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Abstract The Aluminum alloy AA7075 workpiece material is observed under dry finishing turning operation. This work is an investigation reporting promising potential of deep adaptive learning enhanced artificial intelligence process models for L18 (6133) Taguchi orthogonal array experiments and major cost saving potential in machining process optimization. Six different tool inserts are used as categorical parameter along with three continuous operational parameters i.e., depth of cut, feed rate and cutting speed to study the effect of these parameters on workpiece surface roughness and tool life. The data obtained from special L18 (6133) orthogonal array experimental design in dry finishing turning process is used to train AI models. Multi-layer perceptron based artificial neural networks (MLP-ANNs), support vector machines (SVMs) and decision trees are compared for better understanding ability of low resolution experimental design. The AI models can be used with low resolution experimental design to obtain causal relationships between input and output variables. The best performing operational input ranges are identified for output parameters. AI-response surfaces indicate different tool life behavior for alloy based coated tool inserts and non-alloy based coated tool inserts. The AI-Taguchi hybrid modelling and optimization technique helped in achieving 26% of experimental savings (obtaining causal relation with 26% less number of experiments) compared to conventional Taguchi design combined with two screened factors three levels full factorial experimentation.

Objective This study aims to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of coconut oil extract (COE) in broilers experimentally infected with velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV). Methods A total of 150 broiler birds (day-old) were equally divided into five study groups i.e., negative control, positive control, COE-1, COE-2, and COE-3. On day 10, broilers of groups COE-1, COE-2, and COE-3 were supplemented with 1, 2, and 3 mL of COE respectively per liter of drinking water for 15 days. On day 13, 0.1 mL/bird (10−5.25 ELD50) of vNDV was inoculated in broilers of positive control, COE-1, COE-2, and COE-3 groups intramuscularly. During this study, growth performance, morbidity, and mortality rates of each study group were recorded. The antibody titer against NDV was determined on days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. The levels of immunoglobulins (IgY and IgM) were also determined on the 7th, 14th, and 21st days post-sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) inoculation. On day 33, avian tuberculin was injected between the 1st and 2nd toes of the left side (intradermally) to measure lymphoproliferative responses. On day 35, the phagocytic activity in the blood was assessed through a carbon clearance assay by injecting carbon black ink into the right-wing vein. The visceral organs having gross lesions were also collected for histopathology. Results The COE significantly improved the growth performance, and lowered the morbidity and mortality rates of broilers. There was a significant rise in antibody titers against NDV and levels of IgY and IgM antibodies against SRBC in COE-supplemented broilers. The lymphoproliferative response and phagocytic activity were also enhanced. Among COE-supplemented groups, the broilers of the COE-3 group showed a significant increase in growth performance and boosted immune defense. Conclusion Coconut oil extract has the potential to boost the growth performance and immune status of broilers. It can be used effectively as a feed additive and alternative to antibiotics to prevent the spread of infectious poultry pathogens.

Optimizing domestic energy use and increasing the efficiency of residential power supply chains depend much on home energy management (HEM) systems. This paper examines the utilization of advanced meta-heuristics, namely the Siberian Tiger Optimization (STO) and Sand Cat Swarm Optimization (SCSO) algorithms, for developing HEM systems. The paper presents an integrated STSC algorithm, enhanced by artificial intelligence, that monitors and optimizes household energy usage. To optimize electricity distribution, this algorithm seeks a compromise between reducing costs and lowering the peak-to-average proportion of power. After extensive simulations, the STSC algorithm outperforms previous meta-heuristics in Peak Average Ratio. It demonstrates the possibility of substantial cost reductions in residential settings, reaching up to 8.5%. This improves the overall efficiency of households’ power supply chains. In addition to reducing costs, the STSC algorithm contributes to sustainability objectives by utilizing AI to minimize carbon emissions, including renewable energy sources, and facilitate adaptable demand solutions. This highlights its role in promoting sustainable supply chain practices in energy efficiency. The combined use of STO and SCSO algorithms in the STSC method is a new and innovative development in HEM systems. This study highlights the capacity of AI-driven technologies to effectively and environmentally optimize household energy consumption.

Abstract Background In 2020, as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative worked to address outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus Type 2, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, the Covid-19 pandemic suspended routine immunization campaigns worldwide. There were concerns about how Covid-19 – and the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines – might influence uptake of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). To inform communications strategies, we conducted a qualitative study to explore insights from community stakeholders into how Covid-19 influenced perceptions of OPV and vaccination campaigns. Methods We conducted 32 focus group discussions with caregivers of children under 5 and polio frontline workers as well as 22 in-depth interviews with healthcare practitioners and social influencers in Cameroon and Ethiopia. In each country, we purposively sampled stakeholders per discrete eligibility criteria from one urban (Yaoundé and Addis Ababa) and one peri-urban site (Bafia and Adama). Results We found that the Covid-19 pandemic and related precautionary measures introduced new challenges for OPV campaigns in Cameroon and Ethiopia, including reduced caregiver confidence in routine immunizations and an erosion of trust between caregivers and frontline workers. A salient concern among caregivers was that Covid-19 vaccines might be delivered in place of OPV. When asked how to maximize community support for future OPV campaigns, stakeholders suggested to rebuild caregiver trust for frontline workers; use a variety of information sources to ensure consistent messaging on vaccination reaches caregivers in a timely manner; increase remuneration, resources, and training for frontline workers; and leverage existing community influencers and groups. Conclusions Despite the challenges to vaccination campaigns experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was anticipated that the Polio Programme would continue to experience community support for OPV with appropriate messaging and community coordination. These efforts would “build back the confidence” among caregivers and other community stakeholders regarding community-based vaccination campaigns. Social and behavior change approaches that leverage clear, consistent messaging from multiple trusted platforms could address caregiver trust and dismantle mis/dis-information that creates confusion surrounding vaccines.

Abstract Tumour microenvironment (TME) of breast cancer mainly comprises malignant, stromal, immune, and tumour infiltrating lymphocyte (TILs). Assessment of TILs is crucial for determining the disease’s prognosis. Manual TIL assessments are hampered by multiple limitations, including low precision, poor inter-observer reproducibility, and time consumption. In response to these challenges, automated scoring emerges as a promising approach. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the evidence on the approaches and performance of automated scoring methods for TILs assessment in breast cancer. This review presents a comprehensive compilation of studies related to automated scoring of TILs, sourced from four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed), employing three primary keywords (artificial intelligence, breast cancer, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes). The PICOS framework was employed for study eligibility, and reporting adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. The initial search yielded a total of 1910 articles. Following screening and examination, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria and data were extracted for the review. The findings indicate a concentration of studies on automated TILs assessment in developed countries, specifically the United States and the United Kingdom. From the analysis, a combination of sematic segmentation and object detection (n = 10, 37%) and convolutional neural network (CNN) (n = 11, 41%), become the most frequent automated task and ML approaches applied for model development respectively. All models developed their own ground truth datasets for training and validation, and 59% of the studies assessed the prognostic value of TILs. In conclusion, this analysis contends that automated scoring methods for TILs assessment of breast cancer show significant promise for commodification and application within clinical settings.

