This communication explores the transition from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to a more holistic model, named Complex Therapy, developed by Tullio Scrimali for explaining and treating mental disorders. The Author delves into the limitations of traditional CBT and introduces an innovative framework that integrates multiple therapeutic modalities. While CBT is based on the study and modification of behaviour and cognition, Complex Therapy includes, in its focus, the theory of human relationships, the attachment theory, neuroscience, applied neuroscience, complex systems theory and ecology.Complex Therapy addresses the multifaceted nature of mental health issues by combining evidence-based techniques with personalized care strategies. The goal is to enhance patient outcomes through a tailored, comprehensive treatment plan that adapts to the evolving needs of individuals facing mental health challenges.Two innovative and original items which Scrimali has developed, which are a device for Applied Neuroscience MindLAB Set and a new botanical drug, NegEnt, are presented and discussed.The topic also describes, an original and integrated protocol, named Negative Entropy, the author has developed for treating a challenging disorder, such as schizophrenia, he renamed Entropy of Mind.

The Inefficient water use, varying and low productivity in Kenya public irrigation schemes is a major concern. It is therefore necessary to periodically monitor and evaluate the performance of public irrigation schemes. The performance of public irrigation in western Kenya was assessed by combining benchmarking methodology and principal component analysis. The aim was to quantify and rank the performance of pumped public irrigation schemes in Kenya. Eleven benchmarking indicators were computed for the period from 2012 to 2016 and compared to global benchmark values. The indicators used fall under agricultural productivity, water supply and financial performance categories. The computed agricultural productivity was 36%–51% in Ahero, 23%–42% in West Kano and 26%–50% Bunyala irrigation scheme. Water supply performance in Ahero, West Kano and Bunyala irrigation schemes varied from 24% to 58%, 3% to 49% and 19% to 43% respectively. Financial performance varied from 46% to 54% in Ahero, 25% to 32% in West Kano and 54%–56% in Bunyala irrigation scheme. An average overall performance efficiency of 46%, 39% and 31% was obtained in Ahero, Bunyala and West Kano irrigation schemes respectively. The performance of the irrigation schemes is very poor and measures on improving performance are needed.

Background and Objectives: ARNE score was developed for the prediction of difficult airway for both general and ENT surgery with a universal cut-off value. We tested the accuracy of this score in the case of laryngeal surgery and provided an insight of its combination with flexible laryngoscopy. Materials and Methods: This prospective pilot clinical study included 100 patients who were being scheduled for microscopic laryngeal surgery. We have calculated ARNE score for every patient and flexible laryngoscopy was provided preoperative. Difficult intubation was assessed according to intubation difficulty score (IDS). Results: A total of 33% patients had difficult intubation according to IDS. ARNE score showed to be accurate for prediction of difficult intubation in laryngology with P<0.0001 and AUC 0.784. Flexible laryngoscopy showed to be an independent parameter with P<0.0001 and AUC 0.766. We have defined a new cut-off value of 15.50 for laryngology, according to AUC curve. After the patients were divided in two groups, according to the new cut-off value and provided cut-off value, AUC improved to 0.707 from 0.619 respectively. Flexible laryngoscopy improved the prediction model of ARNE score to AUC 0.882 and of new cut-off value to AUC 0.833. Conclusions: It is recommended to use flexible laryngoscopy together with ARNE score in difficult airway prediction in patients with laryngeal pathology. Also, universally recommended cut-off value of 11 can not be effectively used in laryngology and a new cut-off value of 15.50 is recommended.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of manual therapy and exercise versus synchronized telerehabilitation with self-manual therapy and exercise in treating Subacromial Pain Syndrome (SAPS). Sixty individuals diagnosed with SPS, aged 18-50 years, were randomly assigned to home exercise (HE), manual therapy (MT), and telerehabilitation (TR) groups. Treatment protocols were administered over 8 weeks and included specific exercises and therapy interventions. Out-come measures included Visual Pain Scale (VAS), shoulder range of motion (ROM) via gonio-metric measurements, Quick Disability Arm-Shoulder-Hand Problems Survey (Q-DASH), and patient satisfaction. Results revealed that both MT and TR groups exhibited reduced pain, in-creased ROM, lower Q-DASH scores, and higher patient satisfaction compared to the HE group. However, no significant differences were found between MT and TR groups in pain levels, ROM, Q-DASH scores, or patient satisfaction. The study concludes that both telerehabilitation and manual therapy effectively alleviate pain and are well-received by patients with SPS. Addition-ally, manual therapy demonstrates superiority in enhancing functional levels compared to exer-cise-based interventions. (Registration: NCT05200130)

Background: Early postoperative airway management after laryngo-tracheal surgery is crucial. Acute respiratory failure due to glottis’ oedema may occur, requiring reintubation. This can prolong ventilatory assistance, jeopardizing the anastomosis. To date, only judicious steroid administration and fluid management are available to avoid more invasive procedures. High-Flow-Oxygen-Therapy(HFOT) is a noninvasive O2 support method providing humidification, warmed air, Positive-End-Expiratory-Pressure(AIRVO2). No data exist about HFOT use to prevent early complications after laryngo-tracheal surgery. Methods: Between Sept.2020-Sept.2022, 107 consecutive patients underwent laryngo-tracheal surgery received HFOT(Group A). Data and long-term results were compared with those of 80 patients operated between Sept.2018-Aug.2020(Group B), when HFOT was not available. All patients were operated in a single center. No pre- or post-operative settings changed, except for HFOT introduction. We analyzed and compared the risk for “delayed” reintubation (unexpected reintubation within the first 24-48 hours after extubating/laryngeal mask removal) in the two groups. Results: No patients reported HFOT-related adverse events. Control group(B) presented “delayed” reintubation in 37% (p= 0.027), Intensive Care Unit admission in 67%(p=0.005) and longer hospital stay(p=0.001) compared to HFOT group(A). Minor complications rate was 3% in both group and overall mortality was 0%. Re-stenosis was described in 4.6% of HFOT group, without a statistically significant difference (p=0.7006). Conclusions: Our study is the first to investigate HFOT use in patients undergoing laryngo-tracheal surgery, potentially representing a consistent innovation in the peri-operative management of these patients. With the limit of a retrospective series, we would suggest HFOT use for preventing post-operative reintubation rate, possibly reducing ICU admission and hospital stay.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development is associated with altered modifications in DNA methylation, changing transcriptional regulation. Emerging evidence indicates that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) plays a key role in carcinogenesis process. This study aimed to investigate how pirfenidone (PFD) modifies this pathway and the effect generated by the association between c-Myc expression and DNMT1 activation. Rats F344 were used for HCC development using 50 mg/kg of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 25 mg/kg of 2-aminofluorene (2-AAF). HCC/PFD group received simultaneous doses of 300 mg/kg of PFD. All treatments lasted 12 weeks. On the other hand, HepG2 cells were used to evaluate the effects of PFD in restoring DNA methylation in the presence of the inhibitor 5-Aza. Histopathological, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and western blot analysis were carried out and our findings showed that PFD treatment reduced the amount and size of tumors along with decreased Glipican-3, β-catenin, and c-Myc expression in nuclear fractions. Also, this treatment improved lipid metabolism by modulating PPARγ and SREBP1 signaling. Interestingly, PFD augmented DNMT1 and DNMT3a protein expression, which restores global methylation, both in our in vivo and in vitro models. In conclusion, our results suggest that PFD could slow down HCC development by controlling DNA methylation.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Candida albicans on subgingival biofilm formation on dental implant surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to compare biofilm structure and microbial biomass in the presence and absence of the fungus after periods of 24, 48, and 72 h. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to quantify the number of viable and total micro-organisms for each of the biofilm-forming strains. A general linear model was applied to compare CLSM and qPCR results between control and test conditions. The biofilm developed with C. albicans at 72 h had a higher bacterial biomass, with a significantly higher cell viability (p < 0.05). After both 48 and 72 h of incubation, in the presence of C. albicans, there was a significant increase in counts of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis and in the cell viability of Streptococcus oralis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, F. nucleatum, and P. gingivalis. Using a dynamic in vitro multispecies biofilm model, C. albicans exacerbated the development of the biofilm grown on dental implant surfaces, significantly increasing the number and cell viability of periodontal bacteria.

Worldwide, oral lesions and cancers are still being significant public health conditions. Thus, an introduction of new oral healthcare protocols is becoming essential. Oral diseases are related to many causative factors, manly dental plaque/biofilm due to poor hygiene. New anti-biofilm therapies are needed to develop. The strategies of anti-biofilm therapies should help to control biofilm formation and microbial attachment to dental surfaces. The present review aimed to provide a comprehensive over-view on evidence related to the potential utility of topical oxygen therapy (BlueM formula) as novel oral care therapies in clinical practice.

As the world’s population age, Cognitive Frailty (CF) is becoming one of the most serious health problems and elucidating its biological mechanisms along with prevention and treatments becomes increasingly important also considering the associated health costs. This pilot study aims to investigate the potential cognitive and neuropsychological effects of a 5-week treatment with a therapy based on the regenerative properties of ozone (O3) in a cohort of patients stratified according to CF. We also study the potential effects of O3 on blood-based biomarkers indicative of specific biological systems that may be altered in CF. Seventy-five older persons have been recruited and randomly assigned to receive the active treatment (150cc of oxygen-O2-O3 mixture at the concentration of 30ug of O3 per cc of O2) or O2, or the placebo (air) for 5 weeks. The primary endpoint is a change in the scores of clinical scales from baseline (T0) to weeks 3 (T3), 9 (T9), 15 (T15) after treatment. The secondary endpoint is a change in biomarkers levels resulting from transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomic patterns at the same times. This study will evaluate whether an intervention with the O2-O3 therapy could have potential cognitive, neuropsychological and biological effects on CF.

This paper describes a system that is used to gather data from Smart Home sensors measuring energy consumption, analyze and predict future consumption by using machine learning algorithm for prediction. It focuses on the architecture of the system as well as the need for such system to exist in practice – why the consumption should be measured at all and how that measurement can be put to good use for achieving energy efficiency.

Global coverage and scale up of interventions to reduce newborn mortality remains low, though progress has been achieved in improving newborn survival in many low-income settings. An important factor in the success of newborn health interventions, and moving to scale, is appropriate design of community-based programs and strategies for local implementation. We report the results of formative research undertaken to inform the design of a newborn health intervention in Cambodia. Information was gathered on newborn care practices over a period of three months using multiple qualitative methods of data collection in the primary health facility and home setting. Analysis of the data indicated important gaps, both at home and facility level, between recommended newborn care practices and those typical in the study area. The results of this formative research have informed strategies for behavior change and improving referral of sick infants in the subsequent implementation study. Collection and dissemination of data on newborn care practices from settings such as these can contribute to efforts to advance survival, growth and development of newborns for intervention research, and for future newborn health programming.

The affected upper limb in children with Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy (US CP) has motor and somatosensory impairments, that contribute negatively to children’s bimanual performance and quality of life. Mirror Therapy (MT) is being studied to become an approachable intensive and home-based therapy, suitable for children with US CP. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of a 5-week home-based program of MT for children with US CP. Six children aged 8-12 years old performed the therapy, five days per week, 30 minutes per day. A minimum of an 80% of compliance was required. The evaluations included the feasibility of the therapy (compliance, total dosage, perceived difficulty of the exercises, and losses of follow-ups and evaluations), the bimanual performance, the somatosensory function and the quality of life at baseline, at the end of the intervention, and at 1-month follow-up. All children completed the therapy and were included in the analysis. The total accomplishment was 86.47 ± 7.67. The perceived difficulty of the exercises ranged from 2,37 to 4,51. As a conclusion, a home-based program of Mirror Therapy is suitable and feasible for children with US CP.

Microbubbles and nanobubbles can be prepared using various shells, such as phospholipids, polymers, proteins, and surfactants. They are echogenic and can be used as contrast agents for ultrasonic and photoacoustic imaging. These bubbles can be engineered in various sizes as vehicles for gas and drug delivery applications with novel properties and flexible structures. Hypoxic areas in tumors develop owing to an imbalance of oxygen supply and demand. In tumors, hypoxic regions have shown more resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapies. The efficacy of photodynamic therapy depends on the availability of oxygen in the tumor to generate reactive oxygen species. Micro/nanobubbles have been shown to reverse hypoxic conditions and increase tissue oxygen levels. This review summarizes the synthesis methods and shell compositions of micro/nanobubbles and methods deployed for oxygen delivery. In addition, the shortcomings and prospects of engineering micro/nanobubbles are discussed for their potential use in photodynamic therapy.

In recent years, cerium dioxide (CeO2) has attracted considerable attention owing to its remarkable performance in various applications, including photocatalysis, fuel cells, and catalysis. This study explores the effect of nickel (Ni) doping on the structural, thermal, and chemical properties of CeO2 nanorods, particularly focusing on oxygen vacancy-related phenomena. Utilizing X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), alterations in crystal structure and peak shifts were observed, indicating successful Ni doping and the formation of Ni2O3 at higher doping levels, likely due to non-equilibrium reactions. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed changes in oxygen release mechanisms, with increasing Ni doping resulting in the release of lattice oxygen at lower temperatures. Raman spectroscopy corroborated these findings by identifying characteristic peaks associated with oxygen vacancies, facilitating the assessment of Ni doping levels. Overall, this study underscores the substantial impact of Ni doping on CeO2 nanorods, shedding light on tailored catalytic applications through modulation of oxygen vacancies while preserving the nanorod morphology.

