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Exploring hidden patterns in medical data sets is made possible by the huge potential of medical data mining. A clinical diagnosis can be made with the help of these patterns. Research on bio-inspired algorithms is a recent development. Its primary benefit is its ability to weave together social behavior, emergence, and connectionism subfields. In a nutshell, it involves modeling live phenomena using computers while studying life to make better computer applications. This chapter describes the application of five bio-inspired algorithms, including metaheuristics, to classify seven distinct real health-related information sets. While the other two of these methods rely on random population creation to create classification rules, the other two rely on the computation of similarity between the data used for training and testing. The outcomes demonstrated that bio-inspired supervised medical data classification methods were incredibly effective.

Two independent temporal-spatial clusters of hospital-onset Rhizopus infections were evaluated using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that isolates within each cluster were unrelated despite epidemiological suspicion of outbreaks. The ITS1 region alone was insufficient for accurate analysis. WGS has utility for rapid rule-out of suspected nosocomial Rhizopus outbreaks.

Summary: Background and aims: A growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of culinary nutrition interventions; however, there is limited research on the analytical techniques, components, and the combined impact of these interventions alongside contextual factors in addressing child growth failure. This paper examines the combined effect of culinary nutrition interventions and contextual factors in reducing child growth failure within mining communities. Methods and materials: This study employed a cross-sectional design, targeting children under the age of five and their caregivers. A total of 706 participants were included, selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected through structured questionnaires, direct child measurements, and structured interviews. Anthropometric data were analysed using the WHO growth standards. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and logistic regression, with an emphasis on examining interaction effects. Results: The results revealed that 34.7% of the children experienced growth failure while 55% of the caregivers participated in culinary nutrition programs. Children whose caregivers participated in culinary programs had significantly lower odds of experiencing growth failure (OR = 0.69∗∗, P = 0.019, 95% CI). Factorial analysis demonstrated that the impact of culinary interventions on reducing child growth failure was more pronounced in households with adequate food (OR = 0.46∗, P = 0.085, 90% CI), households with vegetable gardens (OR = 0.50∗∗, P = 0.005, 95% CI), children with a good appetite (OR = 0.44∗∗, P = 0.032, 95% CI), households practicing food preservation (OR = 0.52∗, P = 0.054, 90% CI), and those producing their own food (OR = 0.46∗∗, P = 0.016, 95% CI). Conclusion: The findings highlight the synergistic impact of culinary nutrition interventions alongside key factors in addressing child growth failure, particularly in mining communities. It emphasizes the importance of integrating both nutritional programs and the social environment to effectively combat child malnutrition and stunting in these vulnerable populations.