Background: Thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine neoplasm, has a strong female predominance. There has been a steady increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of thyroid cancer and identify its predominant histological subtypes in the Aljuf region of Saudi Arabia. The study findings and new data obtained will contribute to advancing knowledge about thyroid cancer at the national level. Methods and Results: This retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Sakaka, Aljouf region, Saudi Arabia. Data from thyroid specimens collected at King Abdul-Aziz Specialist Hospital and Prince Mutaib Hospital between January and December 2022 was analyzed. Among 3102 histopathological samples and 298 cytology samples received in both hospitals, 181 were thyroid specimens: histopathology samples [63(34.8%)] and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples for cytological diagnosis [118 (65.2%)]. The age of patients with thyroid disorders ranged from 17 to 69, with a mean age of 38.4 ± (SD)1.2 years. The highest percentage, 76(42%), were in the age group over 40. The majority of patients with thyroid disorders, 139 (76.8%), were women compared to 42(23.2%) men, giving a female-to-male ratio of 3.3: 1. 165(91.2%) of the study population were Saudi patients, while the non-Saudis represented only 16(8.8%) cases. Among 181 thyroid specimens, thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 33 patients (18.2%), benign tumors in 43 patients (23.8%) [follicular adenoma 39 (90.7%) and Hürthle cell adenoma 4 (9.3%)], goiter in 96 (53.0% cases), Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 6 cases (3.3%), and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis in 3 cases (1.7%). The age of patients with thyroid cancer ranged from 20 to 57 years, with a mean age of 36.9 years. There were 25 (75.8%) females versus 8 (24.2%) males, with a ratio of 3.1:1. Papillary thyroid carcinoma was the most frequent histological subtype among patients with thyroid cancer, accounting for 75.8%, while follicular thyroid carcinoma represented 24.2%. Among 155 cancer cases, thyroid cancer ranked third (21.3%) after breast cancer (26.4%) and colon adenocarcinoma (23.9%). Conclusion: Thyroid pathology, including cancer, is notably prevalent among females and older age groups in the Al-Jouf region. Thyroid carcinoma is the third most diagnosed cancer type after breast carcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma in Al-Jouf in 2022. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most frequent histological subtype among Saudi patients with thyroid cancer.

Abstract Introduction During 2020–2021 Australia maintained comparatively low rates of COVID-19 in the community and residential aged care facilities (RAC) due to stringent public health measures such as lockdowns. However, the public health measures implemented may have had unintended impacts on critical RAC resident health outcomes, such as falls, due to routine care disruptions and aged care resident isolation. We utilised a longitudinal data to assess the association between COVID-19 lockdowns and the rate of falls in RAC settings. Methods A longitudinal cohort study was conduct using routinely collected data from 25 RAC facilities from one non-profit aged care provider in Sydney, Australia. The study included 2,996 long term residents between March 2019 and March 2021. The outcome measures were all falls, injurious falls, and falls assessed as requiring hospitalisation. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) were applied to determine the association between COVID-19 lockdown periods and fall-related outcomes while adjusting for confounders and seasonality. Results During the study period 11,658 falls were recorded. Residents frequently experienced at least one fall during the study period (median: 1, interquartile range: 0–4). During Lockdown 1 (March-June 2020) the rate of all falls increased 32% (IRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.19–1.46, p

Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Composites (FRGCs) typically use mono-fiber reinforcement, often overlooking the potential benefits of hybrid fibers. This article examines the effects of different PVA fibers (thick and thin) and steel fibers (straight, hooked, and recycled tire wires) on the performance of one-part geopolymer composites. The study evaluates the impact of singular and hybridized PVA and steel fibers on slump flow, mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength), and post-crack flexural behavior (first-crack strength, ductility index, and flexural toughness). Key parameters include the average number of fibers crossing a unit area (Ns) and the fibers' Young's modulus (YM). Findings reveal that Ns is crucial for enhancing post-crack behavior, while YM significantly improves compressive and flexural strength in FRGCs. Steel fibers increased compressive strength by 18% (straight), 12% (hooked), and 8% (recycled tire wires), whereas PVA fibers slightly reduced it by 4% (thick) to 14% (thin). However, hybrid fiber configurations balanced the compressive strength loss from PVA fibers. Flexural strength improved with fiber inclusion, regardless of type and geometry, ranging from 6.4 MPa (2% thick PVA fibers) to 10.25 MPa (1% thin PVA fibers & 1% straight steel fibers), a 23%–97% increase over control mixes. Composites with recycled steel fibers showed exceptional post-crack behavior, with mono Recycled Tire Wire (RTW) composites having superior ductility indices (13.3) compared to mono straight and hooked steel fibers. Additionally, RTW combined with thin PVA fibers demonstrated exceptional flexural toughness (21.13 N m) and ductility indices (28.6), indicating superior post-crack performance compared to virgin counterparts. This study underscores the potential of hybrid virgin and recycled fiber-reinforced FRGCs to enhance mechanical and post-crack performance, offering a sustainable pathway for construction materials with reduced environmental impact. The research also develops linear models predicting mechanical properties, providing valuable tools for optimizing FRGC formulations.

As the urgency to reduce carbon emission increases, seagrass ecosystems have recently received attention due to their capacity to take up and store high amounts of carbon. Protection of this ecosystem is key to increase resilience to climate change. However, in some of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), seagrass ecosystems are still under threat. This study aims to investigate the current condition of seagrass ecosystems and compare it to the previous study before MPA was established in the Berau coastal water. SeagrassWatch method was used to measure seagrass community structure. Other proxies were also used to explain factors affecting seagrass condition such as Total Suspended Solid (TSS) and sedimentary stable isotopes to identify the source of organic carbon. The percentage cover of seagrass in this study were categorized as not healthy (

This study endeavors to elucidate the factors influencing protein preference and consumption patterns in the Ga South Municipality of Ghana. Understanding these determinants is pivotal for promoting environmentally sustainable and healthy dietary habits. Utilizing a random sampling approach, the study collected 150 meticulously structured questionnaires from a representative sample of municipality residents. It delved into the socio-cultural and economic factors shaping protein preferences and consumption behaviors, alongside investigating the impact of awareness, knowledge, and availability of protein sources on dietary choices. The findings unveiled that respondents partake of protein daily, albeit with variations in patterns based on sources: plant protein consumption occurred weekly, while animal protein was consumed daily. Moreover, respondents exhibited awareness of the nutritional benefits associated with protein consumption. While awareness for protein nutrition is high, the price remains a deterrent to accessing protein in Ga South Municipality. Calling on policymakers to support local food production and supply, invest in food literacy, and develop good transportation to reduce logistics bottlenecks that often create a massive difference between farm gate and market prices.

