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Exploring land cover change after prolonged droughts at the global level
Abstract Anthropogenic climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts, which accelerate land degradation, harm ecosystems, and threaten water security and livelihoods. However, the global impact of prolonged droughts on land cover changes remains poorly studied. This research analyses precipitation data to identify drought conditions and compares them with land cover datasets. The analysis explored three analytical dimensions, over the period 1992–2021: country level, income level, and climatic level. Results show a strong connection between droughts and land cover changes, with low-income countries experiencing the most significant changes. In drought-prone areas, trees, cropland, and sparse vegetation are the most impacted, with correlations stronger than in unaffected regions. This study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between global drought events and land cover changes, varying across regions and economic contexts, and highlights the mitigating role of proactive strategies such as sustainable land management and adaptation measures.
Father-inclusive chatbot-based prenatal education during COVID-19 pandemic enhances maternal–fetal attachment in Korean primigravida women across levels of partner support
Abstract This study investigated whether a mobile chatbot-delivered intervention for prenatal education could enhance maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) among pregnant women with different levels of spousal support. In a quasi-experimental study conducted in January 2021, sixty volunteers who met all the eligibility criteria were enrolled: legally married, pregnant women aged 19 to 49 years, primigravida women from 21 to 32 weeks of gestation, and those in need of prenatal education. After completing a pre-questionnaire on pregnancy status, perception of prenatal education, and partner support, the women were asked to sequentially perform the given six tasks via a chatbot for two weeks, and then they filled out a post-questionnaire after completing the tasks. Both affective and cognitive-behavioral MFA outcomes were repeatedly measured before and after the intervention. The chatbot intervention enhanced affective MFA by increasing the intensity of prenatal education regardless of spousal support levels (p = .03): (1) low (n = 29; pre vs. post: p < .0042) and (2) high (n = 31; pre vs. post: p < .0042). In terms of cognitive-behavioral MFA, active paternal involvement in the chatbot-assisted baby talk helped women with low spousal support to differentiate themselves from the fetus (p = .02; pre vs. post: p < .0042) and to attribute characteristics and intention to the fetus (p = .011; pre vs. post: p < .0042), eliciting positive affect. This new mobile chatbot successfully served as a guide for pregnant couples starting prenatal education for the first time.
Modulation of alpha and theta waves by social stimuli in virtual educational environments
Superimposed modal voltage based passive islanding detection of grid tied distributed generation using Wigner distribution function
A study on ecological risk identification based on ecosystem service supply and demand in Xinjiang
Effect of nanoparticle density on the kinetics of SPP-assisted plasmonic assembly
Abstract The dynamic assembly of plasmonic metal nanoparticles (PMNPs) in an aqueous medium as a Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate offers advantages for analyzing liquid samples, as it generates 3-dimensional intraparticle hotspots. The surface plasmon polariton (SPP) assisted surfactant-free reversible assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) is one of the latest methods, and it stands as a promising approach for conducting SERS measurements on molecules that demand a physiological environment. However, the assembly process is dynamic and requires a thorough analysis of the behavior of NPs in the combined forces of fluid convection and plasmonics. This study investigates the kinetics of the plasmonic assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the influence of NP density through microscopy and SERS monitoring over 60 min. The study reveals that the assembly size and density grow gradually at an NP density-dependent rate. The SERS intensity of the analyte molecules increases rapidly and begins to decrease gradually after reaching a maximum value at an assembly time that is NP density-dependent. The assembly time at maximum SERS intensity is found to be inversely proportional to the NP density. Notably, when SERS intensity is maximum, the assembly radius remains constant at 119±1 μm for all the NP densities.
Radio propagation modeling and measurement of uneven terrain model
Construction and validation of a lysine beta hydroxybutyrylation related molecular model for predicting biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer
Triple-layered security system: reliable and secured image communications over 5G and beyond networks
Abstract The vision of 5G and beyond networks is geared towards linking undersea, terrestrial, and space networks together. This vision involves transferring a massive amount of data with very high levels of security. This paper presents the proposed vision of 5G and beyond security to build a research gap of existing and related technique that lack the adaptation, boosting gradient and complexity analysis, through design and evaluate the adapted and graded security system. This paper focuses on designing a security approach to make up the lacks of existing techniques. The paper proposes a Loss-less Triple-level security system that secures the data without loss and high quality of extracted messages. The Triple-level security system consists of three combined/ merged security levels, the classified images are encrypted by two chaos-based tools, the encrypted images are embedded into another fake image or audio file using Singular Value Decomposition-Discrete Wavelet Transform (SVD-DWT) based techniques. Various simulation experiments have been executed to find the best integration between two-Dimensional (2D) Logistic map, SVD, and baker map techniques to ensure the integrity of plaintext and the transparency of the proposed approach. The result analysis of the various computerized experiments reveals that the time of algorithms are 2.13s for ciphering/hiding and 1.57s for deciphering/extracting. Hence, the time complexity of the proposed approach superiors the existing and related research works. The simulation results indicates a 100% perfect match between the original and decrypted. The performance evaluating of the proposed technique proves its robustness, low complexity and high reliability, where the original and extracted message similarity is 100%. The advanced wireless networks require reliable graded complexity security tools with various levels capabilities, therefore, the proposed adapted complexity/levels security system is suitable and applicable for 5G/beyond networks.
