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Nonlinear excitation mechanisms of plasmons and their influence on femtosecond-laser induced sub-wavelength ripple generation on dielectric and semiconducting transparent materials are discussed. The agreement of theoretical and experimental data indicates the relevance of the model.

Due to the growing global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), there is a pressing demand for the development of charging infrastructure that offers enhanced performance while reducing the charging time of EVs. Combining innovative fast and smart charging technologies can result in cost-efficient charging solutions, optimized energy exploitation, and reduced charging time for EVs. This paper proposes a new design of a smart and fast charger for EV batteries. The charger is made of a PFC-based Vienna Rectifier (VR) and an isolated Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converter. The proposed charger enables intelligent data flow between the battery and the charger thanks to the Controller Area Network (CAN) communication employed by the CHAdeMO charging protocol. To validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed charger, the results of real-time simulations performed on RT-LAB platform, from OPAL-RT are presented and discussed.

Laser chemical machining represents a promising technology for manufacturing metallic micro parts. It is usually based on the selective thermal activation of electrochemical material dissolution of self-passivating metals in an electrolyte environment. Prior to widespread industrial acceptance, its machining quality needs to be classified within the subtractive machining processes and the range of machinable materials needs to be expanded. For this purpose, line and square cavities with dimensions ≤300 μm are machined into high speed steel HS10-4-3-10 in a H3PO4-environment and compared to those of the self-passivating cobalt-chrome alloy Stellite 21. As a result, the laser-induced removal velocities in HS10-4-3-10 amount to 50 μm/s. These are two orders of magnitudes higher than the background etching (2 nm/s at room temperature) and three times higher than those obtained in Stellite 21 (12 μm/s). However, the microscopic and spectroscopic analyses of both materials reveal a high shape accuracy with edge radii from 10 to 20 μm, a surface roughness down to 0.8 μm and a negligible microstructural impact. Despite lower removal rates and higher surface roughness, laser chemical machining provides higher dimensional accuracy in comparison with micro milling and shows its suitability for micro machining of structures

To achieve a stable and high wear resistive functional surface under dry sliding friction, the present study proposes micro-textured diamond-like carbon coatings fabricated by ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) using metallic masks. To clarify the suitable geometrical design under dry sliding friction, geometrical quantities of textured array patterns are varied by using metallic masks with different circular hole array patterns fabricated by picosecond pulsed laser processing. The effect of texturing on friction and wear properties is evaluated by ball-on-disk type friction tests for the condition of a constant DLC-coverage per unit area. Thereby, textured DLC pattern with diameters of 50 μm, 100 μm, and 150 μm are applied. Within the first 10 000 laps stable and lower coefficient of friction is obtained with the smallest diameters of 50 μm. However, at further rotation of more than 40 000 laps, the wear of the smaller diameters becomes more pronounced due to the increase of stress concentration at the edge of the structure. Based on these findings, geometrical design of micro-textured DLC coating is discussed with regard to the suppression of three-body plowing and the prevention of stress concentration.

To achieve a stable and high wear resistive functional surface under dry sliding friction, the present study proposes micro-textured diamond like carbon coatings fabricated by ionized physical vapour deposition (I-PVD) using metallic masks. To clarify the optimized geometrical dimensions under dry sliding friction, geometrical conditions of textured array patterns are varied by using metallic masks with different circular hole array patterns fabricated by picosecond pulsed laser processing. The effect of texturing on friction and wear properties is evaluated by ball-on-disk type friction tests for the condition of a constant DLC-coverage per unit area. Thereby, textured DLC pattern with diameters of 50 μm, 100 μm and 150 μm are applied. Within the first 10,000 laps stable and lower coefficient of friction is obtained with the smallest diameters of 50 μm. However, at further rotation of more than 40,000 laps, the wear of the smaller diameters becomes more pronounced due to the increase of stress concentration at the edge of the structure. Based on these findings, geometrical design of micro-textured DLC coating is discussed with regard to the suppression of three-body ploughing and the prevention of stress concentration.