Evidence suggests that COVID-19 infection can cause lasting health consequences. Multidiscipli-nary rehabilitation services have been recommended to reduce the sequalae. However, the effec-tiveness of physical exercise interventions remains insufficiently documented. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a specific and well tolerated protocol-based, intervention to reduce muscle weakness in older adults impacted by COVID-19. Forty six older adults random-ized into Intervention and Control Groups. Isometric and isokinetic strength assessments were conducted for selected muscle groups using JBA Staniak® torquemeter and Biodex System 3 dy-namometer. Functional abilities were evaluated with the Time Up and Go test and Chair Stand Tests. Men in intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in static conditions for knee flexors (KF), trunk extensors (TE) and trunk flexors (TF) and in dynamic conditions for knee extensors (KE). Women in intervention group showed significant improvement in static condition for EF, KF, TE and TF and in dynamic for a KE and for a KF. The interaction GROUP x TESTING SESSION was significant for Chair test (s) and Chair test (n). Our results demonstrate the effec-tiveness of a well-tolerated, protocol-based approach that can be used to diminish long lasting functional deficits in post-covid survivors.

Effects of oxygen content on microstructure and creep property of FGH96 superalloy were investigated. When oxygen content increased from 135ppm to 341ppm, prior particle boundary (PPB) rose from degree 2 to degree 3, and the size of γ′ phase on PPB enlarged from 1.07μm to 1.27μm, and MC carbide size grew from 77.4nm to 104.0nm. Meanwhile, the steady creep rate accelerated form 4.34×10-3 h-1 to 1.87×10-2 h-1, and the creep rupture life shortened from 176h to 94h, and the creep rupture mode transferred from intergranular and transgranular mixed fracture to along PPB fracture. During creep, the micro-twins formation and gliding will be restrained by ∑3 boundaries. FGH96 superalloy with higher oxygen content contains less ∑3 boundaries and its micro-twins cross slipped instead of single direction slip in lower oxygen content superalloy. Consequently, specimen with higher oxygen content creeped faster and raptured earlier.

Using density functional theory (DFT), the density of states of NH4V3O8 (NVO) was analyzed pre and post-oxygen defects (Od) formation. The findings revealed a reduced bandgap in NVO after Od introduction, emphasizing the role of Od in enhancing conductivity of the material, thus improving its electrochemical attributes. Through the water bath method, both NVO and its oxygen-deficient counterpart, (NH4)2V10O25⸱8H2O (NVOd), were synthesized as potential cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Experimental outcomes resonated with DFT predictions, highlighting the beneficial role of oxygen defects in boosting electrical conductivity. Notably, the refined material displayed a remarkable capacity of 479.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, underscoring its promise for advanced energy storage solutions.

Abstract: Toxicity of emerging organic pollutants to photosystems of aquatic plants are still not well clarified. This study aimed to develop a novel ecotoxicological experimental protocol based on nanoscale electrochemical mapping of photosynthetic oxygen evolution of aquatic plants by SECM (scanning electrochemical microscopy). The protocol was also checked by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), the traditional Clark oxygen electrode method and chlorophyll fluorescence technique. The typical persistent organic pollutant 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water environment and the common aquatic Microsorium pteropus (M. pteropus) were chosen as the model organic pollutant and tested plant, respectively. It was found that the SECM method could well discriminated the responses of stoma micromorphology and spatial pattens of photosynthetic oxygen evolution on single stoma. The shape of stoma blurred with increasing 2,4-DCP concentration, which was in good agreement with the CLSM images. The dose-response curves and IC50 values obtained from the SECM data were verified by the data measured by the traditional Clark oxygen electrode method and chlorophyll fluorescence test. The IC50 value of single stoma oxygen emission of 24 h exposed plant leave, which was derived from the SECM current data (32535 μg L-1), was close to those calculated from the maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) measured by chlorophyll fluorescence test (33963 μg L-1), and the Clark oxygen electrode method photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate (32375 μg L-1). The 72 h and 96 h 2,4-DCP exposure data further confirmed the reliability of the nanoscale stoma oxygen emission mapping methodology for ecotoxicological assessment. In this protocol, the procedures for how to collect effective electrochemical data and how to extract useful information from the single stoma oxygen emission pattern were well established. This study showed that SECM is a feasible and reliable ecotoxicological tool for evaluation of toxicity of organic pollutants to higher plants with unique nanoscale visualization advantage over the conventional methods.

A single-site, randomized clinical trial was designed to determine the efficacy of regular home use of Lumoral® dual-light antibacterial aPDT in periodontitis patients. For the study, 200 patients are randomized to receive non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT), including standardized hygiene instructions and electric toothbrush, and scaling and root planing, or NSPT with adjunctive Lumoral® treatment. A complete clinical intraoral examination is conducted in the beginning, at three months, and at six months. This report presents the three-month results of the first 59 consecutive randomized subjects. At three months, bleeding on probing (BoP) was lower in the NSPT+Lumoral®-group than in the NSPT group (p=0.045), and more patients in the NSPT+Lumoral®-group had their BoP below 10% (52% vs. 29%, respectively, p=0.008). Patients in the NSPT+Lumoral®-group improved their oral hygiene by visible-plaque-index (p=0.0002), while the NSPT group showed no statistical improvement as compared to baseline. Both groups significantly reduced the number of deep periodontal pockets, but more patients with a reduction in their deep pocket number were found in the NSPT+Lumoral® group (92% vs. 63%, p=0.01). Patients whose number of deep pockets was reduced by 50% or more were also more frequent in the NSPT+Lumoral®-group (70% vs. 33%, p=0.01). Patients with initially less than ten deep pockets had fewer deep pockets at three-month follow-up in the Lumoral® group (p=0.02). In conclusion, adjunctive use of Lumoral® in NSPT results in improved treatment outcomes at three months post-therapy.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a well-established treatment for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. HBOT is performed in a hyperbaric chamber, which increases the atmosphere absolute (ATA) and oxygen concentration in the chamber. To ensure patient safety during HBOT, a gas monitoring system is used to monitor the oxygen levels, ATA, and other parameters. This study aims to perform the safety evaluation of the monoplace hyperbaric chamber compared to a gas monitoring system in the treatment of CO poisoning. In addition, it examined the clinical characteristics of the patients diagnosed with CO poisoning who performed HBOT. In the safety evaluation of the monoplace chamber, it was compared the values of oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), humidity, and temperature were measured in the hyperbaric chamber and gas monitoring system when operating at 2.0 ATA and 3.0 ATA. Moreover, in the clinical characteristics of patients with CO poisoning who performed HBOT, 1,006 patients were analyzed by using the data registry. Under the condition at 3.0 ATA, the average CO2 was higher in the hyperbaric chamber than in the gas monitoring system (p<0.001). Also, the average humidity was higher in the hyperbaric chamber than in the gas monitoring system (p=0.004). Under the condition at 2.0 ATA, the average humidity was higher in the hyperbaric chamber than in the gas monitoring system (p<0.001). Also, the average temperature was lower in the hyperbaric chamber than in the gas monitoring system (p<0.001). The mean age of the 1,006 CO poisoning patients who received HBOT was 44.93±19.78 years. According to the source of CO, 680 patients (67.6%) visited ER most commonly due to charcoal. The median maximal CO exposure time and time from rescue to ER were 4.0 hours and 3.09 hours, respectively. The median GCS score at the scene or ER was 15. According to the underlying comorbidities, psychiatric diseases (19.5%) were the most common, followed by hypertension (18.1%) and diabetes mellitus (11.5%). In the emergency room, some patients had appeared symptoms such as loss of consciousness (59.8%), shock (6.7%), or seizure (8.3%). The results of this study could be expected that HBOT can be effectively performed by monitoring the gas concentration change inside the hyperbaric chamber.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cellular senescence and aging, as well as in the onset and progression of many diverse genetic and acquired diseases and conditions. The search for biomarkers of oxidative stress has become relevant to many biomedical fields using many different methods and approaches. Fluorescence methodology is advantageous because of its simplicity and high sensitivity. Fluorescent probes are frequently used to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress in experimental or clinical settings, often involving the use of flow cytometry and related single-cell based technologies. To assess the specific role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress studies by cytometric methodologies, it is essential to detect and characterize these species accurately. However, the detection and quantitation of individual intracellular ROS is still a challenge, but different and complementary strategies may focus on other endpoints of oxidative stress. In this review we present and discuss briefly the limitations and perspectives of such approaches. Based on our results, we also provide recommendations for proper design of cytometric studies of oxidative stress in order to prevent or minimize experimental errors..

Venous leg ulcers still pose a significant medical problem worldwide. The complexity of the problem determines the need for further interdisciplinary activities that will improve the quality of life of treated patients. The study compared the quality of life of patients with venous leg ulcers who received local hyperbaric oxygen therapy or local ozone therapy procedures as a part of comprehensive treatment. The study included 129 patients (62 men and 57 women) with venous leg ulcers. Group I underwent local hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), group II - local ozone therapy (OZONE). In both groups, the patients' quality of life was assessed before the start of treatment cycle, as well as 10 weeks and 6 months after the completion of the treatment, by using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and the Polish shortened version of the SF-36 scale. After completing the respective therapeutic cycle, both groups showed a statistically significant (p<0.001) improvement the quality of life according to the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and the SF-36 scale. Differences were noted between 1st examination (before treatment) and 2nd examination (10 weeks after treatment), as well as 3 examination (6 months after treatment). In the EQ-5D-5L assessment of anxiety and depression, self-care and activities of daily living 6 months after the end of treatment, better results were found in the group of patients treated with local hyperbaric oxygen therapy (p<0.001). In this group, 6 months after the end of the treatment, a statistically significantly higher result on the EQ-VAS scale was also obtained (73.09±19.8 points vs. 68.03±17.37 points, p=0.043). However, in the SF-36 assessment 6 months after the end of treatment better results - a statistically significantly lower value of the quality of life index - were recorded in the group of patients treated with local ozone therapy (103.13±15.76 points vs. 109.89±15.42 points, p<0.015). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and local ozone therapy procedures have a beneficial effect on improving the quality of life of patients with venous leg ulcers.

High-flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is gaining traction globally as a treatment for respiratory failure. There are several physiological benefits and there may be a growing patient preference for HFNC. In this narrative review, we aim to outline the basic mechanisms of HFNC, who can use it and review the literature regarding its utility both in the critical care setting, as well as in the home setting for chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure with an emphasis on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The role of non-pharmacological interventions like non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and HFNC in the prevention of hospital readmissions following acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) is an area of increasing importance because randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews have found measures like nurse-led predischarge bundles to be clinically ineffective and to have a high cost per quality adjusted life year. This review therefore considers the evidence of NIV vs HFNC in the context of AECOPD and the application of HFNC at home in the prevention of AECOPD. We also look at applications of HFNC in specific settings, such as in the peri-operative period, emergency department, acute (mainly Critical Care) setting including in immunocompromised patients and palliative care.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is not only associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as T2DM and obesity, but it is also an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. MASLD has been shown to be independently related to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. MASLD is characterized by a chronic proinflammatory response that, in turn, may induce a prothrombotic state. Several mechanisms such as endothelial and platelet dysfunction, changes in the coagulation cascade, decreased fibrinolytic activity can contribute to induce the prothrombotic state. Platelets are players and addresses of metabolic dysregulation; obesity and insulin resistance are related to platelet hyperactivation. Furthermore, platelets can exert a direct effect on liver cells, particularly through the release of mediators from granules. Growing data in literature support the use of antiplatelet agent as a treatment for MASLD. The use of antiplatelets drugs seems to have potential clinical implication for the prevention of HCC patients with MASLD, since platelets contribute to fibrosis progression and cancer development. This review aims to summarize the main data on the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of MAFLD and its main complications such as cardiovascular events and the development of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, we will examine the role of antiplatelet therapy not only in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular events but also as a possible anti-fibrotic and anti-tumor agent.

Osteosarcoma (OS) are the most prevalent malignant bone tumors in adolescents and young adults.. OS cells grow in a permissive local microenvironment which modulates their behavior and facilitates all steps in tumor development (e.g., proliferation/quiescence, invasion/migration, drug resistance) and contributes to their intrinsic heterogeneity. The lung parenchyma is the most common metastatic site in OS, and metastatic foci are frequently associated with a poor clinical outcome. Although multiple factors may be responsible for the disease, including genetic mutations (e.g., Rb, p53), the molecular mechanism of development of OS remains unclear and the conventional treatment for OS is still based on a sequential approach that combines chemotherapy and surgery. Also, despite the increase in clinical trials, the survival rates for OS have not improved. Non-specific targeting therapies thus show poor therapeutic effects with side effects at high doses. For these reasons, many efforts have been done to characterize the complex genome of osteosarcoma thanks to the whole exome analysis with the aim to identify predictive biomarkers to give to these patients a better therapeutic option. This review aims to summarize and discuss the main recent advances in OS molecular research for precision medicine.