Introduction: The vertical transmission rate (VTR) of HIV has decreased to less than 2% in high-income countries, in spite of which perinatal infections continue to occur. We present data from the national cohort of pregnant women living with HIV and their children in Spain. The objectives were to describe the characteristics of this population, evaluate the VTR of HIV, the safety of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the prevalence of coinfection. Patients and methods: Multicentre prospective, observational and descriptive study with participation of 62 hospitals. The sample included pegnant women living with HIV whose children were born between January 2020 and December 2022. We collected prospective data on the characteristics of mothers and children using an online questionnaire (REDCap web application). Results: The study included 414 mother-child dyads. Most mothers were immigrants (227/349; 65.1%). The main route of HIV infection was heterosexual transmission (160/402; 39.8%), followed by vertical transmission (44/402; 10.9%). The diagnosis was made before conception in 313/389 women (80.4%), 394/402 (98%) received ART during pregnancy and 356/402 (89.3%) had an undetectable viral load at the time of delivery. The delivery was vaginal in 230/388 children (59.3%). The proportion of preterm birth was 11.1%. The most frequent neonatal prophylaxis approach was monotherapy with zidovudine (358/414; 86.5%). There were 3 cases of vertical transmission of HIV (95% CI, 0%–1.54%). Only one newborn was breastfed. Conclusions: At present, most women living with HIV in Spain receive the diagnosis before conception, are of foreign ancestry and achieve good control of the infection. Although the VTR is very low in Spain, there are still infections that could be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. Resumen: Introducción: La tasa de transmisión materno-infantil (TMI) del VIH ha disminuido a menos del 2% en países desarrollados, a pesar de lo cual siguen produciéndose infecciones. Se presentan los datos de la Cohorte Nacional Española de mujeres embarazadas que viven con VIH y sus hijos. Los objetivos fueron describir sus características, evaluar la TMI de VIH, la seguridad del tratamiento antirretroviral (TAR) y la prevalencia de coinfecciones. Pacientes y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, observacional, prospectivo y multicéntrico con participación de 62 hospitales. Se incluyeron las embarazadas cuyos hijos nacieron entre enero 2020 y diciembre 2022. Se recogieron prospectivamente características de las madres y niños en REDCap. Resultados: Hubo 414 pares madre-niño. Las madres fueron migrantes 227/349 (65,1%). La principal vía de adquisición del VIH fue la heterosexual (160/402; 39,8%), seguido de la TMI (44/402; 10,9%). En 313/389 (80,4%) el diagnóstico fue previo al embarazo, 394/402 (98%) recibieron TAR durante la gestación y 356/402 (89,3%) presentaba carga viral indetectable al parto. Hubo 230/388 (59,3%) neonatos nacidos por parto vaginal. La tasa de prematuridad fue 11,1%. La profilaxis neonatal más empleada (358/414; 86,5%) fue monoterapia con zidovudina. Hubo 3 casos de TMI del VIH (0,72% (IC 95%; 0%–1,54%), todos ellos con infección intraútero. Todos menos 1 recibieron lactancia artificial. Conclusiones: Actualmente las mujeres que viven con VIH en nuestro medio son migrantes, diagnosticadas mayoritariamente antes de la gestación, y logran adecuada situación inmunovirológica. Aunque la tasa de TMI es muy baja en nuestro país continúan ocurriendo infecciones prevenibles con diagnóstico y tratamiento más precoces.

Introduction: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a bariatric surgical procedure associated with a non-negligible risk of postoperative adverse events, especially fistulas, the majority of which occur at the angle of His. This adverse event requires a multidisciplinary approach involving intensive care, surgery, interventional endoscopy, and radiology. Despite the absence of an algorithmic endoscopic approach, a primarily endoscopic management of fistulas after LSG is now standard of care in most institutions. Case Report: A 66-year-old female with grade III obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension underwent LSG. She developed abdominal pain, hypovolemic shock, and severe anemia (Hb 6.5 g/dL). A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed hemoperitoneum without active bleeding, managed with transfusion of packed blood cells. A week later, a new CT scan performed for leukocytosis and abdominal pain revealed pneumoperitoneum. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a 20-mm fistula orifice at the angle of His. A novel esophageal covered metallic stent was placed for a period of 5 weeks. The fistula orifice decreased to 4 mm and communicated through a fistulous tract with a residual subphrenic abscess measuring 62 × 20 mm. Pus was collected from the abscess and drained internally with a 10-Fr double pigtail plastic stent through the fistula orifice. Following an initial period of improvement, clinical deterioration required percutaneous subphrenic abscess drainage. Two weeks later, the double pigtail plastic stent was removed, the fistula orifice was ablated with argon plasma 40W/1L and closed with an over-the-scope clip of 10 mm. Patient improved and was discharged 4 months after the LSG. Conclusion: The Luso-Cor esophageal stent is a specifically designed covered metallic stent with a 5-mm uncovered ring near the proximal edge, which reduces the risk of migration. Two articulating zones in the middle portion allow better adaptation to altered anatomy after LSG and a distal flare reduces retrograde reflux of fluid. This stent overcomes strictures in the gastric tube, concomitantly present in nearly 50% of patients with fistulas after LSG. The novel Luso-Cor esophageal stent provided a bridge to clinical stability with a significant reduction in the size of the fistula orifice which was closed with complementary therapeutic endoscopic procedures.

