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LiDAR odometry enables localising vehicles and robots in the environments where global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are not available. An inherent limitation of LiDAR odometry is the accumulation of local motion estimation errors. Current approaches heavily rely on loop closure to optimise the estimated sensor poses and to eliminate the drift of the estimated trajectory. Consequently, these systems cannot perform real‐time localization and are therefore not practical for a navigation task. This paper presents MoLO, a novel model‐based LiDAR odometry approach to achieve real‐time and drift‐free localization using a 3D model of the environment containing planar surfaces, namely the structural elements of buildings. The proposed approach uses a 3D model of the environment to initialise the LiDAR pose and includes a scan‐to‐scan registration to estimate the pose for consecutive LiDAR scans. Re‐registering LiDAR scans to the 3D model at a certain frequency provides the global sensor pose and eliminates the drift of the trajectory. Pose graphs are built frequently to acquire a smooth and accurate trajectory. A geometry‐based method and a learning‐based method to register LiDAR scans with the 3D model are tested and compared. Experimental results show that MoLO can eliminate drift and achieve real‐time localization while providing an accuracy equivalent to loop closure optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether the measurements of the fibrinogen-dependent clot firmness in FIBTEM-one of the rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) assays-during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) accurately predict the values after protamine administration. Materials and Methods: In this single-center retrospective observational study, we analyzed a database of patients undergoing on-pump surgeries between May 2022 and February 2024. We included patients in whom an intraoperative ROTEM examination during CPB and a follow-up examination directly after protamine infusion were performed. We excluded patients who received either fibrinogen concentrate or fresh frozen plasma between the two examinations. FIBTEM A5 values in both examinations were compared. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare non-normally distributed data. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the on-pump and postprotamine FIBTEM A5 values. Results: Seventy patients were included in the statistical analysis. There was a slight but statistically significant difference between FIBTEM A5 during CPB (median 16.0 mm, IQR 10.0-22.0) and after protamine administration (median 15.5 mm, IQR 8.7-22.3, p = 0.021). However, in linear regression analysis, FIBTEM A5 values during the last 30 min of the extracorporeal circulation were a significant predictor of FIBTEM A5 after protamine administration ( R  = 0.902, R 2  = 0.813, adjusted R 2  = 0.810, F(df regression, df residual) = 295.980, p < 0.001). The equation: y =  0.911 x   +  1 describes the line of best fit. Conclusions: Within the normal range limits, there is a very strong correlation between on-pump FIBTEM A5 values and FIBTEM A5 values after protamine administration., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Stanislaw Vander Zwaag et al. Anesthesiology Research and Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both government-mandated lockdowns and discretionary changes in behaviour combined to produce dramatic and abrupt changes to human mobility patterns. To understand the socioeconomic determinants of intervention compliance and discretionary behavioural responses to epidemic threats, we investigate whether changes in human mobility showed a systematic variation by socioeconomic status during two distinct periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. We analyse mobility data from two major urban centres and compare the trends during mandated stay-at-home policies and after the full relaxation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, which coincided with a large surge of COVID-19 cases. We analyse data aggregated from de-identified global positioning system trajectories, collated from providers of mobile phone applications and aggregated to small spatial regions. Our results demonstrate systematic decreases in mobility relative to the pre-pandemic baseline with the index of education and occupation, for both pandemic periods. On the other hand, the index of economic resources was not correlated with mobility changes. This result contrasts with observations from other national contexts, where reductions in mobility typically increased strongly with indicators of wealth. Our analysis suggests that economic support policies in place during the initial period of stay-at-home orders in Australia facilitated broad reductions in mobility across the economic spectrum., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2025 The Author(s).)