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines established in 1992 to decrease preventable under-five child morbidity and mortality, was adopted by Nigeria in 1997. Over 20 years later, while under-five child mortality remains high, less than 25% of first level facilities have trained 60% of community health workers (CHW) who care for sick children with IMCI. This study investigated the impact in CHWs overall adherence to IMCI guidelines, particularly for critical danger signs, as well as usability and feasible following the implementation of THINKMD’s IMCI-based digital clinical decision support (CDS) platform. Methods Adherence to IMCI guidelines was assessed by observational and digital data acquisition of key IMCI clinical data points by 28 CHWs, prior, during, and post CDS platform implementation. Change in IMCI adherence was determined for individual CHW and for the cohort by analyzing the number of IMCI data points acquired by each CHW per clinical evaluation. Consistency of adherence was also calculated by averaging the percentage of total evaluations each data point was observed. Usability and acceptability surveys were administered following use of the CDS platform. Results THINKMD CDS platform implementation notably enhanced the CHWs’ ability to capture key IMCI clinical data elements. We observed a significant increase in the mean percentage of data points captured between the baseline period and during the CDS technology implementation (T-test, t = -31.399, p

Flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is an important research topic due to its huge practical demand. In the present study, a new flexural strengthening method for RC beams, called the Shear-key Mounted Unbonded Rebar (SMUR) technique, is proposed and its effectiveness is examined through an experimental investigation. A total of 12 RC beams were cast and tested under four-point loading. Ten were strengthened and the remaining two the original or control beams. Before casting the RC beams, their constituent materials, such as cement, aggregate and rebar, were tested to ensure the quality of casting. The beams were strengthened with unbonded rebars attached to their tension faces through shear keys. One of the main advantages of the proposed technique was its speed and ease of application. As well as its effectiveness, the effects of other important aspects, such as the size and location of the rebar, were also examined. It was found that the proposed method noticeably enhanced the flexural capacity of a control beam. The ultimate load capacity of a strengthened beam was 60% higher than that of a control one. The flexural performances of the beams could be further improved by increasing the bar size and its location. The welding and conventional flexure were the dominant modes of failure in the strengthened beams.

Abstract The capacity to perceive tactile input at the fingertips, referred to as tactile sensitivity, is known to diminish with age due to regressive changes to mechanoreceptor density and morphology. Sensitivity is measured as perceptual responses to stimuli of varying intensity. Contrary to traditional sensitivity monitoring instruments, smartphones are uniquely suited for remote assessment and have shown to deliver highly calibrated stimuli along a broad spectrum of intensity, which may improve test reliability. The aim of this study was to evaluate a vibration-emitting smartphone application, the Vibratus App, as a mode of estimating tactile sensory thresholds in the aging adult. The peripheral nerve function of 40 neurologically healthy volunteers (ages 18–71) was measured using monofilaments, a 128-Hz tuning fork, the Vibratus App, and nerve conduction studies (NCS). Between group differences were analyzed to determine each measurement’s sensitivity to age. Spearman correlation coefficients depicted the associative strength between hand-held measurements and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude. Inter-rater reliability of traditional instruments and the software-operated smartphone were assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,k ). Measurements taken with Vibratus App were significantly different between age groups (p

Multiple theories have been proposed about the pathophysiology of Fetus-in-fetu (FIF). The most widely accepted theory is abnormal embryogenesis in diamniotic monochorionic pregnancies, in which a malformed parasitic fetus is found within the body of a twin host. Hepatic FIF has been reported in almost 1% of FIF cases, with only 2 case reports being published in the literature. This article presents the third case report of intrahepatic FIF. Additionally, we review the role of radiology in diagnosing these cases and guiding their proper management. This case report supports the monozygotic twin theory of FIF and the diagnostic dilemma of FIF vs. teratoma can be solved through collaborative work between radiologists and pathologists.

The progress of a nation is influenced by education. The curriculum is a factor that has a very big influence on educational development. In the Merdeka Curriculum currently implemented, teachers need to adjust teaching preparation, evaluation techniques, and activities carried out in the learning process at school. Module creation, differentiated learning, and the Pancasila Student Profile Development Project are some of them. This research aims to determine the extent of teacher readiness in implementing the Merdeka Curriculum. The research method uses descriptive analysis techniques with a literature review. The research results show that teachers are not fully ready to face curriculum changes. This can be seen from the fact that teachers still need to understand curriculum paradigms that are different from before and learning methods that have also changed. To overcome this, good cooperation and communication are needed between the school, parents, and the government so that this curriculum can run according to objectives.

Toxoplasma gondii, a ubiquitous zoonotic parasite infecting warm-blooded animals, poses a significant health threat to workers with occupational animal exposure (WOEA) due to their frequent contact with potential reservoirs. Existing data on T. gondii seroprevalence in the WOEA exhibits substantial global variation. This systematic review and meta-analysis, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, aimed to quantify the global seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among WOEA over the past five decades (1972–2023). We identified 66 eligible studies through a comprehensive search strategy encompassing English publications, with a total sample size of 15,279. A random-effects model with the Freeman-Tukey transformation in STATA v16.0 accounted for the high heterogeneity observed. We estimated the pooled global seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in WOEA at 41% (95% CI: 36–47%). Subgroup analyses revealed significant variations by gender: males (63%) vs. females (37%) (p

Objectives: Zanthoxulym armatum fruit is traditionally used as carminative, anthelmintic, stomachic, and to relieve gastritis. It is commonly found in Nepal, Uttarakhand, and the Himalayan region of India. Tribal peoples used this fruit for various purposes and also as a spice ingredient. The present study aims to investigate the antiulcer potential of the fruit extract, and its isolated compounds. Materials and methods: Fruits were extracted with successive extraction methods with hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol. All the fractions were evaluated for phytochemical investigations. Further, the ethyl acetate fraction, tambulin, and ombuin were tested for antiulcer activity induced by ethanol and pylorus ligation-induced methods. The IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 cytokines were also studied followed by histopathology. Results: It has been demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction possesses a major class of secondary metabolites. No acute toxicity was observed, as all the organs (heart, kidney, lung, stomach, and liver) were found in normal range and no significant weight variation was found. The antiulcer activity was performed at two different doses of all samples. Tambulin possesses the most significant activity at the dose of 50 mg/kg. Ulcer index and percent ulcer inhibition of tambulin were found to be 2.8 ± 0.6 mm2 and 69.5 ± 0.18 % in pylorus –ligated model whereas 5.2 ± 0.7 mm2 and 70.2 ± 0.15 in the ethanol-induced model. Histopathology results also support the above-mentioned data. Conclusion: Tambulin, a flavonoidal compound isolated from fruits of Z. armatum was found to be useful in the management of ulcers. Ethylacetate extract and ombuin also possess dose-dependent activity.

Globally, effective and efficient healthcare is critical to the wellbeing and standard of living of any society. Unfortunately, several distant communities far from the national grid do not have access to reliable power supply, owing to economic, environmental, and technical challenges. Furthermore, unreliable, unavailable, and uneconomical power supply to these communities contributes significantly to the delivery of substandard or absence of qualitative healthcare services, resulting in higher mortality rates and associated difficulty in attracting qualified healthcare workers to the affected communities. Given these circumstances, this paper aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the status of renewable energy available to rural healthcare clinics around the globe, emphasizing its potential, analysis, procedures, modeling techniques, and case studies. In this light, several renewable energy modeling techniques were reviewed to examine the optimum power supply to the referenced healthcare centers in remote communities. To this end, analytical techniques and standard indices for reliable power supply to the isolated healthcare centers are suggested. Specifically, different battery storage systems that are suitable for rural healthcare systems are examined, and the most economical and realistic procedure for the maintenance of microgrid power systems for sustainable healthcare delivery is defined. Finally, this paper will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and experts in rural power supply to remote healthcare centers globally.