Laser chemical machining, a non-conventional processing method based on thermally activated electrochemical material dissolution, represents a promising technology for manufacturing metallic dies for micro forming applications. Prior to widespread industrial acceptance the machining quality of laser chemical machining should be characterized. For this purpose, laser chemical machining is compared with micro milling regarding both the dimensional accuracy and the surface quality. Therefore, square micro cavities exhibiting side walls between 100 μm and 400 μm in length and 60 μm in depth are machined with both manufacturing processes into the cobalt-chrome alloy Stellite 21. The geometrical features are investigated using laser-scanning confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. On the one hand, laser chemical machining is more suitable for manufacturing cavities with dimensions < 200 μm due to higher shape accuracy with stable mean edge radii of (11.2 ± 1.3) μm as a result of roughing and finishing steps. On the other hand, the finish quality of micro milling with mean surface roughness Sa of 0.2 μm could not be achieved with laser chemical machining due to in-process induced waviness. Finally, the metallographic analysis of the surface-near layers reveals that both manufacturing processes ensure gentle machining without any noticeable micro structural impact.

The study presents the dry reforming of methane using natural Kaolin silica as catalyst support. The silica-supported LaNiO3 perovskite catalysts (20LaNiO3SiO2and 40LaNiO3/SiO2 and bulk LaNiO3 catalyst were synthesized by auto-combustion method. The resulting catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption - desorption isotherm measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). After reduction at 700 °C, they were used as catalysts for the reaction of dry reforming of methane into synthesis gas at atmospheric pressure at 800 °C. The reduced 40LaNiO3/SiO2 exhibited high catalytic activity. This result was attributed to the small Ni metallic particles obtained from the reduced perovskite highly dispersed on the support and the good reducibility. The increase of reduction temperature at 800 °C resulted in a further enhancement of the catalytic performance of 40LaNiO3/SiO2 catalyst. Copyright © 2019 BCREC Group. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Liver resection is a complex procedure requiring precise removal of tumors while preserving viable tissue. This study proposes a novel approach for automated liver resection planning, using segmentations of the liver, vessels, and tumors from CT scans to predict the future liver remnant (FLR), aiming to improve pre-operative planning accuracy and patient outcomes., Methods: This study evaluates deep convolutional and Transformer-based networks under various computational setups. Using different combinations of anatomical and pathological delineation masks, we assess the contribution of each structure. The method is initially tested with ground-truth masks for feasibility and later validated with predicted masks from a deep learning model., Results: The experimental results highlight the crucial importance of incorporating anatomical and pathological masks for accurate FLR delineation. Among the tested configurations, the best performing model achieves an average Dice score of approximately 0.86, aligning closely with the inter-observer variability reported in the literature. Additionally, the model achieves an average symmetric surface distance of 0.95 mm, demonstrating its precision in capturing fine-grained structural details critical for pre-operative planning., Conclusion: This study highlights the potential for fully-automated FLR segmentation pipelines in liver pre-operative planning. Our approach holds promise for developing a solution to reduce the time and variability associated with manual delineation. Such method can provide better decision-making in liver resection planning by providing accurate and consistent segmentation results. Future studies should explore its seamless integration into clinical workflows., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no Conflict of interest., (© 2025. CARS.)

Introduction: Ectopic pregnancies are a significant clinical concern, with 90 % occurring in the fallopian tubes. However, they can also manifest in other locations, including the cervix, ovary, and abdominal cavity. Abdominal pregnancies, which constitute less than 1 % of ectopic pregnancies, are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Among these, pregnancies located in the broad ligament are particularly rare and can sometimes be carried to term., Case Presentation: This case report discusses a 27-year-old patient presenting with a 14-week pregnancy diagnosed in the broad ligament, highlighting the challenges in prenatal diagnosis and the potential complications associated with this condition. The report details the clinical management, including an exploratory laparotomy and subsequent treatment, and underscores the importance of awareness and timely intervention in cases of broad ligament ectopic pregnancies. This case contributes to the limited literature on this uncommon type of ectopic pregnancy and emphasizes the need for further research to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches., Clinical Discussion: Ectopic pregnancy of the broad ligament is a relatively rare pathology documented in the literature. Its diagnosis is clinical and paraclinical, especially if ultrasound is performed early. Management is similar to that of an abdominal pregnancy. Maternal prognosis can