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Validation of the FVB/N-Tg(HSA* LR)20bCath mice of myotonic dystrophy using swallowing function assessment, histology, and immunofluorescence analysis
Myotonic dystrophy is associated with dysphagia, which can lead to severe complications such as aspiration pneumonia and choking. However, few histopathological studies on dysphagia in myotonic dystrophy have been conducted. In this study, we aimed to validate the FVB/N-Tg(HSA*LR)20bCath mice for studying dysphagia associated with myotonic dystrophy, using videofluoroscopic swallowing study, histological analysis, and immunofluorescence analysis. Videofluoroscopic swallowing study, revealed significant abnormalities during the pharyngeal swallowing phase of swallowing in HSA LR20b mice, including increased pharyngeal residue area and prolonged pharyngeal transit time, suggesting that this mouse model was a valuable tool for studying dysphagia in myotonic dystrophy. These findings might represent a characteristic swallowing pattern in myotonic dystrophy. Histological analysis demonstrated marked variability in muscle fiber size and a high frequency of central nuclei. Additionally, decreased expression of chloride channel 1 was observed in the masseter muscle, suggesting the presence of myotonia. Collectively, these findings provide a foundation for further research into the complex mechanisms underlying myotonic dystrophy associated dysphagia and may inform the development of future treatment strategies.
Repopulation of the gut microbiota after a screening colonoscopy
Objective Role of microbiome has been highly studied for its association with various medical conditions. After a colonoscopy, repopulation of colonic microbial load is known to occur, however the quality and timing of natural repopulation has not been investigated after a bowel preparation. Further, no study has documented detailed free-living dietary intakes concurrently with gut microbiome repopulation post-colonoscopy. Here we sought to determine the early pattern of repopulation relative to dietary intake. Methods Healthy adults (n = 15 [4 female/11 male], BMI = 27.2 ± 3.9 kg/m2, age 51.4 ± 7.2 y) who were scheduled to undergo a screening colonoscopy were recruited from the Gastroenterology Clinic at the University of Missouri. Within two weeks before the colonoscopy (baseline), subjects completed detailed food records for 3 days. Post-colonoscopy, subjects ate their free-living diets and detailed food records were collected on Days 0, 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, and 13. Fecal samples were obtained pre-colonoscopy and on post-colonoscopy Days 3, 5, 8, 11, and 14. Gut microbiome composition was assessed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results Within 5 days after the procedure, subjects reported consuming more total daily energy relative to baseline, presumably to make up for the low energy intake that occurred during the bowel-prep. At baseline, fiber intake (21.0 ± 9.1 g/d) was higher than on the day of the colonoscopy, Day 0 (16.1 ± 11.2, P = 0.0159). Thereafter, daily fiber intake was the same as baseline. Marked intersubject microbiome beta diversity was observed by principal coordinate analysis using weighted and unweighted dissimilarities (P = 0.0001, F = 15.23, one-way PERMANOVA). Select taxa were depleted acutely post-colonoscopy (e.g., within the phylum Bacillota). Specifically, significant effects of time were observed between baseline and Day 3 fecal samples (pairwise P = 0.0013, F = 2.9). These changes tended to return to baseline by Day 5 and with subsequent samples, taxa remained similar to baseline when tested using a weighted dissimilarity analysis (Bray-Curtis). Conclusions These results quantitatively demonstrate the magnitude of the significant changes in microbial relative abundance and diversity immediately post-colonoscopy. The timing of repopulation aligned with changes in fiber intake after the procedure. These data highlight the importance of nutrition after a screening colonoscopy in reestablishing a healthy microbiome.
