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Developing cost-effective, highly efficient, and durable bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis remains a significant challenge. Nickel-based materials have shown promise as catalysts, but their efficiency in alkaline electrolytes is still lacking. Fascinatingly, Mott-Schottky catalysts can fine-tune electron density at interfaces, boosting intermediate adsorption and facilitating desorption to reduce the energy barrier. In this study, iridium-implanted Mott-Schottky Ni/Ni 2 P nanosheets (Ir SA -Ni/Ni 2 P) is introduced, which are delivered from the metal-organic framework and employ them as the bifunctional catalysts for water electrolysis devices. This catalyst requires a small 54 mV overpotential for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 192 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to reach 10 mA·cm -2 in a 1.0 m KOH electrolyte. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the incorporation of Ir atoms with enriched interfaces between Ni and Ni 2 P can promote the active sites and be favorable for the HER and OER. This discovery highlights the most likely reactive sites and offers a valuable blueprint for designing highly efficient and stable catalysts tailored for industrial-scale electrolysis. The Ir SA -Ni/Ni 2 P electrode exhibits exceptional current density and outstanding stability in a single-cell anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

River ecosystems are facing significant degradation from human activities, which impact both biotic (e.g., fish and invertebrates) and abiotic components (e.g., water and habitat). A comprehensive comparison of energy flow patterns and system attributes among river food webs under different levels of human interference is highly important for developing management strategies to protect river ecosystems. Along the subtropical Pearl River, six spatial zones, including agricultural, industrial, island, urban, factory, and estuarine areas, were chosen to construct the Ecopath models. The output results revealed that the highest trophic level of the Pearl River was 3.8-4.2, which was occupied by softshell turtles and piscivorous/carnivorous fish. The most diverse functional groups were found in island and estuarine zones due to their heterogeneous habitats (e.g., high submerged vegetation coverage and the transition area between fresh and brackish water). In contrast, the food web structure in the industrial zone was destroyed due to water pollution (e.g., sewage discharge) and habitat degradation. The increase in exotic species and the decrease in native top predators were two factors that result in the low efficiency of energy transmission. A series of trophic (e.g., Lindeman transfer efficiency and mixed predator-prey impacts), structural (e.g., keystoneness, omnivory, and Finn's path length), and theoretical (e.g., connectance and ascendency) indices revealed that the health and maturity of the Pearl River sections can be ranked as island > estuarine > agricultural > urban > factory > industrial zones. The food chains led by softshell turtles ( Pelodiscus sinensis ), piscivores (e.g., Elopichthys bambusa ), molluscivores (e.g., Mylopharyngodon piceus ), and herbivores (e.g., Ctenopharyngodon idelus ) could be used to indicate the health and functioning of river ecosystems. Our results suggest that the ecological management of river ecosystems should focus more efforts on protecting original habitats (e.g., the island zone with fish feeding/spawning grounds), monitoring bioindicators with keystone trophic impacts in the food web, and evaluating the food chains that play important roles in upward energy transmission., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2025 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) poses challenges in adult patients, considering its heterogeneous nature and often suboptimal treatment outcomes. Here, we performed a study on 201 newly diagnosed adult ALL cases (age ≥ 15 y) to generate intracellular and dynamic serum metabolomic profiles. Our findings revealed a predominant increase in bile acid (BA) metabolites in serum, alongside metabolic rewiring that supported highly proliferative states and actively metabolic signaling, such as enriched nucleotide metabolism in leukemic blasts. By integrating intracellular metabolomics and transcriptomics, we constructed the Comprehensive Metabolic Information Dataset (CMID), which facilitated the development of a clustering system to supplement current risk stratification. Furthermore, we explored potential metabolic interventions targeting the serum BA profile and energy metabolism in blasts. The combined use of simvastatin with vincristine and dexamethasone regimen demonstrated a synergistic therapeutic effect in a murine ALL model, effectively lowering key BA levels in serum and suppressing the infiltration of leukemic blasts in the liver. In light of the enhanced intracellular redox metabolism, combining FK866 (a nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase inhibitor) and venetoclax significantly prolonged survival in a patient-derived xenograft ALL model. Our findings, along with the resulting resources (http://www.genetictargets.com/MALL), provide a framework for the metabolism-centered management of ALL., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Stochastic simulation software, ADAM, has been developed for the purpose of breeding optimization in animals and plants, and for validation of statistical models used in genetic evaluations. Just like other common simulation programs, ADAM assumed the bi-allelic state of quantitative trait locus (QTL). While the bi-allelic state of marker loci is due to the common choice of genotyping technology of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip, the assumption may not hold for the linked QTL. In the version of ADAM-Multi, we employ a novel simulation model capable of simulating additive, dominance, and epistatic genotypic effects for species with different levels of ploidy, providing with a more realistic assumption of multiple allelism for QTL variants. When assuming bi-allelic QTL, our proposed model becomes identical to the model assumption in common simulation programs, and in genetic textbooks. Along with the description of the updated simulation model in ADAM-Multi, this paper shows two small-scale studies that investigate the effects of multi-allelic versus bi-allelic assumptions in simulation and the use of different prediction models in a single-population breeding program for potatoes. We found that genomic models using dense bi-allelic markers could effectively predicted breeding values of individuals in a well-structure population despite the presence of multi-allelic QTL. Additionally, the small-scale study indicated that including non-additive genetic effects in the prediction model for selection did not lead to an improvement in the rate of genetic gains of the breeding program., 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., (Copyright © 2025 Chu and Jensen.)