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) play a crucial role as the first line of defense during emergencies and disasters. Given the current impact of climate change, EMS will need to employ innovative strategies to cope with changing conditions. This scoping review investigates how EMS can adapt to climate change in pre-hospital emergencies. Materials and Methods: In this study, peer-reviewed studies and texts on adaptive strategies of pre-hospital emergency systems published in 2023 were reviewed. Accordingly, online databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar as a search engine were searched. The selected keywords were as follows: “Medical technician,” “paramedic,” “ambulance,” “climate change,” “global warming,” “adaptation,” “mitigation,” and “resiliency” (and synonyms). Conclusion: No wide-ranging study has been conducted on the adaptation strategies of EMS against climate change and this is the first study in this field. In this study, elements and adaptation strategies against climate change were investigated. Extracting these cases and using them to improve the readiness and resilience of the pre-hospital emergency system will be effective against this phenomenon.

To prevent environmental pollution, promote ecological restoration and impart production sustainability in biomass crops, optimization of mineral fertilization regimes is strategically required under changing climatic scenarios. There exist research gaps regarding optimal use of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers for the fertilizer-responsive cultivars of forage legumes like cowpea under decreasing soil fertility in semi-arid regions. Therefore, a multi-year field experiment was executed to study yield attributes, green and dry matter yields along with nutritional quality attributes of forage cowpea (cv. Rawan-2003). The treatments were comprised of different N-P-K levels viz. F0= (0-0-0), F1= (150-0-0 kg ha-1), F2= (150-100-0 kg ha-1) and F3= (150-100-100 kg ha-1). The findings revealed that F3 fertilization regime surpassed rest of treatments by recording the maximum plant population, plant height, leaf area index, plants fresh and dry weights, which led to the highest green forage yield (73% and 5.8% higher than control and following treatment of F2, respectively). For dry matter yield, all fertilization regimes performed better than control, however those were statistically at par to each other. Moreover, F3 treatment exhibited 4.4% and 1.6% higher crude protein and ether extractable fat respectively, compared to the following treatment of F2 treatment that remained at par to F3 for total ash content. Contrastingly, the control treatment remained superior by giving the minimum crude fiber content which could be attributed to dwarf plants produced in the absence of fertilizers because stem length tends to contribute the major portion of fiber content in cowpea. Thus, 150-100-100 kg ha-1 N-P-K might be recommended to cowpea growers for boosting biomass productivity and nutritional quality, however further field investigations need to assess the impact of these fertilization regimes on biological N fixation process and solar radiation capture by cowpea plants under irrigated and dry semi-arid conditions.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by hepatic fat accumulation in individuals consuming little or no alcohol, has become highly prevalent globally. Oxidative stress plays a central role in instigating inflammation and cell death pathways driving NAFLD progression. This case–control study aimed to elucidate the association between circulating levels of the pivotal non-enzymatic antioxidants – coenzyme Q10 and vitamins E and C – and liver injury parameters among 60 Iraqi NAFLD patients versus 30 healthy controls. NAFLD diagnosis entailed over 5% hepatic steatosis on ultrasound excluding other etiologies. Patients spanned three age groups: 20–29, 30–39, and 40–49. Substantially diminished antioxidant levels concurrent with elevated alkaline phosphatase enzyme were unveiled in NAFLD patients relative to controls (all p < 0.001). Age-based analysis reinforced widespread antioxidant depletion and liver enzyme augmentation across NAFLD patients. Significant correlations also emerged between antioxidants and liver parameters. Our novel observations confirm an antioxidant inadequacy likely perpetuating pathogenic oxidative reactions in NAFLD. Restoring such deficits through lifestyle or therapeutic interventions may confer preventative and disease-modifying value.

Abstract Oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) is a premalignant histopathological diagnosis given to lesions of the oral cavity. Its grading suffers from significant inter-/intra-observer variability, and does not reliably predict malignancy progression, potentially leading to suboptimal treatment decisions. To address this, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, that assigns an Oral Malignant Transformation (OMT) risk score based on the Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained whole slide images (WSIs). Our AI pipeline leverages an in-house segmentation model to detect and segment both nuclei and epithelium. Subsequently, a shallow neural network utilises interpretable morphological and spatial features, emulating histological markers, to predict progression. We conducted internal cross-validation on our development cohort (Sheffield; n = 193 cases) and independent validation on two external cohorts (Birmingham and Belfast; n = 89 cases). On external validation, the proposed OMTscore achieved an AUROC = 0.75 (Recall = 0.92) in predicting OED progression, outperforming other grading systems (Binary: AUROC = 0.72, Recall = 0.85). Survival analyses showed the prognostic value of our OMTscore (C-index = 0.60, p = 0.02), compared to WHO (C-index = 0.64, p = 0.003) and binary grades (C-index = 0.65, p

Abstract Sugarcane smut is the most damaging disease that is present almost across the globe, causing mild to severe yield losses depending upon the cultivar types, pathogen races and climatic conditions. Cultivation of smut-resistant cultivars is the most feasible and economical option to mitigate its damages. Previous investigations revealed that there is a scarcity of information on early detection and effective strategies to suppress etiological agents of smut disease due to the characteristics overlapping within species complexes. In this study, 104 sugarcane cultivars were screened by artificial inoculation with homogenate of all possible pathogen races of Sporisorium scitamineum during two consecutive growing seasons. The logistic smut growth pattern and the disease intrinsic rate were recorded by disease growth curve. Variable levels of disease incidence i.e., ranging from 0 to 54.10% were observed among these sugarcane cultivars. Besides, pathogen DNA in plant shoots of all the cultivars was successfully amplified by PCR method using smut-specific primers except 26 cultivars which showed an immune reaction in the field trial. Furthermore, the plant germination and tillering of susceptible sugarcane cultivars were greatly influenced by pathogen inoculation. In susceptible cultivars, S. scitamineum caused a significant reduction in setts germination, coupled with profuse tillering, resulting in fewer millable canes. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there was a positive relationship between reduction in setts germination and increase in the number of tillers. The present study would be helpful for the evaluation of smut resistance in a wide range of sugarcane germplasm, especially from the aspects of setts germination and tillers formation, and it also screened out several excellent germplasm for potential application in sugarcane breeding.

