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Synergistic optimization of shape-force and dynamic coupling effect in bending roll systems during accelerated rolling

Kineret: Israel’s Largest Hospital Network Transformed into the OMOP common data model for collaborative research

Background In 2021, the Directorate of Government Medical Centers at the Israeli Ministry of Health launched the Kineret initiative to standardize clinical data across its network of public medical centers and facilitate its secondary use for research and innovation. The primary goals were to streamline data extraction, cleaning, and sharing processes, thereby enabling efficient reuse of clinical data for translational and collaborative research. The Directorate oversees a national network of 25 government healthcare institutions, including 11 general medical centers, 9 mental health centers, and 5 geriatric care facilities. Methods Following an evaluation of existing data models, the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model (OMOP CDM) was selected as the standard framework for semantic harmonization across institutions. A dedicated instance of ATLAS, the OHDSI open-source platform for observational research, was deployed on a secure cloud environment accessible to authorized researchers within the network. This infrastructure enables efficient feasibility assessment and exploratory data analysis buy the end users. Approved research projects are conducted within a secure, cloud-based virtual environment that supports diverse computational needs. Results As of 2025, six medical centers have been successfully integrated into the Kineret data infrastructure, with full harmonization of their clinical data into the OMOP CDM. A seventh center is currently in the final stages of integration and is expected to join the network by the end of the year. Conclusion Kineret initiative provides a scalable, secure, and standardized data infrastructure that supports both intra-national multi-center research and international collaborative studies. By enabling streamlined access to high-quality, harmonized clinical data, Kineret holds significant potential to advance both local and global healthcare research. A detailed description of the data and platform is available at https://kineret.health.gov.il/ .

Energy consumption prediction in buildings using LSTM and SVR modified by developed Henry gas solubility optimization

Self-care interventions to reduce, prevent or monitor physical disability in those affected by leprosy: Protocol for a systematic review

Background Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious neglected tropical disease . Leprosy can cause extensive immune mediated nerve damage which can persist post cure of infection with multidrug therapy, leaving a significant burden of physical disability among those affected by leprosy. Leprosy can also cause irreversible damage to the eyes and eventual blindness or visual disability. One means of preventing, monitoring and managing the disability as a result of leprosy is through self-care. Self-care is the practice of patients undertaking activities to improve or maintain their own health with or without the support of a healthcare professional, and has been a part of World Health Organization Zero leprosy strategies for many years. This review will seek to identify what self-care interventions exist for leprosy affected people and will map these interventions to the transtheoretical model of behaviour change to identify which level of the model current interventions target. Sub questions will explore what information is provided regarding the cost of the interventions and additionally explore what eye, feet and hand specific self-care advice is given by interventions. Methods We will search for literature in PubMed, Medline ALL, Web of science Core Collection, Embase, LILACS and SciELO. Studies that encompass a self-care intervention under the definition provided by the World Health Organization targeting those affected by leprosy will be eligible for inclusion. No language restriction will be applied. Data will first be deduplicated using endnote before the final deduplicated search results are uploaded to Rayyan for screening by the research team. We will apply a blinded screening whereby if at least one screener identifies a paper as potentially relevant it will proceed to full text screening, this will be carried out independently by at least two of the authors, in this case of disagreement a final decision will be made by the senior author. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed method studies will be eligible for inclusion. Studies will be assessed for bias using CASP checklists. Findings will be reported in narrative synthesis and as a visual representation of levels of the transtheoretical model addressed in interventions. Start date: 11 August 2025. End date: 30 November 2025. Discussion The findings from this review will document existing self-care interventions for those affected by leprosy, mapping the individual interventions to the stage of the transtheoretical model of behaviour change that they address. Information will also be presented regarding implementation costs of the interventions and what specific advice for hands, feet and eyes is given. Highlighting promising interventions can support clinicians in low-resource settings in advising their patients on what to prioritize in their self-care. PROSPERO registration no. CRD42025649623.

Selection and potential of cholesterol-lowering indigenous probiotic: insights from in vitro and in vivo study

Exploratory analysis of the accuracy of age-based maximal heart rate equations across cardiorespiratory fitness levels