Lignin is a biopolymer employed for various biomedical applications. Nevertheless, the drug loading and release mechanism of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles with surface functionalization by lignin has yet to be described. Hence, this study functionalizes Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles surface with lignin (Fe 3 O 4 /Lig) for ciprofloxacin delivery and examines its adsorption-release mechanisms. The presence of lignin and ciprofloxacin on Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were verified using FT-IR that shows distinct peaks for each functional group of lignin and ciprofloxacin. The study has proved selective adsorption of ciprofloxacin ions via electrostatic interactions. The optimal adsorption efficiency in the examined region was 65 %, with a capacity of 9.55 mg/g. Drug release efficiency was evaluated in buffer at pH 7.4 and pH 1.2-6.8, yielding ∼66 % and ∼100 %, respectively. The release profile fits Peppas's model, which uses a diffusion and disintegration mechanism. Furthermore, the HET-CAM model study presented that the substance does not irritate the cell membranes of the egg, indicating that it is safe for mucosa and tissues. The IC 50 value for antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli was 10.00 ± 0.76 μg/mL and 1.87 ± 0.06 μg/mL, respectively. In summary, the study effectively prepared Fe 3 O 4 /Lig-CIP nanoparticles, as well as remained antibacterial properties against both Gram (+) and Gram (-) microorganisms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have attracted considerable attention because of their toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation potential. With the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the rapid development of economy, environmental pollution on Hainan Island is becoming increasingly prominent. PFASs have been detected in the seawater and sediments of mangrove ecosystems on Hainan Island. As the receiving water of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and industrial wastewater, rivers are inevitably contaminated by PFASs. However, few studies have focused on PFAS pollution in three large rivers (the Nandu, Changhua, and Wanquan rivers) on Hainan Island. In the present study, the pollution status, potential sources, and ecological risks of PFASs in these three major rivers were explored. Perfluorobutanonic acid (PFBA) (48.7%) was found to be the major PFASs in the surface waters, and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) (19.7%) was the major PFASs in the sediments of the three major rivers. The concentrations of ∑PFASs in the upper-midstream region were low due to minimal human influence and increased in the middle-lower reaches with increasing industrial activity and urbanization, whereas decreased at downstream sites near estuaries where river water was diluted with seawater. WWTP effluent, industrial wastewater discharge, the application and discharge of aqueous fire-fighting foam, storm runoff and landfill leachate were the major sources of PFASs in the three major rivers. In surface water, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) and perfluorooctadecanoic acid (PFODA) posed low-moderate risks at 5.71-85.6% of the sampling sites. PFASs in the sediment posed no ecological risk. This study provides key data regarding the pollution status and potential sources of PFASs in large rivers on subtropical islands., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Healthcare is a service industry where fulfilling the needs of patients (customers) is challenging. Various factors, including cost, system complexity, staffing behaviours and technological advances, play vital roles. Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study seeks to determine how paternalistic leadership (authoritarianism, benevolence and morality) influences employee service innovative behaviour and counterproductive work behaviour via perceived supervisor support in the healthcare sector. Additionally, the study investigates the role of the public service motivation of individuals as a moderating factor in this relationship., Design/methodology/approach: A pilot study and a main study were conducted to test the hypotheses. We collected data from healthcare professionals in Pakistan's large public, private and semi-government hospitals. We applied bootstrapping with 5,000 replications and structural equation modelling to analyse the data., Findings: Results indicate that authoritarianism was negatively associated with service innovative behaviour, whereas benevolent and moral behaviours were positively associated with service innovative behaviour via perceived supervisor support (mediation). Our findings shed light on the moderating role of public service motivation., Originality/value: This empirical quantitative study has several theoretical and practical implications. Findings of our study provide evidence that a paternalistic leadership style can influence both positive (service innovative behaviour) and negative (counterproductive working behaviour) working behaviours simultaneously via perceived supervisor support at an individual level in the service (healthcare) industry. This study also highlights the moderating role of public service motivation as an individual motivation factor., (© Muzammil Hussain, Trong Tuan Luu and Timothy Marjoribanks.)

The diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis is challenging due to its complex nature and various contributing factors. With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, some computer vision-based methods have been developed to address this task. However, when applied in practice, these methods encounter numerous challenges. Training a powerful AI model to effectively analyze a wide range of medical images is crucial. On the other hand, collecting and accurately labeling a significant number of medical images in the real world is necessary. Specifically, when dealing with knee images from specific regions like Vietnam, certain unique biological characteristics make it difficult to utilize and trust previously published studies. To effectively address these challenges, we introduce DIKOApp, an automatic diagnostic application for knee osteoarthritis based on the DIKO framework, trained on a dataset specifically built for the Vietnamese population. This framework is designed with two stages that leverage medical knowledge and computer vision techniques. The DIKO framework leverages efficient data sampling and augmentation framework to handle medical images in the real world more effectively. When evaluated using a real-world knee image dataset from Vietnamese individuals, the DIKO model demonstrates impressive performance with an accuracy of 89.34% and an F1-score of 0.88. By utilizing the capabilities of the DIKO framework, DIKOApp shows practical and promising real-world potential, enabling doctors and healthcare service providers to diagnose pathological conditions more accurately while requiring less diagnostic time, thereby improving the lives of patients., (© 2025. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine.)

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Black soybeans [<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr] are among the important crops, but the cultivated resources are normally low-yielding, susceptible to diseases and low profit. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the genetic diversity of black soybean germplasms for breeding programs. This study investigates the genetic diversity of 22 black soybean varieties by RAPD and ISSR markers. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Twenty two black soybean genotypes in Vietnam were evaluated for genetic diversity by using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. Data were scored following a binary matrix and analyzed using NTSYSpc 2.1 (Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System). <b>Results:</b> All 20 RAPD and 11 ISSR markers produced scorable bands. As 230 loci were investigated over the population, of which 107 were polymorphic, accounting for 46.5%. The collection of 22 black soybean varieties had a relatively close relationship with high genetic similarity coefficients, ranging from 0.71-0.99. Two main genetic clusters were classified. The RAPD markers showed better performance than ISSR markers in evaluating the genetic diversity of these 22 black soybean varieties. <b>Conclusion:</b> The results of this study display that 22 Vietnamese black soybean varieties are relatively identical in genetics. The study is suitable for breeding programs to improve black soybean varieties.

This study conducts a rigorous comparative analysis between two cutting-edge instance segmentation methods, Mask R-CNN and YOLOv8, focusing on stomata pore analysis. A novel dataset specifically tailored for stomata pore instance segmentation, named PhenomicsStomata, was introduced. This dataset posed challenges such as low resolution and image imperfections, prompting the application of advanced preprocessing techniques, including image enhancement using the Lucy-Richardson Algorithm. The models underwent comprehensive evaluation, considering accuracy, precision, and recall as key parameters. Notably, YOLOv8 demonstrated superior performance over Mask R-CNN, particularly in accurately calculating stomata pore dimensions. Beyond this comparative study, the implications of our findings extend across diverse biological research, providing a robust foundation for advancing our understanding of plant physiology. Furthermore, the preprocessing enhancements offer valuable insights for refining image analysis techniques, showcasing the potential for broader applications in scientific domains. This research marks a significant stride in unraveling the complexities of plant structures, offering both theoretical insights and practical applications in scientific research., Competing Interests: Author YC was employed by the company Phytomix Corporation. The remaining 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., (Copyright © 2024 Thai, Ku, Le, Oh, Phan, Kim and Chung.)

The burgeoning field of bioinformatics has seen a surge in computational tools tailored for omics data analysis driven by the heterogeneous and high-dimensional nature of omics data. In biomedical and plant science research multi-omics data has become pivotal for predictive analytics in the era of big data necessitating sophisticated computational methodologies. This review explores a diverse array of computational approaches which play crucial role in processing, normalizing, integrating, and analyzing omics data. Notable methods such similarity-based methods, network-based approaches, correlation-based methods, Bayesian methods, fusion-based methods and multivariate techniques among others are discussed in detail, each offering unique functionalities to address the complexities of multi-omics data. Furthermore, this review underscores the significance of computational tools in advancing our understanding of data and their transformative impact on research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers' bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Breast cancer concerns 1 in 8 women in the world and is followed in 40% of cases by a mastectomy. Only 14% of women receive reconstructive surgery because of unfavorable clinical issues. The need of innovative tissue engineering devices leads Lattice Medical company to bring a new 3D-printed device, allowing the regeneration of soft tissue in order to replace the withdrawn breast. The implant, based on TEC (tissue engineering chamber) and fat-flat surgical technique, is constituted with bioresorbable thermosensitive materials to be fully absorbed by the body in several months, once the regeneration process is completed. In this industrial context, we need to assess some properties for predictive simulation: the TEC mechanical and biological properties over time, its sensitivity to implantation in the body temperature, its batch raw material variability and its structural 3D-printed behavior. This would lead to a more enlightened numerical design and topological optimization work. To do so, mechanical testing are conducted to gather necessaries information for fully border the behaviour of the material and eventually the impact of the process on the final prosthesis. Then, the G'sell Law is chosen to model the mechanical behaviour of the material taking into account all particularities of this medical case. Finally, the behaviour law is used in Finite Element Method (FEM) in a compression simulation to compare with experimental results which find good similarity in the mechanical response.

