disorders and to decrease healthcare needs. AChEIs have been widely prescribed in clinical practice for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, which account for 70% of dementia. The rising use of AChEIs results in increased adverse drug reactions (ADRs) such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal adverse effects, resulting from overstimulation of peripheral cholinergic activity and muscarinic receptor activation. Changes in pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and pharmacogenetics (PGx), and occurrence of drug interactions are said to be major risk factors of ADRs of AChEIs in this population. To date, comprehensive reviews in ADRs of AChEIs have so far been scarcely studied. Therefore, we aimed to recapitulate and update the diverse aspects of AChEIs, including the mechanisms of action, characteristics and risk factors of ADRs, and preventive strategies of their ADRs. The collation of this knowledge is essential to facilitate efforts to reduce ADRs of AChEIs.