Introduction Maximal heart rate (MHR) is a key measure for cardiorespiratory exercise prescription yet is often estimated using age-based prediction equations. The accuracy of these equations may vary by individual characteristics, including cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), but limited research has examined predictive accuracy across CRF levels. Therefore, we evaluated the accuracy of seven commonly used MHR prediction equations in adults with varying CRF to assess whether prediction error differs by fitness level. Materials and methods Data from 230 healthy adults (76% male, mean age 38.5 ± 12.3 years) who completed maximal graded exercise tests between 2019 and 2024 were analyzed retrospectively. Predicted MHR values were calculated using the Fox, Tanaka, Gellish, Arena, Åstrand, Nes, and Fairbairn equations. Linear mixed-effects models (LMM) tested the influence of VO₂max and its interaction with prediction equation on error, with sex included as a covariate. Estimated marginal means and slopes were extracted, with pairwise contrasts adjusted by the Tukey method. Prediction equation accuracy was evaluated by comparing predicted and measured MHR using Bland-Altman analyses, and metrics including mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results LMM indicated a significant main effect of prediction equation on error ( p  < 0.001) and a significant equation × VO₂max interaction ( p  = 0.015), though neither sex ( p  = 0.49) nor VO₂max ( p   = 0.18) alone influenced error. The conditional R 2 for the LME model was 0.70, with a marginal R 2 of 0.02. Post-hoc linear regressions showed higher VO₂max was associated with greater prediction error for several equations in males, but not females, with a small amount of variance explained ( R 2  ≤ 0.06). Agreement analyses indicated small mean biases across equations (–3 to +6 bpm) but wide limits of agreement (~±18–24 bpm). Arena, Tanaka and Gellish equations showed the lowest MAE and RMSE. Among the equations, Fox showed the most stable performance across MHR ranges, being the only formula without proportional bias across the sample. Discussion The findings indicate that CRF had only a limited influence on MHR prediction error, with small associations observed in males but not females, reinforcing age as the primary determinant of MHR. Although some equations (e.g., Tanaka, Gellish, Arena, Fox) performed better than others across agreement metrics, none demonstrated high individual level accuracy, which highlights a lack of precision when estimating MHR for exercise prescription and monitoring purposes. Future work should explore more individualized modeling approaches, though adjusting for CRF alone may not substantially improve prediction accuracy in healthy adults.

Coupled freeze–thaw and sulfate attack on coal gangue-based cemented backfill: pore evolution and damage modeling

Flow state and autonomic response patterns during sensory rejection tasks using the Uchida-Kraepelin Test

This study investigated the relationship between flow state and autonomic nervous system activity indices in 18 healthy male participants using a mental arithmetic task (Uchida-Kraepelin [U-K] test)—known as a sensory rejection task. The experiment consisted of two sets, each comprising a 5-minute rest period, followed by a 15-minute task period with varying task conditions of self-paced, to be performed at own pace, and competitive, as per the instruction “Always do as many calculations as possible, aiming to exceed the preceding performance.” In the subjective assessment, the flow, time perception, subjective mental workload, and feelings of fatigue were evaluated. Autonomic nervous system activity indices were continuously monitored. The results indicate that the U-K test, which is a low-difficulty, monotonous task, failed to induce a flow state. Physiological responses to mental tasks showed an increased heart rate, suggesting a Pattern 1 response. The participants who entered a flow state, based on their flow and time perception scores, had a decreased heart rate immediately after the task, supporting the association between the flow state and Pattern 2 responses. Considering the relationship between flow and Pattern 2 responses, it is recommended to assess flow using multiple physiological markers, including blood pressure.

A circular economy approach for the global lithium-ion battery supply chain

Auditory and vibrotactile interactions in perception of timbre acoustic features

Abstract Recently, there has been increasing interest in developing auditory-to-vibrotactile sensory devices. However, the potential of these technologies is constrained by our limited understanding of which features of complex sounds can be perceived through vibrations. The present study aimed to investigate the vibrotactile perception of acoustic features related to timbre, an essential component to identify environmental, speech and musical sounds. Discrimination thresholds were measured for six features: three spectral (number of harmonics, harmonic roll-off ratio, even-harmonic attenuation) and three temporal (attack time, amplitude modulation depth and amplitude modulation frequency) using auditory, vibrotactile and combined auditory + vibrotactile stimulation in 31 adult humans with normal tactile and auditory sensitivity. Result revealed that all spectral and temporal features can be reliably discriminated via vibrotactile stimulation only. However, for spectral features, vibrotactile thresholds were significantly higher (i.e., worse) than auditory thresholds whereas, for temporal features, only vibrotactile amplitude modulation frequency was significantly higher. With simultaneous auditory and tactile presentation, thresholds significantly improved for attack time and amplitude modulation depth, but not for any of the spectral acoustic features. These results suggest that vibrotactile temporal cues have a more straightforward potential for assisting auditory perception, while vibrotactile spectral cues may require specialized signal processing schemes.