be difficult if management is less than optimal in terms of surgery, anesthesia, resuscitation and the absence of blood products. This is why first-trimester ultrasound is so important., Conclusions: This case underscores the importance of awareness and timely intervention in managing broad ligament ectopic pregnancies, and highlighting the need for further research to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Hydatid disease is endemic in Tunisia. Whereas uncomplicated pulmonary hydatid cysts are easily diagnosed on radiological findings, complicated and atypical forms may be misdiagnosed and confused with other pulmonary lesions, mainly lung malignancies. We report a case of a 47-year-old woman, who presented with a 3-month history of hemoptysis. Physical examination was normal. Chest x-ray and CT scan of the chest revealed a mass with speculated margins and central necrosis, located in the apical segment of the right lower lobe moderately contrast-enhanced. The scan guided biopsy showed inflammatory pulmonary parenchyma with no signs of malignancy. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed significant bleeding from the superior segmental bronchus of right lower lobe. Pathology examination of the bronchial aspiration revealed a suggestive aspect of malignant cells. Regarding those findings, lung carcinoma was highly suspected and the importance of hemoptysis motivated an urgent hemostasis lobectomy. The patient underwent a right lower lobectomy with radical lymph node dissection via a right posterolateral thoracotomy. Histological examination showed a laminated membrane lined by a proligerous membrane made up of a layer of eosinophilic cells confirming the diagnosis of pulmonary hydatid cyst. It should be kept in mind that pulmonary hydatid disease can clinically, radiologically mimic lung cancer. Exceptionally, even cytology can lead to a diagnosis pitfall., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: The extension of hydatid liver cysts into the mediastinum through diaphragmatic hiatus is extremely rare. In this report, we describe a rare case of a hydatid liver cyst with mediastinal extension through Larrey's hiatus, emphasizing the surgical strategy for successful treatment.In this report, we present the first documented case of a hydatid liver cyst extending into the mediastinum through Larrey's hiatus., Case Presentation: We report the case of a 65-year-old male who presented with right-upper-quadrant and left-sided chest pain evolving for two months. Physical examination showed dullnes in the epigastric region. A thoraco-abdominal CT scan, revealed a 13 cm mediastino-abdominal hydatid cyst, centered on the left liver lobe with extension into the mediastinum through the Larray's diaphragmatic hiatus. The patient underwent surgical management. Both thoracic and visceral surgeons were involved. The surgical management involved both thoracic and visceral surgeons. A Makuuchi incision allowed resection of the hydatid liver cyst. The mediastinal portion of the cyst, resting on the pericardium was aspirated through Larrey's hiatus, followed by irrigation with a scolicidal solution. The postoperative course was uneventful., Conclusion: Transmediastinal hydatid liver cysts are rare and should be operated on in close collaboration between visceral and thoracic surgeons to prevent complications., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Messaoudi H et al.)

Introduction: hydatid disease, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, primarily affects the liver and lungs, with splenic involvement being exceedingly rare, occurring in only 0.5 % of cases. This case report highlights a 17-year-old male presenting with a complicated hydatid cyst in the lung, along with an incidental splenic cyst, emphasizing the importance of single-stage surgery in treating multi-organ hydatid disease., Case Presentation: a 17-year-old male presented with a three-month history of left-sided chest pain and a dry cough. Imaging revealed a complicated hydatid cyst in the left lung and an incidental splenic cyst. Serological tests confirmed the presence of anti-hydatid antibodies. A single-stage surgical approach was performed via a transthoracic route, involving cystectomy and pericystectomy for the pulmonary cyst, followed by removal of the splenic cyst. The postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the fifth day with a six-month course of oral albendazole., Discussion: hydatid disease is a significant public health issue, with simultaneous pulmonary and splenic involvement being rare. Surgical intervention remains the cornerstone of treatment for pulmonary hydatid disease, with medical therapy used as an adjunct. In this case, a single-stage surgery was chosen due to its advantages, such as reduced anesthesia, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery., Conclusion: single-stage surgery provides an effective and efficient option for managing multi-organ hydatid disease. This case highlights its feasibility and benefits, particularly in young patients from endemic regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Importance: Endometrial polyps are rare sites of metastatic breast carcinoma. Such cases have mainly been reported in tamoxifen-related polyps., Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 56-year-old woman with invasive lobular carcinoma who was experiencing vaginal bleeding. She underwent hysteroscopy with biopsy. Microscopic examination revealed an endometrial polyp with foci of adenocarcinoma. The morphological features of the tumor matched those of the original breast carcinoma., Clinical