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A method for recognizing positive and negative electrodes of buzzer circuit board based on machine vision
In order to automate the soldering of coils to circuit boards in buzzers, this study proposes a method for recognizing positive and negative electrodes of buzzer circuit board based on machine vision. The method distinguishes and locates the positive and negative electrode of the circuit boards, which facilitates subsequent soldering operations. Since buzzer circuit boards are left-right symmetric and the positive and negative solder pads are highly similar in morphology, it is difficult to distinguish between the positive and negative electrodes based on visual features. The method first employs the color difference operator R-G-B to extract the color feature map of the circuit board. Next, algorithms such as filtering, threshold segmentation and contour detection are employed to extract the circuit board contours, and the rotated minimum bounding rectangle of each circuit board is obtained to achieve precise locating. Then, according to the up-down asymmetric geometric characteristics of the circuit boards, the positive and negative electrode recognition problem is converted into a simple geometric analysis problem. According to the current orientation of the circuit board, it is categorized into eight cases, and corresponding calculation formulas of positive and negative position are designed, effectively distinguishing and locating the positive and negative electrodes of the circuit board. Experimental results demonstrate high recognition accuracy of the method: The error in extracting the minimum bounding rectangle is only single-digit(zero to ten) pixel values. Finally, the average relative error in recognizing the positive and negative electrode positions is less than 2%. Tests confirm that the proposed method achieves robust recognition and locating performance, showing promising potential for application in automatic soldering equipment to realize automated soldering of buzzer circuit boards.
Hard–Soft Acid–Base Principle Drives Rational Synthesis of Super-Dense Rare-Earth-Based Diatomic Sites
Encoding of speech modes and loudness in ventral precentral gyrus
Abstract The ability to vary the mode and loudness of speech is an important part of the expressive range of human vocal communication. However, the encoding of these behaviors in the ventral precentral gyrus (vPCG) has not been studied at the resolution of neuronal firing rates. We investigated this in two participants who had intracortical microelectrode arrays implanted in their vPCG as part of a speech neuroprosthesis clinical trial. Neuronal firing rates modulated strongly in vPCG as a function of attempted mimed, whispered, normal or loud speech. At the neural ensemble level, mode/loudness and phonemic content were encoded in distinct neural subspaces. Attempted mode/loudness could be decoded from vPCG with 94% and 89% accuracy for the two participants, and corresponding neural preparatory activity at 640 ms and 270 ms before speech onset enabled 80% decoding accuracy, respectively. We then developed a closed-loop loudness decoder that achieved 94% online accuracy in modulating a brain-to-text speech neuroprosthesis output based on attempted loudness. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of decoding mode and loudness from vPCG, paving the way for speech neuroprostheses capable of synthesizing more expressive speech.
Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with the Planetary Health diet in the Korean adult population
This study aimed to examine the associations of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors with adherence to the planetary health diet in the Korean adult population. A total of 25,336 participants aged ≥ 19 years who completed a nutrition survey of the 2016–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The planetary health diet score was calculated based on the guidelines set by the EAT-Lancet Commission. Associations between the planetary health diet score and selected sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were assessed using multivariate logistic regression in men and women, separately. The planetary health diet score was dichotomized for men and women based on the median value, and the odds of being greater than the median scores were modeled as a dependent variable. The mean planetary health diet score was significantly higher in women (mean ± se, 9.51 ± 0.01) than in men (9.17 ± 0.02). Older age was associated with the planetary health diet score above the median in both men and women. The associations with marital status and smoking status, prevalence of monthly alcohol use differed by sex. Among men, being widowed and current smokers were associated with having planetary health diet scores below the median, whereas no such associations were observed in women. Women who were never married tended to be in the lower half of the diet score compared with married women, while the prevalence of monthly alcohol use was associated with the diet score above the median, but not in men. Physical activity, dietary supplement use, and body mass index were not significantly associated with the planetary health diet score in both men and women. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were associated with the planetary health diet in men and women. These findings may help to identify at-risk populations for nutritional screening and to develop nutritional intervention strategies and educational materials.
