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Global warming has become a much more realised issue and an immediate threat, accelerating due to the anthropogenic carbon release associated with escalating energy demand. Consequently, pressures are building up to reduce anthropogenic carbon footprint by employing renewable energy resources, among which solar energy is the main. Solar roads are a new and innovative concept as they do not require land to be specifically allocated. This is because the road infrastructure already exists. Therefore, this emerging technique of embedding solar panels into pavements and roadways is becoming a more attractive proposition. However, a hurdle to its successful application is the lack of knowledge regarding its feasibility and viability. This study aims to evaluate the potential of solar roads to inform future feasibility and viability studies in varying contexts and implications. Within the scope of this study, the case of Great Britain is considered to evaluate the potential of how much energy can be generated via the solar roads technology that can be embedded in the country's road infrastructure. A mathematical exercise is performed in which calculations are executed to develop a basic numerical model of the potential. Therefore, the study is quantitative, and the factors considered include seasonal changes, average daily traffic covering roads, tree and building shades, road types and sizes, solar irradiance, solar panel types, and alike. It is estimated that solar roads may supply up to 96.42% of the UK's total electricity, which is a substantially promising potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of climate change challenges, energy demand is still increasing, and renewable energy is becoming increasingly necessary as a sustainable resource. Solar energy stands out as a promising renewable resource, yet its widespread adoption faces challenges, notably the substantial land requirements for photovoltaic (PV) panels. This conflict intensifies as land could be more efficiently utilized for agriculture and development. Conversely, railway infrastructure occupies expansive tracts of land, presenting an opportunity to integrate PV panels without disrupting rail operations. However, a comprehensive assessment of the solar potential along railway tracks on a national scale is lacking for different countries and the UK is one of them. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the feasibility of installing PV panels on railway tracks throughout the UK to generate electricity. Utilizing mathematical models tailored to five distinct solar panel technologies, the study incorporates various factors, including solar radiation levels across different months. Assumptions were made where necessary, with values for certain variables averaged to facilitate calculations. The findings reveal that solar energy harnessed from railways could satisfy up to 8% of the UK's total electricity demand, with a minimum contribution of 0.3%. This study provides valuable insights from a UK‐centric perspective and offers a replicable framework for similar assessments in other countries with extensive railway networks, such as China and India. By leveraging existing infrastructure for renewable energy generation, such initiatives could contribute significantly to global sustainability efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Numerous techniques have been described to repair inherently unstable bilateral rostral fractures of the mandible. However, these can require significant expertise and specialised equipment and have numerous risk factors for surgical site complications. Case Summary: A novel technique to repair bilateral mandibular fractures in the foal is described. A 32-day old foal presented for assessment and treatment of bilateral fractures of the rostral body of the mandible. The fractures were stabilised with two crossed Steinmann pins, placed through the rostral mandible at the level of the lateralmost incisor and across the intermandibular space into the opposing hemimandible, aiming for the level of the second cheek tooth. The foal was comfortable enough to nurse immediately after recovery from anaesthesia and was discharged the next day. When presented for pin removal eight weeks post-surgery, there was bony callous formation at both fracture sites, considered adequate for pin removal. One pin had been prematurely lost. At follow-up seven months later, no long-term complications were reported. Relevance: The cross-pin technique achieved sufficient stabilisation of the bilateral mandibular fractures to allow healing. Surgical insertion of cross pins is technically easier compared to internal fixation, external skeletal fixation, U-bar fixation and intra-oral splinting. Advantages include reduced surgical time, simple surgical equipment, low implant cost and potentially lower risk of surgical site complications and infection. Further studies with larger numbers of cases and longer-term follow-up are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical water oxidation over high-efficiency (Ca, Mg, or Y) doped lithium metal (Ni) phosphate electrocatalysts