Traditional recurrent neural networks (RNNs) encounter difficulty in capturing long-term temporal dependencies. However, lightweight recurrent models for speech enhancement are important to improve noisy speech, while being computationally efficient and able to capture long-term temporal dependencies efficiently. This study proposes a lightweight hourglass-shaped model for speech enhancement (SE) and automatic speech recognition (ASR). Simple recurrent units (SRU) with skip connections are implemented where attention gates are added to the skip connections, highlighting the important features and spectral regions. The model operates without relying on future information that is well-suited for real-time processing. Combined acoustic features and two training objectives are estimated. Experimental evaluations using the short time speech intelligibility (STOI), perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ), and word error rates (WERs) indicate better intelligibility, perceptual quality, and word recognition rates. The composite measures further confirm the performance of residual noise and speech distortion. With the TIMIT database, the proposed model improves the STOI and PESQ by 16.21% and 0.69 (31.1%) whereas with the LibriSpeech database, the model improves STOI by 16.41% and PESQ by 0.71 (32.9%) over the noisy speech. Further, our model outperforms other deep neural networks (DNNs) in seen and unseen conditions. The ASR performance is measured using the Kaldi toolkit and achieves 15.13% WERs in noisy backgrounds.

This research examines the significance of restoring efficient water management systems in India’s semiarid environment, with special emphasis on the role of traditional irrigation structures, such as tanks, in collecting and storing limited water resources. Assessing the benefits of any restoration program, especially when socioeconomic and environmental benefits are involved, is challenging. In the context of tank rehabilitation, a cost-benefit analysis will be conducted regarding economic and ecological returns in the post-desiltation phase. Since the restoration process requires a significant investment, assessing the project’s viability during the planning stage is better. The present study proposes a novel method to indirectly analyse the cost-benefit of the tank restoration process by correlating run-off and storage capacity of tanks before the planning phase. The Ambuliyar sub-basin, which covers an area of 930 square kilometres in Tamil Nadu, India, comprising 181 tanks (water bodies) of varying sizes and shapes, was taken for this study. This study employed the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method, incorporating factors such as soil type, land cover, land use practices, and advanced remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to simulate surface run-off. Run-off volume and tank capacity were compared for all seasons at the micro-watershed level. The results demonstrated that the run-off volume in each micro-watershed significantly exceeded the tank capacity across all seasons. Even during the summer, the run-off volumes in the micro-watershed were considerably higher than the tank capacity. The findings suggest tank restoration can effectively store run-off and significantly fulfil agricultural and other essential needs throughout the year, thereby improving the local rural economy. This study also highlights the need for periodic maintenance and rehabilitation of these tank systems to retain their functionality.

This research analyzes the management of student entrepreneurial talent development at State Vocational Schools in Banda Aceh City. The research uses a qualitative case study type approach. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Research at SMK Negeri 1, SMK Negeri 2, and SMK Negeri 3 revealed several main findings. First, entrepreneurship learning planning in the three schools is carried out effectively with different strategies and focuses. Second, the implementation of entrepreneurship education shows a good approach, where each school adopts methods according to its context, cultivating various skills in its graduates. Third, despite differences in learning management, the process still follows standard guidelines and uses learning tools according to the Independent Curriculum. Obstacles included a need for more student understanding, motivation, and practicum costs. The solution includes competency tests, mid-semester exams, market days, and project assignments tailored to student competencies. Thus, vocational schools in Banda Aceh City aim to equip students with entrepreneurial intelligence and practical skills for business success.

Abstract The in-plane anisotropy of electrical conductance in two-dimensional materials has garnered significant attention due to its potential in emerging device applications, offering an additional dimension to control carrier transport in 2D devices. However, previous research has primarily focused on the anisotropy within electrical channel, neglecting the significant impact of anisotropic electrical contacts of 2D materials. Here, we investigate anisotropic charge transport at the metal contacts of hBN-encapsulated ReS2 using edge-contacted Field Effect Transistors. We observed the marked difference in contact resistance between the cross-b and b directions, suggesting that charge transport from the metal to ReS2 is more efficient along the b direction. This difference in efficiency results in a substantial contact anisotropy, reaching ~70 at 77 K. Our findings indicate that the measured Schottky Barrier Height along the b direction is ~35 meV, which is smaller than along the cross-b direction. Moreover, the tunneling probability along the b direction is two times larger than along the cross-b direction. Our results indicate that both Schottky Barrier Height and tunneling amplitude are the primary contributors to the high contact anisotropy of ReS2. This work provides a valuable guideline for understanding how in-plane orientation influences charge transport at metallic contacts in 2D devices.

Diğer hayvancılık kollarında olduğu gibi kanatlı hayvan yetiştiriciliğinde de işletmelerin masraflarının en önemli kısmını yem masrafları oluşturmaktadır. Özellikle, gelişmekte olan pek çok ülkede önemi artan, bulunması zorlaşan ve pahalı hale gelen yem masrafları birçok küçük ölçekli kümes hayvancılığı işletmesinin kapanmasına ve kümes hayvanı üretiminin toplam maliyetinin artmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu durum, kanatlı ürünleri olan tavuk eti ile yumurta fiyatlarının artmasına, gelişmekte olan ve az gelişmiş pek çok ülkede birincil hayvansal protein kaynağı olan kanatlı eti ve ürünlerinin tüketiminin ve alım gücünün düşmesine, yetersiz ve dengesiz beslenme gibi pek çok olumsuz duruma yol açmaktadır. Yem masraflarını düşürmek, dolayısıyla kanatlılardan elde edilen ürünlerin maliyetini azaltmak için alternatif bir yem madde arayışı çok önemlidir. Anavatanı Asya olan Moringa oleifera, besin maddeleri açısından oldukça zengin olan ve soya fasulyesi, mısır gibi geleneksel hayvan rasyonunda kullanılabilen yem maddelerinin bir kısmının yerini alabilecek bitkilerden biridir. Afrika ve Asya’da Moringa oleifera’nın kanatlı performansı ve ekonomik verimlilik üzerindeki etkisini araştıran pek çok araştırma yapılmıştır. Belirli bir oranda Moringa tohumlarının veya yapraklarının rasyona dahil edilmesinin, üretim performansını, et kalitesini, hayvan sağlığını ve refahını artırdığını, ancak daha yüksek miktarlarda kullanıldığında ise hayvanın yaşamını zorlaştırıp, üretim parametrelerinin azalmasına yol açtığı bildirilmiştir. Yapılan çalışmalarda; kanatlı rasyonlarına %5-10 arasında Moringa ilavesinin performansı olumlu etkilediğini gösterirken, rasyona %10’un üzerinde Moringa ilave edildiğinde ise hayvanların performansının kötüleştiğini belirtmişlerdir. Bu derleme, alternatif bir yem maddesi olan Moringa oleifera’nın yapraklarının ve tohumlarının kanatlı hayvanların performansı üzerindeki etkisini belirlemek amacıyla hazırlanmıştır.

Abstract TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy in brain cells is the hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but its cause remains elusive. Asparaginase-like-1 protein (ASRGL1) cleaves isoaspartates, which alter protein folding and susceptibility to proteolysis. ASRGL 1 gene harbors a copy of the human endogenous retrovirus HML-2, whose overexpression contributes to ALS pathogenesis. Here we show that ASRGL1 expression was diminished in ALS brain samples by RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting. TDP-43 and ASRGL1 colocalized in neurons but, in the absence of ASRGL1, TDP-43 aggregated in the cytoplasm. TDP-43 was found to be prone to isoaspartate formation and a substrate for ASRGL1. ASRGL1 silencing triggered accumulation of misfolded, fragmented, phosphorylated and mislocalized TDP-43 in cultured neurons and motor cortex of female mice. Overexpression of ASRGL1 restored neuronal viability. Overexpression of HML-2 led to ASRGL1 silencing. Loss of ASRGL1 leading to TDP-43 aggregation may be a critical mechanism in ALS pathophysiology.