Hyperphosphatemia as a potential risk factor for arteriovenous fistula dysfunction: A retrospective study in hemodialysis patients

Background The study investigates the relationship between Hyperphosphatemia and arteriovenous fistula dysfunction in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Methods Data were collected from patients who had their first arteriovenous fistula creation and regular maintenance hemodialysis between 2019 and 2023. Patients were divided into four groups based on serum phosphorus levels (<1.33 mmol/L, 1.33–1.61 mmol/L, 1.61–1.965 mmol/L, > 1.965 mmol/L). Statistical methods included Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Cox proportional hazards regression models, and Restricted Cubic Spline. Results The study included 239 patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that Hyperphosphatemia significantly correlated with arteriovenous fistula dysfunction (P = 0.0052). Cox univariate analysis showed phosphorus (HR = 3.16, P < 0.001) is risk factor of arteriovenous fistula dysfuntion. Multivariate Cox regression analysis further confirmed high phosphorus levels were an independent risk factor of AVF dysfuntion (P for trend<0.001). Restricted Cubic Spline showed a nonlinear relationship between phosphorus levels and arteriovenous fistula dysfunction (P for non-linearity = 0.024), with a cutoff point at 1.544 mmol/L (LR = 0.035). Conclusion Hyperphosphatemia is an independent risk factor for arteriovenous fistula dysfunction, emphasizing the need for clinical practice to pay attention to the impact of mineral metabolism disorders on the integrity of arteriovenous fistula and to strengthen phosphate management.

Brilliant structural colors originating from reflection by nanogaps of nacreous layers in fossilized ammonite shells

Abstract Vivid-colored ammonite fossils that are mined in Alberta, Canada, are known as gemstones called “Ammolite.” The specific colors having narrow reflectance spectra are ascribed to an interference phenomenon on the preserved nacre of fossils. However, the essence of the vivid tones that are different from the structural coloration of other kinds of shells has not been revealed. In this work, we clarified that specific reflection by interlaminar nanogaps (~ 4 nm) of aragonite plates with the homogeneous lamination period in the fossilized nacreous layers is essential for the emergence of vivid structural colors depending on the thickness of the layer.

Concurrent validity and between-device reliability of the Catapult Vector S8 GNSS device

This study assessed the concurrent validity and between-device reliability of the Catapult Vector S8 GNSS device for measuring distance, speed, acceleration and banded distance metrics. Twelve male sub-elite team sport athletes completed a testing protocol consisting of linear sprints, change of direction drills and a modified small-sided game. Validity was evaluated against criterion reference systems, a VICON motion capture system for most trials and a Stalker ATS radar for 50 m sprints, evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias. Between-device reliability was assessed using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and typical error (TE%). The Vector S8 demonstrated good validity with minimal errors for instantaneous distance (RMSE: 0.03 ± 0.01 m), speed (RMSE: 0.14 ± 0.05 m·s −1 ) and acceleration (RMSE: 0.29 ± 0.14 m·s −2 ). No overall bias was detected for instantaneous distance and speed, and the bias for acceleration (−0.016) was minimal. Accumulated distance showed a small underestimation across trials (mean bias −1.42%), with consistently low RMSE values (0.26–3.06 m), indicating high measurement precision. The 50 m sprint results showed similar validity, with minimal RMSE for instantaneous speed (0.14 ± 0.15 m·s −1 ) and acceleration (0.22 ± 0.22 m·s −2 ). Between device reliability demonstrated excellent agreement across all measured variables (ICC ≥ 0.95) with good precision (TE as CV < 3.13%). No significant systematic bias was observed between devices for any variable (p > 0.05). This is the first study to validate the Catapult Vector S8 GNSS device, demonstrating that it is valid and reliable for measuring distance, speed and acceleration during sport-specific movements.

Design optimization and real-time implementation of an LSPMSM for efficiency enhancement

Abstract This study presents the design optimization and experimental validation of a Line-Start Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (LSPMSM) aimed at achieving IE4 efficiency class. An IE1 class induction motor (IM) was used as a reference. Only the rotor structure was modified, while the stator geometry, winding, and mechanical components were kept unchanged. The optimization process focused on rotor slot geometry, magnet placement, magnet dimensions, and core length, employing a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) to maximize efficiency while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Following the optimization, six candidate designs were evaluated based on demagnetization prediction, synchronization performance, and starting torque capability. Among them, Design C demonstrated the highest overall performance. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) confirmed that Design C met IE4 efficiency standards with a calculated efficiency of 92.15%. This result was later experimentally verified at 91.95% through thermal testing. The study further examined the cost and payback period scenarios for adopting LSPMSMs in industrial applications. Three implementation strategies were analyzed: replacing only the rotor, purchasing a new IE4 LSPMSM instead of an IE1 motor, and replacing an operational IE1 motor with an IE4 LSPMSM. The results indicated that efficiency improvement could be achieved with minimal modifications. The payback period varied depending on the investment strategy. The findings demonstrate that high-efficiency LSPMSMs can serve as direct replacements for induction motors, offering energy savings and improved performance while maintaining compatibility with existing motor housings and components.