Soot combustion experiments with 5%O2/He were conducted using model soot, and four distinct compositions of CexPr1-xO2-δ oxides were prepared, varying nominal cerium com-positions (x=0, 0.2, 0.3, and 1). The catalyst samples were comprehensively characterized using techniques such as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, HR-TEM, N2 adsorption at −196 °C, XPS, O2-TPD, H2-TPR, and work function measurements. The Pr-rich compositions, rang-ing from Ce0.3Pr0.7O2-δ to PrO2-δ, resulted in a significant increase in the total evolved O2 amounts and enhanced catalyst reducibility. However, a decrease in textural properties of the catalysts was noted, being particularly important for the pure praseodymia under the synthesis route conducted. The catalytic activity was investigated under two contact modes of mixing between soot and catalyst: loose and tight. The results revealed that the catalytic performance is associated with the surface contact in tight contact mode and with the combination of surface/subsurface/bulk oxygen mobility and the BET surface ar-ea in loose contact mode. Notably, the T10 and T50 parameters were achieved at much lower temperatures than the uncatalyzed soot combustion, even under loose contact conditions. Specifically, the 50% conversion was achieved at 511℃ and 538℃ for Ce0.3Pr0.7O2 and Ce0.2Pr0.8O2, respectively. While no direct correlation between catalytic activity and work function was observed a significant relationship emerges between work function values and the formation of oxy-gen vacancies, whatever the conditions used for these measurements. On the other hand, the ability to generate a high population of oxygen vacancies at low temperatures, rather than the direct activation of gas-phase O2, influences the catalytic performance of Pr-doped ceria catalysts, highlighting the importance of surface/subsurface oxygen vacancy generation, which was the parameter which showed better correlation with the catalytic activity, whatever the soot conversion value or the mode of contact considered.

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs), a subtype of glycolipids containing sphingosine, are critical components of vertebrate plasma membranes, playing a pivotal role in cellular signaling and interactions. In human articular cartilage in osteoarthritis (OA), GSL expression is known notably to decrease. This review focuses on the roles of gangliosides, a specific type of GSL, in cartilage degeneration and regeneration, emphasizing their regulatory function in signal transduction. The expression of gangliosides, whether endogenous or augmented exogenously, is regulated at the enzymatic level, targeting specific glycosyltransferases. This regulation has significant implications for the composition of cell surface gangliosides and their impact on signal transduction in chondrocytes and progenitor cells. Different levels of ganglioside expression can influence signaling pathways in various ways, potentially affecting cell properties, including malignancy. Moreover, gene manipulations against gangliosides have been shown to regulate cartilage metabolism and chondrocyte differentiation in vivo and in vitro. This review highlights the potential of targeting gangliosides in the development of therapeutic strategies for osteoarthritis and cartilage injury and addresses promising directions for future research and treatment.

Cancer treatment is a significant focus in medicine owing to the increasing global incidence. Patients with advanced cancers that do not respond to conventional therapies have limited options and an unfavorable prognosis. Consequently, researchers are investigating complementary approaches to conventional treatments. One such approach is alkalization therapy, which aims to neutralize the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) by increasing its pH level. The acidic TME promotes inflammation, tumor progression, and drug resistance. Alkalization therapy has been demonstrated to be effective for various cancers. In addition, natural products, such as triterpenoids, parthenolides, fulvic acid, Taxus yunnanensis, and apple pectin have the potential to alleviate symptoms, maintain physical fitness, and improve treatment outcomes of cancer patients through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. In this review, we focus on the effects of alkalization therapy and natural products on cancer. Furthermore, we present a case series of advanced cancer patients who received alkalization therapy and natural products alongside standard treatments, resulting in long-term survival. We posit that alkalization therapy together with the supplementation of natural products may confer benefits to cancer patients by mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy and complementing standard treatments. However, further research is warranted to validate these clinical findings.

The study reports about a case of a lung cancer patient with increasing difficulties in falling asleep and frequent periods of wakefulness. Severe dyspnea related to pneumonitis caused as a side effect of immunotherapy worsened the situation. Eventually, fear of falling asleep developed, including panic attacks and anxiety of choking, which was shown to lead to nights of complete wakefulness. The patient did not only sleep poorly; he did not sleep at all at night for several days, as evidenced by the notes he made during the night. Polygraphy showed no evidence of sleep-disordered breathing, but frequent periods of wakefulness and reduced basal saturation around 90% during sleep due to lung changes such as extensive functional failure of the left upper lobe with position-dependent shunts. The authors hypothesized that the symptoms described were causally related to a drop in oxygen saturation in the patient's blood. Therefore, they pursued the goal of finding a measurement technique that is as inexpensive as possible and that the patient can operate without outside assistance and great effort. So the patient started using a low-cost wearable device that allows simultaneous measurements of blood oxygen content, pulse rate and movement intensity. It consists of a finger ring with pulse oximetry sensor and a wristband with the control unit containing a vibration motor. The described device reliably warned of disturbances in oxygen concentration in the blood during the night with its vibration alarm. By use of that device during the whole night at home, the events of reduced oxygen saturation and the anxiety symptoms were reduced. Sleep disturbances with sudden awakenings did not occur when using the device. The patient benefited from the security gained in this way and slept much more peacefully, and he could spend nights without waking up again. In conclusion, wearable oximeters with vibration alarm can be recommended for patients’ home care in lung cancer patients.

Infection with the malaria parasite Plasmodium, remains a major cause of illness and death world-wide. The development of evasion strategies by the parasite from host immunity and its adaptability to antimalarial drugs has raised the urgency for developing new strategies to combat this disease. One promising avenue is targeting telomeres – sequences found at chromosome termini– and telomerase – the enzyme that catalysis synthesis of telomeres using an intrinsic RNA template. As telomeres shorten critically, cells undergo replicative senescence or apoptosis. Plasmodium, lacking telomerase activity in its human stages, exploits alternative mechanisms, accelerating telomere shortening, aging, and immune evasion. Chemical telomerase inhibitors show promise as antimalarials. In this review, we examine the potential of targeting this system in malaria therapy, with telomerase inhibitors offering a novel approach. A systematic search on PubMed using Boolean techniques identified 246 relevant articles from 1985 to March 31, 2024. After filtering, 43 articles met inclusion criteria, supplemented by snowball sampling. The telomerase inhibitor drug strategy is widely applicable against cancer. However, given the drugability of telomerase and the absolute requirement for active telomere maintenance in the vast majority of parasites including plasmodium, telomerase and telomere maintenance could well represent the Achilles heel of the parasite

Cancer, characterized by abnormal cell proliferation driven by genetic mutations, remains a significant health challenge. Tailoring effective therapies depends on factors like tumor location, grade, and stage, alongside patient condition. Leveraging Nano-carrier encapsulated drugs offers a promising avenue, as they accumulate preferentially at tumor sites, enhancing therapeutic efficacy while mitigating side effects. Polymeric Nano-carriers, with their customizable properties, further optimize drug delivery efficiency and specificity. Incorporating active targeting ligands such as antibodies, carbohydrates, peptides, folates, and aptamers-onto polymeric nanoparticle surfaces through techniques like functionalization, adsorption, and conjugation plays a pivotal role in directing therapeutic agents to tumor cells. Consequently, polymeric nanoparticles emerge as the carrier of choice for delivering drugs to various tumor types, including breast, colon, lung, prostate, liver, and spleen tumors.

To investigate the impact of electrode structure on Electrical Stimulation Therapy (EST) for chronic wound healing, this study designed three variants of flexible microelectrodes (FMs) with Ag-Cu coverings (ACCs), each exhibiting distinct geometrical configurations: hexagonal, cross-shaped, and serpentine. These were integrated with PPY@PDA/PANI (3/6) hydrogel dressings. Comprehensive animal studies, coupled with detailed electrical and mechanical modeling and simulations, were conducted to assess their performance. Results indicated that the serpentine-shaped FM outperformed its counterparts in terms of flexibility and safety, exhibiting minimal thermal effects and a reduced risk of burns. Notably, FMs with metal coverings under 3% demonstrated promising potential for optoelectronic self-powering capabilities. Additionally, simulation data highlighted the significant influence of hydrogel non-uniformity on the distribution of electrical properties across the skin surface, providing critical insights for optimizing EST protocols when employing hydrogel dressings.

In patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), the choice of surgical strategy for histopathologic assessment is still controversial, particularly in terms of preoperative corticosteroid (CS) therapy. To provide further evidence for clinical decision-making, we retrospectively analyzed data from 148 consecutive patients who underwent surgery at our institution. Although patients treated with corticosteroids preoperatively were significantly more likely to require a second or third biopsy (p=0.049), it was only necessary in less than 10% of the cases with preoperative corticosteroid treatment. The choice of surgical procedure did not affect diagnostic accuracy (p&gt;0.05). Preoperative CSF sampling did not provide additional information but was associated with delayed surgery (p=0.02). Surprisingly, diagnostic accuracy was significantly lower when patients were treated with anticoagulation or dual antiplatelet therapy (p=0.015). In conclusion, preoperative CS therapy can challenge the histological diagnosis of PCNSL. At the same time, our data suggest that preoperative CS treatment only presents a relative contraindication for an early surgical intervention. The standard surgical approach is stereotactic biopsy, but other approaches can be individually considered. If a definitive diagnosis cannot be made after the first surgical intervention, the timing of a repeat biopsy after discontinuation of CS remains a case-by-case decision.

The commercial oxygen-free copper sheets were cold-rolled with reduction rates ranging from 20% to 87% reduction rate and annealed at 400, 500 and 600 °C. The microstructure and texture evolution during cold-rolling and annealing processes were studied using optical microscopy (OM), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the deformation textures of {123} (S) , {112} (Copper) and {110} (Brass) were continuously enhanced with the increase of cold-rolling reduction. The orientations along the α-oriented fiber converged towards Brass and the orientation density of β fiber obviously increased when the rolling reduction exceeded 60%. The recrystallization texture was significantly affected by the cold-rolling reduction. After 60% cold-rolling reduction, Copper and S textures components gradually decreased and {011} recrystallization texture component formed with the increase of annealing temperature. After 87% cold-rolling reduction, a strong Cube texture formed and other textures were inhibited with the increase of annealing temperature. The strong Brass and S deformation texture was conducive to the formation of a strong Cube annealing texture. The density of annealing twin boundary decreased with the increase of annealing temperature, and more annealing twin boundaries formed in the oxygen-free copper sheets with the increase of cold rolling reduction.

Solid waste management is a global issue that affects every individual living in the world directly or indirectly. Failing to manage the waste properly will cause harm on public health, our natural environment, and even our happiness and prosperity. When asked about the reason behind the failure of third time plastic ban in Bhutan, one of the Bhutanese said it’s because of the lack of cooperation from public to support the move of government. Clean Bhutan, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that aims Zero Waste Bhutan by 2030, has collected around 5,900 metric tons of waste from December 2014 to February 2018. This project will create some awareness regarding the management of waste at individual level when people come in contact with the family of the researcher. It also talks abot how waste management and biodiversity conservation can go side by side.

Background: Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) have shown efficacy in delivering adequate oxygen for various patient scenarios; however, there is a lack of research on POCs’ efficacy across different respiratory rates specifically among COPD patients. Methods: This bench study was conducted using the IngMar Medical Active Servo Lung 5000 attached to flexible tubing, which simulated an adult patient’s nares. An oxygen analyzer (Maxtec Handi+) was connected to the tubing 6 inches below the nares to estimate the inspired oxygen concentration at the adult trachea. A standard nasal cannula was placed in the simulated patient nares, which was also attached to each POC. The IngMar Lung was programmed to simulate a COPD patient at the following respiratory rates: 15, 20, 30, and 40 breaths/min. POC devices were then compared to an oxygen wall outlet and a standard oxygen concentrator (non-portable CAIRE device). The POCs included the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort (with Autosat), CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort (without Autosat), Inogen G4, Inogen G5, Phillips SimplyGo Mini, GCE Zen-O lite, Drive Medical iGo2, and Kingon POCs. Descriptive statistics and ANOVAs were computed to determine statistically significant differences between POCS and control devices (wall oxygen and standalone oxygen concentrator). Results: Across most respiratory rate scenarios, the wall oxygen and standalone oxygen concentrator (control group) resulted higher oxygen measurements compared to the POCs. Among the POCs on setting 2, the highest oxygen measurement for 15, 30, and 40 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort with AutoSat on sensitivity 5 (24.43%, 24.81%, and 25.0%, respectively). On setting 2, the 20 breaths/min highest oxygen measurement was the Inogen G4 (24.43%). For setting 5, the highest oxygen measurement for 15 breaths/min and 40 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort without AutoSat (31.56% and 26.13%, respectively), while the highest oxygen measurement for 20 breaths/min was the Inogen G5 (30.26%), and the highest oxygen measurement for 30 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort with AutoSat on sensitivity level 5 (27.89%). Conclusions: The oxygen administered through the wall and the standalone CAIRE oxygen concentrator all delivered higher oxygen levels compared to the POCs (with the exception of the 40 breaths/min scenario on setting 2). However, among the POCs, the CAIRE Freestyle Comfort with AutoSat, CAIRE Freestyle Comfort without AutoSat, and the Inogen G4 all performed the best among the various breathing rate scenarios.

Candida spondylodiscitis (CS) is a rare disease, for which therapeutic option are limited to fluconazole or echinocandins and the treatment should be administered up to 12 months. In case of reduced azole susceptibility, there is a scarcity of therapeutic options with adequate bone penetration and limited toxicity. We report the first case of successful use of rezafungin for a spondylodiscitis due to Candida parapsilosis with reduced susceptibility to azoles. The patient, affected by paraplegia and short bowel syndrome, was diagnosed with CS with culture on vertebral biopsy guided by a 18-FDG-PET/CT scan. He received rezafungin 200 mg weekly for 26 weeks, after 10 weeks of previous antifungal treatment. He had a full clinical, radiologic and biochemical response to the therapy with rezafungin, with no adverse effects. Rezafungin is a promising therapy for Candida osteomyelitis, especially when first line therapies are ineffective or contraindicated.