The effects of different multidirectional plyometric sequences on shooting, balance, and neuromuscular performance in professional male basketball players
Objective Repeated multidirectional jumps are highly specific movements in basketball, which may be important to integrate the training routine. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the effects of three different multidirectional plyometric jumping sequences on shooting, balance, and neuromuscular performance in professional, male basketball players. Methods Eighteen players underwent familiarization and baseline performance assessments in an initial session. Players then completed 21 visits in a randomized, counterbalanced manner. Each visit involving 10 repetitions of one of three different multidirectional plyometric protocols followed by a single performance test (countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), five jump (FJT), change-of-direction T-test (CoD T), Stork balance (SBT), Y-balance (YBT), three-point shooting (3pts) tests). The first plyometric protocol (P1) consisted of a combination of vertical and horizontal jumps, the second protocol (P2) consisted of a combination of drop, lateral, and vertical jumps, and the third protocol (P3) consisted of a combination of drop, single-leg step-up, and horizontal jumps. Each session was separated by at least 48 h of rest and recovery time between repetitions was 20 s. Results Neuromuscular (CMJ, SJ, FJT and CoD T), body balance (SBT and YBT), and Shooting performances were significantly worse following each plyometric protocol compared to baseline (p < 0.001; d = 0.23–2.21). In addition, the majority of the measured performances were significantly lower following P3 compared to P1 and P2. Conclusions Basketball-specific performance was adversely influenced by repeated multidirectional plyometric routines. Incorporating these particular strategies into the training regimen to counteract the induced tiredness will be intriguing.
Characteristics of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for orbital space-occupying lesions: A retrospective case series study
Objective This study aimed to compare the differences in the quantitative parameters of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) across various types of orbital space-occupying lesions and to explore the diagnostic efficacy of DCE-MRI in the diagnosis of malignant orbital tumors.Meanwhile,to compare the differences in the quantitative parameters of DCE-MRI across vascular malformations, benign tumors, and malignant orbital lesions,and to explore the diagnostic efficacy of DCE-MRI introducing a novel grouping strategy that distinguishes vascular malformations from solid tumors. Methods In this retrospective case series study, patients were classified into three groups: vascular malformations, benign lesions, and malignant lesions. We analyzed the differences in the quantitative parameters and time-intensity curve (TIC) profiles among the three groups. The diagnostic efficacy of the quantitative parameters in the diagnosis of orbital malignant lesions was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The differences in TIC compositions among the three groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05).The differences in volume transfer constant(Ktrans) value,rate constant(Kep) value,and area under curve(iAUC) among the three groups exhibited statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). All three diagnostic parameters(Ktrans, Kep, and iAUC) demonstrated effectiveness in diagnosing malignant lesions. The area under the ROC curve values for Ktrans, Kep, and iAUC were 0.759, 0.764, and 0.752, respectively, indicating adequate diagnostic value. Conclusions The composition ratios of the TIC for vascular malformations, benign lesions, and malignant lesions differed considerably. Ktrans, Kep, and iAUC can serve as valuable references for the differential diagnosis of orbital space-occupying lesions.
Television watching and cognitive outcomes in adults and older adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the association between television watching and cognitive outcomes in adults and older adults as the current evidence is inconsistent. We searched the Cochrane, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies from inception to June 30, 2024. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Dose–response and conventional meta-analyses were performed using one-stage random-effects and DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models, respectively. Our systematic review included 35 studies with 1,292,052 participants (8,572 cases of cognitive impairment), of which 28 studies were further meta-analyzed. A dose–response meta-analysis revealed a nonlinear association between time spent watching TV and an increased risk of cognitive impairment (Wald test p-value = 0.04), particularly for viewing durations of ≥4 hours per day. Additionally, watching ≥6 hours of television per day was associated with a significant decrease in cognitive score (standardized beta coefficient = −0.09; 95% CI: −0.17, −0.003; I2 = 71.8%; seven studies). Also, a longer television-watching time was associated with a lower cognitive score (pooled standardized mean difference = −0.02; 95% CI: −0.03, −0.003; I2 = 66.45%; six studies). Watching television for a longer period was associated with negative cognitive outcomes in adults and older adults. Further research is needed to confirm this association and elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms.