Shared structural mechanisms of alternating access between the secondary peptide transporter SbmA and ABC transporters
Abstract SbmA is a membrane transporter from Escherichia coli that imports antimicrobial peptides. SbmA belongs to the SbmA-like peptide transporter (SLiPT) family. Although the protein is a secondary active transporter that is energized by the proton gradient, it is structurally related to the transmembrane domain (TMD) of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. SbmA therefore bridges the structural divide between primary and secondary transporters. However, it remains unclear, if SbmA also shares the mechanism of alternating access with ABC transporters, because only a single (outward-open) state is resolved. Here, we show by sequence analysis that SbmA is likely evolved from the TMD of an early ancestor of the ABC transporter YddA. We determine the cryogenic electron microscopy structures of SbmA in occluded and inward-facing states. These conformations closely resemble equivalent states found in ABC transporters, indicating a shared structural mechanism of transport. In contrast to ABC transporters, where nucleotide binding, hydrolysis and release steer conformational changes necessary for substrate translocation, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal how pH changes induce conformational transitions in SbmA, consistent with a mechanism of substrate internalization that utilizes the transmembrane proton gradient.
Correction: The importance of structure: Using targeted rewiring to explore social networks property interdependencies
The genetic basis for DNA methylation variation across tissues and development
Alkyl gallates disrupt Trypanosoma brucei lipid droplets
African trypanosomiasis is a deadly disease that affects humans and animals, with treatment hindered by drug toxicity and resistance, highlighting the need for alternative therapies. Alkyl gallates, which are plant-derived phenolipids used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, have been shown to have potent anti-microbial activity; however, their mechanism of action is still unclear. This study investigated the effects of selected alkyl gallates on Trypanosoma brucei . The in vitro anti-trypanosomal and cytotoxicity of the alkyl gallates were determined using the alamarBlue assay. The effects of the alkyl gallates on lipid droplet dynamics were studied using BODIPY493/503 dye and an endogenously tagged lipid droplet kinase cell line which served as a protein marker of lipid droplets. In vitro treatment with octyl and lauryl gallates resulted in rapid cell death with low IC 50 of 0.7 µM and 0.04 µM respectively. Octyl gallate treatment significantly reduced lipid droplet number within 30 minutes and by 2 hours most cells lacked lipid droplets; however, lipid droplets rebounded once the drug pressure was removed. These results show that alkyl gallates rapidly disrupt lipid droplet homeostasis in Trypanosoma brucei . Thus, these gallates could serve as a useful cell biology tool to dissect lipid droplet biogenesis and function in trypanosomes.
GID/CTLH E3 ligase complex control cell fate programs for sexual development of Plasmodium falciparum
Molecular surveillance of malaria in Tanzania: Baseline surveillance of vectors that drive persistent malaria transmission in regions with varying transmission intensities
Malaria has remained persistently high in some regions of Tanzania despite increased control interventions. To address the burden of malaria in these regions, monitoring malaria vector dynamics is crucial to inform control interventions. This study assessed the composition and infectivity of malaria vectors in areas with varying levels of transmission. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five districts: Buhigwe, Kyerwa, Ludewa, Muheza, and Nyasa, from August to October 2023. In each district, one to five villages were selected for the study, and mosquitoes were collected indoors from 10 households per village using CDC light traps. Outdoor mosquitoes were collected from five households using Furvela tent traps. In all selected villages and trap types, mosquitoes were collected over three nights. Collected mosquitoes were sorted by species, and malaria vectors were sent to the laboratory for identification and screening for malaria parasites using polymerase chain reaction. A total of 19,898 mosquitoes were collected, and Anopheles gambiae complex, An. funestus group, other Anopheles species and culicine species accounted for 2.2%, 44.3%, 1.1% and 52.4%, respectively. An. funestus group was the predominant species, accounting for 95.3% of the malaria vectors. Sibling species identification revealed that An. arabiensis was the main species (75.0%) in An. gambiae complex, whereas An. funestus sensu stricto (s.s) was predominant (96.3%) in An. funestus group. A total of 1799 vectors were tested for infection with Plasmodium falciparum, and nine (0.5%) collected with CDC light traps were infected. The estimated annual entomological inoculation rate for An. funestus collected by light traps was 242.6, 66.5, and 13.0 infectious bites per person per year in Kyerwa, Nyasa, and Muheza, respectively. This study recorded a relatively high density of malaria vectors, particularly in Kyerwa district, despite being conducted during the dry season. An. funestus was the main vector, and interventions targeting it are urgently needed to achieve the national goal of malaria elimination by 2030.