Due to the imbalance between the supply and demand of oxygen, the oxygen system of iron- and steel-making enterprises in China has problems with high oxygen emission and high pressure in the pipelines, resulting in the energy consumption of oxygen production being high. To relieve this problem, using a large-scale iron- and steel-making mill as a case study, the research on demand forecasting and optimal scheduling of the oxygen system was carried out. The ARIMA model and the GABP model are employed to forecast oxygen demand. Based on the forecast results, an optimal scheduling model for the oxygen system was developed to conduct optimal scheduling. The case study shows that based on the oxygen demand forecast and the optimal scheduling, the oxygen emission and the pipeline pressure in the studied iron- and steel-making enterprise can be significantly reduced, thereby achieving considerable energy-saving effects and economic benefits. Specifically, the following conclusions are obtained: (1) For the oxygen demand forecast, the prediction accuracy of the GABP model is better than that of the ARIMA model. The average MAPE of the 12 sets of data of the ARIMA and GABP models are 23.8% and 20.2%, respectively. (2) By comparing the scheduling results and the field data, it is found that after the scheduling, the amount of oxygen emission has decreased by 6.32%, the pipeline pressure has decreased by 0.61%, and the energy consumption of oxygen compression has decreased by 1.6%. Considering both the oxygen emission loss and the energy consumption of oxygen compression, the total power consumption of the oxygen system is reduced by 1.38%, which saves the electricity cost of about 9.03 million RMB per year.

Monitoring of clients living with HIV encompasses a specific array of activities that routinely check on various aspects of ART following its initiation depending on the availability of resources in that particular state, among other factors as per guidelines from the World Health Organisation. This is a significant practice as it promotes positive health outcomes for patients and efficient utilisation of ART regimens to reduce resistance to the medication – hence it is a measure to guard avoidable costs. It also forms a basis on which decisions are made from. It can be done clinically by assessing for signs e.g., skin rash and symptoms e.g., nausea and vomiting, checking vital organ function and measuring weights across all populations, or can be also be done by assessing specimens for their respective viral loads, white blood cell count, pregnancy status or other infections such as hepatitis B. There have not been any special indications required for one to be eligible for monitoring during ART in developing countries; all qualify for routine monitoring even though some may be more frequent than others in cases of comorbidities such as renal failure where medications can be attributed to exacerbating the condition.

The retinoblastoma (RB) transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1) is a critical tumor suppressor gene, governing diverse cellular processes implicated in cancer biology. Dysregulation or deletion in RB1 contributes to the development and progression of various cancers, making it a prime target for therapeutic intervention. RB1's canonical function in cell cycle control and DNA repair mechanisms underscores its significance in restraining aberrant cell growth and maintaining genomic stability. Understanding the complex interplay between RB1 and cellular pathways is beneficial to fully elucidate its tumor-suppressive role across different cancer types and for therapeutic development. As a result, investigating vulnerabilities arising from RB1 deletion-associated mechanisms offers promising avenues for targeted therapy. Recently, several findings highlighted multiple methods as a promising strategy for combating tumor growth driven by RB1 loss, offering potential clinical benefits in various cancer types. This review summarizes the multifaceted role of RB1 in cancer biology and its implications for targeted therapy.

In 2020 the world experienced the threat of the COVID-19 epidemic, as seniors and chronic disease patients typically try to reduce their exercise and social activities to avoid increasing the risk of infection, which could lead to increased loneliness and even many diseases. This research combining golf croquet games with AIoT companion robots constructs a home-based intelligent exercise system thus uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), deduces users’ intention to use this system based on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and adds the needs of love and belonging, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, and self-actualization in Maslow’s needs theory to conduct system needs analysis. The analysis results show that participants have a high level of acceptance of this system, believing that it is easy to learn and operate, can increase interaction with others, also found that this system can improve self-confirmation, satisfying the third for knowledge, feeling happy, and self-actualization needs are easier to fulfill. In the future, we shall collect and record the seniors in the process of use, so as to find out their health problems as soon as possible, expand their daily life through this exercise, and achieve the goal of happy living and health care.

Background. There are scant data about the effectiveness of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy in patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory failure (ARF) in non-intensive medical wards, particularly regarding the effect on arterial oxygenation compared to conventional oxygen therapy (COT) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Methods. In a retrospective observational study, oxygenation parameters were measured before and immediately after HFNC initiation in 37 consecutive patients hospitalized in a geriatric ward in 2017. Results. HFNC was used as escalation therapy for untreatable hypoxia after failure of NIV/CPAP (n=18) or COT (n=19). Twenty-two patients died, 2 were transferred to the intensive care unit, while 13 were discharged alive. A “do not intubate” status was identified in 17 of the 22 deceased patients. Partial pressure of oxygen (pO2, p< 0.0001), oxygen saturation (SO2, p< 0.0001), pO2/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (p=0.004) and peripheral SO2 measured by pulse oximetry (p< 0.0001) significantly increased soon after HFNC application. Oxygenation improvements were greater after escalation from NIV/CPAP and in patients discharged alive. Conclusion. HFNC significantly improved oxygenation in severe ARF after failure of COT or NIV/CPAP and may be particularly suitable for older patients hospitalized in non-intensive medical wards.

Objective: We report a case of acute pancytopenia and liver injury after concomitant administration of low-dose methotrexate (MTX), and high-dose esomeprazole and metamizole. Case summary: A 71-year-old patient with chronic systemic idiopathic erosive arthritis was admitted after a pelvic ring fracture. After hospital admission, she received MTX in addition to esomeprazole and metamizole. Subsequent laboratory tests revealed pancytopenia and elevated liver enzymes. The follow-up clinical examinations were unremarkable, with the exception of sub-febrile temperatures. Further investigations did not detect a definitive etiology. Due to the suspicion of methotrexate-induced hematotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, antagonizing therapy with calcium folinate was administered, after which the blood counts and liver parameters normalized. Discussion: Due to the administration of high-dose metamizole immediately before the administration of low-dose MTX, the pre-existing hematotoxic pharmacodynamic effect of MTX was acutely enhanced by that of metamizole, although folic acid was administered preemptively. In addition, the concomitant administration of high-dose esomeprazole and normal dose torasemide resulted in a pharmacokinetic interaction with MTX by decreasing its renal secretion and elimination, further enhancing the concentration-dependent hematotoxic and hepatotoxic side effects of MTX. Conclusions: The relatively high demand for analgesics in patients with chronic rheumatic diseases already being treated with MTX and proton pump inhibitors necessitates that clinicians consider drug-drug interactions as potential causes of adverse drug reactions after the administration of metamizole or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In this category of patients, it is strongly recommended to switch to analgesics of other classes.

Cutaneous mycoses are common infections whose treatment has become more complex due to increasing antifungal resistance and the need for prolonged therapies, hindering patient adher-ence and increasing the incidence of adverse effects. Consequently, the use of physical therapies, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT), has increased for the treatment of onychomycosis due to its antimicrobial capacity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species. This study investigates the in vitro effect of the combination of blue light (448 nm) and red light (645 nm) with terbinafine on the cell viability of human keratinocytes and the production of reactive ox-ygen species. The combination of terbinafine and blue light exhibits a synergistic effect on the production of reactive oxygen species and a significant increase in the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme involved in the reduction of superoxide ions (O2-) and the genera-tion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Such effect could be useful in clinical practice to improve the response of cutaneous mycoses to pharmacological treatment, reduce their toxicity, and shorten their duration.

Keywords: olfactory rehabilitation; chronic pain; fMRI;

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of hydrogen adsorption on titanium nitride had previously shown that hydrogen may adsorb on both titanium and nitrogen sites with a moderate adsorption energy. Further, the diffusion barrier was also found to be low. These findings may qualify TiN, a versatile multifunctional material with electronic conductivity, as electrode material for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This was the main impetus of this work which aims to experimentally and theoretically investigate the electrocatalytic properties of TiN-layers that were processed on Ti substrate using reactive ion sputtering. The properties are discussed focusing on the role of oxygen defects introduced during the sputtering process on the HER. Based on DFT calculations, it is shown that these oxygen defects alter the electronic environment of the Ti atoms which entails a low hydrogen adsorption energy in the range of -0.1 eV; this leads to HER performances that match those of Pt-NPs in acidic media. When a few nanometr thick layer of Pd-NPs is sputtered on-top of the TiN-layer, the performance is drastically reduced. This is interpreted in terms of oxygen defects being scavenged by the Pd-NPs near the surface which is thought to reduce the hydrogen adsorption sites.

Sensor fusion algorithms and models have been widely used in recent times. Although research evidence has informed the use of sensor fusion models in diverse applications, there is room for improvement, especially in home-based health monitoring applications which require less supervision and technical knowledge of users. The present work compares data mining-based fusion software packages such as RapidMiner Studio, Anaconda, Weka, and Orange, and proposes a data fusion framework suitable for in-home applications. 574 privacy-friendly (binary) images and 1,722 datasets gleaned from thermal and Radar sensing solutions respectively, were fused using the software packages on instances of homogeneous and heterogeneous data aggregation. Experimental results indicated that the proposed fusion framework achieved an average Classification Accuracy of 84.7% and 95.7% on homogeneous and heterogeneous datasets respectively, with the help of data mining and machine learning models such as Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, Neural Network, Random Forest, Stochastic Gradient Descent, Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbours and CN2 induction. Further evaluation of the sensor data fusion framework based on cross validation of features indicated average values of 94.4% for Classification Accuracy, 95.7% Precision and 96.4% for Recall.

The practice of telework, remote work, and working from home has grown significantly across the pandemic era (2020+). These practices offer new ways of working but come with a lack of clarity as to the role it plays in supporting the wellbeing of staff. (1) Background: the purpose of this study is to examine the current literature on wellbeing outcomes and effects of telework; (2) Methods: this study adopts a systematic literature review from 2000-2022 using the PRISMA approach and thematic analysis guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Wellbeing, Decent Work, Gender Equality, and Inclusive Production); (3) Results: it was evident that there is a lack of clarity on the actual effects of telework on employee wellbeing, but it appeared that it had a generally positive effect on short-term wellbeing of staff, and created more flexible and proactive work design opportunities; (4) Conclusions: there is a need for more targeted research into work designs that support wellbeing and productivity of staff, and consider the environmental sustainability changes from reduced office and onsite work and increased working from home.

Abstract Background: Premature babies have a greater risk for having health issues after being discharged from the hospital whilst the mother ability to provide premature baby care still has many issues as well. Interventions are needed to be given to mothers at home to improve the ability of mothers to care their premature babies. Methods: Search for articles used the bolean operator of “or” and “and” with the keywords used were “preterm or premature”, “intervention or program”, and “mother and home”. Data based used were Sciencedirect, Ebscohost, PubMed, SAGE, Proquest and Scopus with inclusion criteria using full text in English from 2018 to 2021. There were 428 articles obtained, the articles were then screened by reading the main focus of articles with paying attention to the topic and the suitability of article content and we obtained 13 suitable articles. Results: The interventions at home carried out for mothers and premature babies were divided into two namely the follow-up interventions from the hospital and the interventions carried out at the patient's home. Seven articles about research of interventions that were as a combination from hospital intervention with follow-up hospital intervention plus five full interventions at the patient's home. Interventions were provided through home visits (12 articles) and by telephone (1 article). The results of the article analysis resulted in 4 main themes of intervention for mothers and premature babies, they were health education, counceling, support, and care for premature babies. Conclusion: Quality care is essential for the best health, growth and development of premature babies. Interventions need to be carried out by health workers to ensure the readiness and ability of mothers to care for their babies. Maternal readiness and abilities can be improved by providing health education, counseling, support and care for premature babies.

Recently, there have been revolutions in the development of both gene therapy and genome surgical treatments for inherited diseases. Much of this progress has been centered around hereditary retinal dystrophies, because the eye is an immune-privileged and anatomically ideal target. Gene therapy treatments, already demonstrated to be safe and efficacious in numerous clinical trials, are benefitting from the development of new viral vectors, such as dual and triple AAVs. CRISPR/Ca9, which revolutionized the field of gene editing, is being adapted into more precise “high fidelity” and catalytically dead variants. New CRISPR endonucleases, such as CjCas9 and Cas12a, are generating excitement in the field as well. Stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising alternative, allowing human embryo derived stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells to be edited precisely in vitro and then reintroduced into the body. This article highlights recent progress made in gene therapy and genome surgery for retinal disorders, and it provides an update on precision medicine FDA treatment trials.

This manuscript presented an autonomous home farm for predicting metrological characteristics that can not only automate the process of growing crops but also, due to a neural network, significantly increase the productivity of the farm. The developed farm monitors and manages the following indicators: illumination, soil PH, air temperature, earth temperature, air humidity, CO2 concentration, and soil moisture. The presented farm can also be considered as a device for testing various weather conditions to determine the optimal temperature characteristics for different crops. This farm as a result is completely autonomous grows tomatoes at home.

Background and Objectives: Cancer as the second leading cause of death in the United States poses a huge healthcare burden. Barriers to access to advanced therapies influence the outcome of cancer treatment. In this study, we examined whether insurance types affect the quality of cancer clinical care regarding access to an important monoclonal antibody, ramucirumab. Materials and Methods: Data for 13,340 cancer patients with Purchased or Medicaid insurance from the All of Us Database were collected for this study. The Chi-square test of proportions was employed to determine the significance of patient cohort characteristics and ramucirumab usage between Purchased and Medicaid insurance groups. The independent t-test was utilized to assess the influences of other determinants on insurance types. Results: Cancer patients who are African American, with lower socioeconomic status, or with lower educational attainment are more likely to be insured by Medicaid. Analysis of survey questions demonstrated the relationship between income and education level with insurance type as Medicaid cancer patients were less likely to receive primary care and specialist physician access and more likely to request lower cost medications. In addition, those with Medicaid insurance were identified to have poorer access to expensive therapeutics like ramucirumab compared to those with Purchased insurance.  Conclusions: The inequities of the US healthcare system are observed for cancer patient care; access to physicians and therapeutics are highly varied and dependent on insurance types. Socioeconomic status determines insurance type, which unfortunately generates a significant impact on cancer treatment and disease outcome.