Introduction: A recent study on patients with acute lower limb ischemia showed that the proportion of inadequate examination of lower extremity circulation was associated with higher rate of amputation and death. The aim of this systematic review was to explore evidence for how practical competence in performing a peripheral vascular status of the lower limb among medical students and junior doctors should be taught and examined., Methods: The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was published in PROSPERO. Articles were searched for in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase. The result was processed by two researchers. After title- and abstract screenings, articles were scrutinized in full text for inclusion, result extraction, risk of bias assessment through Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI), and evidence grading with the GRADE approach., Results: Thirteen studies were included. Two studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Study samples varied between medical students (n = 9), junior doctors (n = 3) and residents (n = 3). Interventions varied between theoretical, practical, repetitive training, feedback-based learning, and clinical experience. Assessed measurements (outcomes) were ankle-brachial index (ABI) (n = 9), theoretical knowledge (n = 4), pulse palpation (n = 1) and complete vascular status (n = 1). Experienced residents had better theoretical knowledge than inexperienced residents, but performance of the entire ABI procedure without any mistake according to guidelines was inadequate in both groups. One RCT showed that experimental training significantly increased ability to perform ABI measurements, but this ability decreased after six months without repetition., Conclusion: Theoretical training alone is not sufficient in ensuring proficiency in vascular examination of the lower limbs. Continuous practice and clinical exposure are crucial to maintain proficiency in performing vascular examination of the lower limbs. Data is limited and heterogenous. The level of certainty for the evidence was judged to be very low., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Objectives: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 Quality of Life (CLN2 QoL) questionnaire., Methods: Data from children with CLN2 disease aged 3-16 years receiving cerliponase alfa in the BMN 190-201 and BMN 190-202 clinical studies, collected via purposive sampling, were used to assess convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency and reliability. The clinically important difference (CID) was estimated with distribution- and anchor-based methods. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS., Results: CLN2 QoL data of 22 participants were analysed. Ceiling effects were observed in 22 items (35% threshold); no floor effects were observed. Internal consistency analysis showed good reliability (Cronbach's alpha and Omega reliability >0.7) for four domains at study completion; only one domain had good reliability at baseline. All domains had good test-retest reliability (correlation >0.5) except Feeding With G-Tube and Seizures. Convergent and divergent correlation analysis showed moderate-strong correlations (>0.4) between PedsQL and CLN2 QoL total scores, between the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) total score and most CLN2 QoL domains at baseline, and between CLN2 QoL total score and most PedsQL domains at week 97. Known groups validity showed a significant difference in means for the Behaviour domain ( p = 0.05) for reasons that could not be clarified. CID was 6.79-12.94 for domains; total score CID was 6.91 using distribution-based and 6.13-13.05 using anchor-based methods., Conclusions: This study is the first to validate the CLN2 QoL and to estimate the CID of this instrument in CLN2 patients. Our results show good validity and reliability of this tool.

Entomopathogenic fungi belonging to the Order Hypocreales are renowned for their ability to infect and kill insect hosts, while their endophytic mode of life and the beneficial rhizosphere effects on plant hosts have only been recently recognized. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying their different lifestyles could optimize their potential as both biocontrol and biofertilizer agents, as well as the wider appreciation of niche plasticity in fungal ecology. This study describes the comprehensive whole genome sequencing and analysis of one of the most effective entomopathogenic and endophytic EPF strains, Metarhizium brunneum V275 (commercially known as Lalguard Met52), achieved through Nanopore and Illumina reads. Comparative genomics for exploring intraspecies variability and analyses of key gene sets were conducted with a second effective EPF strain, M. brunneum ARSEF 4556. The search for strain- or species-specific genes was extended to M. brunneum strain ARSEF 3297 and other species of genus Metarhizium, to identify molecular mechanisms and putative key genome adaptations associated with mode of life differences. Genome size differed significantly, with M. brunneum V275 having the largest genome amongst M. brunneum strains sequenced to date. Genome analyses revealed an abundance of plant-degrading enzymes, plant colonization-associated genes, and intriguing intraspecies variations regarding their predicted secondary metabolic compounds and the number and localization of Transposable Elements. The potential significance of the differences found between closely related endophytic and entomopathogenic fungi, regarding plant growth-promoting and entomopathogenic abilities, are discussed, enhancing our understanding of their diverse functionalities and putative applications in agriculture and ecology., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The author(s) declare no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Genetics Society of America.)