Persistent organic pollutant concentrations in human pancreas correlate with markers of beta cell dysfunction
Revisiting the exposure criterion for PTSD: Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to assess measurement invariance of PTSD symptoms across event types
Introduction There is an ongoing debate about the exposure criterion of PTSD since its introduction in the DSM-III in 1980 and the global COVID-19 pandemic has fueled it. Studies examining the prevalence of PTSD following the COVID-19 pandemic are criticized because assessed stressful pandemic-related events do not fulfill the exposure criterion of the DSM-5 and ICD-11. However, if stressful pandemic-related events are indeed distinct events compared to events that fulfill the exposure criterion, measurement noninvariance of PTSD symptom clusters should occur. The aim of the present study is to test this hypothesis. Methods For this purpose data from the Dutch Public Health Monitor 2022, based on a large random sample of the Dutch population (n = 72,851) was extracted. We examined the measurement invariance in the PCL-5 subscales across different categories of events that people have experienced during the pandemic, such as the sudden hospitalization of a loved one and not being able to say goodbye to a loved one who passed away due to COVID-19. Results The mean PCL-5 score was 12.36. PTSD prevalence was 9.74%, higher for events fulfilling the DSM-5 exposure criterion (16.54% vs. 9.05%), with smaller difference between events fulfilling the ICD-11 exposure criterion. Model fit was acceptable across all event categories. Multigroup analyses showed that constraining loadings, intercepts, and error variances did not meaningfully worsen fit, changes in CFI and RMSEA remained below thresholds, supporting measurement invariance across event types. Conclusions: The results show measurement invariance between events during the pandemic that did and that did not comply with the DSM-5 or ICD-11 exposure criterion. These results suggest that the current exposure criteria in the DSM-5 and ICD-11 may not capture all relevant events and underscore the importance of further research to guide potential updates.
Peritectic engineering enhanced thermoelectrics for smart thermal messaging devices
Age of diagnosis with endometriosis and potential predicting factors: A single-center cross-sectional study
Objective To evaluate the behavioral and clinical characteristics of endometriosis patients at the largest tertiary healthcare center in Lebanon and to analyze the effect of endometriosis symptoms, age of menarche, sexual activity, and infertility on the age of diagnosis with endometriosis. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study of patients who presented to a tertiary healthcare center over 1 year (2018–2019) and were diagnosed with endometriosis ( N = 688 ). Methods A symptom severity score (SSS) ranging from 0 to 3 was employed to estimate the severity of symptoms, specifically focusing on chronic pelvic pain (CPP), dyspareunia, and neuropathic pain. We performed one-way analysis of variance ( ANOVA ), followed by Post Hoc analysis for multiple comparisons using the Least Significant Difference ( LSD ) method to determine the difference in age at diagnosis between groups presenting with different SSS values. We then conducted a multiple linear regression analysis to model the age of diagnosis with endometriosis as a function of severity of symptoms while adjusting for age of menarche, sexual activity, and infertility. Results The mean age of diagnosis was 29.67 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 4.74 years. The most common symptom was dysmenorrhea (75.7%). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated a significant difference in the age of diagnosis among patients with different SSS values ( p = 0.006 ). In the multiple linear regression analysis model, the age at diagnosis was earlier for patients with more severe symptoms compared to none, yet significance was present for SSS = 1 (p ≤ 0.001) and SSS = 2 (p = 0.01) , not for patients with the most severe presentation having SSS = 3 (p = 0.23) . This analysis further revealed that infertile patients had an earlier diagnosis of 2.72 years on average compared to fertile patients (p ≤ 0.001). Furthermore, age of menarche didn’t have a significant effect on the age of diagnosis (p = 0.73). Conclusion Our results suggest that the severity of pain symptoms is not always indicative of an earlier diagnosis, which underscores the crucial need to enhance awareness regarding the clinical presentation of this condition in both society and the medical field.