Individual susceptibility to pulmonary oxygen toxicity (PO2tox) is highly variable and currently lacks a reliable biomarker for predicting pulmonary hyperoxic stress. As nitric oxide (NO) is involved in many respiratory system processes and functions, we aimed to determine if expired nitric oxide (FENO) levels can provide an indication of PO2tox susceptibility in humans. Eight U.S. Navy trained divers volunteered as subjects. The hyperoxic exposures consisted of six- and eight-hour hyperbaric chamber dives conducted on consecutive days in which subjects breathed 100% oxygen at 202.65 kPa. Subjects’ individual variability in pulmonary function and FENO was measured twice daily over five days and compared with their post-dive values to assess susceptibility to PO2tox. Only subjects who showed no decrements in pulmonary function following the six-hour exposure conducted the eight-hour dive. FENO decreased by 55% immediately following the six-hour oxygen exposure (n=8, p<0.0001) and by 63% following the eight-hour exposure (n=4, p<0.0001). Four subjects showed significant decreases in pulmonary function immediately following the six-hour exposure. These subjects had the lowest baseline FENO and the lowest post-dive FENO and had clinical symptoms of PO2tox. Individuals with low FENO were the first to develop PO2tox symptoms and deficits in pulmonary function from the hyperoxic exposures. These data suggest that endogenous levels of NO in the lung may protect against the development of PO2tox.

The cornea is an avascular tissue which has attracted much attention by the uniqueness of its anatomical characteristics, it has, in proportion, an enormous size, in relation to the number of vessels, because on average few cells in the organism are away more than 30 microns of a blood vessel. However, the cornea, with a diameter of between 11 and 12 mm, is a unique example. It has been tried to explain the notable absence of blood vessels in the cornea, arguing that corneal tissues are able to take oxygen directly from the air. In this article we are explaining that based on the physicochemical characteristics of molecular oxygen and the cell membrane, cytoplasm, water, and cellular metabolism, it is not possible that epithelial corneal cells directly take oxygen from the air, instead, corneal cells have molecules that can dissociate the water molecules thereby these cells, like any other eukaryotic cells, take the oxygen from the intracell water, like plants.

Hypertension is a frequent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and the prevalence rate is continuously rising. Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms are responsible for hypertension, necessitating a combination of drugs from different classes for best management. Combination therapy is five times more effective in decreasing blood pressure compared to escalating the dose of a single agent. As per the ACCOMPLISH trial analysis, coupling a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor with a calcium channel blocker is more effective than the combination of a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor with diuretics in reducing major cardiovascular events, cardiovascular-related mortality, and the progression of chronic kidney disease. The renin-angiotensin system can be suppressed by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme or angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R), resulting, in decreased vascular smooth muscle contraction, heart performance, and reduced aldosterone synthesis. Calcium channel blockers work by inhibiting L-type calcium channels, reducing heart performance via negative inotropic, chronotropic, and bathmotropic effects, along with reducing vascular smooth muscle contraction. Diuretics exert their antihypertensive impact by changing body fluid volume and electrolytes. Initially, hypertension treatment commences with a single medication but often, different classes of two or more antihypertensive medications are necessary for achieving the target blood pressure goal. Sometimes, for Resistant hypertension four different classes of antihypertensive medications are necessary to reach the target blood pressure goal.

Oxidation reactions on semiconducting metal oxides (SMOs) surfaces have been extensively worked on in catalysis, fuel cells, and sensors. SMOs engaged powerfully in energy-related applications such as batteries, supercapacitors, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and chemical gas sensors. The deep understanding of SMO surface and oxygen interactions and defect engineering has become significant because all those mentioned applications are based on the adsorption/absorption and consumption/transportation of adsorbed (physisorbed-chemisorbed) oxygen. More understanding of adsorbed oxygen and oxygen vacancies (〖V_O^•,V〗_O^(••)) is needed, as the former is the vital requirement for sensing chemical reactions, while the latter facilitates the replenishment of adsorbed oxygen ions on the surface. We determined the relation between sensor response (sensitivity) and the amounts of adsorbed oxygen ions (O_(2(ads))^-,O_((ads),)^- O_2(ads)^(2-),O_((ads))^(2-)), water/hydroxide groups (H2O/OH^-), oxygen vacancies (〖V_O^•,V〗_O^(••)), and ordinary lattice oxygen ions (O_lattice^(2-)) as a function of temperature. During hydrogen (H2) testing, the different oxidation states (W6+, W5+, and W4+) of WO3 were quantified and correlated with oxygen vacancy formation (〖V_O^•,V〗_O^(••)). We used a combined application of XPS, UPS, XPEEM-LEEM, and chemical, electrical and sensory analysis for H2 sensing. We established a correlation between the H2 sensing mechanism of WO3, sensor signal magnitude, the amount of adsorbed oxygen ions, and sensor testing temperature. This paper also provides a review of the detection, quantification, and identification of different adsorbed oxygen species. The different surface and bulk-sensitive characterization techniques relevant to analyzing the SMOs-based sensor are tabulated, providing the sensor designer with the chemical, physical, and electronic information extracted from each technique.

The increase in the rate and prevalence of diseases associated with the localized and general loss of bone mass calls for an investigation into therapeutic alternatives that largely involve the de-velopment of new biomaterials and cell therapy, converting tissue bioengineering into a prom-ising option. An experimental model of a critical mandibular lesion in rats has been used to study bone re-generation by treating the ostectomy with the biomaterials Evolution® and Gen-Os® (OsteoBiol®, Italy) combined, or not, with dental pulp stem cells (DP-MSC). The results obtained through the Micro-CT and histological study reveal the almost complete re-covery of the lesion in the group with DP-MSC. These results are supported by increases in endoglin, TGF-β, protocollagen I, parathormone, and calcitonin, generating an environment of bone generation and development when combining Evolution® and Gen-Os® (OsteoBiol®, Italy) with DP-MSC. These promising results confirm the transcendental role of DP-MSC in combina-tion with osteogenic biomaterials for bone regeneration, and warrant further studies, including its assessment in clinical trials.

The altered nature of archaeological metals means they deteriorate at conditions where metals would be stable. The study of deterioration for such materials is hampered by their complexity, variability and difficulties in measuring deterioration. Placing an object in a sealed container, controlling the RH and pollutant gases and measuring any decrease in oxygen concentration is an accessible method to measure deterioration rate. It has been used for research into suitable environmental conditions to manage deterioration rates of such artefacts including differences in response for artefacts from different excavation sites. Some objects need careful control of RH to low values, this is expensive to maintain and poses risks to other artefacts displayed together. Many objects are actually stable up to quite high RH values and oxygen depletion testing has been used to identify those that can be safely displayed with minimal environmental control. The accelerated corrosion, ‘Oddy’ test is frequently used to sift out unsuitable display materials. The visual assessment is widely recognized to be subjective. The test container has been modified and oxygen depletion appears to give good quantitative measurements of corrosion that correspond with both visual comparison and corrosion quantification for copper, lead and steel, but not for silver.

Objective: to retrospectively evaluate the incidence rate (IR) of echocardiographic signs suspected for pulmonary hypertension (PH) in Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients after the introduction of a combination therapy with bosentan and sildenafil for treatment or prevention of digital ulcers. Methods: patients attending the Scleroderma Unit of the Universital Hospital of Careggi from July 2010 to July 2023 were enrolled. Patients older than 18 years old, with an history of digital ulcers, treated with bosentan and sildenafil in combination for at least 12 months were included. Patients with a diagnosis of PH preceding the introduction of the therapy were excluded. Demographical data, disease duration, laboratoristic and instrumental data (pulmonary function tests, echocardiographic estimation of pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) and ultrasonographic value of renal resistive index) were collected. The IR of echocardiographic signs suspected for pulmonary hypertension and their 95% confidence interval were calculated in events/1000 patients-years.Results: forty-seven patients were enrolled; mean disease duration was 12,14 years (SD 5,87). Mean duration of the combination treatment was 78.33 (SD 41.37) months and total at-risk time was 3525 months. Two patients (4,2%) presented echocardiographic signs of PH (sPAP 50 mmHg and 40 mmHg); the IR was calculated to be 6.8/1000 patients-years (95% CI 6,02-7,7). In one of the 2 patients RHC excluded PAH, while the other patient refused to undergo to RHC and PAH could not be confirmed/excluded. A stability of PFTs and echocardiografic PAPs was observed during the observation time. Conclusions: the results of this retrospective study suggest that combination therapy with endothelin receptor antagonist and Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors could help in preventing PAH in SSc; prospective case-control studies on larger population are needed to improve knowledge in this field.

The proposed research methodology aims to design a generally implementable framework for providing a house owner/member with the immediate notification of an on-going theft (unauthorized access to their premises). For this purpose, a rigorous analysis of existing systems was undertaken to identify research gaps. The problems found with existing systems were that they can only identify the intruder after the theft, or cannot distinguish between human and non-human objects. Wireless Sensors Networks (WSNs) combined with the use of Internet of Things (IoT), Cognitive Internet of Things, Internet of Medical Things, and Cloud Computing are expanding smart home concepts and solutions, and their applications. The primary objective of the present research work was to design and develop IoT and cloud computing based smart home solutions. In addition, we also propose a novel smart home anti-theft system that can detect an intruder, even if they have partially/fully hidden their face using clothing, leather, fiber, or plastic materials. The proposed system can also detect an intruder in the dark using a CCTV camera without night vision facility. The fundamental idea was to design a cost-effective and efficient system for an individual to be able to detect any kind of theft in real-time and provide instant notification of the theft to the house owner. The system also promises to implement home security with large video data handling in real-time.

Background: Nursing home residents (NHRs) have special needs and may experience reduced functionality, higher sedentary behavior time (SBT) and decreased physical activity (PA). This study aimed to characterize NHRs based on SBT, PA, and functional performance (FP), and to identify associations between these factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 65 NHRs aged ≥60, evaluated by accelerometer (SBT, PA) and the following tests: Timed Up and Go (TUG), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Barthel Index (BI), and Mini-Mental State Examina-tion (MMSE). Health-related variables and anthropometry were assessed. The FP (TUG, SPPB, BI), SBT, PA intensities were used for K-means clustering analysis. Results: The cluster analysis identified: C1 – better FP, shorter SBT, and longer time in PA intensities; C2 - lower FP, longer SBT, and shorter time in PA. In addition, C2 were older, with lower MMSE, lower body mass index, and walking aids use. The SBT showed a negative weak correlation with BI. The moderate PA (MPA) was moderately correlated with the SPPB and strongly correlated with the TUG and BI. Conclusions: MPA is strongly associated with better FP and independence. NHRs have dif-ferent physical and cognitive profiles, which indicates the need for personalized strategies to prevent disability and increase PA.

Parental stresses are normal responses to raising children. They are affected by stresses parents and children accumulate and bring to their interrelations. Background factors like economic difficulties or the relations between the parents may affect parental stresses as well as demographic and environmental factors like noise and access to urban parks. Most studies on parental stress are based on a verified psychological questionnaire. We suggest using frequency domain heart rate variability index (HRV) to measure parental stress enabling, by thus, the measurement of physiological aspects of stress and risk to health. Parental stress is measured as the difference between HRV accumulated at home while staying with the children and without the husband and HRV measured in the neighborhood while staying without the children and the husband. We use the index to compare differences among Muslim and Jewish mothers in exposure to maternal stress at their homes and to expose the factors that predict differences in maternal stress. We found that Muslim mothers suffer from home-related maternal stress while Jewish mother do not. Number of children and ethnically related environmental aspects predict differences in maternal stress between Muslim and Jewish mothers. Muslims' lower access to parks stems from lack of home garden and parks in their neighborhoods in the Arab towns but mainly by restrictions on Muslim women's' freedom of movement to parks. Despite differences in levels of noise at home and in the status of the mother in the household, these factors did not predict differences in parental stress. Instead, the study highlights the crucial role of greenery and freedom of movement to parks in moderating home-related maternal stress.

A Smart Home is characterized by the presence of a huge number of small, low power devices, along with more classical devices. According to the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, all of them are expected to be always connected to the Internet in order to provide enhanced services. In this scenario, an attacker can undermine both the network security and the user’s security/privacy. Traditional security measures are not sufficient, because they are too difficult to setup and are either too weak to effectively protect the user or too limiting for the new services effectiveness. The paper suggests to dynamically adapt the security level of the smart home network according to the user perceived risk level what we have called network sentiment analysis. The security level is not fixed, established by a central system (usually by the Internet Service Provider) but can be changed with the users cooperation. The security of the smart home network is improved by a distributed firewalling and Intrusion Detection Systems both to the smart home side as to the Internet Service Provider side. These two parts must cooperate and integrate their actions for reacting dynamically to new and ongoing threats. Moreover, the level of network sentiment detected can be propagate to nearby home networks (e.g. the smart home networks of the apartments inside a building) to increase/decrease their level of security, thus creating a true in-line Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). The paper also presents a test bed for Smart Home to detect and counteract to different attacks against the IoT devices,,Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections .