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic has emerged as a major global health crisis. Vitamin D, a crucial fat‐soluble vitamin, has been recommended for COVID‐19 patients, though evidence of its effectiveness is inconsistent. This systematic literature review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on COVID‐19‐related outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Primary outcomes included mortality and hospital length of stay, while secondary outcomes encompassed C‐reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, D‐dimer, hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, and lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts. Data analysis was performed using Stata™ Version 14. A total of 16 trials were analyzed. The meta‐analysis revealed that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced hospital length of stay (mean difference = −1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.23, −0.09; p = .033) with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 69.2%, p = .002). Subgroup analysis showed a more pronounced reduction in studies with vitamin D dosages ≤10 000 international units (IU) (mean difference = −1.27; 95% CI: −1.96, −0.57; p 60 years) (mean difference = −1.13; 95% CI: −2.07, −0.18; p = .019). No significant changes were found in ferritin, D‐dimer, Hb concentrations, or in lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts (p > .05). In conclusion, while vitamin D supplementation did not significantly affect most COVID‐19‐related biomarkers, however, it reduces the length of hospital stay.

Recent advances allow the deployment of cluster regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated endonucleases (Cas) system for the targeted mutagenesis in the genome with accuracy and precision for trait improvement in crops. CRISPR-Cas systems have been extensively utilized to induce knockout or frameshift mutations in the targeted sequence of mostly negative regulating genes for wheat improvement. However, most of the reported work has been done in non-commercial varieties of wheat and introgression of edited alleles into breeding population comes with the penalty of unwanted linkage-drag. Wheat yield is controlled by various genes such as positive and negative regulators. The TaD27 gene is described as a negative regulator of shoot branching or tillering and involved in the biosynthesis of strigolactones. In this study, we developed Tad27 knockout mutant lines of an elite wheat cultivar that showed a twofold increase in the number of tillers and 1.8-fold increase in the number of grains per plant. Subsequently, enhancing the grain yield without any morphological penalty in the architecture of the plants. The co-transformation of regeneration enhancing growth regulator, Growth Regulating Factor 4 (GRF4) and its cofactor GRF-Interacting Factor 1 (GIF1), under single T-DNA cassette improved the regeneration efficiency up to 6% of transgenic events from mature embryos of wheat. Our results indicate that the CRISPR-mediated targeted mutagenesis confers the potential to knockout yield-related negative regulators in elite cultivars of wheat that can substantially enhance grain yield per plant and this strategy can be harnessed for the improvement of future wheat.

Through complex interactions with the host’s immune and physiological systems, gut bacteria play a critical role as etiological agents in a variety of human diseases, having an impact that extends beyond their mere presence and affects the onset, progression, and severity of the disease. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of these microbial interactions is crucial to improving our understanding of disease pathogenesis and creating tailored treatment methods. Correcting microbial imbalances may open new avenues for disease prevention and treatment approaches, according to preliminary data. The gut microbiota exerts an integral part in the pathogenesis of numerous health conditions, including metabolic, neurological, renal, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal problems as well as COVID-19, according to recent studies. The crucial significance of the microbiome in disease pathogenesis is highlighted by this role, which is comparable to that of hereditary variables. This review investigates the etiological contributions of the gut microbiome to human diseases, its interactions with the host, and the development of prospective therapeutic approaches. To fully harness the benefits of gut microbiome dynamics for improving human health, future research should address existing methodological challenges and deepen our knowledge of microbial interactions.

Abstract The pursuit of near‐ideal subthreshold swing (SS) ≈ 60 mV dec−1 is a primary driving force to realize the power‐efficient field‐effect transistors (FETs). This challenge is particularly pronounced in 2D material‐based FETs, where the presence of a large interface trap density (Dit) imposes limitations on electrostatic control, consequently escalating power consumption. In this study, the gate controllability of 2D FETs is systematically analyzed by fabricating pre‐patterned van der Waals (vdW)‐contacted p‐FETs, varying the WSe2 channel thickness from monolayer to ten‐layer. As a result, the channel thickness is optimized to achieve efficient gate controllability while minimizing Dit. The findings demonstrate negligible hysteresis and excellent subthreshold swing (SSmin) close to the thermal limit (≈60 mV dec−1), with a corresponding Dit of ≈1010 cm−2 eV−1, comparable to Dit values observed in state‐of‐the‐art Si transistors, when utilizing WSe2 channel thicknesses ≥ five‐layer. However, reducing the WSe2 channel thickness below the trilayer, SSmin (≈91 mV dec−1) deviates from the thermal limit, attributed to a comparatively higher Dit (≈1011 cm−2 eV−1), despite the still lower than values reported for surface‐contacted 2D transistors. Furthermore, all devices exhibit consistent p‐type characteristics, featuring a high ION/IOFF ratio, high mobility, and excellent electrical stability confirmed over several months.

Introduction The quality and safety of care within residential aged care facilities (RACFs) have been linked to their organisational culture. However, evidence for understanding and improving culture in this setting is limited. This research programme aims to validate a survey to measure organisational culture and determine the relationship of culture with safety and quality of care, then to evaluate an organisational culture change programme in Australian RACFs.Methods and analysis This is a longitudinal mixed methods programme of research conducted across four studies in collaboration with a national aged care provider that cares for more than 5000 residents:Study 1: Cross-sectional staff survey of organisational culture in >50 RACFs with concurrent collection of data on quality and safety of care, and staff outcomes, to explore their associations with culture.Study 2: Ethnographic fieldwork in eight RACFs sampled to achieve maximum variation. Data from interviews, observations and documents will be analysed to identify the underlying assumptions and how cultural assumptions influence the enactment of safety and quality.Study 3: Evaluation of the implementation of the Speak Up for Safety culture change programme, focusing on its contextualisation for RACFs, implementation determinants and outcomes. Data will be collected through semistructured interviews, complimented with secondary data from program training and feedback system usage.Study 4: Evaluation of the effectiveness of the culture change programme using baseline data from study 1 and a follow-up survey of organisational culture postimplementation to assess changes in organisational culture and staff behaviour.Ethics and dissemination The study has received approval from the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee. Informed consent will be sought from all participants. Findings will be disseminated through journal articles, conference presentations and reports to the collaborating provider and RACFs. Survey data will be deposited into a data repository for use by others working on related research.

The combination of heterocycles renders a new possibility to synthesize multicyclic compounds having improved biological activities. Furo[3,2-b]pyridine is a fused heterocyclic ring system comprising a furan ring attached at the third and second positions of pyridine. These heterocyclic compounds can be easily synthesized from versatile starting materials including pyridine, furan, benzofuran, and benzopyridine via cycloaddition, cycloisomerization, multicomponent, cross-coupling, and Dakin-type reactions by utilizing microwave, copper, and palladium based catalysts. Among the chemical transformations of furo[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives, the review covered acetylation, addition, condensation, chlorination, Suzuki coupling, Vilsmeier-Haack reaction, and nucleophilic substitution reactions. Furo[3,2-b]pyridine has attracted remarkable attention from researchers due to its wide range of pharmacological and biological applications as antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, inhibitors of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, CLKs, e1F4A, DYRKIA, α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase. The purpose of the review is to discuss the chemistry of the title reported during 2019–2024.