Discussion: Neoplasms originating from extra-genital sites frequently spread to the female genital organs. However, these metastases are mainly concentrated in the ovaries and vagina, while those affecting the uterus are rare. Among non-genital malignant tumors, mammary carcinoma - particularly the lobular type - is the most common to affect the uterus, followed by digestive and pulmonary tumors. Metastases within an endometrial polyp are particularly unusual., Conclusions: It is crucial to consider metastatic tumors when assessing vaginal bleeding in patients with breast carcinoma. Because of the possibility of endometrial polyps being affected by metastasis, pathologists must examine them rigorously and thoroughly., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement Saad Benali Hamza Messaoudi, Abdelhamid Benlghazi were responsible for the patient's diagnosis and clinical management. Abdelhamid Benlghazi and Saad Benali wrote the manuscript. Moulay Mehdi Elhassani and Kouach Jaouad contributed to the analysis, supervision, writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript for intellectual content. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction and Importance: The occurrence of ovarian tumors during pregnancy is relatively low, with an incidence of approximately 0.05 %. Both primary ovarian cancer and metastatic malignancies are uncommon in pregnant women, and there is often a delay in diagnosing these conditions., Case Presentation: We report the case of rectal cancer with ovarian metastasis discovered in a 36-year-old multiparous pregnant woman who presented at 21 weeks gestation with constipation and increased abdominal volume over the past three weeks. These symptoms were associated with loss of appetite and general fatigue. Further investigations revealed a 12 × 9 cm mass on the left side of the uterus and a 5.2 × 4 × 3.6 cm mass in the recto-sigmoid region. Initially, the patient underwent left adnexectomy, peritoneal cytology, biopsies of the peritoneum, epiploic region, and right ovary. Subsequently, the pregnancy was continued until 34 weeks' amenorrhea, when the fetus was extracted, and a complete surgical procedure was performed, including total hysterectomy, right adnexectomy, resection of the recto-sigmoid tumor with appendectomy and infra-gastric omentectomy. After surgery, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy., Clinical Discussion: It is important to consider the possibility of malignancy during pregnancy when atypical clinical presentations occur. Gastrointestinal cancer is the most common cause of Krukenberg's tumor in pregnant women. Early diagnosis of cancer at an operable stage is essential to improve prognosis., Conclusions: This clinical case highlights the rarity of Krukenberg's tumor during pregnancy and the challenges encountered in diagnosing and treating this disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the use of flow cytometry (FCM) in the diagnosis of inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) at a single center in Algeria. Sharing insights into our practical experience, we present FCM based diagnostic approaches adapted to different clinical scenarios., Methods: Between May 2017 and February 2024, pediatric and adult patients presenting with clinical features suggestive of immunodeficiency were subjected to FCM evaluation, including lymphocyte subset analysis, detection of specific surface or intracellular proteins, and functional analysis of immune cells., Results: Over a nearly seven-year period, our laboratory diagnosed a total of 670 patients (372 (55.5%) males and 298 (44.5%) females), distributed into 70 different IEIs belonging to 9 different categories of the International Union of Immunological Societies classification. FCM was used to diagnose and categorize IEI in 514 patients (76.7%). It provided direct diagnostic insights for IEIs such as severe combined immunodeficiency, Omenn syndrome, MHC class II deficiency, familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, and CD55 deficiency. For certain IEIs, including hyper-IgE syndrome, STAT1-gain of function, autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, and activated PI3K delta syndrome, FCM offered suggestive evidence, necessitating subsequent genetic testing for confirmation. Protein expression and functional assays played a crucial role in establishing definitive diagnoses for various disorders. To setup such diagnostic assays at high and reproducible quality, high level of expertise is required; in house reference values need to be determined and the parallel testing of healthy controls is highly recommended., Conclusion: Flow cytometry has emerged as a highly valuable and cost-effective tool for diagnosing and studying most IEIs, particularly in low-income countries where access to genetic testing can be limited. FCM analysis could provide direct diagnostic insights for most common IEIs, offer clues to the underlying genetic defects, and/or aid in narrowing the list of putative genes to be analyzed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Tahiat, Belbouab, Yagoubi, Hakem, Fernini, Keddari, Belhadj, Touri, Aggoune, Stoddard, Niemela, Zerifi, Melzi, Aboura, Saad-Djaballah, Ferhani, Ketfi, Messaoudi, Bencharif Madani, Benhacine, Dehimi, Okka, Amroune, Fellahi, Bendahmane, Khoulani, Oukil, Soufane, Bourelaf, Boubidi, Boukhenfouf, Amine Ifri, Khelafi, Boudiaf, Khelifi Touhami, Meçabih, Boucelma, Zelaci, Gacem, Ladj, Mekki, Bensaadi, Benhalima, Zeroual, Bioud, Benameur, Bouhdjila, Bouzerar, Ibsaine, Maouche, Kedji, Smati, Boukari, Lambert, Rosenzweig, Notarangelo and Djenouhat.)