Discoveries of new species often depend on one or a few specimens, leading to delays as researchers wait for additional context, sometimes for decades. There is currently little professional incentive for a single expert to publish a stand-alone species description. Additionally, while many journals accept taxonomic descriptions, even specialist journals expect insights beyond the descriptive work itself. The combination of these factors exacerbates the issue that only a small fraction of marine species are known and new discoveries are described at a slow pace, while they face increasing threats from accelerating global change. To tackle this challenge, this first compilation of Ocean Species Discoveries (OSD) presents a new collaborative framework to accelerate the description and naming of marine invertebrate taxa that can be extended across all phyla. Through a mode of publication that can be speedy, taxonomy-focused and generate higher citation rates, OSD aims to create an attractive home for single species descriptions. This Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA) approach emphasises thorough, but compact species descriptions and diagnoses, with supporting illustrations and with molecular data when available. Even basic species descriptions carry key data for distributions and ecological interactions (e.g., host-parasite relationships) besides universally valid species names; these are essential for downstream uses, such as conservation assessments and communicating biodiversity to the broader public.This paper presents thirteen marine invertebrate taxa, comprising one new genus, eleven new species and one re-description and reinstatement, covering wide taxonomic, geographic, bathymetric and ecological ranges. The taxa addressed herein span three phyla (Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata), five classes, eight orders and twelve families. Apart from the new genus, an updated generic diagnosis is provided for four other genera. The newly-described species of the phylum Mollusca are Placiphorella methanophila Vončina, sp. nov. (Polyplacophora, Mopaliidae), Lepetodrilus marianae Chen, Watanabe & Tsuda, sp. nov. (Gastropoda, Lepetodrilidae), Shinkailepas gigas Chen, Watanabe & Tsuda, sp. nov. (Gastropoda, Phenacolepadidae) and Lyonsiella illaesa Machado & Sigwart, sp. nov. (Bivalvia, Lyonsiellidae). The new taxa of the phylum Arthropoda are all members of the subphylum Crustacea: Lepechinella naces Lörz & Engel, sp. nov. (Amphipoda, Lepechinellidae), Cuniculomaera grata Tandberg & Jażdżewska, gen. et sp. nov. (Amphipoda, Maeridae), Pseudionella pumulaensis Williams & Landschoff, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Bopyridae), Mastigoniscus minimus Wenz, Knauber & Riehl, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Haploniscidae), Macrostylis papandreas Jonannsen, Riehl & Brandt, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Macrostylidae), Austroniscus indobathyasellus Kaiser, Kniesz & Kihara, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Nannoniscidae) and Apseudopsis daria Esquete & Tato, sp. nov. (Tanaidacea, Apseudidae). In the phylum Echinodermata, the reinstated species is Psychropotes buglossa E. Perrier, 1886 (Holothuroidea, Psychropotidae).The study areas span the North and Central Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the North, East and West Pacific Ocean and depths from 5.2 m to 7081 m. Specimens of eleven free-living and one parasite species were collected from habitats ranging from an estuary to deep-sea trenches. The species were illustrated with photographs, line drawings, micro-computed tomography, confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images. Molecular data are included for nine species and four species include a molecular diagnosis in addition to their morphological diagnosis.The five new geographic and bathymetric distribution records comprise Lepechinella naces Lörz & Engel, sp. nov., Cuniculomaera grata Tandberg & Jażdżewska, sp. nov., Pseudionella pumulaensis Williams & Landschoff, sp. nov., Austroniscus indobathyasellus Kaiser, Kniesz & Kihara, sp. nov. and Psychropotes buglossa E. Perrier, 1886, with the novelty spanning from the species to the family level. The new parasite record is Pseudionella pumulaensis Williams & Landschoff, sp. nov., found in association with the hermit crab Pagurus fraserorum Landschoff & Komai, 2018.

Abstract Bats (order: Chiroptera) are known to host a diverse range of viruses, some of which present a human public health risk. Thorough viral surveillance is therefore essential to predict and potentially mitigate zoonotic spillover. Astroviruses (family: Astroviridae) are an understudied group of viruses with a growing amount of indirect evidence for zoonotic transfer. Astroviruses have been detected in bats with significant prevalence and diversity, suggesting that bats may act as important astrovirus hosts. Most astrovirus surveillance in wild bat hosts has, to date, been restricted to single-gene PCR detection and concomitant Sanger sequencing; additionally, many bat species and many geographic regions have not yet been surveyed for astroviruses at all. Here, we use metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS) to detect astroviruses in three species of Madagascar fruit bats, Eidolon dupreanum, Pteropus rufus, and Rousettus madagascariensis. We detect numerous partial sequences from all three species and one near-full length astrovirus sequence from Rousettus madagascariensis, which we use to characterize the evolutionary history of astroviruses both within bats and the broader mammalian clade, Mamastrovirus. Taken together, applications of mNGS implicate bats as important astrovirus hosts and demonstrate novel patterns of bat astrovirus evolutionary history, particularly in the Southwest Indian Ocean region.