This article focuses on comparing the characteristics of cotton fabric dyed with Diospyros mollis extract (DME) solution and that of cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye. The parameters of the cotton fabric after dyeing with both types of dyes were assessed, including color strength (K/S), structural morphology, infrared spectrum, antibacterial properties, UV resistance, color fastness to washing, rubbing, light, moisture absorption, breathability, and wastewater indices. The obtained results show that the K/S value of cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is slightly lower than that of cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye, 18.52 and 19.36, respectively. The cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye does not exhibit antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas the antibacterial effectiveness against these bacteria for cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is 99.99 %. The UV protection capability of cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is superior to cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye. The BOD/COD ratio of wastewater from the dyeing process with DME is higher than that of the reactive dye, with values of 0.70 and 0.32, respectively. The findings of this study indicate the superior ability of using DME solution as compared to the reactive dye, which is promising as a natural dye for fabric in medical applications., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemistryOpen published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Childbirth is a complex physiological process in which a foetal neuromusculoskeletal model is of great importance to develop realistic delivery simulations and associated complication analyses. However, the estimation of hip joint centre (HJC) in foetuses remains a challenging issue. Thus, this paper aims to propose and evaluate a new approach to locate the HJC in foetuses. Hip CT-scans from 25 children ( F  = 11, age = 5.5 ± 2.6 years, height = 117 ± 21 cm, mass = 26 kg ± 9.5 kg) were used to propose and evaluate the novel acetabulum sphere fitting process to locate the HJC. This new approach using the acetabulum surface was applied to a population of 57 post-mortem foetal CT scans to locate the HJC as well as to determine associated regression equations using multiple linear regression. As results, the average distance between the HJC located using acetabulum sphere fitting and femoral head sphere fitting in children was 1.5 ± 0.7 mm. The average prediction error using our developed foetal HJC regression equations was 3.0 ± 1.5 mm, even though the equation for the x coordinate had a poor value of R 2 (R 2 for the x coordinate = 0.488). The present study suggests that the use of the acetabulum sphere fitting approach is a valid and accurate method to locate the HJC in children, and then can be extrapolated to get an estimation of the HJC in foetuses with incomplete bone ossification. Therefore, the present paper can be used as a guideline for foetus specific neuromusculoskeletal modelling.

This study examines the influence of climate change on hydrological processes, particularly runoff, and how it affects managing water resources and ecosystem sustainability. It uses CMIP6 data to analyze changes in runoff patterns under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP). This study also uses a Deep belief network (DBN) and a Modified Sparrow Search Optimizer (MSSO) to enhance the runoff forecasting capabilities of the SWAT model. DBN can learn complex patterns in the data and improve the accuracy of runoff forecasting. The meta-heuristic algorithm optimizes the models through iterative search processes and finds the optimal parameter configuration in the SWAT model. The Optimal SWAT Model accurately predicts runoff patterns, with high precision in capturing variability, a strong connection between projected and actual data, and minimal inaccuracy in its predictions, as indicated by an ENS score of 0.7152 and an R 2 coefficient of determination of 0.8012. The outcomes of the forecasts illustrated that the runoff will decrease in the coming years, which could threaten the water source. Therefore, managers should manage water resources with awareness of these conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Immunotherapy has emerged as a mainstay in cancer therapy, yet its efficacy is constrained by the risk of immune-related adverse events. In this study, we present a nanoparticle-based delivery system that enhances the therapeutic efficacy of immunomodulatory ligands while concurrently limiting systemic toxicity. We demonstrate that extracellular vesicles (EVs), lipid bilayer enclosed particles released by cells, can be efficiently engineered via inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (iEDDA)-mediated conjugation to display multiple immunomodulatory ligands on their surface. Display of immunomodulatory ligands on the EV surface conferred substantial enhancements in signaling efficacy, particularly for tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) agonists, where the EV surface display served as an alternative FcγR-independent approach to induce ligand multimerization and efficient receptor crosslinking. EVs displaying a complementary combination of immunotherapeutic ligands were able to shift the tumor immune milieu toward an anti-tumorigenic phenotype and significantly suppress tumor burden and increase survival in multiple models of metastatic cancer to a greater extent than an equivalent dose of free ligands. In summary, we present an EV-based delivery platform for cancer immunotherapeutic ligands that facilitates superior anti-tumor responses at significantly lower doses with fewer side effects than is possible with conventional delivery approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests M.T.N.L. is a scientific co-founder and advisor of Carmine Therapeutics, a start-up company that develops EV-based gene therapy., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nanocellulose is a potential material utilized in numerous biomedical applications. However, its hydrophilic characteristic and uncontrolled encapsulated drug release hinders nanocellulose uses in oral drug administration. Thus, this work developed novel nanocellulose/alginate composite (CNC/Alg) beads for oral delivery and bioavailability enhancement of a model drug, Ciprofloxacin (CIP). CNC was green synthesized employing electrolysis process from sugarcane bagasse. CNC/Alg beads were formulated by dropwise adding CNC-Alg mixture in CaCl 2 solution at room temperature. CIP was incorporated into CNC/Alg beads by adsorption technique. X-ray diffractometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectra images showed that the beads were effectively produced with high crystallinity of 75.5 %, and the typical bond of cellulose and alginate. Within 4 h of adsorption, CIP loading efficiency reached 45.27 %, with 87.2 % molecules in the zwitterionic state. The adsorption followed Elovich and pseudo-second-order models, indicating a multi-mechanism including both physical and chemical adsorptions. Importantly, in gastrointestinal tract, the beads could protect CIP from acidic stomach environment while releasing it sustainably in simulated intestinal condition (75.05 %). The beads also showed strong antibacterial activity against both Gram(-) and Gram(+) bacteria, as evidenced by low IC 50 and minimum inhibitory concentration values. Finally, CNC/Alg beads could improve CIP bioavailability for effective oral drug delivery route., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In this study, we tested whether genotyping both live and dead animals (GSD) realises more genetic gain for post-weaning survival (PWS) in pigs compared to genotyping only live animals (GOS)., Methods: Stochastic simulation was used to estimate the rate of genetic gain realised by GSD and GOS at a 0.01 rate of pedigree-based inbreeding in three breeding schemes, which differed in PWS (95%, 90% and 50%) and litter size (6 and 10). Pedigree-based selection was conducted as a point of reference. Variance components were estimated and then estimated breeding values (EBV) were obtained in each breeding scheme using a linear or a threshold model. Selection was for a single trait, i.e. PWS with a heritability of 0.02 on the observed scale. The trait was simulated on the underlying scale and was recorded as binary (0/1). Selection candidates were genotyped and phenotyped before selection, with only live candidates eligible for selection. Genotyping strategies differed in the proportion of live and dead animals genotyped, but the phenotypes of all animals were used for predicting EBV of the selection candidates., Results: Based on a 0.01 rate of pedigree-based inbreeding, GSD realised 14 to 33% more genetic gain than GOS for all breeding schemes depending on PWS and litter size. GSD increased the prediction accuracy of EBV for PWS by at least 14% compared to GOS. The use of a linear versus a threshold model did not have an impact on genetic gain for PWS regardless of the genotyping strategy and the bias of the EBV did not differ significantly among genotyping strategies., Conclusions: Genotyping both dead and live animals was more informative than genotyping only live animals to predict the EBV for PWS of selection candidates, but with marginal increases in genetic gain when the proportion of dead animals genotyped was 60% or greater. Therefore, it would be worthwhile to use genomic information on both live and more than 20% dead animals to compute EBV for the genetic improvement of PWS under the assumption that dead animals reflect increased liability on the underlying scale., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Finite element models ranging from single to multiscale models have been widely used to gain valuable insights into the physiological delivery process and associated complication scenarios. However, the fetus descent simulation with the active uterine contraction is still challenging for validation and uncertainty quantification issues. The present study performed a fetus descent simulation using the active uterine contraction. Then, simulation outcomes were evaluated using theoretical and in vivo MRI childbirth data. Moreover, parameter uncertainty and propagation were also performed. A maternal pelvis model was developed. The active uterine contraction was modeled using a transversely isotropic Mooney-Rivlin material. Displacement trajectories were compared between simulation, theoretical and in vivo MRI childbirth data. Monte Carlo (M.C) and Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) methods were applied to quantify uncertain parameters and their propagations. Obtained results showed that fetal descent behavior is consistent with the MRI-based observation as well as the theoretical trajectory (curve of Carus). The head downward vertical displacement ranges from 0 to approximately 47 mm. A reduction of 50% in uterine size was observed during the simulation. Three high-sensitive parameters ( C 1 , C 2 , Ca 0 ) were also identified. Our study suggested that the use of the active uterine contraction is essential for simulating vaginal delivery but the global parameter sensitivity, parameter uncertainty, and outcome evaluation should be carefully performed. As a perspective, the developed approach could be extrapolated for patient-specific modeling and associated delivery complication simulations to identify risks and potential therapeutic solutions.