To assess the effects of warm-up music and low dose (3 mg·kg -1 ) of caffeine (CAF) on female taekwondo athlete's activity profile and psychophysiological responses during simulated combat. In a double-blinded, randomized, crossover study, 16 female athletes participated in simulated combats under one control and 5 experimental conditions [i.e., CAF alone (CAF), placebo alone (PL), CAF with music (CAF + M), PL with music (PL + M), and no supplement with music (M)]. After warming-up, athletes rated their felt arousal (FAS). Mean (HR mean ) and peak (HR peak ) heart rate values were determined for each combat. After fighting, athletes rated their perceived exertion (RPE), feeling scale (FS), FAS, and physical enjoyment (PACES). Time-motion and technical-tactical variables were analyzed. CAF + M induced shorter skip and pause time, while attack time increased compared to other conditions (p < 0.05). Moreover, CAF + M increased single attacks, combined attacks, counter-attacks (p < 0.001), and defensive actions (p < 0.05) than other conditions. HR mean and HR peak were lower under CAF + M than other conditions (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher FAS post-combat, FS, and PACES were observed under CAF + M, while RPE was lower (except CAF condition) compared to the other conditions (p < 0.05.Using CAF with warm-up music may increase combat cadence and improve the psychological state in female athletes more effectively than either strategy alone., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction and Importance: Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare form of sarcoma mainly seen in children and adolescents. In the specific case of the cervix, embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma is an extremely rare mesenchymal tumor, accounting for <1 % of all cervical cancers. This highly malignant tumor mainly affects adolescents and young adults., Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 29-year-old woman with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the cervix, which manifested as an exophytic cervical mass. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings confirmed the presence of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the cervix. This patient was successfully treated with a combination of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral ovary transposition, and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy., Clinical Discussion: Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of the cervix may manifest by vaginal bleeding, a cervical mass and pelvic symptoms. The diagnosis is confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. With multimodal treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, outcomes improve for patients., Conclusions: Uterine cervix embryonal RMS is an uncommon cancer in adult patients. While rare, it should be considered as a potential diagnosis in patients presenting with vaginal bleeding and a significant cervical polyp. Histopathology, complemented by relevant immunohistochemistry, is crucial for accurately detecting the tumor and guiding appropriate management strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Myasthenia gravis primarily affects young adults, with a higher incidence in women, particularly between the ages of 20 and 30. When a young woman with myasthenia gravis contemplates pregnancy, healthcare providers must consider the potential implications. The interplay between hormonal factors and changes in the immune system establishes a complex relationship between myasthenia gravis and pregnancy. On one hand, pregnancy can alter the course of the disease, while on the other hand, the disease can impact the progression of the pregnancy and the well-being of the fetus. In this case report, we present the case of a 28-year-old woman suffering from myasthenia gravis who had undergone a thymectomy 5 years ago and was being treated with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. After a planned conception, the patient presented a relapse of her disease during the third trimester of pregnancy, with the onset of severe hydramnios. This observation highlights a specific case of decompensation of myasthenia gravis during pregnancy, associated with the presence of severe hydramnios. Subsequently, we delve into the existing literature to examine the reciprocal influence between myasthenia gravis and pregnancy, as well as the effects of anti-myasthenic treatments on pregnancy outcomes., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Introduction and Importance: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is an uncommon, long-lasting inflammatory condition of the female breast. It is characterized by the development of a painful breast mass that gradually increases in size. This condition is benign and its cause is unknown. It primarily affects women of childbearing age who have a history of pregnancy and breastfeeding. The main feature of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is the presence of chronic inflammation in the breast., Case Presentation: We report a 36-year-old woman with a history of pregnancy and breastfeeding presented with pain and swelling of the right breast. Physical examination revealed a mass with redness and retraction of the nipple. Imaging revealed localized density and hypoechoic areas with collection, suggesting granulomatous mastitis. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. The abscess was drained through a small incision performed under local anesthesia. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in significant improvement, with complete resolution after one month., Clinical Discussion: A comprehensive evaluation of potential causes is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Histologically, it is distinguished by the predominant presence of neutrophils and the absence of caseous necrosis. Treatment remains controversial, with recent literature supporting the efficacy of conservative management with steroid and immunosuppressive therapy, leaving surgical excision for complicated and refractory cases., Conclusions: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is an uncommon breast condition where the exact causes and recommended treatment approaches are not well-defined. It is important to consider this condition in women who are in their reproductive years., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study demonstrates the potential of sono-photodynamic therapy as an effective approach for enhancing singlet oxygen generation using the synthesized Schiff-base diaxially substituted silicon phthalocyanines. In photochemical studies, the singlet oxygen quantum yields (Φ ∆ ) were determined as 0.43 for Si1a, 0.94 for Q-Si1a, 0.58 for S-Si1a, and 0.49 for B-Sia1. In sono-photochemical studies, the Φ ∆ values were reached to 0.67 for Si1a, 1.06 for Q-Si1a, 0.65 for S-Si1a, and 0.67 for B-Sia1. In addition, this study demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of phthalocyanines synthesized as sensitizers on the PC3 prostate cancer cell line through in vitro experiments. The application of these treatment modalities exhibited notable outcomes, leading to a substantial decrease in cell viability within the PC3 prostate cancer cell line. These findings highlight the potential of utilizing these synthesized phthalocyanines as promising therapeutic agents for prostate cancer treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: This study assesses the acute effects of combining a plyometric-based conditioning activity (CA) with different musical stimuli during warm-up on taekwondo (TKD) performance and related psychological aspects., Methods: In a randomized cross-over study design, 16 male TKD athletes (age: 19.94 ± 1.12 years) performed the TKD-specific agility test (TSAT), frequency speed of kick test (FSKT-10s) and its multiple version (FSKT-mult) under 7 experimental and one control condition. For the experimental conditions, participants experienced varying combinations of music selection process [self-selected (SSM) vs. pre-selected (PSM)], and music tempo [fast (F) vs. slow (S)], within preferred (PG) and non-preferred (NPG) music genre; all in the presence of a plyometric based-CA. Athletes were instructed to rate their perceived exertion (RPE) after each test and their felt arousal (FAS), feeling scale (FS), and motivation after testing completion., Results: Findings showed that combining a plyometric-based CA with SSMPG at both fast and slow tempo improved TSAT, FSK-10s, FSKT-mult, FAS, motivation, and RPE post-TSAT greater than the other conditions (all p < 0.05). Additionally, FSSMPG combined with CA improved FS, and RPE after both FSKT-10s and FSKT-mult better than the other conditions (all p < 0.05)., Conclusion: In conclusion, listening to fast self-selected music from a preferred genre in combination with a plyometric-based CA during warm-up setups an individualized warm-up strategy and serves to improve the subsequent specific performances and the related psychological aspects in TKD athletes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (© 2024 Messaoudi, Ouergui, Delleli, Ballmann, Ardigò and Chtourou.)

This systematic review summarized the studies that examined the pre-task music effects on performance aspects and quantitatively analyzed their outcomes. A systematic search for controlled studies investigating the acute effects of pre-task music on physical performance, cognitive aspects and associated psycho-physiological responses was performed through Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases up to 17 May 2023, with thirty studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data was analyzed using the robust multilevel meta-analysis model of standardized mean difference "SMD" with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and prediction intervals (PI) were reported. Pre-task music induced improvements of completion time (SMD = -0.24; 95% CI = -0.46 to -0.01; PI = -0.82 to 0.35; p  = 0.04), relative mean power (RMP) (SMD = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.16 to 0.60; PI = -0.36 to 1.12; p  = 0.003) and fatigue (SMD = -0.20; 95% CI = -0.32 to -0.09; PI = -0.36 to -0.05; p  = 0.01), moderate effects on relative peak power (RPP) (SMD = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.21 to 0.85; PI = -0.42 to 1.48; p  = 0.005), and high effect on feeling scale (FS) (SMD = 2.42; 95% CI = 0.52 to 4.31; PI = -11.43 to 16.26; p  = 0.03). Greater benefits were recorded in jumping performance in males than females ( p  = 0.01), and for active than trained subjects for completion time ( p  = 0.02), RPP ( p  = 0.02) and RMP ( p  = 0.03). Larger benefits were obtained for FS post-warming up than after testing ( p  = 0.04). Self-selected music induced greater effects than pseudo- and pre-selected for performance decrement index ( p  = 0.05) and FS ( p  = 0.02). It could be concluded that pre-task music improved psychological responses and fatigue-related symptoms associated with exercise performance enhancement., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Delleli, Ouergui, Ballmann, Messaoudi, Trabelsi, Ardigò and Chtourou.)