The text investigates the interactions between dance and music in the piece Colaboração: 16 variações sobre um tema (Collaboration: 16 variations on a theme) by the dancer Maria Alice Poppe and the musician Tato Taborda. Its structure, a set of variations on a theme that reappears at the end, echoes Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Each of the variations refers to seminal themes, works and issues in contemporary dance and contemporary music, such as silence, noise, listening and body awareness, deepening the reflection on the interaction between sound and gesture, in the works and concepts of others artists, but also in works by the two artists, created over 10 years of artistic collaboration.

Colaboração ou 16 Variações sobre um Tema: conformações paradoxais entre dança, música e conceito – O texto investiga a relação entre dança e música na peça Colaboração: 16 variações sobre um tema, criada e interpretada pela bailarina Maria Alice Poppe e pelo músico Tato Taborda. Sua estrutura, um conjunto de variações sobre um tema que reaparece ao final, ecoa as Variações Goldberg de Bach. As variações de Colaboração remetem a temas e questões seminais da dança e da música contemporânea, como o silêncio, o ruído, a escuta e consciência corporal, aprofundando uma reflexão acerca da interação entre som e gesto nas obras e conceitos de outros criadores, mas, também, nas obras dos dois artistas criadas ao longo de 10 anos de colaboração artística.

Os termos senpai e kohai referem-se a um modo de relação entre estudantes onde o mais experiente, o senpai, serve de referência para o menos graduado. Esse texto, escrito pela perspectiva de um kohay, busca apresentar de forma breve alguns aspectos da atuação do compositor Rodolfo Caesar, seja no âmbito da criação musical ou em seu modo de navegação pelas vias sinuosas da vida acadêmica, acentuando a singularidade de sua produção nos dois campos. Partindo de sua formação em ambientes fortemente marcados pela experimentação, no Brasil e na França, o pensamento de Caesar sobre a escuta, posto em ato em obras e textos ao longo de mais de 4 décadas, impõe-se por sua originalidade e elegância.

BackgroundTelomere length (TL) has been linked to cognitive function, decline and dementia. This study aimed to explore whether both measured TL and genetic disposition for TL predict dimensions of cognitive performance in a longitudinal sample of older UK adults.MethodsWe analysed data from PROTECT study participants aged ≥50 years without a dementia diagnosis, who had completed longitudinal cognitive testing. We calculated polygenic scores for telomere length (PGS-TL) for 7,877 participants and measured relative telomere length (RTL) in a subgroup of 846 participants using DNA extracted from saliva samples collected within 6 months either side of their baseline cognitive testing. Latent growth models were used to examine whether RTL and PGS-TL predict both baseline and longitudinal changes in cognitive performance (4 time-points, annually).ResultsIn the whole sample, we did not observe significant associations between either measure of telomere length and initial or longitudinal changes in cognitive performance. Stratifying by median age, in older adults (≥ ∼62 years), longer baseline RTL showed a nominal association with poorer baseline verbal reasoning performance (n = 423, Mintercept = 47.58, B = −1.05, p = .011) and PGS-TL was associated with performance over time (n = 3,939; slope factor, Mslope = 3.23, B = −0.45, p = .001; slope2 factor, Mslope2 = 0.21, B = 0.13, p = .002).ConclusionOur findings suggest either the absence of a significant relationship between telomere length (RTL and PGS-TL) and cognitive performance (baseline and change over time), or possibly a weak age-dependent and domain-specific relationship, in older adults of European ancestry. More research is needed in representative and ancestrally diverse samples over a longer assessment period. Alternative biological ageing indicators may still provide utility in the early detection of individuals at risk for cognitive decline (e.g., pace-of ageing epigenetic clocks).

A multiplexed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that simultaneously measures antibody binding to multiple antigens can extend the impact of serosurveillance studies, particularly if the assay approaches the simplicity, robustness, and accuracy of a conventional single-antigen ELISA. Here, we report on the development of multiSero, an open-source multiplex ELISA platform for measuring antibody responses to viral infection. Our assay consists of three parts: (1) an ELISA against an array of proteins in a 96-well format; (2) automated imaging of each well of the ELISA array using an open-source plate reader; and (3) automated measurement of optical densities for each protein within the array using an open-source analysis pipeline. We validated the platform by comparing antibody binding to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigens in 217 human sera samples, showing high sensitivity (0.978), specificity (0.977), positive predictive value (0.978), and negative predictive value (0.977) for classifying seropositivity, a high correlation of multiSero determined antibody titers with commercially available SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, and antigen-specific changes in antibody titer dynamics upon vaccination. The open-source format and accessibility of our multiSero platform can contribute to the adoption of multiplexed ELISA arrays for serosurveillance studies, for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens of significance.