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a synaptic mechanism involved in learning and memory. Experiments have shown that dendritic sodium spikes (Na-dSpikes) are required for LTP in the distal apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal cells. On the other hand, LTP in perisomatic dendrites can be induced by synaptic input patterns that can be both subthreshold and suprathreshold for Na-dSpikes. It is unclear whether these results can be explained by one unifying plasticity mechanism. Here, we show in biophysically and morphologically realistic compartmental models of the CA1 pyramidal cell that these forms of LTP can be fully accounted for by a simple plasticity rule. We call it the voltage-based Event-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (ETDP) rule. The presynaptic event is the presynaptic spike or release of glutamate. The postsynaptic event is the local depolarization that exceeds a certain plasticity threshold. Our model reproduced the experimentally observed LTP in a variety of protocols, including local pharmacological inhibition of dendritic spikes by tetrodotoxin (TTX). In summary, we have provided a validation of the voltage-based ETDP, suggesting that this simple plasticity rule can be used to model even complex spatiotemporal patterns of long-term synaptic plasticity in neuronal dendrites., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Mangner has received personal fees from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Bayer, Abbott, Abiomed, B. Braun, and Boston Scientific outside the submitted work. Dr Fassl has received speaker fees from CSL Behring and Edwards Lifesciences outside the submitted work. Dr Haussig has received speaker honoraria and consulting fees from Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott, and Boston Scientific outside the submitted work. Dr Linke has received grants from Novartis; personal fees from Medtronic, Abbott, Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientific, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, Abiomed, Bayer, and Boehringer; and personal fees from Picardia, Transverse Medical, and Claret Medical outside the submitted work. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Background and Objectives: Transaxillary access is a straightforward “single incision—direct vision” concept, based on a 5 cm skin incision in the right anterior axillary line. It is suitable for aortic, mitral and tricuspid surgery. The present study evaluates the hospital outcomes of the transaxillary access for isolated mitral valve surgery compared with full sternotomy. Patients and Methods: The final study group included 480 patients. A total of 160 consecutive transaxillary patients served as treatment group (MICS-MITRAL). Based on a multivariate logistic regression model including age, sex, body-mass-index, EuroScore II and LVEF, a 1:2 propensity matched control-group (n = 320) was generated out of 980 consecutive sternotomy patients. Redo surgeries, endocarditis or combined procedures were excluded. The mean age was 66.6 ± 10.6 years, 48.6% (n = 234) were female. EuroSCORE II averaged 1.98 ± 1.4%. Results: MICS-MITRAL had longer perfusion (88.7 ± 26.6 min vs. 68.7 ± 32.7 min; p < 0.01) and cross-clamp (64.4 ± 22.3 min vs. 49.7 ± 22.4 min; p < 0.01) times. This did not translate into longer procedure times (132 ± 31 min vs. 131 ± 46 min; p = 0.76). Both groups showed low rates of failed repair (MICS-MITRAL: n = 6/160; 3.75%; Sternotomy: n = 10/320; 3.1%; p = 0.31). MICS-MITRAL had lower transfusion rates (p ≤ 0.001), less re-exploration for bleeding (p = 0.04), shorter ventilation times (p = 0.02), shorter ICU-stay (p = 0.05), less postoperative hemofiltration (p < 0.01) compared to sternotomy patients. No difference was seen in the incidence of stroke (p = 0.47) and postoperative delirium (p = 0.89). Hospital mortality was significantly lower in MICS-MITRAL patients (0.0% vs. 3.4%; p = 0.02). Conclusions: The transaxillary access for MICS-MITRAL provides superior cosmetics and excellent clinical outcomes. It can be performed at least as safely and in the same time frame as conventional mitral surgery by sternotomy.

The aim of this study was to draw attention to the risk of transmission of Encephalitozoon, Cryptosporidium and Blastocystis infection due to high animal migration and to point out that even wild animals can be a source of many zoonotic diseases. Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis spp. are frequent microscopic organisms that parasitise humans, domestic and wild animals. Two hundred and fifty-five faecal specimens were collected from wild boars, badgers, wolves, bears, foxes and deer from 15 locations in Slovakia. Sequencing of positive PCR products and subsequent sequence comparison with GenBank sequences identified Blastocystis spp. in five wild boars. The ST 5 (n = 4) and ST 10 (n = 1) subtypes were determined by genotyping. We identified Encephalitozoon cuniculi in five wild boars, and genotype II (n = 5) was determined on the basis of ITS repeat sequences. Cryptosporidium scrofarum was sequenced in wolves (n = 4) and wild boars (n = 1), while Cryptosporidium suis only in wild boars (n = 2). None of the wild boars had a mixed infection.

Catastrophic forgetting (CF) refers to the sudden and severe loss of prior information in learning systems when acquiring new information. CF has been an Achilles heel of standard artificial neural networks (ANNs) when learning multiple tasks sequentially. The brain, by contrast, has solved this problem during evolution. Modellers now use a variety of strategies to overcome CF, many of which have parallels to cellular and circuit functions in the brain. One common strategy, based on metaplasticity phenomena, controls the future rate of change at key connections to help retain previously learned information. However, the metaplasticity properties so far used are only a subset of those existing in neurobiology. We propose that as models become more sophisticated, there could be value in drawing on a richer set of metaplasticity rules, especially when promoting continual learning in agents moving about the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors have no interests to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Blastocystis spp. has been reported in wildlife, domestic animals and animals housed in ZOO. To-date, 17 genetically diverse lines have been reported in mammals and birds (designated ST) based on differences in the SSU rRNA. In this study, faeces samples were collected from 24 ZOO animals with clinical signs suggestive of gastrointestinal disease in Košice ZOO, Slovakia. After DNA isolation, PCR was conducted to amplify the SSU region of DNA of Blastocystis species. Forward primer- Blast F and reverse primer- Blast R were used in the reaction. From 25 faeces samples, Blastocystis spp. was detected in 5 animals (3 mammals, 2 birds), with a prevalence of 20%. Subsequent molecular analyses identified the ST 5 (n = 3), ST 7 (n = 1), and ST 12 (n = 1) subtypes, where the ST 5 subtype was identified in the mammalian group and birds, and the ST 7 and ST 12 subtypes were identified only in mammals. Based on these findings, focusing on ZOO animals as a potential source of infection for humans is highly recommended.