Aims: Inflammatory cytokines play a critical role in the progression of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), for which there is currently no pharmacological treatment. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that interleukin-8 (IL-8), known to be involved in arterial calcification, also promotes aortic valve calcification (AVC) and to evaluate whether pharmacologically blocking the IL-8 receptor, CXC motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), could be effective in preventing AVC progression., Methods and Results: A cohort of 195 patients (median age 73, 74% men) diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis (severe in 16.9% of cases) were prospectively followed by CT for a median time of 2.6 years. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that baseline IL-8 serum concentrations were associated with rapid progression of AVC, defined as an annualized change in the calcification score by CT ≥ 110 AU/year, after adjustment for age, gender, bicuspid anatomy, and baseline disease severity. In vitro, exposure of primary human aortic valvular interstitial cells (hVICs) to 15 pg/mL IL-8 induced a two-fold increase in inorganic phosphate (Pi)-induced calcification. IL-8 promoted NFκB pathway activation, MMP-12 expression, and elastin degradation in hVICs exposed to Pi. These effects were prevented by SCH527123, an antagonist of CXCR2. The expression of CXCR2 was confirmed in hVICs and samples of aortic valves isolated from patients with CAVD, in which the receptor was mainly found in calcified areas, along with MMP-12 and a degraded form of elastin. Finally, in a rat model of chronic kidney disease-associated CAVD, SCH527123 treatment (1 mg/kg/day given orally for 11 weeks) limited the decrease in aortic cusp separation, the increase in maximal velocity of the transaortic jet, and the increase in aortic mean pressure gradient measured by echocardiography, effects that were associated with a reduction in hydroxyapatite deposition and MMP-12 expression in the aortic valves., Conclusion: Overall, these results highlight, for the first time, a significant role for IL-8 in the progression of CAVD by promoting calcification via a CXCR2- and MMP-12-dependent mechanism that leads to elastin degradation, and identify CXCR2 as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of CAVD., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The effects of caffeine (CAF) and music have been well documented when used separately, but their combined effects are not yet studied. Thus, the present study assessed the acute effects of combining a low dose of CAF with listening to music during warm-up on taekwondo physical performance, perceived exertion (RPE), and psychological responses during taekwondo-specific tasks in male elite athletes. In a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study design, male taekwondo athletes (n = 16; age: 18.25 ± 0.75 years) performed the taekwondo-specific agility test (TSAT), 10 s frequency speed of kick test (FSKT-10s) and the multiple version of FSKT (FSKT-mult) under the following conditions: 1) CAF without music (CAF+NoM), 2) placebo (PL) without music (PL+NoM), 3) CAF with music (CAF+M), 4) PL with music (PL+M), 5) no supplement with music (NoS+M) and no supplement without music (control). RPE, feeling scale (FS), felt arousal scale (FAS) and physical enjoyment (PACES) were determined after each test. Findings showed the CAF+M condition induced better performances than other conditions for TSAT, FSKT-10s, FSKT-mult, RPE, FAS and FS and PACES post FSKT-10s (all p<0.05). Moreover, CAF+M resulted in better responses than other conditions for PACES post TSAT (p<0.05) with the exception of CAF+NoM. Likewise, CAF+M condition induced better physical enjoyment than PL+NoM, NoS+M and PL+M conditions post FSKT-mult (p<0.05). Combining low dose of CAF with music during warm-up was an effective strategy that induced greater effects than their isolated use during taekwondo specific tasks., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Delleli et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)