Home Security Systems are very important features of modern residential and office setups. This system is used to keep home safe from harmful gases, fire and intruders. It must be affordable, reliable and effective. In this paper, a GSM based home security system has been designed and implemented. The system consists of a GSM Module, MQ-2 smoke detector, Ultrasonic sonar sensor, LM35 temperature sensor, Arduino Uno and relay module. The MQ-2 smoke detector is used to detect harmful gases i.e. LPG, CH₄, CO, Alcohol, Smoke or Propane. Any of the harmful gases stated above is detected it will warn the owner by activating the buzzer and displaying a warning message on the LCD display. It will also send a SMS to the owner. Our system can also measure temperate and if the temperature is increased above a certain range it will compensate it by activating Air Conditioner through the relay module. The system will also send a SMS to the owner. It can also detect intruders using Ultrasonic sensor and warn us through buzzer, SMS and displaying message on the LCD. Our system is reliable as it has very fast response and cost effective and it has been developed using our own technologies.

Vancomycin is one of the ‘last-line’ classes of antibiotics used in the treatment of life-threatening infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Even though vancomycin was discovered in 1950s it was widely used after 1980s for the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococci as prevalence of such strains were increased. However, currently it is evident that vancomycin resistant Staphylococcusaureusandvancomycin-resistant Enterococci have been developed as a result of various reasons including use of avaparcin, which is an analog of vancomycin, as feed additive in livestock. In present day context, more attention should be paid on prevention of emergence of resistance for the antibiotics in order to keep antibiotics effective. In order to prevent emergence of resistance, proper guidance for the responsible use of antimicrobials is indispensable. Therefore, almost all stakeholders who use antibiotics should have in depth understanding on the antibiotic they use. As such, it is imperative to be aware of the important aspects of vancomycin. In the present review, efforts have been made to discussthe pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, indications, emergence of resistance, control of resistance, adverse effects and alternative therapy for vancomycin.

In contrast to physical sustainable measures carried out in homes, such as insulation, the installation of a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) has no direct and immediate energy-saving effect. A HEMS gives insight into resident behaviour regarding energy use. When this is linked to the appropriate feedback, the resident is in a position to change his or her behaviour. This should result in reduced gas and/or electricity consumption. The aim of our study is to contribute towards the effective use of home energy management systems (HEMS) by identifying types of homeowners in relation to the use of HEMS. The research methods used were a literature review and the Q-method. A survey using the Q-method was conducted among 39 owners of single-family homes in various Rotterdam neighbourhoods. In order to find shared views among respondents, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. Five different types of homeowner could be distinguished: the optimists, the privacy-conscious, the technicians, the sceptics, and the indifferent. Their opinions vary as regards the added value of a HEMS, what characteristics a HEMS should have, how much confidence they have in the energy-saving effect of such systems, and their views on the privacy and safety of HEMS. The target group classification can be used as input for a way in which local stakeholders, e.g. a municipality, can offer HEMS that is in line with the wishes of the homeowner.

Saprotrophic fungi are key in global carbon cycling, capable of decomposing lignocellulose in wood. This study, for the first time, explores the influence of oxygen (O2) and temperature on methane (CH4) production by two fungi, Laetiporus sulphureus and Pleurotus sapidus. We examined CH4 formation under varying O2 levels (0 to 98%) and temperatures (17, 27, and 40 °C) when the fungi grew on pine wood, beech wood, and grass under sterile conditions. Our findings reveal a strong dependency of fungal CH4 production on O2 mixing ratios. Methane formation was highest when O2 levels exceeded 5%, whilst no CH4 formation was observed after complete O2 consumption by the fungi. Reintroducing O2 immediately resumed fungal CH4 production. When CH4 formation was normalized to O2 consumption (CH4_norm) a different pattern between species was observed. L. sulphureus showed higher CH4_norm rates with higher O2 levels, whereas P. sapidus showed elevated rates between 0-5% O2. Temperature also significantly influenced CH4 and CH4_norm rates, with the highest production at 27 °C, and comparatively lower rates at 17 and 40 °C. These results demonstrate that O2 levels and temperature are critical in controlling fungal CH4 emissions, a consideration necessary for future CH4 source predictions.

Despite notable advancements in immunotherapy in the past decades, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains a promising, potentially curative treatment modality. Only a limited number of studies has performed a direct comparison of two prevalent rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (r-ATG) formulations — specifically, Thymoglobuline (ATG-T, formerly Genzyme) and Grafalon (ATG-G, formerly Fresenius). The primary objective of our retrospective analysis was to compare the outcomes of adult patients undergoing matched or mismatched unrelated donor (MUD/MMUD) allo-HCT, with a graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis based on either ATG-T or ATG-G. A total of 87 patients undergone allo-HCT between 2012 and 2022 were included. We observed no significant differences between ATG-T and ATG-G concerning the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), regardless of its severity. Conversely, chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) occurred less frequently in the ATG-T group compared to ATG-G (7.5% vs. 38.3%, p=0.001). Patients treated with ATG-T manifested a higher incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivations (70% vs. 31.9%, p&lt;0.001), with a shorter time between transplant and CMV (&lt;61 days, 77.8% vs. 33.3%, p=0.008) and a higher median CMV copy number (1000 vs. 0, p=0.004). Notably, despite a higher occurrence of CMV reactivations in the ATG-T cohort, most patients were asymptomatic compared to ATG-G (85.7% vs. 43.8%, p=0.005). Finally, we observed no significant differences in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year probability of relapse while comparing ATG-T and ATG-G (32.0% vs 40.3%, p=0.423; 63.9% vs 55.7%, p=0.438, respectively).

To explore the relevant factors that affect the efficacy of consciousness-regaining therapy (CRT)for prolonged disorder of consciousness(pDOC),a retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of 114 patients with pDOC admitted to department of functional neurosurgery of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 2019 to January 2022. Basic information on the cases,data on pDOC disease assessment, consciousness-regaining therapy methods, and efficacy evaluation were collected. A total of 114 patients were grouped and compared based on the efficacy at the end of treatment. Among them, there were 61 cases in the ineffective group and 53 cases in the effective group. There was no statistically significant difference (P&gt;0.05) between the two groups in terms of gender, age, etiology, acute cerebral herniation, emergency craniotomy surgery, emergency decompressive craniectomy, time from onset to start of consciousness-regaining therapy , and duration of consciousness-regaining therapy(P&gt;0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences (P&lt;0.05) in terms of secondary hydrocephalus, , consciousness-regaining therapy methods, CRS-R grading before treatment, and GOSE score at 6 months after treatment. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the type of therapy (OR=0.169, 95% CI: 0.057-0.508) was a related factor affecting the efficacy of consciousness-regaining therapy (P&lt;0.05).Compared with non-invasive therapy, personalized awakening therapy using various invasive consciousness-regaining therapy methods can help improve the efficacy of therapy for pDOC.

Luminescence-based sensors for measuring oxygen concentration are widely used both in industry and research due to the practical advantages and sensitivity of this type of sensing. The measuring principle is the luminescence quenching by oxygen molecules, which results in a change of the luminescence decay time and intensity. In the standard approach, this change is related to an oxygen concentration using the Stern–Volmer equation. This equation, which in most of the cases is non-linear, is parametrized through device-specific constants. Therefore, to determine these parameters every sensor needs to be precisely calibrated at one or more known concentrations. This work explores an entirely new artificial intelligence approach and demonstrates the feasibility of oxygen sensing through machine learning. The specifically developed neural network learns very efficiently to relate the input quantities to the oxygen concentration. The results show a mean deviation of the predicted from the measured concentration of 0.5 % air, comparable to many commercial and low-cost sensors. Since the network was trained using synthetically generated data, the accuracy of the model predictions is limited by the ability of the generated data to describe the measured data, opening up future possibilities for significant improvement by using a large number of experimental measurements for training. The approach described in this work demonstrates the applicability of artificial intelligence to sensing technology and paves the road for the next generation of sensors.

The non-contact patient monitoring paradigm moves patient care into their homes and enables long-term patient studies. The challenge, however, is to make the system non-intrusive, privacy-preserving, and low-cost. To this end, we describe an open-source edge computing and ambient data capture system, developed using low-cost and readily available hardware. We describe five applications of our ambient data capture system. Namely: (a) Estimating occupancy and human activity phenotyping; (b) Medical equipment alarm classification; (c) Geolocation of humans in a built environment; (d) Ambient light logging; and (e) Ambient temperature and humidity logging. We obtained an accuracy of 94% for estimating occupancy from video. We stress-tested the alarm note classification in the absence and presence of speech and obtained micro averaged F1 scores of 0.98 and 0.93, respectively. The geolocation tracking provided a room-level accuracy of 98.7%. The root mean square error in the temperature sensor validation task was 0.3°C and for the humidity sensor, it was 1% Relative Humidity. The low-cost edge computing system presented here demonstrated the ability to capture and analyze a wide range of activities in a privacy-preserving manner in clinical and home environments and is able to provide key insights into the healthcare practices and patient behaviors.

This study unveils verapamil's compelling cytoprotective and proliferative effects on pancreatic β-cells amidst diabetic stressors, spotlighting its unforeseen role in augmenting cholecystokinin (CCK) expression. Through rigorous investigations employing MIN6 β-cells and zebrafish models under type 1 and type 2 diabetic conditions, we demonstrate verapamil's capacity to significantly boost β-cell proliferation, enhance glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and fortify cellular resil-ience. A pivotal revelation of our research is verapamil's induction of CCK, a peptide hormone known for its role in nutrient digestion and insulin secretion, which signifies a novel pathway through which verapamil exerts its therapeutic effects. Furthermore, our mechanistic insights reveal that verapamil orchestrates a broad spectrum of gene and protein expressions pivotal for β-cell survival and adaptation to immune-metabolic challenges. In vivo validation in a zebrafish larvae model confirms verapamil's efficacy in fostering β-cell recovery post-metronidazole inflic-tion. Collectively, our findings advocate for verapamil's reevaluation as a multifaceted agent in diabetes therapy, highlighting its novel function in CCK upregulation alongside enhancing β-cell proliferation, glucose sensing, and oxidative respiration. This research enriches the therapeutic landscape, proposing verapamil not only as a cytoprotector but also as a promoter of β-cell re-generation, thereby offering fresh avenues for diabetes management strategies aimed at pre-serving and augmenting β-cell functionality.

The fact that Thailand’s energy policy has set a new renewable energy target of 30% of total final energy consumption by 2036. It also has the potential of solar energy and community demands in remote areas. However, most of the renewable energy technology will still be able to achieve renewable energy goals, similar to the case of the national policy that promotes Solar Home System (SHS) in remote areas, lack of good handling. Therefore, achieving the goal of the renewable energy policy should be in position using the right strategy. This article presents the result of a case study in the Akha upland community, northern Thailand, where we used the mixing method and factor analysis to analyze strategies for SHS related criteria. The key scopes and challenge included bottom-up planning concepts and subsidies from expert persons, while contributions to factors have an impact on developing sustainable SHS, include the creating approval of SHS technologies, developing of SHS management, promoting of SHS technologies, and supporting of SHS policies, respectively. Mainly, social factors provide positive effects, which thus influence the sustainable development of process SHS in terms of the creation of approval. Furthermore, there should be managed appropriately for each community, for the positive imagery of solar power.

This study addresses the challenge of treating skin cancer effectively, especially in visible areas like the face, where traditional methods may be undesirable. Current options, including surgery and radiation therapy, have limitations such as complexity, expense, and imprecise dose delivery. The proposed solution involves additively manufacturing personalized patches using diagnostic imaging data, offering a targeted and controlled dose of beta-emitting isotopes like Y-90. The patches, tailored to the tumor's shape and depth, aim to minimize damage to healthy tissues and structures. Through 3D printing technology we demonstrated the feasibility of creating individualized applicators filled with radioisotopes, that have the potential to deliver therapeutic doses while ensuring patient comfort and affordability. This innovative approach, based on radiation delivery simulations, offers a promising future alternative to conventional radiation therapy methods. Clinical trials are required to validate its efficacy and safety, but the potential for reduced radiation exposure and enhanced treatment precision positions this personalized and targeted therapy as a valuable advancement in skin cancer treatment.

Wilms tumor (WT), the most prevalent type of renal cancer in children, exhibits overall survival rates exceeding 90%. However, chemotherapy resistance, which occurs in approximately 10% of WT cases, is a major challenge for the treatment of WT, particularly for advanced-stage patients. In this study, we aimed to discover potential mutation markers and drug targets associated with chemotherapy resistance in advanced stage WT. We performed exome sequencing to detect somatic mutations and molecular targets in 43 WT samples, comprising 26 advanced stage WTs, of which 7 cases are chemotherapy-resistant. Our analysis revealed four genes (ALPK2, C16orf96, PRKDC, and SVIL) that correlated with chemotherapy resistance and reduced disease-free survival in ad-vanced-stage WT. Additionally, we identified driver mutations in 55 genes within the chemo-therapy-resistant group, including 14 druggable cancer driver genes. Based on the mutation profile of the resistant WT samples, we propose potential therapeutic strategies involving platinum-based agents, PARP inhibitors, and antibiotic/antineoplastic agents. Our findings provide insights into the genetic landscape of WT and offer potential avenues for targeted treatment, particularly for patients with chemotherapy resistance.

