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Author Correction: Kriging-based surrogate data-enriching artificial neural network prediction of strength and permeability of permeable cement-stabilized base
Hemodynamic effects of prophylactic amiodarone assessed by pressure–volume analysis in anesthetized female pigs in sinus rhythm—An exploratory study
Background Intravenous amiodarone is used for acute management of severe arrhythmias and can cause hypotension. However, amiodarone’s direct hemodynamic and myocardial effects during sinus rhythm are not well characterized. Methods Twenty-five anesthetized female pigs (75–80 kg) received a 300 mg intravenous bolus amiodarone over 30 minutes. To assess hemodynamic effects, animals were instrumented with a left ventricular conductance catheter, a pulmonary artery catheter, a carotid artery Doppler flow probe, and a renal vein catheter. Data were recorded at baseline, after 15 and 30 minutes and presented as median with interquartile ranges. Results Amiodarone reduced systolic and mean arterial blood pressure by 12% (p < 0.001) after 30 minutes infusion, primarily driven by 24% reduction in cardiac output due to combined deceased heart rate (87 (79; 99) beats per minute (bpm) to 72 (62; 81) bpm, p < 0.001) and stroke volume (69 (64; 79) mL to 64 (48; 73) mL, p = 0.004). End-systolic elastance (EES) decreased (0.54 (0.33; 0.63) mmHg/mL to 0.43 (0.29; 0.51) mmHg/mL, p < 0.001), while systemic vascular resistance and arterial elastance (EA) remained unchanged, resulting in an increased EA/EES ratio from 2.45 (2.01;3.53) to 3.26 (2.55; 4.30) (p < 0.001). This impaired cardiac function led to reduced carotid artery blood flow and renal perfusion pressure. Conclusion Infusion of 300 mg amiodarone intravenously in anesthetized pigs in sinus rhythm impaired left ventricular contractility and caused ventriculo-arterial decoupling with increased EA/EES ratio. This led to reduced cardiac output, blood pressure, and reduced carotid- and renal blood flow.
SDG driven carbon aware machine learning model recommendation framework
Angptl4 integrates dietary and microbial signals to disrupt gut barrier function in MASH
Effects of different intensities of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation on corticospinal excitability and motor performance in healthy humans
Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) has been applied in clinical settings to enhance the recovery of motor function following central nervous system lesions. However, the optimal intensity of rPMS for inducing neural plasticity and the mechanisms behind its action are not understood. We investigated the impacts of rPMS at two different stimulus intensities on motor performance and the motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation in the arm muscles of 20 healthy adults. The biceps brachii (BB) muscle was subjected to rPMS in a 2-s ON and 2-s OFF cycle (for a total duration of 15 min). Two levels of rPMS were used: one that was sufficient to cause muscle contraction and one that was not. When investigating the effects on motor performance, an increase in elbow flexion torque and muscle activity was observed after rPMS at an intensity that elicited muscle contraction, whereas no significant changes were observed after rPMS at an intensity that did not cause muscle contraction. The MEPs of the BB increased after rPMS at an intensity that elicited muscle contraction, but no significant changes were observed after rPMS at an intensity that did not cause muscle contraction. Cervicomedullary MEP elicited by transmastoid electrical stimulation did not change after rPMS, implying that the increase in MEP was not accompanied by changes in the efficacy of cortico-motoneuronal synaptic transmission. These findings suggest that rPMS-induced muscle contraction can increase corticospinal excitability while maintaining spinal motoneuron excitability, thereby improving motor performance.
Influence of different bulb size and planting time on growth, morphology, and flower quality of Narcissus tazetta under greenhouse conditions
Amino acid-based biological age clock and its implications for human health and aging
Cyberattacks in supply chains: A multi-case study
Supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to Supply Chain Cyberattacks (SCCAs) that exploit third-party trust and bypass traditional perimeter-based defenses. This study investigates the propagation mechanisms, impacts, and governance of SCCAs through a qualitative multi-case analysis of seven landmark incidents across diverse sectors, including retail, logistics, energy, and healthcare. Drawing on the Supply Chain Cyber Security System (SCCSS) framework, we map attack vectors, internal escalation pathways, and recovery dynamics across IT, organizational, and supply chain subsystems. Our cross-case synthesis reveals that SCCAs predominantly originate from third-party connections (contractual governance failures) and escalate through four recurring propagation mechanisms—Network Flattening, Alert Paralysis, Operational Coupling, and Relational Weaponization. The scale of disruption is systematically amplified by inter-system coordination failures, while resilience emerges only when proactive information sharing is activated by strong internal organizational readiness. We introduce the concept of synergy dependency, demonstrating that external relational governance is hierarchically contingent on internal organizational controls, and reconceptualize Points of Penetration (PoPs) as dynamic transmission mechanisms that convert localized digital breaches into systemic operational paralysis. This research offers empirically grounded insights that adapt the SCCSS framework from a classificatory tool into a process-oriented model capable of explaining how cyber risk propagates as a lifecycle of entry, transmission, and interruption. The findings contribute analytical interpretations to supply chain governance theory by showing that cyber resilience is conditionally interdependent across subsystems. Practically, the study offers actionable guidance for implementing secure architecture, cross-organizational threat intelligence sharing, and supplier-support programs to strengthen the resilience of complex global supply chain ecosystems.