Advection, diffusion and linear transport in a single path-sampling Monte-Carlo algorithm: Getting insensitive to geometrical refinement
We address the question of numerically simulating the coupling of diffusion, advection and one-speed linear transport, with a specific focus on managing geometrical complexity. We base our work on recent advances from the computer graphics community, which has developed Monte Carlo algorithms simulating linear radiation transport in physically realistic scenes, with numerical costs that remain unaffected by geometrical refinement: adding more details to the scene description does not impact the computation time. The resulting benefits in terms of engineering flexibility are already fully integrated into the cinema industry and are gradually being adopted by the video game industry. Here we demonstrate that the same insensitivity to the geometric complexity can be achieved when considering not only one-speed linear transport, but also its coupling with diffusion and advection. In this case, pure linear-transport paths are replaced with advection-diffusion/linear-transport paths, which are composed of subpaths. Each subpath represents one of the three physical phenomena, and coupling is handled by switching from one subpath (i.e. phenomenon) to another. This approach is illustrated using a porous medium involving up to 10,000 pores, with the computation time being strictly independent of the number of pores, showing its ability to facilitate engineering calculations in complex geometries.
Interest in public involvement, engagement and participation in research among patients with asthma: A secondary analysis of the EPI-ASTHMA study
Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PPIEP) is essential in asthma research due to the disease’s complexity. However, information regarding the characteristics of patients with asthma interested in engaging in PPIEP initiatives is scarce. We aimed to identify factors associated with the interest in PPIEP among patients with asthma. This is a secondary analysis of the EPI-ASTHMA nationwide asthma prevalence study, which included adult patients with asthma recruited from 38 primary healthcare centres from mainland Portugal. Demographic and clinical characteristics as well as interest in PPIEP were collected. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to explore associations between participants’ characteristics and PPIEP interest. A total of 502 participants with asthma (52 ± 15.9 years, 64.1% females) were analysed and 218 (43.4%) were interested in being involved in PPIEP. Having higher education (adjusted OR 2.29, 95%CI 1.47–3.57) and owning a smartphone (adjusted OR 4.63, 95%CI 2.51–8.55) were significantly associated with higher odds of being interested in PPIEP. Being female demonstrated a borderline significant association (adjusted OR 1.53, 95%CI 1.00–2.33). Participants experiencing higher quality of life were significantly associated with lower odds of being interested in PPIEP (adjusted OR 0.77, 95%CI 0.65–0.92). Two out of five patients with asthma were interested in participating in PPIEP initiatives. By understanding the characteristics of patients willing to participate in PPIEP, we can develop strategies to reach a wider audience and make PPIEP more inclusive. The identified associated factors need to be further investigated.
Botulinum toxin type A success rates and predictive factors for favourable outcomes in paediatric patients with acquired esotropia
Purpose This study aimed to assess the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A in treating childhood-acquired comitant esotropia and identify predictive factors of treatment success. Methods This retrospective, consecutive, non-comparative cohort study included children under 18 years treated with botulinum toxin type A for acquired comitant esotropia between 2013 and 2019, with a minimum 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome was the success rate of achieving horizontal deviation within 10 prism dioptres at 6 months post-botulinum toxin type A treatment. Results In total, 49 children with a mean treatment age 8.10 ± 4.02 years were assessed. The three most common types of esotropia were acute acquired comitant, intermittent, and cyclic esotropia (57.2%, 20.4%, and 12.2%, respectively). The mean esodeviation at near and distance was 42.55 ± 13.39 and 42.65 ± 13.35 prism dioptres, respectively. The botulinum toxin type A treatment success rate was 51% (25/49), with survival analysis indicating a declining cumulative probability of treatment success over time (48%, 28%, and 21% at 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively). Significant predictive factors for successful outcomes were pre-botulinum toxin type A esodeviation >30–50 prism dioptres (p = 0.008) and time from diagnosis to treatment <2 months (p = 0.001). Conclusion Botulinum toxin type A demonstrated a success rate of 51% at 6 months with pre-botulinum toxin type A esodeviation and early treatment identified as predictive factors for treatment success suggesting its clinical application.