Neural tube closure in vertebrates is achieved through a highly dynamic and coordinated series of morphogenic events involving neuroepithelium, surface ectoderm, and neural plate border. Failure of this process in the caudal region causes spina bifida. Grainyhead-like 3 (GRHL3) is an indispensable transcription factor for neural tube closure as constitutive inactivation of the Grhl3 gene in mice leads to fully penetrant spina bifida. Here, through single-cell transcriptomics we show that at E8.5, the time-point preceding mouse neural tube closure, co-expression of Grhl3 , Tfap2a , and Tfap2c defines a previously unrecognised progenitor population of surface ectoderm integral for neural tube closure. Deletion of Grhl3 expression in this cell population using a Tfap2a-Cre transgene recapitulates the spina bifida observed in Grhl3 -null animals. Moreover, conditional inactivation of Tfap2c expression in Grhl3 -expressing neural plate border cells also induces spina bifida. These findings indicate that a specific neural plate border cellular cohort is required for the early-stage neurulation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: The CLN2 Clinical Rating Scale evaluates disease progression in CLN2 disease, an ultra-rare, neurodegenerative disorder with late infantile onset. To validate the Clinical Rating Scale, a comparison with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was conducted utilising clinical trial data investigating cerliponase alfa use in CLN2 disease., Methods: Linear regression and mixed effects models were used to investigate the relationship between the Clinical Rating Scale and PedsQL using open-label, single-arm, phase 1/2 (NCT01907087) and ongoing extension study (NCT02485899) data of 23 children with CLN2 disease treated with cerliponase alfa for ≥96 weeks., Results: Correlations between the four Clinical Rating Scale domains were low. Linear mixed effects analyses showed significant correlation between PedsQL and Clinical Rating Scale (Total score or motor-language [ML] score adjusted p-values <0.05), driven by the relationship with the PedsQL Physical domain. A statistically significant relationship was identified between the Clinical Rating Scale motor domain and PedsQL (Total score: adjusted p-value = 0.048, parameter estimate [PE] = 8.10; Physical domain score: adjusted p-value = 0.012; PE = 13.79)., Conclusions: Each domain of the Clinical Rating Scale provides unique information on disease state. Validity of the scale is supported by its relationship with the PedsQL. Among the four domains of the Clinical Rating Scale, motor has the highest correlation to PedsQL, suggesting motor function as a driver of patients' quality of life. The lack of association between the remaining domains of the Clinical Rating Scale and PedsQL suggests that additional disease-specific measures may be needed to fully capture the quality of life impact of CLN2 disease., Trial Registration: NCT01907087, NCT02485899., Competing Interests: PG, NS: No competing interests to declare; AS: Received compensation from BioMarin Europe as per clinical trial agreement; EdlR: Research grants from Amicus Therapeutics, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Giving Back Fund; Consultancy: BioMarin Pharmaceuticals Inc.; AO, CC, TB, and MJ: Employees and shareholders of BioMarin Europe; ZS: Employee of BioMarin Europe; TC and AG: Employees of Costello Medical; JCP and PS: Employees and shareholders of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2024 Specchio 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.)

Objective: Incisional negative pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) applied over all incisions after lower extremity bypass in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) is unclear. The primary and secondary aims of this study were to investigate if prophylactic iNPWT after the elective lower extremity bypass prevents SSI and other surgical wound complications., Methods: This was a multicenter, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Patients undergoing elective lower extremity bypass in 3 hospitals were randomized to either iNPWT or standard dressings. SSIs or other wound complications were assessed within the first 90 days by wound care professionals blinded to the randomized result. The validated Additional treatment, Serous discharge, Erythema, Purulent exudate, Separation of deep tissues, Isolation of bacteria, and Stay (ASEPSIS) score was used to objectively assess the wounds. ASEPSIS score ≥21 is defined as an SSI. Unilateral and bilateral groups were analyzed with the Fisher exact test and the McNemar test, respectively., Results: In the unilateral group (n = 100), the incidence of SSI in the iNPWT group was 34.9% (15/43), compared with 40.3% (23/57) in the control group, according to the ASEPSIS score (P = .678). In the bilateral group (n = 7), the SSI rate was 14.3% (1/7) in the iNPWT group compared with 14.3% (1/7) in the control group (P = 1.00). In the unilateral group, there was a higher wound dehiscence rate in the control group (43.9%) compared with the iNPWT group (23.3%) (P = .0366). No serious iNPWT-related adverse events were recorded., Conclusions: There was no reduction of SSI rates in leg incisions with iNPWT compared with standard dressings in patients undergoing elective lower extremity bypass, whereas iNPWT reduced the incidence of wound dehiscence., Competing Interests: Disclosures None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous reports have suggested higher rates of mortality and amputation for female patients in acute lower limb ischemia (ALI). The aims of the present study were to investigate if there is a difference in mortality, amputation, and fasciotomy between the sexes., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing index revascularization for ALI between 2001 and 2018 was conducted. A propensity score was created through a logistic regression with female/male sex as an outcome. Cox regression analyses for 90-day and 1-year mortality, combining major amputation/mortality, and logistic regression for major bleeding and fasciotomy, were performed. All analyses were performed with and without adjusting for propensity score., Results: A total of 709 patients were included in the study of which 45.9% were women. Mean age was 72.1 years. Females were older and had higher rates of atrial fibrillation, embolic disease, and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, while men more often had anemia and chronic peripheral arterial disease. Mortality at 1 year was 21.2% for women and 14.7% for men. The adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year mortality was 0.99 (95% CI 0.67-1.46). Fasciotomy was performed in 7.1% of female and 12.8% of male patients; the adjusted odds ratio was 0.52 (95% CI 0.29-0.91)., Conclusion: Sex was not found to be an independent risk factor for mortality or combined major amputation/mortality after revascularization for acute lower limb ischemia, whereas women had lower odds of undergoing fasciotomy. Whether women are underdiagnosed or do not develop acute compartment syndrome in the lower leg as often as men should be evaluated prospectively., (© 2024 International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).)