The high theoretical energy density (2600 Wh kg -1 ) and low cost of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) make them an ideal alternative for the next-generation energy storage system. Nevertheless, severe capacity degradation and low sulfur utilization resulting from shuttle effect hinder their commercialization. Herein, Single-atom Ru-doped 1T/2H MoS 2 with enriched defects decorates V 2 C MXene (Ru-MoS 2 /MXene) produced by a new phase-engineering strategy employed as sulfur host to promote polysulfide adsorption and conversion reaction kinetics. The Ru single atom-doped adjusts the chemical environment of the MoS 2 /MXene to anchor polysulfide and acts as an efficient center to motivate the redox reaction. In addition, the rich defects of the MoS 2 and ternary boundary among 1T/2H MoS 2 and V 2 C accelerate the charge transfer and ion movements for the reaction. As expected, the Ru-MoS 2 /MXene/S cathode-based cell exhibits a high-rate capability of 684.3 mAh g -1 at 6 C. After 1000 cycles, the Ru-MoS 2 /MXene/S cell maintains an excellent cycling stability of 696 mAh g -1 at 2 C with a capacity degradation as low as 0.02% per cycle. Despite a high sulfur loading of 9.5 mg cm -2 and a lean electrolyte-to-sulfur ratio of 4.3, the cell achieves a high discharge capacity of 726 mAh g -1 ., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Ethmoid myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare tumor, with only 14 cases reported to date. This report discusses the largest tumor of this type ever recorded in the ethmoid region. The tumor caused extensive damage to facial structures, complicating treatment. The patient's age and comorbidities increased the risk of intraoperative bleeding, presenting challenges to the complete removal of the tumor and the reconstruction of the damaged structures. To reduce the risk of intraoperative hemorrhage, shorten the surgery time, and manage potential heartrelated complications, arterial embolization was performed using gelatin sponges and coils. Definitive surgery was then carried out using a skin flap and mucosal flap to successfully reconstruct the defect. Postoperative radiotherapy was deemed unnecessary. The patient recovered well, with a satisfactory aesthetic outcome. No recurrence was observed during a 3-year follow-up period.

Stochastic simulation software is commonly used to aid breeders designing cost-effective breeding programs and to validate statistical models used in genetic evaluation. An essential feature of the software is the ability to simulate populations with desired genetic and non-genetic parameters. However, this feature often fails when non-additive effects due to dominance or epistasis are modeled, as the desired properties of simulated populations are estimated from classical quantitative genetic statistical models formulated at the population level. The software simulates underlying functional effects for genotypic values at the individual level, which are not necessarily the same as effects from statistical models in which dominance and epistasis are included. This paper provides the theoretical basis and mathematical formulas for the transformation between functional and statistical effects in such simulations. The transformation is demonstrated with two statistical models analyzing individual phenotypes in a single population (common in animal breeding) and plot phenotypes of three-way hybrids involving two inbred populations (observed in some crop breeding programs). We also describe different methods for the simulation of functional effects for additive genetics, dominance, and epistasis to achieve the desired levels of variance components in classical statistical models used in quantitative genetics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Uterine contractions in the myometrium occur at multiple scales, spanning both organ and cellular levels. This complex biological process plays an essential role in the fetus delivery during the second stage of labor. Several finite element models of active uterine contractions have already been developed to simulate the descent of the fetus through the birth canal. However, the developed models suffer severe reliability issues due to the uncertain parameters. In this context, the present study aimed to perform the uncertainty quantification (UQ) of the active uterine contraction simulation to advance our understanding of pregnancy mechanisms with more reliable indicators. A uterus model with and without fetus was developed integrating a transversely isotropic Mooney-Rivlin material with two distinct fiber orientation architectures. Different contraction patterns with complex boundary conditions were designed and applied. A global sensitivity study was performed to select the most valuable parameters for the uncertainty quantification (UQ) process using a copula-based Monte Carlo method. As results, four critical material parameters ( C 1 , C 2 , K , Ca 0 ) of the active uterine contraction model were identified and used for the UQ process. The stress distribution on the uterus during the fetus descent, considering first and second fiber orientation families, ranged from 0.144 to 1.234 MPa and 0.044 to 1.619 MPa, respectively. The simulation outcomes revealed also the segment-specific contraction pattern of the uterus tissue. The present study quantified, for the first time, the effect of uncertain parameters of the complex constitutive model of the active uterine contraction on the fetus descent process. As perspectives, a full maternal pelvis model will be coupled with reinforcement learning to automatically identify the delivery mechanism behind the cardinal movements of the fetus during the active expulsion process., (© 2024. International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.)