A multimodal approach for visualizing and identifying electrophysiological cell types in vivo
Down-regulation of circ0001361 induces apoptosis and suppresses the progression of glioma
Background Circ0001361 is a novel circRNA identified by our previous high-throughput sequencing of glioma. Here we explored the functional involvement of circ0001361 in gliomagenesis and elucidated its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods The expression of circ0001361 in glioma was determined by qRT-PCR. CCK-8, colony formation assay, wound-healing, transwell assay, flow cytometric analysis and western blot were conducted to investigate cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. The potential target miRNAs of circ0001361 and their downstream mRNAs were predicted by bioinformatics analysis and validated using dual-luciferase reporter assays. Results Elevated expression of circ0001361 were observed in glioma tissues. The expression of circ0001361 was positively correlated with WHO tumor grades and Ki67 index, a well-established proliferation biomarker. Functional assays demonstrated that circ0001361 depletion inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while it promoted apoptosis. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that circ0001361 might target hsa-miR-525-5p, and further indicated that MEIS1 was a predicted downstream target of hsa-miR-525-5p. Subsequently, these predicted targeting relationships were both confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assays. Conclusion Circ0001361 enhances tumorigenic properties. Mechanistically, circ0001361 may regulate glioma progression via hsa-miR-525-5p/MEIS1, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for glioma intervention strategies.
Dynamic Double Carbaporphyrin-Fused Nanographene: Facile Monolayer and Persistent Bilayer Switching
Assembling a single active pocket from enzyme and metal modules for simultaneously catalyzing oxidation-reduction cascades
Exploring scalable assessment methods for terminated trials in ClinicalTrials.gov: A cohort analysis of German and Californian trials
Introduction Clinical trials can terminate early for many reasons, including non-scientific reasons. We aimed to develop scalable semi-automated methods to characterize terminated trials and explore a methodology to estimate the risk of experiencing serious adverse events (SAEs) in trials terminated due to non-scientific reasons. Methods Two cohorts of clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov were investigated: (1) a cohort of clinical trials affiliated with German university medical centers (reported as completed between 2009–2017) and (2) a cohort of clinical trials affiliated with Californian university medical centers (reported as completed between 2014–2017). We used these cohorts to explore scalable assessment methods and compare terminated trials to completed ones regarding trial characteristics, including therapeutic focus. In a subset of trials terminated for non-scientific reasons with tabular summary results and a parallel, randomized design, we estimated additional risk for SAE. For the German cohort, if results were missing from ClinicalTrials.gov, results from the EU Clinical Trials Register (EUCTR) were included if available. Results Of 2,253 German and 1,091 Californian trials, 217 (10%) and 150 (14%) were terminated, respectively. The majority (German: 65%, Californian: 67%) cited non-scientific reasons for termination, primarily low accrual. Compared to completed trials, terminated trials showed lower rates of results reporting: 35% vs. 78% in Germany and 72% vs. 87% in California. Of 242 trials terminated for non-scientific reasons, 14 (6%; 11 from ClinicalTrials.gov, 3 from EUCTR) could be included in the SAE risk assessment. In this limited exploratory analysis, no difference in SAE risk was observed between the intervention and control arms (RR 1.05, 95% CI: 0.76–1.44). Discussion Results of terminated trials were less frequently reported, limiting opportunities for knowledge generation. Broader adoption of harmonized result reporting standards across registries, structured templates, and improved logic checks could enable scalable assessment approaches and enhance the utility of terminated trial data for clinical research transparency.