Retrovirus-based pseudotyped virus neutralisation assays overestimate neutralising activity in sera from participants receiving integrase inhibitors
Abstract Retroviral pseudotype-based virus neutralisation assays are widely used to estimate functional immunity, but may be unsuitable for testing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals receiving integrase inhibitor treatment. We evaluated these assays for measuring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) neutralisation in people living with HIV. SARS-CoV-2 neutralisation was assessed using HIV-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses in sera from a longitudinal Malawian cohort (n = 1,876), detecting neutralisation across timepoints in 10.5–54.5% of HIV-uninfected vs. 85.5–93.9% of HIV-infected participants (n = 96). HIV-infected sera were re-tested using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses, estimating seroprevalence at 5.6–65.2%, suggesting HIV-based assays overestimate neutralisation. HIV-based VSV-glycoprotein(G) pseudoviruses confirmed non-specific inhibition in 75.0-87.9% of HIV-infected participants. HCV neutralisation was assessed in UK-based HCV patients (n = 100, n = 90 HIV-infected) using murine leukaemia virus (MLV)-based HCV pseudoviruses. Non-HCV-specific inhibition was detected in integrase inhibitor recipients. Median neutralisation of MLV(HCV) pseudoviruses was higher in integrase inhibitor recipients (71.8% vs. 21.3%). Testing HIV(SARS-CoV-2) and MLV(HCV) pseudoviruses against antiretroviral drugs showed interference by integrase inhibitors (specifically, dolutegravir). Isolating IgG from serum removed the interference by residual drugs. Retrovirus-based assays are therefore unsuitable for testing individuals receiving integrase inhibitors. Protective immunity to viruses has likely been over-reported in HIV prevalent populations.
Evaluation of FASTinov for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a critical priority pathogen due to its high resistance rates and limited treatment options. Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (rAST) is essential to optimize therapy, particularly because resistance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa often arise from adaptive genetic expression rather than specific resistance genes. FASTinov, a flow cytometry-based rAST system, was developed to address this challenge by providing phenotypic susceptibility results within hours. In this study, we assessed FASTinov’s performance for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (rAST) in 100 P. aeruginosa strains, using broth microdilution as the reference method. For clinical relevance, we also included the MicroScan WalkAway system as a comparator. FASTinov demonstrated a categorical agreement of 99% across the tested antibiotics, with particularly strong agreement for cephalosporins. Notably, FASTinov significantly reduced the time to results, delivering susceptibility data in an average of 3.15 h (CI 95% 3.13–3.17), compared to 28.88 h (CI 95% 20.71–37.04) for standard methods. Additionally, the system exhibited lower rates of major and very major errors compared to MicroScan, further reinforcing its reliability. These findings highlight FASTinov as a promising rAST system capable of providing rapid and accurate susceptibility profiles directly from bacterial colonies. Further research is warranted to evaluate its clinical impact on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
Comparative study of early onset cancer burden between China and the United States from 1990 to 2021
The inhibitory effect of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes on gefitinib resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells through the MIF/TIMP1/CD74 axis
Phytochemical profiling and network pharmacology-based prediction of Pelargonium graveolens essential oil in the context of Guillain-Barré syndrome
Abstract Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder with limited treatment options. This study investigates the chemical composition of Pelargonium graveolens essential oil and explores its potential interaction with GBS-related molecular targets using in-silico tools. Essential oil was analyzed using GC–MS. Identified components were subjected to network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking to assess binding affinities with GBS-relevant proteins, particularly TNF-α. Thirty compounds were identified, with citronellol (26.74%) and geraniol (20.28%) as major components. Comparative phytochemical analysis showed consistency with global P. graveolens chemotypes. Docking results suggest high binding affinity of citronellyl and geranyl derivatives toward TNF-α. These findings support further investigation of P. graveolens oil as a potential modulator of inflammatory pathways in GBS.