Association between mucus phenotypes, histopathological features, and ultra-high magnification endoscopic findings in ulcerative colitis
Abstract Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting the colonic mucosa. Changes in mucin phenotype may be associated with mucosal inflammation in UC. However, the relationship between clinicopathological features and mucus phenotypes in UC remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between mucus phenotypes and clinicopathological features in patients with UC using immunohistochemistry, as well as their association with ultra-high magnification endocytoscopy (EC) classification. A total of 51 lower gastrointestinal endocytoscopy procedures were performed for 39 patients with UC between 2018 and 2022. MUC2 expression was positive in all biopsy specimens, whereas MUC1, MUC6, and CD10 expression was negative. MUC5AC was expressed in 51.3% of cases. MUC5AC positivity was associated with duration of disease, classification by clinical course, Mayo score, Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES), Nancy histological index, C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and EC classification at the patient level. At the specimen level, significant differences were observed in the Nancy histological index, MES, and EC classification. In multivariate analysis, the Nancy histological index showed a significant correlation.MUC5AC is strongly correlated with histopathological severity and may also be associated with clinical and endoscopic severity. The clinical significance of MUC5AC positivity remains a topic for future investigation.
Dual-domain metamaterials co-integrated with a compact ultrasonic transducer for highly directional audio generation
Client satisfaction with pharmacy services and associated factors at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background Client satisfaction is a crucial indicator of healthcare quality, influencing treatment adherence, continuity of care, and overall health outcomes. However, there is limited evidence on client satisfaction with pharmacy services in Ethiopia. This study aims to assess client satisfaction levels and their determinants in pharmacy services at Yekatit 12 Hospital, Addis Ababa. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College, from 21 April 2025–15 May 2025. A total of 422 adult patients and caregivers were selected using systematic random sampling from five pharmacy units. Data were collected through a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics and measures of satisfaction. Responses were measured on a five-point Likert scale, and the mean score was used to categorise participants as satisfied or dissatisfied. Data were analysed using STATA software, and multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with satisfaction. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College (Reference number: RPO/934/25). Results Overall, 49.76% of participants were satisfied with outpatient pharmaceutical services. Participants with secondary education or higher had significantly lower odds of satisfaction compared with those with no formal education (AOR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.07–0.79). Clients who did not receive all prescribed medications were also less likely to be satisfied (AOR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.20–0.60). In contrast, ART pharmacy users had higher odds of satisfaction compared with outpatient pharmacy users (AOR = 3.27; 95% CI: 1.38–7.78). Conclusion Client satisfaction with pharmacy services at Yekatit 12 Hospital was low. Educational status, type of pharmacy service, and medication availability were associated with satisfaction levels. Higher satisfaction in the ART pharmacy underscores the value of specialised service. Strengthening drug supply systems, enhancing staff-client interaction, and improving service processes may increase satisfaction across pharmacy units.
The contribution of soil extract composition and cyclic moisture dynamics to the physicochemical aging of superabsorbent polyacrylic acid and polyacrylamide hydrogels
Abstract Polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyacrylamide (PAM), two synthetic superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) commonly used, inter alia, in agriculture, can form three‑dimensional hydrogels that enhance soil water retention and soil structural stability. Yet, their potential aging and transformation under natural drying-rewetting dynamics and in contact with soil solutes remain unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of soil extracts from sand, loam, and clay soil in both a 72 h free swelling experiment (FSE) and in an incubation experiment (IE), where PAA and PAM hydrogels underwent ten successive drying-rewetting cycles. Samples were taken after cycles 0, 3, 5, and 10 and investigated for their swelling index (SI), water entrapment ( 1 H proton nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry), structural stability (rheometry), morphology (scanning electron microscopy), and surface chemistry (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). In the FSE, PAA swelling in all soil extracts reduced SI, shortened T₂ relaxation, and increased solid-like characteristics, whereas PAM properties remained stable except when swollen in sand extract. During the IE, PAA exhibited progressive hydrogel network densification, further SI loss, T 2WL shortening, band intensity shifts, and microstructural densification, whereas PAM remained largely inert. Multivariate analysis confirmed that polymer identity and its interaction with the conducted drying-rewetting cycles and soil extract composition drove SAP aging. Overall, drying-rewetting cycles appear to induce irreversible chemo-structural alterations in anionic PAA, reducing its rehydration potential and promoting persistent, solid, plastic-like residues. In contrast, neutral PAM was more resilient under dynamic environmental conditions.
SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination elicit distinct pharyngeal mucosal B cell responses in children
Abstract Mucosal immunity is an important correlate of protection against respiratory infections such as SARS-CoV-2. Comparing B cell responses to vaccines and infection at relevant mucosal sites may provide unique and important insights into tissue immunity. Here, we characterize antigen-specific B cells in the tonsils, adenoids, and peripheral blood of children who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 or vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. SARS-CoV-2-specific switched memory B cells (B SM ) are found in the pharyngeal lymphoid tissues and blood after vaccination or infection. However, infection generates a higher proportion of IgA + B SM and CXCR3 + CD21 + B SM . CXCR3 + CD21 + B SM show distinct spatial localization, greater clonal expansion and increased propensity for plasma cell differentiation compared to their CXCR3 - counterparts, accompanied by persistent activation of innate and T follicular helper cells in the tissues. Our data provide evidence for tissue-specific B cell memory after either SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or infection, but with distinct characteristics that can influence the quality, durability, and localization of immunity.
Identification of key genes and signaling pathways associated with acute pancreatitis and acute lung injury by bioinformatics analysis
Objective To identify key genes and shared pathogenic pathways associated with acute pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury (AP-ALI), through bioinformatics analysis, and to provide potential molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of AP-ALI. Methods The cerulein-induced severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) mouse lung tissue dataset (GSE244335), lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mouse lung tissue dataset (GSE216943), and human AP patient peripheral blood dataset (GSE194331) were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened. Subsequently, we conducted a series of bioinformatic analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. The PPI network was constructed and hub genes were screened. Cross-species consistency of key pathways was verified using the human dataset. Results A total of 469 and 153 DEGs were screened from GSE244335 and GSE216943, respectively, with 94 overlapping common DEGs. GO/KEGG enrichment analyses showed that these common DEGs were mainly enriched in immune-inflammatory responses, chemokine receptor binding, and NF-κB signaling pathways. PPI network analysis identified the top 10 hub genes in mice (IL-1β, CCL3, CXCL2, CXCL10, CCL2, CXCL9, CXCL1, CXCR2, TLR2, TNF). Ten hub genes (S100A9, ARG1, RETN, etc.) were screened from the human AP dataset (GSE194331). Cross-species comparison of mouse lung tissue and human peripheral blood revealed 6 common GO-BP terms related to systemic inflammatory responses, suggesting shared mechanisms between local lung injury and systemic inflammation in AP. Conclusions The identified hub genes (e.g., IL-1β, CXCL2) and the IL-17/NF-κB signaling pathway represent candidate molecular signatures implicated in AP-ALI. These computational findings generate testable hypotheses regarding inflammatory mechanisms, potentially highlighting shared systemic inflammatory processes between mouse lung injury and human peripheral blood. Direct validation in human pulmonary tissue or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is warranted to confirm their local pathogenic relevance.
Estimation and uncertainty quantification of remaining useful life (RUL) of electric vehicle batteries using a temporal deep model
Triple-interlocked-nanotwinned bulk magnesium alloys with exceptional strength and ageing resistance
Abstract Nanoscale twin boundaries (TBs) effectively restrict the free motion of dislocations by intersecting with other TBs to realize high strength. However, the dislocations parallel to the TBs can glide along the TBs, resulting in detwinning for low strength. Herein, we present a triple-interlocked-nanotwinned (TIT) strategy for overcoming these inherent deficiencies. An Mg-9Li alloy was used as a proof-of-concept. The treated alloy had a large volume fraction of TIT interfaces (65.7%). It not only had a high yield strength of 508.6 MPa (approximately eleven times higher than that of the TIT-free sample) but also offered unprecedented ageing resistance, with a reduction in hardness of 6% after 730 days. The martensite-like phase transformation process concurrently triggers multiple-variant twins to form TIT structures. These TIT nets can effectively prohibit dislocation motion, reduce strengthening anisotropy, and disperse localized stress during the deformation process. This strategy of phase transformation twinning open a gate to fabricate other stronger metallic or ceramic nanotwinned bulk materials.
Does tear size influence factors associated with early retear, satisfaction, and functional outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair?