An electrophoretic mobility shift assay with chemiluminescent readout to evaluate DNA-targeting oligonucleotide-based probes

A comprehensive and user-friendly method for evaluating recognition of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) targets by oligonucleotide-based probes is presented. Thus, dsDNA-targeting probes such as single-stranded locked nucleic acids (LNAs) and double-stranded Invader probes are incubated with digoxigenin-labeled DNA hairpin targets, and the resulting recognition complexes are resolved using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and tagged using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. Emissive products are detected by a C-DiGit Blot Scanner and quantified with the accompanying software. R-based scripts for data visualization and determination of C 50 values (a measure of the dsDNA-binding affinity of a probe) are also provided. The data presented here demonstrate the effectiveness of the described protocol and highlight the variable dsDNA-recognition efficiencies of LNAs, Invader probes, and chimeric Invader:LNA probes.

Monoclonal antibodies protect against pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

MDFormer: a multi-scale dense dilated transformer model for 3D medical image segmentation

Ocular movement abnormalities and ptosis after glaucoma surgery: A retrospective decade long analysis

Background/Aims To evaluate the prevalence of ptosis, strabismus and the combination of both after glaucoma surgery and determine which kind of surgery is most likely to be linked to these complications. Methods A total of 705 clinical records of patients who underwent glaucoma surgery at the University Eye Clinic of IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2020, were retrospectively evaluated. Surgery procedures were divided in three groups: “Ab interno”, “Ab externo” and “Muscle isolation”. Results Out of all patients 26 developed ptosis alone (3.7%), two developed bilateral ptosis, with a mean of 2.2 ± 1.08 procedures per patient. Highest incidence of ptosis was noticed in patients who underwent muscle isolation surgery (5.7%). Twelve patients developed strabismus alone (1,7%), four underwent unilateral surgery and eight bilateral surgery, with an average of 3.3 ± 1.78 procedures per patient. Strabismus was more frequent following extraocular muscle manipulation surgery (7.5%), showing a statistically significant difference (OR: 6.57; 95% CI: 1.71–21.65; p = 0.003) Seven patients developed both strabismus and ptosis (1.0%), one patient with bilateral ptosis. Four underwent bilateral surgery and three underwent unilateral surgery. The mean number of surgeries was 2.9 ± 1.07, showing a statistically significant difference compared to the uncomplicated glaucoma group (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.01–2.25; p = 0.02). The prevalence of both ptosis and strabismus was higher after muscle isolation surgery (1.9%). Conclusion Ptosis, strabismus and the combination of both are rare complications after glaucoma surgery, mostly linked to surgery with muscle isolation.

DRCNN-Lesion Proxy: a hybrid CNN with lesion-inspired feature simulation for diabetic retinopathy severity classification

Antibiotic consumption in 14 countries of sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from a retrospective analysis

Background Antimicrobial consumption (AMC) measures the level and types of antibiotics consumed in a specific setting. Monitoring AMC is critical component of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) containment strategies. However, AMC data at both facility and national-levels are scarce in Africa, which limits our understanding of the rate, patterns and drivers of antibiotic consumption, and prevents the establishment of evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship. Methods We determined facility and national-level rates and patterns of AMC from data retrospectively collected between 2016 and 2019 in 327 pharmacies from 14 countries AMC data collection followed a backfilling strategy leveraging from public and private central medical stores, wholesalers, distributors or import services as data sources. Participating hospital and community pharmacies were selected based on their location in or proximity to hospitals capable of producing AMR data. Levels of AMC were determined as defined daily dose (DDD) and DDD per inhabitant (DID). AMC patterns were analysed according to the WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) Categories, the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classes and the individual antibiotic molecules included in the Drug Utilisation 75% (DU75). The availability of antibiotics was examined against the WHO and the National Essential Medicine Lists (EML). Results National AMC data was available in 11 of the 14 participating countries, revealing a collective AMC of 8.42 DID varying from 2.8 to 115.5 at individual country level. AMC was also determined in 327 hospital and community pharmacies. Nine of 11 (82%) countries with national data available, and 219 of the 327 (72%) participating pharmacies achieved the WHO AWaRe target of at least 60% of antibiotic consumption from Access drugs. Eighty percent of country-level AMC was accounted for by five ATC sub-classes classes of antibacterial for systemic use. Facility-level antibiotic consumption was dominated by a narrow scope of less than five drugs, taking advantage of only 10% of all possible WHO-recommended Access drugs within ATC classes. Collectively, the 14 national EML included 70% of Access, 60% of Watch and less than 5% of Reserve antibiotics listed in the WHO EML. Forty-eight uncategorized and 50 categorized non-WHO-recommended drugs were included in national EMLs or documented to be circulating in countries. Interpretation The relatively low AMC and the poorly diversified subset of antibiotics available in countries underscores that strategies to expand equitable access to adequate treatment of bacterial infections should complement current efforts to promote the judicious use of antimicrobials. Interventions to increase the volume of analysable data on AMU, AMC and AMR, should be prioritized in national AMR action plans as well as in wider infrastructural and economic development plans.