Background and Objective: The fetal representation as a 3D articulated body plays an essential role to describe a realistic vaginal delivery simulation. However, the current computational solutions have been oversimplified. The objective of the present work was to develop and evaluate a novel hybrid rigid-deformable modeling approach for the fetal body and then simulate its interaction with surrounding fetal soft tissues and with other maternal pelvis soft tissues during the second stage of labor., Methods: CT scan data was used for 3D fetal skeleton reconstruction. Then, a novel hybrid rigid-deformable model of the fetal body was developed. This model was integrated into a maternal 3D pelvis model to simulate the vaginal delivery. Soft tissue deformation was simulated using our novel HyperMSM formulation. Magnetic resonance imaging during the second stage of labor was used to impose the trajectory of the fetus during the delivery., Results: Our hybrid rigid-deformable fetal model showed a potential capacity for simulating the movements of the fetus along with the deformation of the fetal soft tissues during the vaginal delivery. The deformation energy density observed in the simulation for the fetal head fell within the strain range of 3 % to 5 %, which is in good agreement with the literature data., Conclusions: This study developed, for the first time, a hybrid rigid-deformation modeling of the fetal body and then performed a vaginal delivery simulation using MRI-driven kinematic data. This opens new avenues for describing more realistic behavior of the fetal body kinematics and deformation during the second stage of labor. As perspectives, the integration of the full skeleton body, especially the upper and lower limbs will be investigated. Then, the completed model will be integrated into our developed next-generation childbirth training simulator for vaginal delivery simulation and associated complication scenarios., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to the present work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nanoparticles, due to their extensive production and application, can have significant consequences for the environment, including soil and plant pollution. Therefore, it is very important to assess how nanoparticles will affect plants depending on the exposure pathways. The effect of gold nanoparticles in a concentration range of 1-100 mg/L on Mentha spicata L. during a 28-day experiment was investigated. Two routes of nanoparticles exposure were applied: root and foliar. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize nanoparticles and their effect on plant leaves' ultrastructure. Gold content in soil and plant segments was determined using k0-neutron activation analysis. For root exposure, gold was mainly accumulated in soil (15.2-1769 mg/kg) followed by root systems (2.99-454 mg/kg). The maximum accumulation of gold in leaves (5.49 mg/kg) was attained at a nanoparticle concentration of 100 mg/L. Foliar exposure resulted in the maximum uptake of gold in leaves (552 mg/kg) and stems (18.4 mg/kg) at the highest applied nanoparticle concentration. The effect of nanoparticles on the Mentha spicata L. leaves' biochemical composition was assessed. Nanoparticles affected the content of chlorophyll and carotenoids and led to an increase in antioxidant activity. Root exposure to gold nanoparticles resulted in an increase in the number of starch grains in chloroplasts and also suppressed the activity of the soil microbiota. Gold extraction from mint leaves into herbal infusion varied from 2 to 90% depending on the concentration of nanoparticles in the solution and the exposure route. The health risk as a result of gold exposure via herbal tea intake was assessed through estimated daily intake. The hazard quotient values were found to be less than the cutoff, indicating that a cup of tea infusion should not cause a serious impact to human health.

Cinnamomumparthenoxylon (Jack) Meisn. is a tree in genus Cinnamomum that has been facing global threats due to forest degradation and habitat fragmentation. Many recent studies aim to describe habitats and assess population and species genetic diversity for species conservation by expanding afforestation models for this species. Understanding their current and future potential distribution plays a major role in guiding conservation efforts. Using five modern machine-learning algorithms available on Google Earth Engine helped us evaluate suitable habitats for the species. The results revealed that Random Forest (RF) had the highest accuracy for model comparison, outperforming Support Vector Machine (SVM), Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt). The results also showed that the extremely suitable ecological areas for the species are mostly distributed in northern Vietnam, followed by the North Central Coast and the Central Highlands. Elevation, Temperature Annual Range and Mean Diurnal Range were the three most important parameters affecting the potential distribution of C.parthenoxylon . Evaluation of the impact of climate on its distribution under different climate scenarios in the past (Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene), in the present (Worldclim) and in the future (using four climate change scenarios: ACCESS, MIROC6, EC-Earth3-Veg and MRI-ESM2-0) revealed that of C.parthenoxylon would likely expand to the northeast, while a large area of central Vietnam will gradually lose its adaptive capacity by 2100., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest to declare Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Mai-Phuong Pham, Duy Dinh Vu, Thanh Tuan Nguyen, Van Sinh Nguyen.)

Fish are vital in river ecosystems; however, traditional investigations of fish usually cause ecological damage. Extracting DNA from aquatic environments and identifying DNA sequences offer an alternative, noninvasive approach for detecting fish species. In this study, the effects of environmental DNA (eDNA), coupled with PCR and next-generation sequencing, and electrofishing for identifying fish community composition and diversity were compared. In three subtropical rivers of southern China, fish specimens and eDNA in water were collected along the longitudinal (upstream-downstream) gradient of the rivers. Both fish population parameters, including species abundance and biomass, and eDNA OTU richness grouped 38 sampling sites into eight spatial zones with significant differences in local fish community composition. Compared with order-/family-level grouping, genus-/species-level grouping could more accurately reveal the differences between upstream zones I-III, midstream zones IV-V, and downstream zones VI-VIII. From the headwaters to the estuary, two environmental gradients significantly influenced the longitudinal distribution of the fish species, including the first gradient composed of habitat and physical water parameters and the second gradient composed of chemical water parameters. The high regression coefficient of alpha diversity between eDNA and electrofishing methods as well as the accurate identification of dominant, alien, and biomarker species in each spatial zone indicated that eDNA could characterize fish community attributes at a level similar to that of traditional approaches. Overall, our results demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding can be used as an effective tool for revealing fish composition and diversity, which is important for using the eDNA technique in aquatic field monitoring., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Childbirth simulations lack realism due to an oversimplification of the foetal model, particularly as most models do not allow joint motion. Foetus-specific neuromusculoskeletal (NMS) model with a detailed articulated skeleton is still not available in the literature. The present work aims at proposing the first-ever foetus-specific NMS model and then simulating the foetal descent during a vaginal delivery by using in vivo medical resonance imaging (MRI) childbirth data. Moreover, the developed model is provided open source for the community. Our foetus-specific NMS model was developed using the geometries reconstructed from a foetal computed tomography (CT) scan (Female, mass = 2.35 kg, length = 50 cm). The model contains 22 joints (64 degrees of freedom) and 65 muscles with a particular attention to the cervical spine level to enable the simulation of the cardinal movements. Then, the skull-to-cervical-spine (S/CP) and cervical-spine-to-torso (CP/T) deflection angles were extracted from in vivo MRI data for motion simulation. The S/CP and CP/T deflexion angles range from 12 degrees of flexion to 2 degrees of extension and from 7 degrees of flexion to 22 degrees of extension respectively. The developed model opens new avenues in more biofidelic childbirth simulations with a complete foetal NMS model. Obtained outcomes with the in vivo MRI data enabled to perform a first simulation of the foetal descent kinematics using real childbirth data. Future works will focus on developing a novel muscle formulation of the foetus and combining such a NMS model with a deformable model to simulate childbirth and associated complication scenarios.

Higher education is regarded as being of paramount importance in Vietnam and as being essential to raising the level of the country's labor force and promoting economic progress. Evaluation of lecturers is one of the institution's activities and a crucial component of managing human resources in higher education institutions. How to evaluate faculty members' overall performance using a range of criteria is one of the key evaluation-related challenges. This study presents a method that uses fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to assess and rank the performance of lecturers. Specifically, the evaluation framework is developed by identifying criteria and sub-criteria based on a comprehensive review of existing literature. Following that, the fuzzy AHP approach is used to determine the weights of the criteria and sub-criteria using the pairwise comparisons. The Fuzzy TOPSIS approach is employed to assess and prioritize lecturers identified through expert evaluation. When applied in group decision-making, utilizing fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS promotes agreement among decision-makers and diminishes uncertainty in decision-making processes. The utilization of the multiple criterion measurement approach can then be used to carry out the evaluation. The suggested framework is also demonstrated via a case study. The use of this framework can improve the evaluation's objectivity, accuracy, and scientific methodology. It is believed that this work will assist managers of higher education institutions improve their standards for educational quality., 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.)