Objectives The prevalence of mental disorders is high and increasing among children and young people. Investigating the relationship between self-reported poor mental health and mental health service utilisation can provide evidence on the benefits of universal screening, but longitudinal data is rare. Approach Data from a nationally representative English cohort (Next Steps) were linked to NHS Hospital Episode Statistics. GHQ-12 assessed psychological distress in Next Steps at age 15; participants were followed until their first mental health-related hospital presentations or were censored at the end of the study (age 27). Cox proportionate hazard models with survey weights estimated associations. Results Out of 4058 young people included in the analyses, 19% reported high levels of distress at age 15. During the 12-year follow-up, 5.3%, 2.9% and 2.7% of the participants had at least one mental disorder, drug/alcohol misuse and self-harm presentation, respectively, and 4.2% had a mental health treatment. Higher GHQ-12 scores were associated with mental disorder presentations (HR=1.10, 95% CI:1.04-1.16), and mental health treatments (HR=1.14, 95% CI:1.08-1.20). Associations were weaker for young people living in deprived areas, or if their main parent had lower education. Conclusions Adolescent psychological distress predicts subsequent hospital attendance in young adulthood, but there are treatment gaps in service utilisation among more disadvantaged individuals. Detecting youth with mental health difficulties through universal screening, may facilitate early intervention, improve life-course outcomes, and reduce secondary healthcare use. Implications Linked cohort and administrative data can improve our understanding on long-term healthcare utilisation and treatment needs.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly popular technology and brings significant educational benefits. This technology increases the learning process's efficiency and productivity, allowing for the development of students' abilities in a more focused manner. AI is a catalyst in preparing generations to face future challenges. One example of AI's application in education is Microsoft Copilot, an artificial intelligence model developed by Microsoft in collaboration with OpenAI. Microsoft Copilot is designed to understand and support various academic tasks through human-like interactions. Training on using Microsoft Copilot was carried out for students of SMKS Wahyu Makassar. This training aims to support the learning process, increase learning effectiveness, and assist students in doing academic assignments. The evaluation results showed that Microsoft Copilot provided significant benefits, with positive feedback from participants. Most students found this training useful, easy to understand and improved their knowledge.

In this study, biologically synthesized AgNPs were found to be effective against six hospital prevalent bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis). AgNPs were deposited on the fabric and surgical blades using layer-by-layer and electrochemical deposition methods, respectively. The coated objects were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray. Coated fabric samples and blades when tested against six above mentioned bacterial species were found to be effective for all of them. Antibiofilm activity of AgNPs coated blade and fabric was tested against P. aeruginosa and SEM images of post-treated fabrics and blades showed clear bacterial cell distortion and inhibition. Furthermore, washing durability test revealed that AgNPs were strongly attached to the surface of fabric even after 20 cycles of hospital laundering. This unlocks the way to several technologically relevant applications of AgNPs coated surfaces to reduce the risks of nosocomial infections and as a proof of concept; we demonstrated efficient antibacterial properties of AgNPs coated cotton fabric and surgical blades.

In this manuscript, the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation (PNLSE) is considered, which has many implications in various fields such as ferromagnetic material, nonlinear optics, and optical fibers. The focus of this paper is to obtain soliton solutions of the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation by implementing two analytical methods, namely, tanh–coth method and energy balance method. As an outcome, a various soliton solutions like, breather solitary wave, lump type soliton in periodic background, singular type soliton, and periodic soliton solution obtain via Mathematica. Additionally, the 2D, 3D, and contour plots are used to visualize the graphical propagation of the achieved soliton solutions by selecting appropriate parametric values.

Background: Vitamin D is vital for musculoskeletal health, and supplementation may lower risk of falls. Past research in residential aged care (RAC) settings on the effects of vitamin D on falls have reported inconclusive findings, partly due to study design limitations. We utilised a longitudinal study design to assess the association between the use of vitamin D and falls over 36 months in RAC. Method: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted using routinely collected electronic data spanning 9 years from 27 RAC facilities in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The study included 4520 permanent residents aged 65 years or older who were admitted for the first time from 1 July 2014 and stayed for a minimum of one month. We identified daily vitamin D usage over 36 months, and measured adherence using the Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) metric. A PDC value of ≥80 % signifies optimal adherence. Primary outcomes were the number of all falls and injurious falls. A rolling time-varying predictor-outcome approach and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were applied to determine the longitudinal link between vitamin D supplement use and subsequent risk of falls. Results: Over two-thirds of residents (67.8 %; n = 3063) received vitamin D supplements during their stay, with a median PDC of 74.8 % among users, and 44.6 % (n = 1365) achieving optimal adherence. Increasing age, osteoporosis or fracture history, and dementia were associated with a greater likelihood of achieving optimal adherence. Crude fall incident rates were 8.05 and 2.92 incidents per 1000 resident days for all falls and injurious falls respectively. After accounting for relevant demographic and clinical factors, no significant links were observed between vitamin D supplement usage and fall outcomes: all falls (Incident Rate Ratio [IRR] 1.01; 95 % CI 1.00–1.02; P = 0.237) and injurious falls (IRR 1.01; 95 % CI 1.00–1.02; P = 0.091). Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation was not associated with a reduced risk of falls, suggesting it is not an effective intervention for preventing falls in RAC. While clinicians should ensure adequate vitamin D intake for residents' nutritional and bone health, it should not be a standalone falls prevention intervention in RAC populations.

Background: People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are prone to other health issues that may result from the disease or antiretroviral medicines. These persons experience other psychosocial aspects of the illness, which may negatively affect their quality of life and overall treatment outcomes. This study assessed the medication-related burden and virological response of adult PLHIV. Method: This cross-sectional study involved 417 HIV-positive adults who had been on combined antiretroviral therapy for at least a year at the State Specialist Hospital Gombe. Nigeria. Patient medication experience was measured using the Living with Medication Questionnaire version-3 (LMQ-3). Virological suppression was assessed at viral loads

A new series of N, N-bis([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-ylmethyl)-4-morpholinoaniline derivatives (6a − h, 7i) were synthesized and evaluated their anticonvulsant potential through in vivo and in silico studies. 6 Hz Psychomotor and acute pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure models were used for in vivo anticonvulsant activity. A glide program in a standard precision (SP) model, and the targeted protein 8G5G, 3O7P, and 1PW4 were used for in silico studies. Through in silico and in vivo experiments, it was determined that compounds 6f and 6 h, which exhibit no neurotoxicity when compared to standard drugs (levetiracetam and diazepam), were the most potent among all the synthesized compounds (6a-h, 7i). Multiple binding affinities of synthetic compounds (6a-h, 7i) to localize binding receptors were also observed by in silico study. Based on the docking studies of active molecules with different targets, the aforementioned drugs most likely work via binding to the SV2A transporter and GABA-A receptor.