Using systems biology and drug repositioning approaches to discover FDA-approved drugs candidates for endometriosis treatment
Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The administration of drugs designated for this condition has significant adverse effects, such as signs of estrogen insufficiency and suppression of ovulation. Considering this issue, this study aims to employ drugs repurposing approaches for the treatment of endometriosis. The GSE120103 dataset was selected to assess the expression of genes involved in endometriosis, then differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the “Limma” package in R Studio. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis of 708 up-regulated and 414 down-regulated DEGs was performed using ShinyGO 0.81 and DAVID tools. the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) was then used to build a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of up-regulated DEGs, followed by Cytoscape software to identify hub genes. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were identified as hub genes, assessments suggested that VEGFR2 may be a more promising possibility for druggability than IL-6. 16 FDA-approved drugs targeting VEGFR2 were identified, and molecular docking analysis indicated that ponatinib (−9.6 kcal/mol) had a more favorable binding energy than the co-crystal ligand (−9.2 kcal/mol). Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis demonstrated considerable stability of the VEGFR2-ponatinib complex over a 100 nanoseconds (ns) timescale. The findings of this study indicate that ponatinib may provide considerable therapeutic promise for the treatment of endometriosis. Nevertheless, additional experimental investigations are required to evaluate its therapeutic efficacy.
Support To Rural India’s Public Education System (STRIPES2) and impact on numeracy and literacy scores: A cluster randomized trial in rural villages of Madhya Pradesh, India
Introduction Rates of primary school enrolment have improved in India, but levels of learning achievement remain low. In the Support To Rural India’s Public Education System (STRIPES) trial, a para-instructor intervention improved numeracy and literacy levels in Telangana, India (2008−10). The STRIPES2 trial was designed to assess whether a similar intervention in a younger cohort of children would have similar effects in Satna and Maihar districts of Madhya Pradesh, India, and be cost-effective. Methods In this Madhya Pradesh cluster-randomized controlled trial, 196 villages (clusters) were randomized to receive either a health (CHAMPION2: community health promotion and medical provision and impact on neonates) or education (STRIPES2) intervention. Villages receiving the health intervention were controls for the education intervention and vice versa. For children newly enrolled in primary school, the STRIPES2 intervention comprised before/after-school classes (2 hours per day, 6 days a week) given by trained para-instructors from the local community, frequent monitoring, and engagement with caregivers to motivate children, delivered by the Pratham Education Foundation. STRIPES2 activities had to be suspended twice for around ten and a half months, and some components of the intervention modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The period of the trial was extended with the primary outcome (a composite literacy and numeracy score of Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Assessments) assessed around 30 months after classes started. Results Composite test scores were significantly higher in the intervention arm (98 villages; 3054 children) than in the control arm (98 villages; 3275 children) at the end of the trial. The mean difference on a percentage point scale was 14.17; 95% CI 11.36 to 16.97; p < 0.001, equating to a 0.58 (95% CI 0.47 to 0.71) standard deviation difference. The cost per child per 0.1 SD increase in composite test score was INR 2476 (US$33.5). Conclusion Despite COVID-19 interruptions and disruptions, STRIPES2 resulted in a major improvement in children’s literacy and numeracy. However, the cost of achieving such benefits was substantial.
The type III secretion system translocases IpaC, SipC, and BipC are partially folded alpha helical proteins lacking in tertiary structures
The Type III secretion system (T3SS) is essential in the virulence of many bacterial pathogens that cause infectious diseases in humans. The T3SS consists of an injectisome that bacteria use to inject virulence proteins directly into human cells to initiate infection. Part of the injectisome is the translocon, which forms a pore on the host membrane to allow the passage of virulence proteins into the host. The translocon is assembled from two membrane proteins, termed major and minor translocases, based on their relative sizes from each other. Both major and minor translocases are essential for virulence. The atomic structure for any of the minor translocases remains unknown. Prior results from circular dichroism (CD), structural modeling, and AlphaFold predictions suggested these proteins have three-dimensional structures as alpha helical bundles. We have expressed and purified the T3SS translocases IpaC, SipC, and BipC from Shigella, Salmonella, and Burkholderia, respectively. Our results of CD spectroscopy, thermal denaturation, and 2D NMR show that IpaC, SipC, and BipC are alpha helical proteins, but they lack tertiary structures. The highest level of protein structures for these translocases are secondary structures. IpaC and SipC are predominantly alpha helical, whereas BipC also contains a significant amount of random coil conformation. Our results suggest that the translocon is assembled from proteins that lack tertiary structures.