Abstract Background The causative agents of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome remain unknown in 68–75% of the cases. In Nepal, the cases are tested only for Japanese encephalitis, which constitutes only about 15% of the cases. However, there could be several organisms, including vaccine-preventable etiologies that cause acute encephalitis, when identified could direct public health efforts for prevention, including addressing gaps in vaccine coverage. Objectives This study employs metagenomic next-generation-sequencing in the investigation of underlying causative etiologies contributing to acute encephalitis syndrome in Nepal. Methods In this study, we investigated 90, Japanese-encephalitis-negative, banked cerebrospinal fluid samples that were collected as part of a national surveillance network in 2016 and 2017. Randomization was done to include three age groups (15-years). Only some metadata (age and gender) were available. The investigation was performed in two batches which included total nucleic-acid extraction, followed by individual library preparation (DNA and RNA) and sequencing on Illumina iSeq100. The genomic data were interpreted using Chan Zuckerberg-ID and confirmed with polymerase-chain-reaction. Results Human-alphaherpes-virus 2 and Enterovirus-B were seen in two samples. These hits were confirmed by qPCR and semi-nested PCR respectively. Most of the other samples were marred by low abundance of pathogen, possible freeze-thaw cycles, lack of process controls and associated clinical metadata. Conclusion From this study, two documented causative agents were revealed through metagenomic next-generation-sequencing. Insufficiency of clinical metadata, process controls, low pathogen abundance and absence of standard procedures to collect and store samples in nucleic-acid protectants could have impeded the study and incorporated ambiguity while correlating the identified hits to infection. Therefore, there is need of standardized procedures for sample collection, inclusion of process controls and clinical metadata. Despite challenging conditions, this study highlights the usefulness of mNGS to investigate diseases with unknown etiologies and guide development of adequate clinical-management-algorithms and outbreak investigations in Nepal.

This research examines the depiction of Gajah Mada's political framework in literary works, which aims to dissect concepts such as power dynamics, personal interests, policy formulation, and cultural elements, as well as exploring the sharpness of Gajah Mada's leadership.The method used by Alan Swingewood's literary sociology.Data collection and data analysis in this research were carried out by means of literature study, namely first, reading the Gajah Mada novel which was used as the object of study intensively and critically; second, identifying data related to aspects of Gajah Mada's political system; third, inventory or record all identification data.The result of this research is that Gajah Mada's political power, represented as a wise and charismatic leader, highlights Indonesia's need for a democratic, transparent and accountable political system, as well as strengthening national unity and integrity. Gajah Mada's political interests, such as state stability, deconcentration of power, and sustainable development, can be adapted as political alternatives by strengthening checks and balances, independent control institutions, government transparency, community participation, and eradicating corruption. Gajah Mada's political policies succeeded in uniting the archipelago under Majapahit, providing inspiration for Indonesia to improve economic policies, develop justice and eradicate corruption. Gajah Mada's political culture, which involves the mandate of officials, deliberation, and attention to the welfare of the people, can be a basis for strengthening national unity and integrity as well as increasing national awareness through education.

This research aims to examine the development of transferring short stories to short films as an innovation in learning Digital Literature courses. The method used is the Research and Development (R&D) model with the ADDIE approach which consists of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. At the analysis stage, needs identification is carried out through literature studies, observations, and interviews with lecturers and students to determine current needs and problems in literature learning. The design stage includes material planning, making storyboards and short film scripts, and evaluation design. The development stage includes short film production, the creation of learning materials, initial trials, and revisions based on feedback. Implementation is carried out by involving students in the learning process using short films as a learning medium. The research results show that switching from short stories to short films can increase students' understanding of literary works and provide practical skills in digital media production. This research is expected to offer new insights for teachers and students about the potential for integrating technology in literature learning, as well as motivating the development of more creative and interactive learning methods in the future.