Objective: To determine the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in males versus females. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Surgery, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Mar to Aug 2022. Methodology: A total of 200 participants were enrolled in the study as Group–A (Males) and Group – B (Females). Patients were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and variables analyzed were demographic profile, past abdominal surgery history, total duration of surgery computed from the insertion of the telescopic port till the extraction of the gall bladder, post-operative hospitalization in terms of the number of days, event of laparoscopic cholecystectomies to open cholecystectomies along with the reasoning of this decision, and perioperative/postoperative complications. Results: A total of (200) elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies cases were included in the study with 35(17.5%) males (Group-A) and 165(82.5%) females (Group-B). A relatively higher frequency of 46(27.9%) (p-value 0.01) of lower abdominal surgeries were recorded in female participants. No statistically significant difference in duration of surgery was recorded (p-value 0.9). The thin-walled gallbladder was mainly represented by the female candidates 105(63.6%). Laparoscopic cholecystectomies was converted to open cholecystectomies in 2(1.2%) females however it was not encountered in any of the male participants (p-value 0.51). Conclusion: Gender-based frequency of cholecystitis and laparoscopic cholecystectomies is greater in females as compared to males with a ratio of 4.7:1 with no significant difference in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes between the genders.

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into modern agriculture has profound implications on data collection, management, and decision-making processes. However, ensuring the security of agricultural data has consistently posed a significant challenge. This study presents a novel evaluation metric titled Latency Aware Accuracy Index (LAAI) for the purpose of optimizing data security in the agricultural sector. The LAAI uses the combined capacities of the IoT and AI in addition to the latency aspect. The use of IoT tools for data collection and AI algorithms for analysis makes farming operation more productive. The LAAI metric is a more holistic way to determine data accuracy while considering latency limitations. This ensures that farmers and other end-users are fed trustworthy information in a timely manner. This unified measure not only makes the data more secure but gives farmers the information that helps them to make smart decisions and, thus, drives healthier farming and food security.

IntroductionAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most prevailing cause of dementia. AD critically disturbs the daily routine, which usually needs to be detected at its early stage. Unfortunately, AD detection using magnetic resonance imaging is challenging because of the subtle physiological variations between normal and AD patients visible on magnetic resonance imaging.MethodsTo cope with this challenge, we propose a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DeepCGAN) for detecting early-stage AD in this article. The DeepCGAN is an unsupervised generative model that expands the dataset size in addition to its diversity by utilizing the generative adversarial network (GAN). The Generator of GAN follows the encoder-decoder framework and takes cognitive data as inputs, whereas the Discriminator follows a structure similar to the Generator's encoder. The last dense layer uses a softmax classifier to detect the labels indicating the AD.ResultsThe proposed model attains an accuracy rate of 97.32%, significantly surpassing recent state-of-the-art models' performance, including Adaptive Voting, ResNet, AlexNet, GoogleNet, Deep Neural Networks, and Support Vector Machines.DiscussionThe DeepCGAN significantly improves early AD detection accuracy and robustness by enhancing the dataset diversity and leveraging advanced GAN techniques, leading to better generalization and higher performance in comparison to traditional and contemporary methods. These results demonstrate the ecacy of DeepCGAN in enhancing early AD detection, thereby potentially improving patient outcomes through timely intervention.

Abstract This study explores the effects of excess Al and annealing at high temperature on the purity of Ti3AlC2 MAX phase synthesized by the mechanochemical route. In this regard, a constant stoichiometric ratio of Ti: Al: C = 3: 1: 2 along with three blends of nonstoichiometric ratios with excess Al (Ti: Al: C = 3: X: 2, X = 1.1, 1.2, and 1.5) were ball milled. Then, to examine the annealing at high‐temperature effects, the compacted ball‐milled powders were heated at 900 and 1200°C for 1 h. The phase identification revealed that 10 h of ball milling caused a reaction between the elemental powders, and Ti3AlC2 and TiC were formed. The mechanism of the reaction during the high‐energy ball milling process is assigned to a mechanically induced self‐propagating reaction. Addition of excess Al to primary powders caused to increase the purity of Ti3AlC2 significantly. Furthermore, annealing at high temperature leading to complete reactions of the ball‐milled powders and increased Ti3AlC2 purity. The maximum Ti3AlC2 content of 88% was obtained of initial powder of Ti: Al: C = 3: 1.2: 2 ratio after annealing at 1200°C.

The transport of heat in an unsteady flow of nanofluid has been discussed in this paper. The flow is maintained over a non-flat, variably porous, and moving sheet in the present simulation. Moreover, the sheet has both constant temperature and nanoparticle concentration at its surface. Unsteadiness in all field variables (i.e. the flow, temperature, and nanoparticles concentration) has been produced by the time-dependent quantities, specified at the surface of the sheet (i.e. kinematics of sheet). The well-known Buongiorno model of nanofluid has been undertaken in the present studies. Furthermore, the simulation includes the particular cases of uniform and linear (polynomial & algebraic functions) stretching/shrinking and injection/suction velocities. Besides that observations of the same nature have been recorded for the non-flat sheet. The boundary layer form of the governing PDEs has been utilized to evaluate the exact status of field variables in the flow domain. Appropriate conditions are imposed by considering the geometry of the flow problem. The problem at hand is simplified by introducing a new set of functions for the field variables because of boundary inputs. After this treatment, the system of boundary value ODEs, which contains several dimensionless numbers (parameters), has appeared, and the problem is solved numerically for various values of parameters, involved in it. More precisely, effects of unsteadiness, wall roughness, surface deformation parameters, Prandtl, Schmidt, thermophoretic, and Brownian motion numbers have been seen on profiles of four field variables. Besides that, the numerical results are also obtained for the skin friction coefficient, Nusselt, and Sherwood numbers. The present modelled problem and its solution are compared with classical models of that particular nature and with their solutions.

Dear Editor, With the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms such as fever, cough, myalgia, and fatigue, along with laboratory findings of leukocyte count abnormalities and chest radiographic evidence, have been reported as nonspecific symptoms in various variants. Fever was the most common symptom in all variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, although evidence suggest that children with the beta variant experienced less fever. Other manifestations, such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dizziness, have been less common, but may sometimes be the only symptom. In a systematic review on the characteristics of infants with SARS-CoV-2 infection in England, it was reported that the main symptoms at presentation were heatstroke, poor feeding, vomiting, respiratory symptoms, crysis, and lethargy. The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 in children vary depending on the virus variant and correspond to the World Health Organization peak variants of concern. Therefore, clinical guidelines are recommended to perform protected deliveries and reduce the possibility of contracting Covid-19 during delivery and after delivery in infected pregnant women. Standardized testing protocol, avoiding mother-to-child transmission, and providing the best treatment for symptomatic infants are central issues in the management of infections in infants and children with suspected or suspected COVID-19. It is better to use breast milk in the form of expressed milk or powdered milk. PCR-positive neonates should be admitted to a negative pressure isolation room and provided with intubation or airway management services.