Quite a number of new metered parking systems have been introduced in recent years by the local authorities of various spa towns in Poland in connection with home zone conversion projects. The traffic signs posted in these locations were limited to the beginning and end of the demarcated parking area. Traffic circle (TC) is an example of traffic calming measures (TCM) used in home zones to slow down the traffic (case study – home zone in a small spa village). This article presents the results of a study investigating the speed reductions obtained with a home zone and traffic circle used as traffic calming measures. The indispensable speed surveys were carried out in relation to this study in two periods: in summer when the streets are crowded with tourists and in September with little pedestrian traffic. Two research hypotheses were formulated as part of the speed data analysis to verify the slowing effect of traffic circle and the relevance of traffic circles design parameters and location, road function and the surrounding streetscape. For each hypothesis statistical analyses were carried out using two nonparametric tests: two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and median test. The third research hypothesis formulated in this study was related to sustainable development factors related to fuel consumption and traffic-related air pollution including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. This hypothesis was verified by estimating the amount of air pollution in the home zone under analysis in three different situations (scenarios): in summer with the travel speed reduced by pedestrian traffic to ca. 8–10 km/h and in September with a small number of pedestrians and 20–25 km/h resulting speed between traffic circles, reduced at traffic circle, and in a theoretical 30 km/h zone with 25–30 km/h assumed speed between traffic circles, dropping at traffic circle. These analyses confirmed the appropriateness of traffic circle as a home zone traffic calming measure, as long as its design is based on a detailed analysis of the relevant factors, including location, road function and the surrounding streetscape.

IoT system becomes hot topic nowadays for smart home, IoT helps devices to communicate together without human intervention inside home, so it is offering many challenges. A new smart home IoT platform powered using electromagnetic energy harvesting is proposed in this paper. It contains a high gain transmitted antenna array and efficient circular polarized array rectenna system to harvest enough power from any direction to increase life time of the batteries used in IoT system. Optimized energy consumption, the software with adopting the Zigbee protocol of the sensor node and low power microcontroller are used to operate in lower power modes. The proposed system has an 84.6 days lifetime which is approximately 10 times the lifetime for similar system. On the other hand, the proposed power management circuit operated at 0.3 V DC to boost the voltage to ~3.7V from radio frequency energy harvesting and manage battery level to increase the batteries lifetime. A predictive indoor environment monitoring system is designed based on a novel hybrid system to provide a non-static plan, approve energy consumption and avoiding failure of sensor nodes in smart home.

Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), the fraction of oxygen that tissue extracts from blood, is an es-sential biomarker for directly assessing tissue viability and function in neurologic disorders. For quantitative mapping of OEF, an integrative model of quantitative susceptibility mapping and quantitative blood oxygen level-dependent magnitude (QSM+qBOLD or QQ) was recently pro-posed. However, QQ assumes Gaussian noise in both susceptibility and multi-echo gradient echo (mGRE) magnitude signals for OEF estimation. This assumption is unreliable in low sig-nal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regions like disease-related lesions, risking inaccurate OEF estimation and potentially impacting clinical decisions. Addressing this, our study presents a novel multi-echo complex QQ (mcQQ) that models realistic noise in mGRE complex signals. The proposed mcQQ was implemented using a deep learning framework (mcQQ-NET) and compared with the existing deep learning-based QQ (QQ-NET) in simulations, ischemic stroke patients, and healthy subjects. Both mcQQ-NET and QQ-NET used identical training and testing datasets and schemes for a fair comparison. In simulations, mcQQ-NET provided more accurate OEF than QQ-NET. In the sub-acute stroke patients, mcQQ-NET showed a lower average OEF ratio in lesions relative to unaf-fected contralateral normal tissue than QQ-NET. In the healthy subjects, mcQQ-NET provided uniform OEF maps, similar to QQ-NET, but without unrealistically high OEF outliers in areas of low SNR. Therefore, mcQQ-NET improves OEF accuracy by better reflecting realistic data noise characteristics.

Cognitive impairment affects 34-65% of People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS), significantly impacting their quality of life. Clinicians routinely address cognitive deficits with in-clinic neuro-behavioural interventions, but accessibility issues exist. Telerehabilitation is a promising solution that utilises digital tools for home-based cognitive remediation. This narrative review assessed the feasibility and efficacy of cognitive telerehabilitation in PwMS, identifying 13 relevant studies. Regarding the feasibility of cognitive telerehabilitation, evidence shows adherence rates are generally good, although, surprisingly, not all studies reported a measure of compliance with the cognitive training explored. Considering the efficacy of different rehabilitative techniques on cognitive performance of PwMS, findings are generally inconsistent, with only one study reporting consistently positive results. A range of methodological limitations are reported as potential factors contributing to the variability of results. Overcoming some of these issues will be key. Upcoming research is necessary to determine optimal intervention approaches, long-term effects of rehabilitation, and how to best integrate the use of telerehabilitation into routine clinical practice. By exploiting digital tools in the best way and addressing methodological concerns, home-based rehabilitation holds the potential for improving cognitive functions and enhancing the quality of life in PwMS.

Abstract Background: Periodontitis is associated with systemic chronic inflammatory diseases. There is limited evidence on the influence of anti-cytokine therapies on the periodontal condition and microbiome in the tooth pocket of such patients, so the aim of this study was to elucidate this issue. Methods: In this observational trial, the periodontal status and the gingival crevicular fluid of 13 patients with different chronic inflammatory diseases were obtained before initiation of anti-cytokine treatment and 14 weeks after. Gingival crevicular fluid was collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing from a clinically healthy tooth and the deepest measured pocket. Results: In participants with advanced attachment loss at baseline, the clinical attachment level significantly decreased from 2.9 (2.3-3.4) to 2.4 (1.3-3.0) mm (p = 0.04), and the bleeding- on-probing index dropped from 19.4 (10.0-21.0) to 7.3 (6.9-9.9) mm (p = 0.02) without any further periodontal treatment. Shannon’s diversity index significantly increased in the deepest pockets of patients (p = 0.039). Conclusion: The data showed alterations in diversity of the subgingival microbiome and improvement of periodontal parameters over the course of the study, implying a shift towards a healthier condition after starting anti-cytokine therapy. Additional investigations are needed to analyze whether the administration of selective biologicals can improve periodontal conditions in patients with or without chronic inflammatory diseases.

Goals: To use visual logistics for interpreting COVID-19 molecular and rapid antigen test (RAgT) performance, determine prevalence boundaries where risk exceeds expectations, and evaluate benefits of recursive testing along home, community, and emergency spatial care paths. Methods: Mathematica/open access software helped graph relationships, compare performance patterns, and perform recursive computations. Results: Tiered sensitivity/specificity comprise: T1) 90%/95%; T2) 95%/97.5%; and T3) 100%/≥99%, respectively. In emergency medicine, median RAgT performance peaks at 13.2% prevalence, then falls below T1, generating risky prevalence boundaries. RAgTs in pediatric ERs/EDs parallel this pattern with asymptomatic worse than symptomatic performance. In communities, RAgTs display large uncertainty with median prevalence boundary of 14.8% for 1/20 missed diagnoses, and at prevalence >33.3-36.9% risk 10% false omissions for symptomatic subjects. Recursive testing improves home RAgT performance. Home molecular tests elevate performance above T1, but lack adequate validation. Conclusions: Widespread RAgT availability encourages self-testing. Asymptomatic RAgT and PCR-based saliva testing present the highest chance of missed diagnoses. Home testing twice, once just before mingling, and molecular-based self-testing help avoid false omissions. Community and ER/ED RAgTs can identify contagiousness in low prevalence (<22%). Real-world trials of performance, cost-effectiveness, and public health impact could identify home molecular diagnostics as the optimal diagnostic portal.

The market of ready-to-eat salads is experiencing a noticeable growth in Europe. Since they are intended to be consumed without additional treatments, these ready-to-eat products are associated with a high microbiological risk. The aim of this work was to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of ready-to-eat salads sold in widespread supermarket chains in Lazio, Italy, at the packaging date, during shelf-life and during home-refrigeration. The study also aimed to determine the differences between low, medium, and high cost products. Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes were chosen as safety indicators as specified by European regulations while total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Escherichia coli were chosen as quality indicators as suggested by national guidelines. Analyses were performed following the ISO standards and in parallel, for the evaluation of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, with an alternative colorimetric system, the Micro Biological Survey method, in order to propose a simple, affordable and accurate alternative for testing the microbiological quality of products, especially suitable for small and medium enterprises and on-site analyses. The study revealed high, unsatisfactory, total bacterial loads in all analyzed samples at the packaging date and expiring date and a very high prevalence of Salmonella spp. (67%) regardless of the selected varieties and cost-categories; L. monocytogenes was instead not recovered aligning with the results obtained in other studies.

The market of ready-to-eat salads is experiencing a noticeable growth in Europe. The commercial success of these products is linked to the growing demand for fresh, healthy and nutritionally valuable products that can be consumed without preparation time and are perceived as safe and very high-quality products. Since they are intended to be consumed without additional treatments, these ready-to-eat products are associated with a high microbiological risk. The aim of this work was to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of ready-to-eat salads sold in widespread supermarket chains in Lazio, Italy, at the packaging date, during shelf-life and during home-refrigeration. The study also aimed to determine the differences between low, medium and high cost products. Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes were chosen as safety indicators as specified by European regulations while total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Escherichia coli were chosen as quality indicators as suggested by national guidelines. Analyses were performed following the ISO standards and in parallel, for the evaluation of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, with an alternative colorimetric system, the MBS method, in order to propose a simple, affordable and accurate alternative for testing the microbiological quality of products, especially suitable for small and medium enterprises and on-site analyses.

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is 22 kDa caveolae protein, acts as a scaffold within caveolar membranes. It interacts with alpha subunits of G-protein and thereby regulates their activity. Earlier studies reported elevated or up-regulated levels of caveolin-1 in the serum of prostate cancer patients. Secreted Cav-1 promotes angiogenesis, cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic activities in prostate cancer patients. Cav-1 upregulation is mainly related to prostate cancer metastasis. Keeping above facts in view, the present study was designed to explore Cav-1 as a target for prostate cancer therapy using computational approach. Molecular docking, structural base molecular modelling and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate Cav-1 inhibitors. A predictive model was generated and validated to establish a stable structure. ZINC database of biogenic compounds was used for induced fit docking (IFD) and high throughput virtual screening. The H-bond interactions of the compounds with active site residues of Cav-1 were estimated by IFD and 100 ns long molecular dynamic simulations. The reported compounds showed significant binding and thus can be considered as potent therapeutic inhibitors of Cav-1. This study provides a valuable insight into biochemical interactions of Cav-1 for therapeutic applications and warrants for experimental validation of the predicted ‘active(s)’.

(1) Background: There is not much research about obesity in nursing homes although knowledge will help us to develop customized treatment plans and prevention strategies, which may help to decrease the burden for all persons involved. The objective of conducting this study was to describe the prevalence of obesity and the association between obesity and care problems in nursing home patients. (2) Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of data collected in an annually performed cross-sectional study called “Nursing Quality Measurement 2.0”. A standardized and tested questionnaire was used to collect data. (3) Results: 1236 nursing home patients took part and 16.7% of them were obese. The multivariate logistic regression analysis results show that urinary incontinence is significantly associated with the presence of obesity (OR 2.111). The other care problems of pressure injuries, fecal and double incontinence, physical restraints, falls and pain were not associated with obesity. (4) Conclusion: The results indicate that, in the nursing home setting, health care staff should pay special attention to the patients’ nutritional and continence status and help patients maintain a normal, healthy weight. Conducting more studies with larger sample sizes is recommended, as this will allow differentiation among different obesity classes.

membrane separation technology shows promise, particularly gas separation membranes, including ceramic membrane. Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining attention for their acid and alkali stability, corrosion resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and mechanical strength. This study focuses on alumina support ceramic membrane for CO2 capture. The membranes were characterized using contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The contact angle measurements confirmed the hydrophilic, while SEM analysis showed even particle distribution in the alumina ceramic membranes respectively. EDAX analysis revealed the elemental composition in the alumina support matrix. FTIR analysis demonstrated chemical interactions of the support membrane. Single gas permeation experiments were conducted. It can be observed that Nitrogen gas permeated faster with increase in feed pressure through the unmodified ceramic inorganic hydrophobic membrane more than the other two single gases, O2, and CO2). As a result, only high permeance separation membranes with realistic size and pressure conditions may be considered of as a practical alternative for CO2 capture. However, the presence of non-selective defects limited the improvement in selectivity of hydrophilic ceramic membrane. In this case, there is need to modify the ceramic membrane used to increase the flux, permeance of CO2, and selectivity of CO2.

Abstract: membrane separation technology shows promise, particularly gas separation membranes, including ceramic membrane. Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining attention for their acid and alkali stability, corrosion resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and mechanical strength. This study focuses on alumina support ceramic membrane for CO2 capture. The membranes were characterized using contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The contact angle measurements confirmed the hydrophilic, while SEM analysis showed even particle distribution in the alumina ceramic membranes respectively. EDAX analysis revealed the elemental composition in the alumina support matrix. FTIR analysis demonstrated chemical interactions of the support membrane. Single gas permeation experiments were conducted. It can be observed that Nitrogen gas permeated faster with increase in feed pressure through the unmodified ceramic inorganic membrane more than the other two single gases, O2, and CO2). As a result, only high permeance separation membranes with realistic size and pressure conditions may be considered of as a practical alternative for CO2 capture. However, the presence of non-selective defects limited the improvement in selectivity of hydrophilic ceramic membrane. In this case, there is need to modify the ceramic membrane used to increase the flux, permeance of CO2, and selectivity of CO2.