The trees of the Dongzhai Harbor mangrove forest suffer from antibiotic contamination from surrounding aquaculture areas. Despite this being one of the largest mangrove forests in China, few studies have focused on the antibiotic pollution status in these aquaculture areas. In the present study, the occurrence, distribution, and risk assessment of 37 antibiotics in surface water and sediment samples from aquaculture areas around Dongzhai Harbor mangrove forests were analyzed. The concentration of total antibiotics (∑antibiotics) ranged from 78.4 ng/L to 225.6 ng/L in surface water (except S14-A2) and from 19.5 ng/g dry weight (dw) to 229 ng/g dw in sediment. In the sediment, the concentrations of ∑antibiotics were relatively low (19.5-52.3 ng/g dw) at 75 % of the sampling sites, while they were high (95.7-229.0 ng/g dw) at a few sampling sites (S13-A1, S13D, S8D). The correlation analysis results showed that the K d values of the 9 antibiotics were significantly positively correlated with molecular weight (MW), K ow , and LogK ow . Risk assessment revealed that sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in surface water and SMX, enoxacin (ENX), ciprofloxacin (CFX), enrofloxacin (EFX), ofloxacin (OFX), and norfloxacin (NFX) in sediment had medium/high risk quotients (RQs) at 62.5 % and 25-100 %, respectively, of the sampling sites. The antibiotic mixture in surface water (0.06-3.36) and sediment (0.43-309) posed a high risk at 37.5 % and 66.7 %, respectively, of the sampling sites. SMX was selected as an indicator of antibiotic pollution in surface water to assist regulatory authorities in monitoring and managing antibiotic pollution in the aquaculture zone of Dongzhai Harbor. Overall, the results of the present study provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the characteristics of antibiotics in the aquaculture environment around the Dongzhai Harbor mangrove system and provide a theoretical basis for the source control of antibiotics in mangrove systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The development of a comprehensive uterine model that seamlessly integrates the intricate interactions between the electrical and mechanical aspects of uterine activity could potentially facilitate the prediction and management of labor complications. Such a model has the potential to enhance our understanding of the initiation and synchronization mechanisms involved in uterine contractions, providing a more profound comprehension of the factors associated with labor complications, including preterm labor. Consequently, it has the capacity to assist in more effective preparation and intervention strategies for managing such complications. In this study, we present a computational model that effectively integrates the electrical and mechanical components of uterine contractions. By combining a state-of-the-art electrical model with the Hyperelastic Mass-Spring Model (HyperMSM), we adopt a multiphysics and multiscale approach to capture the electrical and mechanical activities within the uterus. The electrical model incorporates the generation and propagation of action potentials, while the HyperMSM simulates the mechanical behavior and deformations of the uterine tissue. Notably, our model takes into account the orientation of muscle fibers, ensuring that the simulated contractions align with their inherent directional characteristics. One noteworthy aspect of our contraction model is its novel approach to scaling the rest state of the mesh elements, as opposed to the conventional method of applying mechanical loads. By doing so, we eliminate artificial strain energy resulting from the resistance of soft tissues' elastic properties during contractions. We validated our proposed model through test simulations, demonstrating its feasibility and its ability to reproduce expected contraction patterns across different mesh resolutions and configurations. Moving forward, future research efforts should prioritize the validation of our model using robust clinical data. Additionally, it is crucial to refine the model by incorporating a more realistic uterus model derived from medical imaging. Furthermore, applying the model to simulate the entire childbirth process holds immense potential for gaining deeper insights into the intricate dynamics of labor., (© 2023. International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.)

Citrus fruit yield is essential for market stability, as it allows businesses to plan for production and distribution. However, yield estimation is a complex and time-consuming process that often requires a large number of field samples to ensure representativeness. To address this challenge, we investigated the optimal altitude for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging to estimate the yield of Citrus unshiu fruit. We captured images from five different altitudes (30 m, 50 m, 70 m, 90 m, and 110 m), and determined that a resolution of approximately 5 pixels/cm is necessary for reliable estimation of fruit size based on the average diameter of C. unshiu fruit (46.7 mm). Additionally, we found that histogram equalization of the images improved fruit count estimation compared to using untreated images. At the images from 30 m height, the normal image estimates fruit numbers as 73, 55, and 88. However, the histogram equalized image estimates 88, 71, 105. The actual number of fruits is 124, 88, and 141. Using a Vegetation Index such as I PCA showed a similar estimation value to histogram equalization, but I 1 estimation represents a gap to actual yields. Our results provide a valuable database for future UAV field investigations of citrus fruit yield. Using flying platforms like UAVs can provide a step towards adopting this sort of model spanning ever greater regions at a cheap cost, with this system generating accurate results in this manner., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Olfactory dysfunction is a common manifestation in COVID-19 patients and can significantly impact their quality of life. Corticosteroids have been proposed as a potential treatment, but their efficacy remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to comprehensively analyze the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy for treating COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction., Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases up to March 1, 2023. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of corticosteroids on olfactory dysfunction in patients with COVID-19 were included. The primary outcome was the olfactory score at the end of follow-up, and the secondary outcomes were the duration and the rate of recovery from olfactory dysfunction., Results: Seven randomized controlled trials with 999 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, corticosteroid treatment resulted in a statistically significant improvement in olfactory score with a standardized mean difference of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.95). Topical corticosteroids were found to be effective, but systemic corticosteroids were not. In addition, longer durations and higher dosages of corticosteroids treatment may also be associated with significant improvements in olfactory scores. No significant effect was observed on the duration or recovery rate of olfactory dysfunction., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that topical corticosteroid treatment is a viable option for improving COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction, but further research is needed to investigate optimal treatment protocols and safety profiles., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Wang 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.)

Genomic models for prediction of additive and non-additive effects within and across different heterotic groups are lacking for breeding of hybrid crops. In this study, genomic prediction models accounting for incomplete inbreeding in parental lines from two different heterotic groups were developed and evaluated. The models can be used for prediction of general combining ability (GCA) of parental lines from each heterotic group as well as specific combining ability (SCA) of all realized and potential crosses. Here, GCA was estimated as the sum of additive genetic effects and within-group epistasis due to high degree of inbreeding in parental lines. SCA was estimated as the sum of across-group epistasis and dominance effects. Three models were compared. In model 1, it was assumed that each hybrid was produced from two completely inbred parental lines. Model 1 was extended to include three-way hybrids from parental lines with arbitrary levels of inbreeding: In model 2, parents of the three-way hybrids could have any levels of inbreeding, while the grandparents of the maternal parent were assumed completely inbred. In model 3, all parental components could have any levels of inbreeding. Data from commercial breeding programs for hybrid rye and sugar beet was used to evaluate the models. The traits grain yield and root yield were analyzed for rye and sugar beet, respectively. Additive genetic variances were larger than epistatic and dominance variances. The models' predictive abilities for total genetic value, for GCA of each parental line and for SCA were evaluated based on different cross-validation strategies. Predictive abilities were highest for total genetic values and lowest for SCA. Predictive abilities for SCA and for GCA of maternal lines were higher for model 2 and model 3 than for model 1. The implementation of the genomic prediction models in hybrid breeding programs can potentially lead to increased genetic gain in two different ways: I) by facilitating the selection of crossing parents with high GCA within heterotic groups and II) by prediction of SCA of all realized and potential combinations of parental lines to produce hybrids with high total genetic values., Competing Interests: PSa, JO, and AJ were employed by Nordic Seed A/S, and MM was employed by Nordic Seed Germany GmbH. PSn, LR, and JH were employed by DLF Beet Seed AB, and DF was employed by DLF Seeds A/S. The remaining 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., (Copyright © 2023 Kristensen, Sarup, Fé, Orabi, Snell, Ripa, Mohlfeld, Chu, Herrström, Jahoor and Jensen.)