Impingement of suspending droplets with coming ones at different off-central distances: A molecular dynamics study
Impingement of binary nanodroplets on solid surface can produce various outcomes, which are very important to various practical applications, such as lab on a chip and digital microfluidics. In the present work, we aim at exploring impacting systems with suspened nanodroplets and coming ones at various conditions. The effect of off-central distances, intrinsic contact angles, and Weber number is studied with the help of observing free evolution of targeted systems and several important characteristic parameters. This work reveals the effect of the off-central distance that is one of the most important characteristic parameters in impacting dynamics, mainly including generating rotating effect, spreading behavior with asynchronous dynamics, and hysteretic bouncing dynamics. The finding is very helpful for improving the understanding of off-central implementation of targeted systems, which can guide the practical application that needs to control outcomes of impacting binary nanodroplets.
Brief mindfulness coaching enhances selective attention in medical scientists: A pilot study
Medical scientists have dual commitments to clinical care and research efforts. Such commitments can create hectic and stressful work schedules, which may impact on well-being and cognition. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that brief mindfulness coaching (three 1.5 hour online group sessions over 12 weeks) can benefit medical scientists. We conducted a waitlist-controlled intervention study (n = 43) with M.D./Ph.D. preclinical or graduate students and post M.D./Ph.D. trainees/faculty. Assessments of quantitative outcomes included self-reports of burnout, mindfulness, self-compassion, and well-being, as well as objective neuro-cognitive assessments. The results showed no effect of intervention on self-report measures. However, amongst cognitive measures, selective attention performance was significantly improved following the intervention (bias corrected effect size, Hedges’ g = 1.13, p = 0.005). Extent of improvement in selective attention correlated with suppression of visual alpha oscillations – a neural marker for distractibility – measured using electroencephalography (EEG) (r = −0.32, p < 0.05). Qualitative feedback showed that after receiving the intervention, participants in both study arms equally rated the overall experience as “very good” (3.70 ± 0.98 out 5). They also appreciated that the intervention emphasized healthy lifestyle behaviors, and contributed to mindfulness, compassion, and a sense of community. A majority (57%) of the participants reported that they expect to change their well-being related behaviors because of the intervention. Overall, this study suggests the utility of brief mindfulness coaching to improve selective attention skills in medical scientists and that more needs to be done to enhance subjective well-being in this healthcare workforce. Trial registration: The study was registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registry (ISRCTN16736293) at https://www.isrctn.com/.
Visual enumeration remains challenging for multimodal generative AI
Many animal species can approximately judge the number of objects in a visual scene at a single glance, and humans can further determine the exact cardinality of a set by deploying systematic counting procedures. In contrast, it has been observed that even state-of-the-art AI systems have very limited enumeration skills. In this work, we propose two benchmark tasks inspired by cognitive science that allow to precisely evaluate the visual enumeration capabilities of multimodal foundation models, thereby providing an objective measure of their number sense and counting level. We consider popular visual question answering models (BLIP, LLaVA and ViLT) as well as advanced image-to-text (Gemini, GPT and Qwen) and text-to-image (DALL-E, FLUX and Stable Diffusion) AI systems. Our analyses show that even the most advanced models cannot reliably name the number of objects in simple visual stimuli or generate images containing a target number of items, as indexed by their low accuracy in both types of tasks. Especially for numbers outside the subitizing range, their responses are often far from the target numerosity, and, in stark contrast with human behavior, in many cases the distribution of errors depends on the object category. We also observe some striking mistakes with small numbers. Our findings demonstrate that developing an intuitive visual understanding of number remains challenging for AI models and that merely increasing model size might not be a viable strategy to promote the emergence of systematic counting skills. We release the full code of our benchmark to facilitate the evaluation of enumeration skills in future AI systems.