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a distinct clinical entity characterized by inflammation and abnormal vaginal microflora. Often mistaken for bacterial vaginosis, AV remains relatively unknown and underdiagnosed. AV's understanding is evolving, with some experts suggesting it may primarily be an immunological disorder, the prevalence of which ranges from 7-13% in non-pregnant women and 4.1-8.3% during pregnancy. Pregnancy can affect susceptibility to vaginal infections, leading to adverse outcomes for the woman and the newborn. This review summarizes the correlation between AV and adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly preterm birth, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates. Improved understanding of AV's impact on pregnancy outcomes can lead to early recognition, proper management, and effective interventions. While some studies support an association between AV and preterm labor, the existing knowledge of this relationship remains limited. The evidence suggests that AV may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, mainly preterm birth, but further research is needed to establish a definitive link. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and clarify AV's role in premature labor. A comprehensive understanding of AV's impact on pregnancy outcomes is crucial for early recognition, appropriate management, and effective interventions.

Viruses are silent enemies that intrude and take control of the plant cell's machinery for their own multiplication. Infection by viruses and the resulting damage is still a major challenge in the agriculture sector. Plants have the ability to fight back, but the ability of viruses to counteract and mutate at a fast rate helps them to hide from the host response. Therefore, classical approaches for introgressing resistance genes by breeding have obtained limited success in counteracting the virus menace. Genetic modification (GM) based strategies have been successful in engineering artificial resistance in plants. Several different approaches based on pathogen derived resistance, antisense constructs, hairpin RNA, double stranded RNA etc. have been used to enhance plant resistance to the virus. Recently, genome editing (GE) strategies mainly involving the CRISPR/Cas mediated modifications are being used for virus control. In this review, we discuss the developments and advancements in the GM and GE based methods in tackling virus infection in plants.

Shoulder tendinopathies produce pain and reduce functionality. The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to analyze the effects of Percutaneous electrolysis (PE), Percutaneous peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) and eccentric exercise (EE), on pain (NPRS), strength, electromyographic activity, ultrasound characteristics of the tendon (echogenicity, thickness and hypervascularization) and functionality (DASH and SPADI) on individuals with supraspinatus tendinopathy. Participants (n=50) were divided into two groups, they received 4 treatment sessions, one per week, of PE and PNS (n=25) or 10 treatment sessions of TENS and US (n=25). Both groups performed EE program consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetitions of each of the 3 exercises, twice a day, during the 4 weeks. Follow-up was carried out at 4, 12 and 24 weeks after the start of the intervention. There are statistically significant differences in the analysis between groups (p&lt;0.001) in the post-treatment and follow-up measurements favorable to the PE+PNS+EE treatment on pain (NPRS), strength, supraspinatus electromyographic amplitude, ultrasound characteristics of the tendon (echogenicity, thickness and hypervascularization) and DASH and SPADI questionnaires. The combined treatment PE, PNS and EE is an effective option in the clinical management of tendinopathies, with positive results in the short and long term on the variables studied.

Iron-based materials are widely applied in Fenton chemistry and they have promising prospects in the processing of wastewater. The composition complexity and rich chemistry of iron and/or oxides, however, hamper the precise understanding on the active sites and the working mechanism which still remain highly controversial. Herein, iron oxides of four different model systems are designed through a conventional precipitation method plus H2 reduction treatment. These systems feature Fe@Fe3O4 with abundant oxygen vacancy, Fe0 and Fe3O4 particles with interface structures, and Fe3O4-dominated nanoparticles of different sizes. These materials are applied in the decomposition of methyl orange as a model reaction to assess the Fenton chemistry. The Fe@Fe3O4 with core-shell structures exhibited significantly higher decomposition activity than the other Fe3O4-rich nanoparticles. A thin Fe3O4 layer formed by auto-oxidation of iron particles when exposing to air can boost the activity as compared with the Fe0 and Fe3O4 particles with interface structures but poor oxygen vacancy. The unique hetero-structure with the co-existence of both metallic iron and oxygen vacancy displayed excellent redox propensity which might account for the superior Fenton activity. This finding provides a new perspective to understand and design highly efficient iron-based Fenton catalysts.

Telomere repeats at the ends of human chromosomes protect chromosomes from degradation, and telomerase has a prominent role in telomere maintenance. Telomerase also affects cell proliferation, DNA replication, differentiation, and tumourigenesis. TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase enzyme) is the catalytic subunit of telomerase and is critical for enzyme activity. TERT promoter mutations and promoter methylation are strongly associated with increased telomerase activation in cancer cells. Notably, TERT and telomerase are downregulated in stem cells during their differentiation. Therefore, the link between differentiation and telomerase provides a valuable tool for studying the epigenetic regulation of TERT enzyme. Oxygen tension affects several cellular behaviours including proliferation, metabolic activity, stemness, and differentiation. The role of oxygen tension in driving promoter modifications of the TERT gene in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is poorly understood either in vitro or in vivo. We adopted a monolayer ESCs differentiation model to explore the role of low, physiological, oxygen (physoxia) in the epigenetic regulation of telomerase and associated genes, including TERT, DNMTs, and HDACs. Cells were cultured in either air, a 2% O2 incubator, or a 2% O2 oxygen workstation to provide a fully defined 2% O2 environment. Pre-gassed media (pre-conditioned to 2% O2 in a HypoxyCool unit) was used in all 2% O2 experimentation. As anticipated, physoxia culture increased the proliferation rate and stemness of ESCs and a slower onset of differentiation in physoxia was evident. Further, downregulated TERT expression was correlated to reduced telomerase activity during differentiation. TERT expression and telomerase activity remained significantly elevated in physoxia during differentiation. A substantial increase in TERT promoter methylation levels was noted during differentiation. Chemical inhibition of DNMT3B reduced TERT promoter methylation and was associated with increased TERT gene and telomerase activity during differentiation. DNMT3B CHiP demonstrated that downregulated TERT expression and increased proximal promoter methylation were associated with DNMT3B binding to the promoter. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that DNMT3B can directly bind TERT promoter, change its methylation levels, and contribute to regulation of telomerase activity.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has garnered significant attention in the fields of cancer treatment and drug-resistant bacteria eradication due to its non-invasive nature and spatiotemporal controllability. Iridium complexes have captivated researchers owing to their tunable structure, exceptional optical properties, and substantial Stokes displacement. However, most of these complexes suffer from aggregation-induced quenching, leading to diminished luminous efficiency. In contrast to conventional photosensitizers, photosensitizers exhibiting aggregation-induced luminescence (AIE) properties retain the ability to generate a large number of reactive oxygen species when aggregated. To overcome these limitations, we designed and synthesized a novel iridium complex named Ir-TPA in this study. It incorporates quinoline triphenylamine cyclomethylated ligands that confer AIE characteristics for Ir-TPA. We systematically investigated the photophysical properties, AIE behavior, spectral features, and reactive oxygen generation capacity of Ir-TPA. The results demonstrate that Ir-TPA exhibits excellent optical properties with pronounced AIE phenomenon and robust capability for producing singlet oxygen species. This work not only introduces a new class of metal iridium complex photosensitizer with AIE attributes but also holds promise for achieving remarkable photodynamic therapeutic effects in future cellular experiments and biological studies.

The kidney and the heart work together in balancing the body circulation and although their physiology is based on strict inter dependence, their performance fulfills different aims. While the heart can rapidly increase its own oxygen consumption to comply with the wide changes in metabolic demand linked to body function, the kidney physiology is primarily designed to maintain a stable metabolic rate and has limited capacity to cope with any steep increase in renal metabolism. In the kidneys the glomerular population filters a large amount of blood and the tubular system has been programmed to reabsorb 99% of filtrate by reabsorbing sodium together with other filtered substances including all glucose molecules. Glucose reabsorption involves the sodium-glucose cotransporters SGLT2 and SGLT1 on the apical membrane in the proximal tubular section; it also enhances bicarbonate formation so as to preserve the acid-base balance. The complex work of reabsorption in the kidney is the main factor in renal oxygen consumption; analysis of renal glucose transport in disease states is providing better understanding of the renal physiology changes that occur when clinical conditions alter the neurohormonal response leading to an increase in glomerular filtration pressure. In this circumstance glomerular hyperfiltration occurs, imposing a higher metabolic demand on kidney physiology and causing progressive renal impairment. Albumin urination is the warning signal of renal engagement over-exertion and most frequently heralds heart failure development, regardless of disease etiology. The review analyzes the mechanisms linked to renal oxygen consumption, focusing on sodium-glucose management.

Scientific theories on the functioning and dysfunction of the human brain require a good understanding of both its development — before and after birth, and through maturation to adulthood — and its evolution from the ancestral primate brain. Adopting a complex-systems approach, here we propose that the apparent uniqueness of humans’ cognitive capacities might best be understood as emerging from multiple nested “virtuous cycles.” In particular, we propose that the intimate link that exists between oxygen metabolic loops, cortical expansion, and ultimately cognitive and social demands is a key driver of genetic developmental programs for the human brain. Overall, our proposed evolutionary model makes explicit mechanistic links between metabolism, molecular and cellular brain heterogeneity, and behaviour that may in time provide a clearer understanding of brain developmental trajectories and their disorders.

This project involves the development of Fire Suppression System (FSS) leveraging of Home automation system using Graphical System design (LabVIEW) software and Arduino microcontroller for real-time monitoring and control. The system integrates an Infrared (IR) flame sensor, an MQ2 gas sensor to detect and suppress fire hazards efficiently. The LabVIEW interface facilitates real-time monitoring of sensor data, allowing users to visualize and analyze the environmental conditions. Through this system, fires are automatically subdued, enhancing safety without requiring human intervention. This advances fire safety by swiftly containing threats and minimizing potential damage.

This paper proposes the localisation of room occupants in home environments using Unobtrusive Sensing Solutions (USSs). The ability to localise room occupants in home environments can help in the objective monitoring of sedentary behaviour. While wearable sensors can provide tangible information on health and wellness, they have battery life issues and the inability to perform prolonged monitoring. This work uses heterogeneous USSs in the form of an Infrared Thermopile Array (ITA-64) thermal sensor and a Multi-Chirp Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave Mono-pulse (MC-FMCW-M) Radar sensor to monitor room occupants. Digital filters and background subtraction algorithms were used to process the thermal images gleaned from the ITA-64 thermal sensors. The MC-FMCW-M Radar sensor used multi-chirp and Doppler shift principles to estimate the exact location of the targeted room occupants. The estimated distances from the Radar Sensor were compared with ground truth values. Experimental results demonstrated the ability to identify thermal blobs of occupants present in the room at any particular time. Data analyses indicated no significant difference (p = 0.975) and a very strong positive correlation (r = 0.998) between the ground truth distance values and those obtained from the Radar Sensor.

Age-in-place can reduce the progress of dementia syndrome and improve the quality of life of the sufferers and their families. This work proposes an innovative information home support system to be established at the houses of people suffering from dementia. The main innovation of the system are its transparent character that overcomes the need for training of the sufferer, as well as the exploitation of a well-known technique for dementia, namely music therapy. It addresses the need of people suffering from dementia as well as their familiars to be recognized by them and have better interaction and collaboration. The system offers a ubiquitous recognition system, just by using smart devices like smart-phones or smart-wristbands. When a familiar person is detected in the house, then a sound file is reproduced on smart speakers placed in the house, in order to trigger the memory, based on the principles of music therapy. The system reproduced the appropriate time at 100% of the cases and the benefits of music therapy are evident daily. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first system of its kind ever reported in the literature.

Robot-assisted rehabilitation has emerged as a promising approach for enhancing motor function in stroke survivors. However, the feasibility and effectiveness of home-based robotic training in this population are underexplored, especially in low/middle-income countries. This feasibility study aimed to address this gap by examining the feasibility and effectiveness of independent home-based training using PLUTO, a robotic device for hand training. A total of 7 chronic stroke survivors were recruited, with 5 completing the study. The results revealed high engagement and adherence to the home-based training program, with participants averaging 1659.8 minutes of training over 24.8 days. The PLUTO system demonstrated excellent usability and elicited positive user perceptions. Significant improvements were observed in functional outcomes, as evidenced by a noteworthy increase in Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores (mean increase of 6.2 points, exceeding the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 5.35 points). Furthermore, participants showed improvements in the ABILHAND measure (mean improvement of 1.24 logits, surpassing the MCID of 0.2 logits) and the Barthel Index (mean increase of 8.8 points). These findings demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of home-based robotic rehabilitation for chronic stroke survivors. This has implications for expanding access to rehabilitation services in low- and middle-income countries, enhancing patient engagement and adherence, and improving functional outcomes. Larger controlled studies are warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of home-based robotic rehabilitation programs.

Background: The cumulative number of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant shortage of hospital beds. Many patients may not require hospitalization and can be clinically observed in home settings. However, some psychosocial factors are correlated with unsuccessful home isolation (HI), which might negatively affect the transmission control in the community. Therefore, we developed a new psychosocial screening tool (CCPHIET) for assessing HI suitability and examined its validity and reliability.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included COVID-19 patients who were deemed to be medically safe for 14 days of HI. The CCPHIET is comprised of 8 clinical domains pertinent to HI behavioral compliance and risk. We explored its statistical validity and reliability and discussed the potential utility of this tool. Results: A total of 65 COVID-19 patients participated in this study. Most patients (58.5%) were evaluated as good candidates for HI. The CCPHIET has an acceptable content validity (IOC index > 0.5), moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.611) and substantial to excellent inter-rater reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.944, Cohen’s kappa= 0.627).Conclusions: To compromise between strict and costly absolute institutional quarantine and the potentially unsuccessful absolute HI, the CCPHIET may help to identify good candidates for HI in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. This psychosocial information would support the physicians in matching each patient to the most suitable setting. Therefore, safe medical care is provided, unnecessary use of medical resources is spared, and local transmission is contained.