The ingested foreign body is a very unusual etiology of liver abscess. This clinical scenario is infrequently reported in the literature. A 66-year-old male patient presented to the hospital because of abdominal pain along with 7 days of right upper quadrant pain and intermittent low-grade fever. He was living in an epidemiological area of Fasciola infection. Physical examination showed right hypochondria tenderness without guarding or rebounding. Laboratory results were significant for leukocytosis, predominant neutrophils, and increased inflammatory markers. The liver function tests were within normal limits. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT scan were consistent with a hepatic abscess spread from segment 4B to segment 3. The patient was preliminarily diagnosed with a parasitic hepatic abscess. After management with fluid infusion and antibiotics, the patient was discharged in stable condition. Two weeks later, on the follow-up visit, the patient reported intermittent low-grade fever had persisted. After consulting the CT scan, an abnormal high-attenuation linear structure was identified inside the liver lesion, which is suspected of being a foreign body. Laparoscopic surgery was performed, and a fishbone was removed from the abscess cavity. Perforation was not found in the stomach, duodenum, or in the bowel. One week later, their condition was fully resolved. Liver abscess due to a foreign body should be suspected when a patient has radiology findings suggestive of an abscess, but the clinical presentation does not indicate the common etiologies. Meticulous observation on abdominal CT scans or ultrasonography can help with diagnosis and guide treatment., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.)

n-Type organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are less developed than their p-type counterparts. Herein, polynaphthalenediimide (PNDI)-based copolymers bearing novel fluorinated selenophene-vinylene-selenophene (FSVS) units as efficient materials for both n-type OECTs and n-type OFETs are reported. The PNDI polymers with oligo(ethylene glycol) (EG7) side chains P(NDIEG7-FSVS), affords a high µC* of > 0.2 F cm -1  V -1  s -1 , outperforming the benchmark n-type Pg4NDI-T2 and Pg4NDI-gT2 by two orders of magnitude. The deep-lying LUMO of -4.63 eV endows P(NDIEG7-FSVS) with an ultra-low threshold voltage of 0.16 V. Moreover, the conjugated polymer with octyldodecyl (OD) side chains P(NDIOD-FSVS) exhibits a surprisingly low energetic disorder with an Urbach energy of 36 meV and an ultra-low activation energy of 39 meV, resulting in high electron mobility of up to 0.32 cm 2  V -1  s -1 in n-type OFETs. These results demonstrate the great potential for simultaneously achieving a lower LUMO and a tighter intermolecular packing for the next-generation efficient n-type organic electronics., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Insects can have a significant impact on biodiversity, ecology, and the economy. Certain insects, such as aphids, caterpillars, and beetles, feed on plant tissues, including leaves, stems, and fruits. They can cause direct damage by chewing on the plant parts, resulting in holes, defoliation, or stunted growth. This can weaken the plant and affect its overall health and productivity. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a model system that can identify insects and track their behavior, movement, size, and habits. We successfully built a 3D monitoring system that can track insects over time, facilitating the exploration of their habits and interactions with plants and crops. This technique can assist researchers in comprehending insect behavior and ecology, and it can be beneficial for further research in these areas., 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., (Copyright © 2023 Choi, Ku, Mansoor, Chung and Tuan.)

Zoysia grass (Zoysia spp.) is the most widely used warm-season turf grass in Korea due to its durability and resistance to environmental stresses. To develop new longer-period greenness cultivars, it is essential to screen germplasm which maintains the greenness at a lower temperature. Conventional methods are time-consuming, laborious, and subjective. Therefore, in this study, we demonstrate an objective and efficient method to screen maintaining longer greenness germplasm using RGB and multispectral images. From August to December, time-series data were acquired and we calculated green cover percentage (GCP), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Red Edge Index (NDRE), Soil-adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values of germplasm from RGB and multispectral images by applying vegetation indexs. The result showed significant differences in GCP, NDVI, NDRE, SAVI, and EVI among germplasm (p < 0.05). The GCP, which evaluated the quantity of greenness by counting pixels of the green area from RGB images, exhibited maintenance of greenness over 90% for August and September but, sharply decrease from October. The study found significant differences in GCP and NDVI among germplasm. san208 exhibiting over 90% GCP and high NDVI values during 153 days. In addition, we also conducted assessments using various vegetation indexes, namely NDRE, SAVI, and EVI. san208 exhibited NDRE levels exceeding 3% throughout this period. As for SAVI, it initially started at approximately 38% and gradually decreased to around 4% over the course of these days. Furthermore, for the month of August, it recorded approximately 6%, but experienced a decline from about 9% to 1% between September and October. The complementary use of both indicators could be an efficient method for objectively assessing the greenness of turf both quantitatively and qualitatively., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be produced from red blood cells (RBCs) on a large scale and used to deliver therapeutic payloads efficiently. However, not much is known about the native biological properties of RBCEVs. Here, we demonstrate that RBCEVs are primarily taken up by macrophages and monocytes. This uptake is an active process, mediated mainly by endocytosis. Incubation of CD14+ monocytes with RBCEVs induces their differentiation into macrophages with an Mheme-like phenotype, characterized by upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG1. Moreover, macrophages that take up RBCEVs exhibit a reduction in surface CD86 and decreased secretion of TNF-α under inflammatory stimulation. The upregulation of HO-1 is attributed to heme derived from haemoglobin in RBCEVs. Heme is released from internalized RBCEVs in late endosomes and lysosomes via the heme transporter, HRG1. Consequently, RBCEVs exhibit the ability to attenuate foam cell formation from oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL)-treated macrophages in vitro and reduce atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE knockout mice on a high-fat diet. In summary, our study reveals the uptake mechanism of RBCEVs and their delivery of heme to macrophages, suggesting the potential application of RBCEVs in the treatment of atherosclerosis., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC on behalf of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.)

High-quality gynecologist and midwife training is particularly relevant to limit medical complications and reduce maternal and fetal morbimortalities. Physical and virtual training simulators have been developed. However, physical simulators offer a simplified model and limited visualization of the childbirth process, while virtual simulators still lack a realistic interactive system and are generally limited to imposed predefined gestures. Objective performance assessment based on the simulation numerical outcomes is still not at hand. In the present work, we developed a virtual childbirth simulator based on the Mixed-Reality (MR) technology coupled with HyperMSM (Hyperelastic Mass-Spring Model) formulation for real-time soft-tissue deformations, providing intuitive user interaction with the virtual physical model and a quantitative assessment to enhance the trainee's gestures. Microsoft HoloLens 2 was used and the MR simulator was developed including a complete holographic obstetric model. A maternal pelvis system model of a pregnant woman (including the pelvis bone, the pelvic floor muscles, the birth canal, the uterus, and the fetus) was generated, and HyperMSM formulation was applied to simulate the soft tissue deformations. To induce realistic reactions to free gestures, the virtual replicas of the user's detected hands were introduced into the physical simulation and were associated with a contact model between the hands and the HyperMSM models. The gesture of pulling any part of the virtual models with two hands was also implemented. Two labor scenarios were implemented within the MR childbirth simulator: physiological labor and forceps-assisted labor. A scoring system for the performance assessment was included based on real-time biofeedback. As results, our developed MR simulation application was developed in real-time with a refresh rate of 30-50 FPS on the HoloLens device. HyperMSM model was validated using FE outcomes: high correlation coefficients of [0.97-0.99] and weighted root mean square relative errors of 9.8% and 8.3% were obtained for the soft tissue displacement and energy density respectively. Experimental tests showed that the implemented free-user interaction system allows to apply the correct maneuvers (in particular the "Viennese" maneuvers) during the labor process, and is capable to induce a truthful reaction of the model. Obtained results confirm also the possibility of using our simulation's outcomes to objectively evaluate the trainee's performance with a reduction of 39% for the perineal strain energy density and 5.6 mm for the vertical vaginal diameter when the "Viennese" technique is applied. This present study provides, for the first time, an interactive childbirth simulator with an MR immersive experience with direct free-hand interaction, real-time soft-tissue deformation feedback, and an objective performance assessment based on numerical outcomes. This offers a new perspective for enhancing next-generation training-based obstetric teaching. The used models of the maternal pelvic system and the fetus will be enhanced, and more delivery scenarios (e.g. instrumental delivery, breech delivery, shoulder dystocia) will be designed and integrated. The third stage of labor will be also investigated to include the delivery of the placenta, and the clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord., (© 2023. International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.)