Background Determinants of structural retear, patient satisfaction, and functional outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair may vary by tear size and influence surgical decision-making. Purpose To determine whether tear size influences factors associated with early structural retear, postoperative satisfaction, and functional outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Study design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods A total of 1,166 primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs were categorized by mediolateral tear size as small (≤10 mm), medium (11–29 mm), or large (30–50 mm). At 6 months, patients underwent standardized ultrasound evaluation for structural retear and completed a 5-point satisfaction scale. Shoulder strength and range of motion were measured. Multivariable regression analyses were performed separately for each tear size group. Results Associations with structural retear differed by tear size. In small tears, older age, longer operative time, greater anteroposterior tear dimension and preoperative stiffness were associated with increased retear risk, while anchors number showed no association. In medium tears, older age, larger anteroposterior tear dimension, and greater preoperative supraspinatus strength were associated with retear risk, whereas greater number of anchors reduced this risk. In large tears, retear was associated with factors including age, sex, range of motion, and pain at rest, with no association with anchors number. Satisfaction also varied by tear size: greater anchors number was associated with higher satisfaction in small tears, whereas in medium and large tears satisfaction was related to shoulder-related factors. The number of anchors was not consistently associated with postoperative strength or range of motion. Conclusion Factors associated with re-tear, satisfaction and functional outcomes vary by tear size. Greater number of anchors reduced the odds of retear only in medium tears and showed minimal association with functional outcomes, supporting tear size–specific counselling and surgical planning.
Well‐Defined Heterocatalysts for Plastic Upcycling: From Design to Applications
ABSTRACT The global plastic pollution issues demand transformative upcycling technologies. As a kind of advanced material, well‐defined heterocatalysts (WDHCs), which encompass well‐defined nanoparticles, sub‐nanoclusters, and atomically dispersed single‐atom catalysts, have been widely employed in the chemical transformation of various waste plastics, showing high performance due to their unique structures. This review article summarizes advances on WDHCs for plastic upcycling, focusing on the structure‐activity relationship of WDHCs and catalytic mechanisms. A framework of rational design for various WDHCs is first established, concentrating on the strategic engineering of metal centers, coordination environments, and support interfaces. Subsequently, the applications of WDHCs in catalyzing degradation of plastics via thermo‐, photo‐, and thermo‐electronic strategies are introduced in sequence, with emphasis on mechanistic insights and structure‐activity relationships of WDHCs. A critical assessment of catalyst stability, deactivation pathways, and performance in realistic mixed‐plastic feeds is integrated throughout. Finally, the challenges related to scalable synthesis of catalysts and their stability, together with process integration, are addressed, offering perspectives on the development of sustainable and industrially viable plastic upcycling technologies. This work aims to serve as a foundational reference and a design guide for the next generation of high‐performance WDHCs in enabling a circular economy of post‐consumer plastics.
Efficient real time small object detection framework in aerial images using edge awareness and dynamic convolution
Abstract Small object detection in high-resolution images remains challenging because target instances usually occupy only a limited number of pixels, making their appearance cues weak and easily overwhelmed by background noise. In addition, the repeated downsampling operations used in conventional detectors tend to suppress high-frequency edge information and fine-grained spatial details, which are crucial for accurate localization of small objects. Meanwhile, many existing methods improve detection performance by introducing heavier multi-scale feature fusion strategies or more complex prediction heads, which significantly increase computational cost, parameter redundancy, and inference latency, thereby limiting real-time deployment on resource-constrained devices. To address these issues, this paper proposes GDD-YOLO, an efficient real-time small object detection framework. Specifically, a Global Edge Information Transfer (GEIT) module is designed to extract multiscale edge cues from shallow features and propagate them across the backbone to strengthen boundary-aware localization of small objects. In addition, a Dynamic Inception Mixer (DIM) is introduced to overcome the limited scale adaptability of fixed convolution kernels by performing input-adaptive multi-branch convolutional aggregation with reduced complexity. Furthermore, a lightweight detection head (DECDH) is developed using shared convolution and detail-enhanced operators to preserve contextual and local structural information while reducing parameter overhead. Experiments on the VisDrone dataset show that GDD-YOLO achieves 26.2% AP, outperforming YOLOv11-S by 2.4%, while reducing the number of parameters by 16.8% and computational cost by 14.6%. These results demonstrate that GDD-YOLO provides an effective balance between detection accuracy and inference efficiency for real-time small object detection on edge devices.
PURE makes PURE: reconstitution of the PURE cell-free system from self-synthesized proteins
Abstract Building a universal biochemical constructor, an autonomously self-replicating biochemical system, remains a challenge in synthetic biology. The PURE cell-free system is a suitable starting point for exploring self-regeneration, and its 36 non-ribosome proteins constitute the primary macromolecular components that must be regenerated. Here, we demonstrate that the PURE system can be reconstituted from proteins synthesized by PURE itself. We first show that each of the 36 non-ribosome proteins can be individually synthesized in PURE. We then purify the PURE synthesized proteins as pooled subsets and reconstitute a fully functional PURE system by combining the subsets. Finally, we show that all 36 non-ribosome PURE proteins can be synthesized simultaneously in a single PURE reaction and, after purification, can reconstitute a functional PURE system. Together, these results establish that the non-ribosome proteins components of the PURE system can be self-regenerated, representing an essential step toward the realization of a universal biochemical constructor.