Intra- and intergenerational costs of handicapping in the Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola), a thraupid with delayed plumage maturation
Life history theory posits negative trade-offs between current reproduction and survival and between current and future reproduction. We tested if the Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola), a sexually dichromatic thraupid with age-related plumage coloration, conforms to the expectations under this theory. Previous studies in nest-box systems have shown that both drab young males and bright-yellow older males provide similar parental care and achieve comparable reproductive success. We experimentally handicapped females and males from both age classes by clipping of three primary remiges to manipulate their parental care efforts. We compared mating pairs conformed by handicapped males of both age classes paired with non-handicapped females, handicapped females paired with either handicapped or non-handicapped males of both age classes, against control pairs (non-handicapped individuals). We assessed weight changes, feeding rates, brooding bout duration, nest temperature, and return rates for both adults and nestlings, as well as growth rate, asymptotic weight, time spent at the nest, and fledgling success. Contrary to expectations, none of the experimental individuals adjusted their feeding rates. However, we observed intra- and intergenerational costs for handicapped females mated to second-year males, including shorter brooding bouts, greater weight loss, slower offspring growth, and lighter fledglings. Thus, in our study system, lower-quality females paired with second-year males may be maximizing reproductive success under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Low-carbon optimal scheduling of integrated energy systems based on multi-strategy ameliorated goose algorithm and green certificate-carbon trading coordination
The integrated energy systems (IES) in China face a dual challenge under the “dual-carbon” targets: maximizing renewable energy utilization while minimizing carbon emissions. Traditional tiered carbon markets often lack the flexibility to dynamically incentivize low-carbon operation. To address this, a coordinated framework is proposed, integrating a dynamic carbon emission trading (CET) mechanism with green certificate trading (GCT) and a Multi-Strategy Ameliorated Goose Optimization (MSAGOOSE) algorithm. The GCT-CET mechanism introduces exponential reward–penalty coefficients based on real-time renewable consumption rates, enabling adaptive carbon pricing. MSAGOOSE combines adaptive parameter adjustment, multimodal distribution-guided exploration, and population-aware reverse learning to improve optimization robustness in high-dimensional, nonlinear scheduling problems. Benchmark evaluations on CEC2017 and CEC2022 show that MSAGOOSE achieves an order-of-magnitude improvement in accuracy over seven state-of-the-art algorithms. In a 24-hour IES scheduling case in Anhui Province, the proposed method reduces carbon emissions by 27.3% (5,121 kg/d), increases renewable energy share to 88%, and cuts operating costs by 24.8% (6,151 CNY/d). Parametric analysis further confirms the framework’s effectiveness in balancing economic and environmental goals under decentralized energy scenarios. This study presents a policy-algorithm co-design paradigm that offers both theoretical and practical support for low-carbon IES transitions, enabling scalable, flexible, and economically viable scheduling strategies.
Morphometric analysis for prioritizing critical areas of Urpash watershed in Sindh catchment of the lesser Himalayas using RS and GIS approach
Effective soil and water conservation is critical in fragile watersheds prone to erosion. However, assessing erosion susceptibility in ungauged watersheds remains challenging due to the lack of observed hydrological data This study addresses this gap by employing a comprehensive morphometric analysis integrated with remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to prioritize erosion-prone sub-watersheds within the ecologically sensitive and data-scarce Urpash watershed. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data and ArcGIS 10.7 were used to analyze a 21.37 km² area. Key morphometric parameters—including linear, areal, and relief aspects—were assessed to understand watershed hydrology and erosion susceptibility. A total of 32 streams were identified, categorized into 1st to 3rd orders. Watershed shape indices, such as elongation ratio (Re = 0.65), form factor (Rf = 0.33) and circularity ratio (Rc = 0.295), indicate an elongated shape, indicative of reduced surface runoff and erosion potential, along with higher sub-soil permeability. However, drainage parameters like drainage density (Dd = 1.67 km/km2), stream frequency (Fs = 1.49 km-2) and drainage intensity (Di = 0.89 km-1) pointed to the watershed’s susceptibility to flooding, gully erosion, and landslides due to slow surface runoff dispersion. Relief parameters such as basin relief (H = 1742.87 m), relief ratio (Rh = 0.22) and ruggedness number (Rn = 2.9) reflect the watershed’s high relief and steep terrain, indicating a greater susceptibility to erosion. Using a compound parameter approach, the sub-watershed prioritisation ranked WS3 as the highest priority, followed by WS4, WS5, WS6, WS2, and WS1. By using RS and GIS-based morphometric analysis in an ungauged Urpash watershed, this study provides a geospatial framework for targeted soil and water conservation strategies, contributing to more precise watershed management in data-scarce and erosion-vulnerable regions.