Dual-drug delivery systems for anticancer therapy have recently attracted substantial attention due to their potency to overcome limitations of conventional anti-cancer drugs, tackle drug resistance problems, as well as improve the therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we introduced a novel nanogel based on folic acid-gelatin-pluronic P123 (FA-GP-P123) conjugate to simultaneously deliver quercetin (QU) and paclitaxel (PTX) to the targeted tumor. The results indicated that the drug loading capacity of FA-GP-P123 nanogels was significantly higher than that of P123 micelles. The kinetic release profiles of QU and PTX from the nanocarriers were governed by Fickian diffusion and swelling behavior, respectively. Notably, FA-GP-P123/QU/PTX dual-drug delivery system induced higher toxicity to MCF-7 and Hela cancer cells than either QU or PTX individual delivery system, and the non-targeted dug delivery system (GP-P123/QU/PTX), indicating the synergistic combination of dual drugs and FA positive targeting effect. Furthermore, FA-GP-P123 could effectively deliver QU and PTX to tumors in vivo after administration into MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice, which resulted in 94.20 ± 5.90 % of tumor volume reduced at day 14. Moreover, the side effects of the dual-drug delivery system were significantly reduced. Overall, we suggest FA-GP-P123 as potential nanocarrier for dual-drug delivery for targeted chemotherapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The combination of atezolizumab (ATZ) and bevacizumab (BVZ) was approved as first-line systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) owing to its superior rates of response and patient survival. However, ATZ + BVZ is associated with increased risk of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, including arterial bleeding, which is rare and potentially fatal. We present a case of massive upper GI bleeding from a gastric pseudoaneurysm in a patient with advanced HCC who had been treated with ATZ + BVZ., Case Summary: A 67-year-old man presented with severe upper GI bleeding after atezolizumab (ATZ) + bevacizumab (BVZ) therapy for HCC. Endoscopy failed to detect the bleeding site. Digital subtraction angiography revealed a gastric artery pseudoaneurysm and contrast extravasation from the inferior splenic artery and a branch of the left gastric artery. Successful hemostasis was achieved with embolization., Conclusion: HCC patients who have been treated with ATZ + BVZ should be followed for 3 to 6 mo to monitor for development of massive GI bleeding. Diagnosis may require angiography. Embolization is an effective treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Backgrounds and Objective : Facial palsy is a complex pathophysiological condition affecting the personal and professional lives of the involved patients. Sudden muscle weakness or paralysis needs to be rehabilitated to recover a symmetric and expressive face. Computer-aided decision support systems for facial rehabilitation have been developed. However, there is a lack of facial muscle baseline data to evaluate the patient states and guide as well as optimize the rehabilitation strategy. In this present study, we aimed to develop a novel baseline facial muscle database (static and dynamic behaviors) using the coupling between statistical shape modeling and in-silico trial approaches. Methods : 10,000 virtual subjects (5000 males and 5000 females) were generated from a statistical shape modeling (SSM) head model. Skull and muscle networks were defined so that they statistically fit with the head shapes. Two standard mimics: smiling and kissing were generated. The muscle strains of the lengths in neutral and mimic positions were computed and recorded thanks to the muscle insertion and attachment points on the animated head and skull meshes. For validation, five head and skull meshes were reconstructed from the five computed tomography (CT) image sets. Skull and muscle networks were then predicted from the reconstructed head meshes. The predicted skull meshes were compared with the reconstructed skull meshes based on the mesh-to-mesh distance metrics. The predicted muscle lengths were also compared with those manually defined on the reconstructed head and skull meshes. Moreover, the computed muscle lengths and strains were compared with those in our previous studies and the literature. Results : The skull prediction's median deviations from the CT-based models were 2.2236 mm, 2.1371 mm, and 2.1277 mm for the skull shape, skull mesh, and muscle attachment point regions, respectively. The median deviation of the muscle lengths was 4.8940 mm. The computed muscle strains were compatible with the reported values in our previous Kinect-based method and the literature. Conclusions : The development of our novel facial muscle database opens new avenues to accurately evaluate the facial muscle states of facial palsy patients. Based on the evaluated results, specific types of facial mimic rehabilitation exercises can also be selected optimally to train the target muscles. In perspective, the database of the computed muscle lengths and strains will be integrated into our available clinical decision support system for automatically detecting malfunctioning muscles and proposing patient-specific rehabilitation serious games.

The share of renewable energy has grown significantly in global energy supply, yet the evaluation of renewable energy utilization has remained limited. Hence, this research explored economic and environmental efficiency in renewable energy utilization in 20 OECD (The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries from 2015 to 2020. The study approached the data envelopment analysis-slack-based measure (DEA-SBM) to evaluate economic efficiency, and the DEA undesirable output to measure environmental efficiency. Four inputs as labor force, gross capital formation, total renewable energy capacity, and share of renewable energy were compared to two desirable outputs as the gross domestic product (GDP), and total energy production in the economic efficiency model. In the environmental efficiency model, the same inputs were evaluated with GDP as the desirable output and CO 2 emissions as the undesirable output. The DEA-SBM revealed that Australia, Belgium, Norway, the UK, and the USA were efficient in economic evaluation, whereas DEA undesirable output indicated that Belgium, France, Sweden, the UK, and the USA were efficient in environmental evaluation. The governments are suggested to adjust the resources management since the number of efficient units decreased in the economic assessment while fluctuating in the environmental assessment., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Coronary artery vasospasm (CVS), an uncommon cause of acute chest pain, can be provoked by vasoconstriction-induced medications. Misoprostol, a prostaglandin analog, is a safe medication to terminate a pregnancy. However, misoprostol can cause coronary artery vasospasm due to vasoconstrictor properties, leading to acute myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), especially in patients with a high risk for cardiovascular disease. We report a case of a 42-year-old female with a past medical history of hypertension who presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction following the administration of a high-dose Misoprostol. The fact that coronary angiogram and intravascular ultrasound revealed normal coronary arteries suggested transient coronary vasospasm. CVS is a severe but rare cardiac adverse effect associated with high-dose misoprostol. This medication should be prescribed with caution and close monitoring, especially in those with pre-existing heart disease or cardiovascular risk factors. Our case raises awareness of severe cardiovascular complications that can be related to using misoprostol in high-risk patients., 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., (© 2023 Hau, Han, Minh, Kiet, Phong, Duong, Yen, Vinh, Hao, Nguyen, Truyen and Le.)