C3AR1 may aggravate diabetic nephropathy by mediating oxidative stress via ITGB2 regulation in renal tubular epithelial cells
Diabetes nephropathy (DN) is the most common chronic complication of diabetes and has become an important cause of end-stage renal failure. Oxidative stress and inflammatory response play important driving roles in the occurrence and development of diabetic nephropathy. As a key gene of DN, C3AR1 has been shown to mediate oxidative stress and inflammation. However, its potential mechanism in DN is still unclear. Here, we found that C3AR1 was upregulated in high glucose (HG)-treated human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and kidney tissues of DN rats. Interference with C3AR1 protected HK-2 cells from HG-mediated oxidative stress injury. Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) analysis showed that C3AR1 interacted with ITGB2 and promoted the expression of ITGB2. Overexpression of ITGB2 reversed the inhibition of C3AR1 interference on oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory response in HG-treated HK-2 cells. The rat DN model was established by unilateral nephrectomy and one-time intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ), followed by the tail vein injection of the C3AR1 lentivirus interference plasmid. The results showed that interfering with C3AR1 reduced the level of inflammatory markers in the serum and weakened the oxidative stress and pathological damage of kidney tissues in DN rats. This study showed that C3AR1 may contribute to DN by upregulating ITGB2 protein levels to mediate oxidative stress.
Enhanced RGB-D SLAM through orthogonal plane constraints and point-line-plane collaborative optimization
Accurate visual localization in complex indoor environments remains a significant challenge due to feature degradation and cumulative errors. In response, we propose PLPM-SLAM, a novel RGB-D SLAM framework that integrates orthogonal Manhattan plane constraints with point-line-plane joint optimization to enhance both robustness and accuracy. Unlike traditional approaches that decouple only the rotation matrix, PLPM-SLAM utilizes three mutually orthogonal planes to jointly decouple both rotation and translation, effectively mitigating global drift. To address scenarios lacking a complete Manhattan structure, we introduce a virtual plane construction strategy based on heterogeneous feature associations. Additionally, PLPM-SLAM incorporates both homogeneous (point-point, line-line, plane-plane) and heterogeneous (point-line, point-plane, line-plane) geometric constraints throughout the tracking and optimization processes. In unstructured environments, a vanishing-point–guided joint optimization model is employed to improve geometric consistency. Extensive evaluations on public datasets (TUM, ICL-NUIM) and real-world sequences demonstrate that PLPM-SLAM consistently outperforms ORB-SLAM3 in both structured and low-texture settings. Specifically, PLPM-SLAM achieves RMSE reductions of up to 82.77% and 92.16% on the public and real-world datasets, respectively.
Formalized aspect-oriented misuse case for specifying crosscutting security threats and mitigations
Software applications are essential for managing daily life activities, including social interactions and business transactions, that significantly increase the need for security in sharing sensitive information. Misuse case modeling is used for identifying and analyzing security requirements in software applications. However, security threats and their corresponding mitigations are inherently cross-cutting concerns. These concerns are scattered and tangled within multiple functional requirements and cannot be modularized using traditional object-oriented techniques. The realization of misuse cases causes crosscutting threats and corresponding mitigations to be scattered and tangled across use cases, resulting in ambiguity, incomplete understanding, and insufficient analysis of security requirements. This study proposes a misuse case modelling method called Aspect-oriented Formalized Misuse Case (AFMUC). It specifies crosscutting security threats separately as an aspect misuse case and integrates them with use cases using an aspect-oriented approach. AFMUC provides structured guidelines and restriction rules for modeling crosscutting security threats and corresponding mitigations using aspect-oriented constructs such as Pointcut, Joinpoint Advice, and Introduction. The aspect threat model is then woven into the base use case model. Similarly, an aspect mitigation model is proposed to specify crosscutting mitigations following the AFMUC restriction rules. The aspect mitigation model is then woven into the base misuse case model. The proposed approach is applied to a case study and evaluated through a controlled experiment involving twenty-four students with a background in information security. The findings indicate that the AFMUC approach is practical and unambiguous for specifying and analyzing crosscutting security requirements. However, some aspect-oriented modeling constructs and restriction rules have been misapplied by students. This shows that while students favored the AFMUC approach, they may have found it challenging to apply the aspect-oriented constructs and restriction rules due to a limited exposure to aspect-oriented modelling.